Jeremiah 4:12
a wind too strong for that comes from Me. Now I also pronounce judgments against them."
a wind too strong for this
This phrase captures the intensity and overwhelming nature of the judgment that God is proclaiming through the prophet Jeremiah. The Hebrew word for "wind" here is "רוּחַ" (ruach), which can mean wind, spirit, or breath. In the context of Jeremiah, it often symbolizes God's powerful and purifying judgment. This is not a gentle breeze but a forceful, divine intervention that is beyond human control or resistance. Historically, the imagery of a strong wind would resonate with the people of Judah, who were familiar with the destructive power of desert winds, known as sirocco, which could devastate crops and homes. Spiritually, this wind signifies the inescapable and righteous judgment of God against the sin and idolatry of His people.

will come at My command
This phrase emphasizes the sovereignty and authority of God. The Hebrew root for "command" is "צָוָה" (tsavah), which means to appoint, command, or ordain. It underscores that this impending judgment is not a random act of nature but a deliberate act of God. The historical context here is crucial; the people of Judah had repeatedly turned away from God, despite numerous warnings through the prophets. This phrase serves as a reminder that God is in control of all creation, and His commands are executed with precision and purpose. It is a call to recognize His ultimate authority and to respond with repentance and obedience.

Now I will also pronounce judgments against them
This phrase marks the culmination of God's warning through Jeremiah. The Hebrew word for "pronounce" is "דִּבֶּר" (dibber), which means to speak or declare. It indicates a formal declaration of judgment, akin to a legal pronouncement. The historical context is the impending Babylonian invasion, which God is using as an instrument of His judgment against Judah's persistent unfaithfulness. Scripturally, this reflects the consistent biblical theme that God is just and will not overlook sin. However, it also implies that God’s judgments are not arbitrary; they are based on His righteous standards and are meant to lead His people back to Him. This serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the need for genuine repentance.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and judgment to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned over 40 years during a turbulent period in Judah's history.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was facing impending judgment due to its persistent idolatry and disobedience to God.

3. The Wind
Symbolic of God's judgment. In the context of Jeremiah, it represents a forceful and destructive power that comes directly from God, indicating the severity of the coming judgment.

4. God's Judgment
The divine response to the sin and rebellion of the people. In this passage, it is depicted as an unstoppable force, emphasizing God's sovereignty and righteousness.

5. The People of Judah
The recipients of Jeremiah's message, who were being warned of the consequences of their actions and the need for repentance.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Judgment
God's judgments are not arbitrary but are a direct response to human sin. His sovereignty ensures that His purposes will be accomplished, even through acts of judgment.

The Seriousness of Sin
Sin has real and severe consequences. The imagery of a strong wind underscores the destructive nature of sin and the seriousness with which God views it.

Call to Repentance
The warnings of judgment serve as a call to repentance. God's desire is for His people to turn back to Him and avoid the impending consequences of their actions.

The Certainty of God's Word
When God pronounces judgment, it is certain to come to pass. This should instill a sense of urgency in responding to His warnings and aligning our lives with His will.

Hope in God's Mercy
While the message is one of judgment, it also implies the possibility of mercy for those who repent. God's ultimate desire is for restoration and reconciliation with His people.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of a strong wind in Jeremiah 4:12 help us understand the nature of God's judgment?

2. In what ways does the message of judgment in Jeremiah 4:12 apply to our lives today, particularly in terms of personal and communal sin?

3. How can we reconcile the concept of a loving God with the reality of His judgments as described in Jeremiah 4:12?

4. What other biblical passages reinforce the theme of God's sovereignty in judgment, and how do they enhance our understanding of this verse?

5. How can we, as individuals and as a church community, respond to the call for repentance that is implicit in Jeremiah 4:12?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 66:15
This verse also uses the imagery of wind and fire to describe God's judgment, reinforcing the theme of divine retribution against sin.

Ezekiel 13:13
Similar to Jeremiah, Ezekiel speaks of a windstorm as a metaphor for God's wrath, highlighting the consistency of prophetic imagery across the Old Testament.

Hosea 8:7
The concept of reaping the whirlwind is used to illustrate the consequences of Israel's idolatry, paralleling the message in Jeremiah about the inevitable results of sin.
The Proclamation of WoeS. Conway Jeremiah 4:5-31
The Uses of the WindD. Young Jeremiah 4:11-13
Untempered JudgmentsT. G. Selby.Jeremiah 4:11-13
People
Dan, Jeremiah
Places
Dan, Jerusalem, Mount Ephraim, Zion
Topics
Command, Decision, Full, Judgment, Judgments, Places, Pronounce, Sentence, Speak, Strong, This-will, Utter, Vehement, Wind
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 4:11-12

     4860   wind

Library
The Wailing of Risca
You all know the story; it scarce needs that I should tell it to you. Last Saturday week some two hundred or more miners descended in health and strength to their usual work in the bowels of the earth. They had not been working long, their wives and their children had risen, and their little ones had gone to their schools, when suddenly there was heard a noise at the mouth of the pit;--it was an explosion,--all knew what it meant. Men's hearts failed them, for well they prophesied the horror which
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861

How those are to be Admonished who Sin from Sudden Impulse and those who Sin Deliberately.
(Admonition 33.). Differently to be admonished are those who are overcome by sudden passion and those who are bound in guilt of set purpose. For those whom sudden passion overcomes are to be admonished to regard themselves as daily set in the warfare of the present life, and to protect the heart, which cannot foresee wounds, with the shield of anxious fear; to dread the hidden darts of the ambushed foe, and, in so dark a contest, to guard with continual attention the inward camp of the soul. For,
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Prevailing Prayer.
Text.--The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.--James v. 16. THE last lecture referred principally to the confession of sin. To-night my remarks will be chiefly confined to the subject of intercession, or prayer. There are two kinds of means requisite to promote a revival; one to influence men, the other to influence God. The truth is employed to influence men, and prayer to move God. When I speak of moving God, I do not mean that God's mind is changed by prayer, or that his
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion

How to Make Use of Christ for Cleansing of us from Our Daily Spots.
Having spoken of the way of making use of Christ for removing the guilt of our daily transgressions, we come to speak of the way of making use of Christ, for taking away the guilt that cleaveth to the soul, through daily transgressions; "for every sin defileth the man," Matt. xv. 20; and the best are said to have their spots, and to need washing, which presupposeth filthiness and defilement, Eph. v. 27. John xiii. 8-10. Hence we are so oft called to this duty of washing and making us clean. Isa.
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

"For they that are after the Flesh do Mind the Things of the Flesh,",
Rom. viii. 5.--"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,", &c. Though sin hath taken up the principal and inmost cabinet of the heart of man--though it hath fixed its imperial throne in the spirit of man, and makes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its accursed desires and fulfil its boundless lusts, yet it is not without good reason expressed in scripture, ordinarily under the name of "flesh," and a "body of death," and men dead in sins, are
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Who Walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the Flesh,"
Rom. viii. 4, 5.--"Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh," &c. If there were nothing else to engage our hearts to religion, I think this might do it, that there is so much reason in it. Truly it is the most rational thing in the world, except some revealed mysteries of faith, which are far above reason, but not contrary to it. There is nothing besides in it, but that which is the purest reason. Even that part of it which is most difficult to man,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Repentance
Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18. Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name.' Luke 24: 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace.
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Directions to Awakened Sinners.
Acts ix. 6. Acts ix. 6. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do. THESE are the words of Saul, who also is called Paul, (Acts xiii. 9,) when he was stricken to the ground as he was going to Damascus; and any one who had looked upon him in his present circumstances and knew nothing more of him than that view, in comparison with his past life, could have given, would have imagined him one of the most miserable creatures that ever lived upon earth, and would have expected
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers.
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision B. Jesus Talks with Nicodemus. ^D John III. 1-21. ^d 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [Nicodemus is mentioned only by John. His character is marked by a prudence amounting almost to timidity. At John vii. 50-52 he defends Jesus, but without committing himself as in any way interested in him: at John xix. 38, 39 he brought spices for the body of Jesus, but only after Joseph of Arimathæa had secured the body.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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