Глава 11

After this, God commands to say to all the people: Jer.11:3. This says the Lord God of Israel: Cursed is the man, if thou hearest not the word of this covenant, (Jer. 11:4) “The same commandments your fathers commanded in the day that he brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the furnace of iron. This”, and laying down the law, added it to the law; for he said: “Cursed is everyone who does not abide in all those things that are written in the book of the law, according to what I have done” (Gal. 3:10). But both there and here, God promises that he who keeps the divine commandments will be worthy of all care for them. It reminds us of what was said to their fathers and of their disobedience. For he says: Jer.11:8. Neither incline your ear, and the husband walked away in the integrity of his evil “heart.” By “straightforwardness” the Prophet here does not mean rightness, but wickedness produced by stagnation in sin; because they did not deviate from their path, but constantly walked along the same path. “And I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, its commandments” for them “to do, and not to do.” For he gave them over to various punishments, and they were enslaved, sometimes to the Ammonites, sometimes to the Moabites, and sometimes to the Philistines. Jer.11:9. And the Lord said: There is a meeting found among the men of Judah, and among them that dwell in Jerusalem. (Jer.11:10) “His father was the first to return to iniquity, even though he did not want to hear My words.” What was said: “conferencing was found,” means: they are connected and closely united with the fathers, and follow their path. For this thought is expressed by the Prophet in the added words: “And behold, these have followed the gods of strangers, and serve them.” They do this in violation of the covenant given to them. Therefore I will burden them with all sorts of calamities, and I will not show mercy to those who mourn; and they will not receive help from those gods whom they serve. He also speaks about the multitude of these gods. Jeremiah 11:13. According to the number of your cities, your Gods, O Judah, were your gods, and according to the number of the paths of Jerusalem, you set up altars of cold water, altars for the incense of Baal. And, due to the excessiveness of wickedness, God forbids praying for them. For he says: Jer.11:14. Do not pray for these people, and do not ask for them in supplication and prayer: I will not hear you “during the time of their cry to Me, and in the time of their bitterness;” because they bring prayers already during the punishment itself. That is why the Prophet David exhorts, saying: “Let us precede His face in confession” (Ps. 94:2). And here the Prophet shows the unparalleled wickedness of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 11:15. Why, my beloved, do abominations in My house! Both of these make it possible to see the highest degree of evil: both the name of Jerusalem “beloved” and the fact that idols of non-existent gods are placed inside the divine church. “Will food vows and holy meat take away your wickedness from You? Or will you escape with this?” The prophetic definition and word clearly taught us that the Lord seeks good deeds. For this is what the divine David also cries out: “You did not desire sacrifices and offerings, but you made the body for me” (Ps. 39:7); and again: “If you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart God will not despise” (Ps. 50:18,19). And since he called Jerusalem “beloved,” it also suggests another name. Jeremiah 11:16. The blessed olive tree, the red flower, the Lord will call your name. He gave this name, encouraging him to bear fruit; This was often called a vineyard. "To the voice of circumcision: a fire burned within her." since he called it “olive”, he mentions cleansing; for he calls cleansing “circumcision.” So the Lord in the Holy Gospel says: “every rod that produces no fruit in Me” is cut off and put into the fire (John 15:2). “Great is the sorrow upon you; its branches are not needed.” because he did not want to bear good fruit. And teaching that it is not the strong Babylonian king, but God Himself who imposes punishment on Jerusalem, the Prophet added the following: Jeremiah 11:17. And the Lord of hosts, who planted it for you, said to eat evil against you because you were evil to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah, having created trees to anger Me by burning incense to Baal.” Your planter himself, says the Prophet, cut off the branches. The reason for this is you yourself, who grew not useful, but harmful fruits. In the following words the Prophet shows what the Jews dared to do against him and against the Lord Christ; because one was foreshadowed by the other. (Jer.11:18). “Lord, tell me, and I will understand.” That the Prophet understands not only what happened to him, this prayer testifies. A prophet would not need revelation to see what was then; because it happened to himself. On the contrary, revelation foretells the future. “Then I saw their beginnings” (Jer. 11:19). “But I, like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter, did not understand.” This: “foolishness” befits the Prophet, who did not expect sorrows. He understood the Lord’s promises exactly, but when he heard what was said to him: “I will build you this day like a city, like a city, like a pillar of iron, like a wall of copper” (Jer. 1:18), he thought that he would not experience anything regrettable. Meanwhile, the divine word did not promise this, but that he would overcome all sorrows. For it was said: “They will fight against you, and will not prevail against you, because I am with you, that I will deliver you, says the Lord” (Jer. 1:19). This word is applicable to the Lord Christ in a different sense. For it says: a lamb that is led to the slaughter does not know what will happen to it; and although he will endure suffering, he nevertheless follows the leader. “For he thought a thought against me, saying: Come, let us put wood into his bread, and we will destroy him from the land of the living, and let his name not be remembered by anyone.” This has nothing to do with the Prophet. For is it possible to put wood into bread? The word of this prophecy is very fitting for the Lord Christ; because He called His body bread; and says: “I will give the bread that I eat; I will give it my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51). They nailed this bread to the tree, thinking to destroy His memory. Then the Prophet says: (Jer.11:20). You, “Lord of Hosts, judge righteously, test hearts and bellies, so that I may see Your vengeance on them, for I have revealed My justification to You.” The Prophet, as we have repeatedly said, calls thoughts “wombs”; because the lustful force, revealed in the “wombs,” often sets thoughts in motion. Therefore, it was not in vain that God allowed the Prophet to experience sorrow; but, since he was often ready to offer prayers for the lawless, with the intention of convincing him, so that he would not recognize himself as a lover of mankind, but the treasure of grace was not merciful, God allowed this uprising of the Jews against him. And he, extremely upset, begs God to judge righteously and punish the wicked. The Lord accepts this request, gives an answer to the Prophet, threatens the Jews with punishment, and says that some of them will be killed in battle, and others will die of hunger.