Once again, the Lord warns Judah against using the words the burden of the Lord
as a way to falsely claim to speak on the Lord’s behalf, or as a way to reject the Lord’s true message of judgment. Having repeated the warning, he explains the consequences of deliberately not listening to it. Therefore, behold I will surely lift you up and cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
There is another play on words as the Hebrew word for lift up
comes from the root nasa from which massa (burden
) is also derived.1 In keeping with his covenant, the Lord will lift up
the people of Judah and cast
them away from his presence by removing them from the city and land that he has given them. The Lord will bring upon his people reproach,
which refers to that which is judged as worthless, and shame
which refers to public humiliation.2 This judgment will never be forgotten. The people may forget the Lord’s name (Jeremiah 23:27) because they have believed the false message of peace and turned to false gods, but they will never forget the judgment that came because of it.3
40 And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’”