Jeremiah 25:4
And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear.
And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again
This phrase emphasizes God's persistent efforts to communicate with His people through the prophets. The prophets, such as Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos, were sent repeatedly to warn Israel and Judah of impending judgment due to their disobedience and idolatry. This reflects God's patience and desire for repentance, as seen in 2 Chronicles 36:15-16, where God continually sent messengers because He had compassion on His people. The phrase "again and again" underscores the relentless nature of God's outreach, highlighting His mercy and long-suffering nature.

but you have not listened
This part of the verse points to the people's stubbornness and refusal to heed God's warnings. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel's history is marked by cycles of rebellion and repentance. Despite the clear messages from the prophets, the people often chose to ignore them, leading to consequences such as exile. This refusal to listen is a recurring theme, as seen in passages like Isaiah 6:9-10, where the people's hearts are described as calloused, preventing them from understanding and turning back to God.

or inclined your ear to hear
The imagery of inclining one's ear suggests an active effort to understand and obey. In the ancient Near Eastern context, listening was not merely about hearing words but involved a response and obedience. The failure to incline their ear indicates a deliberate choice to reject God's message. This concept is echoed in Proverbs 2:2, where inclining one's ear to wisdom is associated with seeking understanding. The lack of response from the people contrasts with the ideal of a faithful servant who listens and acts upon God's word, as exemplified by Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the role of the obedient servant.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who communicates His will and warnings through His prophets.

2. Prophets
God's messengers, sent repeatedly to deliver His word and call the people to repentance.

3. Jeremiah
The primary prophet in this context, delivering God's message of impending judgment due to the people's disobedience.

4. Judah and Jerusalem
The primary audience of Jeremiah's prophecies, representing the southern kingdom of Israel.

5. Babylonian Exile
The impending event of judgment that Jeremiah warns about, where the people of Judah will be taken captive by Babylon.
Teaching Points
The Persistence of God's Call
God is patient and persistent, sending His prophets repeatedly to call His people back to Him. This demonstrates His desire for repentance and restoration rather than judgment.

The Danger of Spiritual Deafness
Ignoring God's messages leads to spiritual hardness and eventual judgment. We must cultivate a heart that is open and responsive to God's word.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets serve as God's mouthpiece, delivering messages that are often counter-cultural and challenging. We should respect and heed the voices God places in our lives to guide us.

Historical Context and Modern Application
Understanding the historical context of Jeremiah's warnings helps us see the relevance of God's timeless principles. We must apply these lessons to our lives today, recognizing the consequences of disobedience.

God's Faithfulness and Justice
God's repeated warnings through the prophets highlight His faithfulness and justice. He is committed to His covenant and will act justly, even when it involves discipline.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the repeated sending of prophets reflect God's character and His relationship with His people?

2. In what ways can we become spiritually deaf to God's messages today, and how can we guard against this?

3. How does the role of prophets in the Old Testament compare to the role of spiritual leaders in the church today?

4. What lessons can we learn from the historical context of Jeremiah's warnings that apply to our personal and communal lives?

5. How do the themes of God's faithfulness and justice in Jeremiah 25:4 encourage us in our walk with God, especially when facing difficult circumstances?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Chronicles 36:15-16
This passage parallels Jeremiah 25:4, emphasizing the repeated sending of prophets and the people's persistent refusal to listen, leading to judgment.

Matthew 23:37
Jesus laments over Jerusalem, echoing the theme of God sending prophets and the people's unwillingness to listen.

Hebrews 1:1-2
Highlights God's communication through prophets in the past and ultimately through His Son, Jesus Christ.
A Twenty-Three Years' MinistryD. Young Jeremiah 25:1-7
Messages RecapitulatedA.F. Muir Jeremiah 25:1-7
People
Amon, Babylonians, Buz, Dedan, Elam, Jehoiakim, Jeremiah, Josiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar, Pharaoh, Tema, Zidon, Zimri
Places
Ammon, Arabia, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Babylon, Buz, Dedan, Edom, Egypt, Ekron, Elam, Gaza, Jerusalem, Media, Moab, Sidon, Tema, Tyre, Uz, Zimri
Topics
Although, Attention, Betimes, Ear, Early, Ears, Getting, Hearing, Hearkened, Inclined, Listened, Often, Open, Paid, Persistently, Prophets, Rising, Saying, Sending, Servants
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 25:4

     5408   messenger
     6628   conversion, God's demand
     7942   ministry
     8491   watchfulness, divine

Jeremiah 25:3-4

     6194   impenitence, warnings

Jeremiah 25:3-7

     5885   indifference

Jeremiah 25:4-6

     2425   gospel, requirements
     6734   repentance, importance

Jeremiah 25:4-11

     5838   disrespect
     5978   warning

Library
Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Appendix 2 Extracts from the Babylon Talmud
Massecheth Berachoth, or Tractate on Benedictions [76] Mishnah--From what time is the "Shema" said in the evening? From the hour that the priests entered to eat of their therumah [77] until the end of the first night watch. [78] These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. But the sages say: Till midnight. Rabban Gamaliel says: Until the column of the morning (the dawn) rises. It happened, that his sons came back from a banquet. They said to him: "We have not said the Shema.'" He said to them, "If the column
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Man and the Book.
In this and the following lectures I attempt an account and estimate of the Prophet Jeremiah, of his life and teaching, and of the Book which contains them--but especially of the man himself, his personality and his tempers (there were more than one), his religious experience and its achievements, with the various high styles of their expression; as well as his influence on the subsequent religion of his people. It has often been asserted that in Jeremiah's ministry more than in any other of the
George Adam Smith—Jeremiah

The Cavils of the Pharisees Concerning Purification, and the Teaching of the Lord Concerning Purity - the Traditions Concerning Hand-Washing' and Vows. '
As we follow the narrative, confirmatory evidence of what had preceded springs up at almost every step. It is quite in accordance with the abrupt departure of Jesus from Capernaum, and its motives, that when, so far from finding rest and privacy at Bethsaida (east of the Jordan), a greater multitude than ever had there gathered around Him, which would fain have proclaimed Him King, He resolved on immediate return to the western shore, with the view of seeking a quieter retreat, even though it were
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
The Medes and Cimmerians: Lydia--The conquest of Egypt, of Arabia, and of Elam. As we have already seen, Sennacherib reigned for eight years after his triumph; eight years of tranquillity at home, and of peace with all his neighbours abroad. If we examine the contemporary monuments or the documents of a later period, and attempt to glean from them some details concerning the close of his career, we find that there is a complete absence of any record of national movement on the part of either Elam,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

Ci. Foretelling his Passion. Rebuking Ambition.
(Peræa, or Judæa, Near the Jordan.) ^A Matt. XX. 17-28; ^B Mark X. 32-45; ^C Luke XVIII. 31-34. ^b 32 And they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem [Dean Mansel sees in these words an evidence that Jesus had just crossed the Jordan and was beginning the actual ascent up to Jerusalem. If so, he was in Judæa. But such a construction strains the language. Jesus had been going up to Jerusalem ever since he started in Galilee, and he may now have still be in Peræa. The parable
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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