Jeremiah 25 “The Cup of Wrath”

Jeremiah 25 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:                                                            

• Hillsong UNITED – Lead Me To The Cross
• Jesus, Thank You (feat. Brook Hills Music)
• Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) – Chris Tomlin

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• God Has a Rescue Plan | Preschool & Toddler Bible Songs – Lesson for Kids
• 1 John 4:14 – Savior (Hand Motions) – Song for Kids
• Won’t Worry ‘Bout A Thing | Shipwrecked VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Light of the World | Stellar VBS Music Video | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

After Jeremiah was called as a prophet by God, he proclaimed the word of the Lord for 23 years. But the people of Judah did not listen to his message. Then, in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim, which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (605 BC), God gave Jeremiah a new message to deliver to the people of Judah (vv. 1–2).

Jeremiah rebukes the people of Judah, saying that although he had consistently proclaimed the word of the Lord for the past 23 years, they did not listen (v. 3), and they also ignored the messages spoken by other prophets (v. 4). The Lord had shown them the path of life through the prophets, but the people of Judah refused to follow it and therefore brought judgment upon themselves (vv. 5–7). So, the Lord declares that He will use Nebuchadnezzar as His servant to attack Judah and all the surrounding nations. Judah will become a wasteland and will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years (vv. 8–11). But after seventy years, the Lord will judge Babylon (vv. 12–14), because Babylon will become arrogant with absolute power and bring judgment upon itself.

God then shows Jeremiah another vision. The Lord gives him a cup filled with the wine of His wrath and commands him to go from nation to nation, beginning with Judah, and make them drink it. Jeremiah goes to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah first, then continues to all the nations, even to the “king of Sheshach” (another name for the king of Babylon), and makes them drink the cup. Those who drink it become delirious and engage in wars, killing and being killed by one another (vv. 15–27). If any among the nations refuse to drink the cup, God instructs Jeremiah to tell them that if even Jerusalem—whom God treasures as the apple of His eye—had to drink from this cup, then no one will be able to escape it (vv. 28–30).

Jeremiah then proclaims the Lord’s message of judgment. When the Lord judges, it will be like a mighty storm arising from the ends of the earth. Many will die, and there will be no one to mourn them (vv. 31–33). On that day, the shepherds will weep most bitterly. The pasturelands where they once rested and rejoiced will be laid waste, and their flocks will be destroyed (vv. 34–38). Here, the term “shepherds” carries a double meaning: on the surface, it refers to literal shepherds who tend sheep, but figuratively, it refers to the leaders who were responsible for caring for the people of Judah.

Meditation:

The cup of wrath that Jeremiah received reminds us of two sayings of Jesus. The first is a word Jesus spoke to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Jesus refers to the sins of their ancestors who killed the prophets, and says, “So you also, fill up the measure of your ancestors” (Matthew 23:32). Because of the sins committed by their ancestors, the cup of God’s wrath was already filled to the brim. Just a little more, and it would overflow. Jesus foresaw that the cup of wrath against the Jewish people was soon to be poured out. Just as He said, in A.D. 70, Jerusalem was conquered by the Roman army, and the temple was completely destroyed, not one stone left upon another.

The second saying is the prayer Jesus offered in Gethsemane. As the final moment approached, Jesus prayed alone in the Garden of Gethsemane late at night. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). The cup He referred to contain the wrath of God that each person should have to drink as the payment for their own sin. God had told Jeremiah to go around and make the nations drink that cup, but He commanded His own Son to drink it Himself on our behalf. This meant infinite suffering. Jesus desired to avoid that cup. Yet, in the end, He drank it to the very last drop. He drank the cup of wrath that I should have had to drink.

If the Lord has drunk the cup of wrath that I deserved, allowing me to stand before God, then I must remain awake and live in a way that does not waste that grace. To forget that grace and once again heap up God’s wrath is to forget how great that grace truly is.

Prayer:

Through the cross, we come to realize how painful the cup of wrath that we should have drunk truly is. And through the cross, we come to understand how great a price the Lord paid in order to save us. Since You have allowed us to know this indescribably great grace, lead us to be held by this grace and to become Your joy. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Sometimes what looks bad to us may actually be part of God’s good plan. True blessing is not in our situation, but in being close to God and trusting His plan even when we don’t understand it.

• For Preschool-Elementary:
  • Have you ever felt sad or left out, and later realized something good came from it?
  • Why do you think God can see things that we cannot see?
  • What is one way we can stay close to God when we feel confused or worried?
    
• Youth:
  
  • The people in Babylon thought they were unlucky, but God was actually protecting them. Can you think of a time when something felt bad but later had meaning or helped you grow?
  • Why is it difficult to trust God when His plans don’t match our expectations?
  • What does it look like practically to “stay close to God” in your weekly life (school, home, friendships)?