“This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 13:25 Mean?
"This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood." God assigns Judah's judgment as their LOT — their measured portion, their weighed-out share. The punishment is precise, not excessive. It's the portion that Judah's specific sins have earned. And the cause is twofold: forgetting God AND trusting falsehood. The forgetting and the trusting are connected — you forget the true and then trust the false.
The phrase "the portion of thy measures" (menat middayikh — the share of your measurements) treats judgment as something MEASURED: God didn't pour out anger arbitrarily. He measured it. The judgment is portioned — calculated, weighed, assigned in specific quantities. The punishment is precision, not overflow. You receive exactly what the measurements indicate.
The dual cause — "forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood" (shakachti ve'tivtechi basheqer) — traces the progression: forgetting God comes FIRST. Trusting falsehood comes SECOND. The forgetting creates the vacancy. The falsehood fills it. You don't trust lies until you've forgotten the truth. The amnesia produces the credulity.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What have you forgotten about God — and what falsehood has filled the vacancy?
- 2.What does judgment being 'measured' (portioned, calculated, precise) teach about divine justice?
- 3.How does forgetting God lead directly to trusting falsehood?
- 4.What would remembering God DO to the falsehoods you're currently trusting?
Devotional
This is your portion. Measured. Weighed. From Me. God assigns judgment the way a merchant measures grain — precisely, specifically, in exact quantities. The punishment is your MEASURED share. Not random anger. Portioned consequences.
The 'portion of thy measures' means the judgment is calculated: God isn't lashing out. He's measuring. The punishment has dimensions — length, width, weight — all proportional to the offense. The justice is mathematical. The consequences are calibrated. You receive exactly the portion your sins have earned. No more. No less.
The 'because thou hast forgotten me' is the root cause: the forgetting is where everything went wrong. You forgot God — His faithfulness, His provision, His presence, His warnings. The amnesia was gradual (you don't forget God all at once) but total (eventually the forgetting is complete). The God who should be unforgettable was forgotten.
The 'trusted in falsehood' is the consequence of the forgetting: once God is forgotten, something else must be trusted. The vacuum demands a replacement. Falsehood — lies, deceptions, false securities — fills the space God vacated. The trust in falsehood isn't random foolishness. It's the predictable result of forgetting the truth. You trust lies BECAUSE you forgot the truth.
What have you forgotten about God — and what falsehood have you trusted to fill the vacancy?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
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