Jeremiah 16:1-21

16:2-4 | To vividly portray Judah’s coming distress, the Lord commanded Jeremiah not to marry or have children. The Lord often used the marriages and families of the prophets to teach important lessons to the people (Isa. 7-8; Ezek. 24; Hosea 1-3).

16:5-6 | Jeremiah was not to attend funerals or mourn for the dead. These were important social customs, but the dead were not to be mourned because their deaths were the judgment of God. The Lord had withdrawn His love and mercy from the people.

16:8-9 | It would also be inappropriate for Jeremiah to attend feasts and celebrations during a time of national calamity.

16:14-15 | The Lord’s deliverance of His people would be like a second Exodus. This Exodus would be even greater than the first because the Lord would rescue His people out of captivity from many nations.

16:16 | The enemy soldiers attacking Judah would be like fishermen and hunters tracking down and capturing all survivors and refugees. Jesus takes the image of fishing for men and turns it into a positive picture of his disciples capturing people for God’s kingdom (Matt. 4:19; Mark 1:17).