Jeremiah 17:19 - Meaning and Application

These verses are a sermon about keeping the Sabbath holy. This was a message Jeremiah received from the Lord and was told to deliver publicly and with great seriousness. The prophets were not only sent to expose sin and urge obedience in general, but also to deal with specific sins. This message about the Sabbath was likely given in Josiah’s day, to support the reform he had begun.

The message was to be announced in the places where people gathered, especially at the gates. That mattered because people passed through them constantly, and because courts were held there and goods were stored there. It was to be proclaimed first at the court gate, the gate through which the kings of Judah entered and left (Jeremiah 17:19). The rulers were to hear their duty first, especially this duty, because if the Sabbath was not kept properly, the leaders of Judah were guilty and needed correction (Nehemiah 13:17).

Jeremiah was also to preach it in all the gates of Jerusalem. This was a matter of wide importance, so everyone needed to hear it. Let the kings of Judah hear the word of the Lord, because he is above them, even though they are high in rank. Let all the people of Jerusalem hear it too, because God notices the actions of both great and small on the Sabbath.

First, the Sabbath was to be kept by resting from ordinary work. They were not to do any servile, or common, labor. They were not to carry burdens into or out of the city, or into or out of their houses. That included grain from the fields, manure, goods, wares, or merchandise. No loaded horse, cart, or wagon was to be seen on the Sabbath, whether in the streets or on the roads. Porters were not to work, and servants were not to run errands for food or fuel. It was a day of rest and was not to be turned into a day of labor, unless necessity required it.

Second, they were to use the day for its proper purpose, God’s service and worship. To hallow the Sabbath means to set it apart for God’s honor. Worldly work had to be put aside so they could give themselves fully to what the day was for. That work needs the whole person, and it deserves the whole person.

Third, they were to be careful and watchful in this matter. They were to “take heed” to themselves, meaning they had to guard against anything that came close to breaking the Sabbath. Where God is jealous for his honor, we must be cautious. They were also to watch their souls, meaning their inward life and thoughts. To keep the Sabbath well, they must not let their minds be weighed down with the cares of this world, but use all that is within them for God.

Fourth, God points them back to the law itself. This was not a new burden placed on them. It was an old command given to their fathers, part of the original covenant, and even commanded to the patriarchs. They were being called back to something God had long required.

Their fathers had broken this command. They had been told to keep the Sabbath holy, but they would not listen. They hardened their necks against this command, as they had against other commands as well (Jeremiah 17:23). This is mentioned to show why reform was needed and why God had a just complaint against them. When people ignore the Sabbath, all religion begins to decline.

God also showed what blessings he had for them if they would truly honor the Sabbath. Though their fathers had profaned it, the nation would not need to suffer for that if they turned back and kept the Sabbath well (Jeremiah 17:24-26). If they would stop working on that day and set it apart for God, several good things would follow.

The court would prosper. Kings in the line of David, and the princes and judges who sat on David’s throne, would pass through Jerusalem in splendor, with the men of Judah attending them. The honor of government is a joy to a nation, and support for religion would strengthen both.

The city would prosper. If Jerusalem kept up a true outward respect for God by Sabbath-keeping, it would live up to its name as the holy city and remain inhabited. It would not be ruined and emptied out, as had been threatened. What supports religion also supports the public good of a land.

The countryside would prosper too. The cities of Judah and the land of Benjamin would be filled with people, with peace and plenty among them. That would show itself in the abundance of their offerings to God. A land can be judged by what it does for God’s honor. Those who neglect religion usually move toward poverty.

The worship of the Lord would prosper. Grain offerings, incense, and sacrifices of praise would be brought to the house of the Lord, supporting both the service of the temple and those who served there. God’s appointed worship would be carefully observed. Nothing would be given to idols, and nothing would be taken away from God. They would have both the reason and the heart to offer praise. A people truly flourish when religion flourishes among them.

This is the result of keeping the Sabbath holy. When that part of religion is maintained, other parts are kept up too. When it is neglected, devotion tends to fall apart, either into superstition or into open sin. As some have rightly said, the streams of all religion run deep or shallow according to whether the banks of the Sabbath are kept up or broken down.

If they kept profaning the Sabbath, they had reason to expect severe judgment (Jeremiah 17:27). God said that if they would not obey him in this matter, and keep the city gates shut on the Sabbath so that no unnecessary business would go on, then he would kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem. That means an enemy army would attack the city gates, force its way in, and use fire as part of the siege.

Those gates deserved to be burned because they were not being used as they should. Instead of shutting out sin and helping people stay focused on their duty, they had been opened to common business on a holy day. The fire would even reach the palaces of Jerusalem, where the princes and nobles lived, because they had failed to use their power and influence to honor God’s Sabbaths. That fire would not stop until the whole city lay in ruins.

This warning was later fulfilled when the Chaldean army destroyed Jerusalem (Jeremiah 52:13). God has often used fire to contend with a people for profaning the Sabbath.