Jeremiah 13 · The Lantern

The Linen Loincloth

Thus says the LORD to me, Go and get you a linen belt, and put it upon your loins, and put it not in water.

Furthermore, this Paul said strongly that "the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking"—or abstinence from wine or meat—"but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Which of them goes around like Elijah wearing a sheepskin and a leather belt? Which of them wears no shoes and nothing but a piece of sackcloth like Isaiah?

After these things let us look at what concerns the loincloth. For "Thus," it says, "says the Lord: Go and acquire for yourself a linen loincloth, and put it around your loins, and do not pass it through water. And I acquired a loincloth according to the word of the Lord and put it around my loins.

The girdle, or loincloth, which is attached to the loins of God, is the people of Israel, who, like this piece of linen, were assumed from the earth unwashed and having no softness or beauty, yet were nevertheless joined to God through his mercy.

So I got a belt according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.

And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying,

Take the belt that you have got, which is upon your loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.

So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

And it happened after many days, that the LORD said to me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there.

Then I went to Euphrates, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hid it: and indeed, the belt was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Thus says the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this belt, which is good for nothing.

For as the belt clings to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cling to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says the LORD; that they might be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

The Wineskins

Therefore you shall speak to them this word; Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say to you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

What the prophet is commanded by God to say ought to be worthy of God, [yet] it appears that it is not worthy of God so long as we remain at the level of the letter, so that someone else, on hearing the letter, might say: "These letters are folly." But it is the unspiritual man (psychikos) who will say this; for "the unspiritual man does not receive the things of the Spirit of…

(Verse 12 onwards) You shall say therefore to them (or to the people) this message. Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Every pitcher (or vessel) shall be filled with wine. And they shall say to you: Do we not know that every pitcher (or vessel) shall be filled with wine?

And showing the unchangeable nature of his wrath, God introduced these words: "I will not yearn after them, and I will not spare them, and I will not have pity on them because of their destruction," rather than "[I will not have pity on] their destruction." Then he calls their punishment drunkenness since those who fall into great misfortunes resemble those who are intoxicated…

Then shall you say to them, Thus says the LORD, Look, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

Captivity Threatened

Hear, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD has spoken.

Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and my eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock is carried away captive.

Say to the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

Lift up your eyes, and look them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?

What will you say when he shall punish you? for you have taught them to be captains, and as chief over you: shall not sorrows take you, as a woman in labor?

And if you say in your heart, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts discovered, and your heels made bore.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

For as the prophet speaks," If the Ethiopian changes his skin, or the leopard his spots," then will they be willing to think religiously who have been instructed in irreligion. You, however, beloved, on receiving this, read it by yourself.

Then immediately quickening her pace, she began to move along the old road that leads to Gaza, that is, to the "power" or "wealth" of God, silently meditating on that type of the Gentiles, the Ethiopian eunuch, who, in spite of the prophet, changed his skin and, while he read the Old Testament, found the fountain of the gospel.

Also, he showed so much love in his religion that, leaving behind a queen's court, he came from the farthest regions of the world to the Lord's temple. Hence, as a just reward, while he sought the interpretation of something that he was reading, he found Christ, whom he was seeking.

Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.

This is your lot, the portion of your measures from me, says the LORD; because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

Therefore will I discover your skirts upon your face, that your shame may appear.

I have seen your adulteries, and your neighings, the lewdness of your prostitution, and your abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! will you not be made clean? when shall it once be?

Jeremiah13

The Linen Loincloth

The Wineskins

Captivity Threatened