God gave Jeremiah two object lessons to set before the people of Israel. The first was the rotten underwear and the second was the smashing wine jars.
God had intended the people of Israel to cling to him like a pair of underwear (13:11). Much like the linen under-garments that the priests wore when they ministered in the temple. When his people cling to him their actions and attitudes bring honor and praise to God. This truth is timeless. But Jeremiah was told to bury the underwear that he had wore. After some time God told Jeremiah to retrieve the underwear, which was now rotten because of its contact with the earth, and said that Israel had become just as rotten because of their love of the things of this world.
God said that he was preparing to fill the wine jars of Israel. But his intentions of filling them was not for their pleasure or through a bountiful harvest. He would fill the vessels, which are the people of the land, with his wine until they are drunk. Then he will ruthlessly smash those wine jars until they are totally destroyed (13:14). Smashing empty wine jars would be messy enough, but there would be no waste of the years of labor. Smashing the jars full of wine makes a bigger mess and also trashes the harvest for which the people had worked and toiled. Not only was God describing the punishment but the harvest, i.e. the families, would also be caught in the destruction.
Both of these warnings can be taken corporately or individually.
Stuart
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