.25:15-38.

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Judgment on various nations (Jer 25:15-38)

God is righteous and holy, and in justice pours out his wrath on those who arrogantly defy his authority. His judgment upon wicked nations is likened to a cup of wine given to a person to make him drunk so that he staggers and falls (Jer 25:15-16).

Through the spreading conquests of the Babylonian armies, God has punished Judah (Jer 25:17-18), along with a variety of other nations far and near (Jer 25:19-25).

But in the end Babylon, the agent God has used to carry out his judgment, will itself be the object of God’s wrath (Jer 25:26.

Sheshach is another name for Babylon). No nation can escape once God has determined to punish it (Jer 25:27-28), and Judah, God’s chosen nation, will be the first to suffer (Jer 25:29).

A further picture of the terrible judgment to fall on the wicked is that of a lion’s attack on a flock of sheep. When the judge of all the earth acts in his holy judgment, the wicked will find no place of refuge (Jer 25:30-31).

The bodies of the dead will lie rotting and stinking in the sun, like manure (Jer 25:32-33).

The leaders of the people (shepherds of the flock) will look for a way of escape when the day of disaster comes, but they too will perish (Jer 25:34-35).

As shepherds cry out when they see violence at work within their peaceful pastures, so Judah’s leaders will wail when they see the Babylonian armies desolating their land (Jer 25:36-38).