Jeremiah 27

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

the LORD says to me: “Make bonds and bars, and put them on your neck.

Then send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

Give them a command to their masters, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says, “You shall tell your masters:

‘I have made the earth, the men, and the animals that are on the surface of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm. I give it to whom it seems right to me.

Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him.

All the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their bondservant.

“‘“‘It will happen that I will punish the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon,’ says the LORD, ‘with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

But as for you, don’t listen to your prophets, to your diviners, to your dreams, to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon;”

for they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, so that I would drive you out, and you would perish.

But the nation that brings their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, that nation I will let remain in their own land,’ says the LORD; ‘and they will till it and dwell in it.’”’”

I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you.

For I have not sent them,” says the LORD, “but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to you.”

Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, the LORD says, “Don’t listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you.

Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a desolation?

But if they are prophets, and if the LORD’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of Armies, that the vessels which are left in the LORD’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon.

For the LORD of Armies says concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city,

which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn’t take when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—

yes, the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in the LORD’s house, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem:

‘They will be carried to Babylon, and there they will be, until the day that I visit them,’ says the LORD; ‘then I will bring them up, and restore them to this place.’”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter presents Jeremiah’s prophetic commission to symbolize Judah’s inevitable subjugation to Babylon by wearing wooden yokes, declaring that Nebuchadnezzar is God’s appointed servant to rule over the nations. The message is addressed not only to Judah but to surrounding kingdoms, emphasizing divine sovereignty over history and the futility of resistance. The chapter warns against false prophets who promise deliverance, underscoring that submission to Babylon is God’s will for temporary preservation, not national shame.

Flow.

The Lord commands Jeremiah to make and wear a wooden yoke as a prophetic sign.
He sends this message via envoys to multiple nations, declaring that God has given all the region into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand.
Judah, especially King Zedekiah, is urged to submit to avoid destruction by sword, famine, and pestilence.
False prophets are denounced for proclaiming the swift return of temple vessels, which God affirms will remain in Babylon until His appointed time.

Connections.
Following chapter 26, which recounts Jeremiah’s trial before temple leaders for prophesying judgment, chapter 27 sharpens the conflict between true and false prophecy in the face of political crisis. It sets the stage for chapter 28, where Hananiah the false prophet breaks Jeremiah’s yoke, directly opposing this message and claiming God will break Babylon’s yoke within two years—thus creating a public test of prophetic authority that chapter 28 will narrate.

What it teaches.
God rules over all nations and appoints even pagan kings as His servants to accomplish His purposes (WCF 5.1; HC LD 10). Resistance to divinely ordained authority brings judgment, while submission preserves life, not as a reward but as common mercy. The false prophets misrepresent God’s will, leading people toward destruction through lies masked as hope (WCF 1.10; BC Art. 9). The temple vessels’ exile underscores that ceremonial holiness does not shield a disobedient people (WCF 20.4; HC LD 32); God’s name is not bound to objects or place when justice is wanting. Yet, hope remains: God will “visit” and restore in His time (WCF 7.6; CD I.17).

Apply.
When earthly powers rise and promises of deliverance compete, trust the word that aligns with God’s revealed will, not what flatters national pride or desires ease.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.