Observation: This is the prophesy Jeremiah is to pronounce in the Temple, which then gets him in trouble with King Jehoiakim and his officials. They almost put him to death, until enough of them still respect the Lord enough - and remember similar prophesies from Micah - to spare him. That said, the only way anyone could understand why this prophesy is bad is if they actually understand what is being said ... that the Jerusalem will be made to be like Shiloh.
Shiloh was the place where the Tabernacle was first erected within the promised land, and it remained for centuries. It was still the central place of worship when Samuel was raised there. However, eventually the Philistines came, destroyed the place, and took the ark away. When this happened, Shiloh was burned and completely abandoned, and at the time of Jeremiah was a desolate, abandoned hill that no one cared about at all. Those hearing this prophesy understand this. Making Jerusalem like Shiloh means to effectively erase it, making it not just a ruin but a place no one will ever go, destroying the vestiges of the worship of Yahweh, and removing the ark through violent seizure.
Yes, that's a threat these listeners would have understood and taken seriously. However, to a modern reader, it only makes any sense at all if one knows what and where Shiloh was.
Application: When I started reading the bible daily 12 years ago, I did so because I knew I really needed more time with the Lord. However, I thought to myself that I had read the bible ... after all, what were all those verses we memorized in Sunday School? Well, I now know that memorizing a dozen verses out of context, or following along with a chapter that the pastor preaches about, is NOT reading the bible.
I now know about Shiloh. I know they saved the tent of meeting. I know what happened to the Philistines when they took the ark, and how they ended up voluntarily sending it back, and it ended up in somebody's house for decades. And I know of the archeological analysis of Shiloh today, of how it was laid out as both a hill and amphitheater. I know how this tiny place accommodated thousands as they sacrificed and ate. I know these things because I have read about them many times, and then meditated and learned as the Lord brought me to consider his word and teaching by these things.
And honestly, I cannot thank the Lord enough for the understanding he has given me by his word. Yea ... I'm still a screw-up who, even though I know the word, struggles to obey or apply it. However, I know his will so much better. I marvel at the facts and truth and how they are proven through the consistency of his word over millennia. I understand more deeply because I have rich context. Mostly, I feel the Holy Spirit from time to time because he truly says to me, "did you catch that?" or "that's what we're telling you today" or "that's meaningful so think about it".
I am blessed by reading the bible. I'm not saying I'm blessed because I read the bible, I'm saying the reading is the blessing. The availability of the Lord's own word and teaching is the blessing. And I am glad that, as I have done this year after year, the blessing becomes richer and deeper and more meaningful.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your word. The fact I can read a passage and understand context in new ways is amazing. The fact you care enough to even communicate with us through your word is amazing. May I keep your word in my heart every day, and may I do a MUCH better job of meditating on it day and night. Please plant me by that stream. Amen.
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