How foolish was it for ancient Judah to ignore God’s message? How foolish is it for us? Let’s look at Jeremiah 8.
Will even the bones of deceased leaders of Judah be dishonored because of their idolatry?
“At that time,” declares the Lord, “they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its leaders, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. They will spread them out to the sun, the moon, and to all the heavenly lights, which they have loved, which they have served, which they have followed, which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered nor buried; they will be like dung on the face of the ground. And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the places to which I have driven them,” declares the Lord of armies. (Jer 8:1-3 NASB)
Why do people fall away from God? What do they cling to instead of repenting?
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘When people fall down, do they not get up? When someone turns away, do they not return? Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle. Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord. (Jer 8:4-7 NIV)
Is covetous materialism a form of idolatry? Do they even know how to blush? Do the people proclaim peace when there is none?
“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; So what wisdom do they have? Therefore I will give their wives to others, And their fields to those who will inherit them; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.
For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment They shall be cast down,” says the Lord. (Jer 8:8-12 NKJV)
What happens to the blessings God gave to a people who became unfaithful?
I will surely consume them. There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes. Their fruit trees will all die. Whatever I gave them will soon be gone. I, the Lord, have spoken!’
“Then the people will say, ‘Why should we wait here to die? Come, let’s go to the fortified towns and die there. For the Lord our God has decreed our destruction and has given us a cup of poison to drink because we sinned against the Lord. We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.’ ” (Jer 8:13-15 NLT)
Do the people in the north begin to hear the snorting of enemy battle horses, an impending punishment of the Lord?
“The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan. The whole land trembles at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they have come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell therein. For, behold, I will send serpents, adders among you, which will not be charmed; and they will bite you,” says Yahweh. (Jer 8:16-17 WEB)
Because of their sins, worshiping useless foreign idols, will healing come or only grief?
No healing, only grief; my heart is broken. Listen to the weeping of my people all across the land: “Isn’t the Lord in Zion? Is her king no longer there?” Why then did they anger me with their images, with pointless foreign gods? “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, yet we aren’t saved.” Because my people are crushed, I am crushed; darkness and despair overwhelm me. (Jer 8:18-21 CEB)
Do both God and His prophet mourn over the nation’s wound, and lack of a healing balm?
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored? (Jer 8:22 ESV)
Is God’s message still spurned by moderns as it was in ancient Judah?
The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. As God says in the Scriptures, “I will destroy the wisdom of all who claim to be wise. I will confuse those who think they know so much.” What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? (1 Cor 1:18-20 CEV)
How foolish was it for ancient Judah to ignore God’s message? How foolish is it for us? You decide!
Lying Religion (Jeremiah 7)
How many lies that are not found in the Bible do we believe? Let’s look at Jeremiah 7.
Was the worship of the Lord being misused to defend absolute lies?
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!’ ” Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’ (Jer 7:1-4 NKJV)
What did God really want to see change in people’s thoughts and deeds?
But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever. (Jer 7:5-7 NLT)
Is any part of our personal beliefs based upon lies, things that neither Jesus nor the apostles taught?
Behold, you trust in lying words that can’t profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered,’ that you may do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it,” says Yahweh. (Jer 7:8-11 WEB)
Did God tolerate sin and corruption among His people in the past?
Just go to my sanctuary in Shiloh, where I let my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, because you haven’t listened when I spoke to you again and again or responded when I called you, I will do to this temple that bears my name and on which you rely, the place that I gave to you and your ancestors, just as I did to Shiloh. I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out the rest of your family, all the people of Ephraim. (Jer 7:12-15 CEB)
Specifically, did God tolerate the worship of foreign gods or was He angry?
Jeremiah, don't pray for these people! I, the Lord, would refuse to listen. Do you see what the people of Judah are doing in their towns and in the streets of Jerusalem? Children gather firewood, their fathers build fires, and their mothers mix dough to bake bread for the goddess they call the Queen of Heaven. They even offer wine sacrifices to other gods, just to insult me. But they are not only insulting me; they are also harming themselves by doing these shameful things.
And now, I, the Lord All-Powerful, will flood Judah with my fiery anger until nothing is left—no people or animals, no trees or crops. (Jer 7:16-20 CEV)
Had each successive generation only gotten worse in the nation? What would God say about our current generations?
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. (Jer 7:21-26 ESV)
Will our current generation listen to a preacher of God’s word any better than that generation?
When you speak all these things to them, they will not listen to you. When you call to them, they will not answer you. You must therefore declare to them: This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the Lord their God and would not accept discipline. Truth has perished—it has disappeared from their mouths. Cut off the hair of your sacred vow and throw it away. Raise up a dirge on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned the generation under His wrath. (Jer 7:27-29 HCSB)
What had Judah done in the house of God, the Temple in Jerusalem? What abominable things were they doing with their own children?
“For the people of Judah have done evil in my eyes,” declares the Lord. “They have put their detestable idols in the house that is called by my name in order to defile it. They have built high places at Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I didn’t command this, and it never entered my mind! (Jer 7:30-31 ISV)
What punishment will God bring to Jerusalem because they sacrificed their children to pagan gods?
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate. (Jer 7:32-34 KJV)
Did Jesus also speak against another later misuse of the Temple in Jerusalem?
And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” (Mark 11:17 LSB)
How many lies that are not found in the Bible do we believe? You decide!
Was the worship of the Lord being misused to defend absolute lies?
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!’ ” Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’ (Jer 7:1-4 NKJV)
What did God really want to see change in people’s thoughts and deeds?
But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever. (Jer 7:5-7 NLT)
Is any part of our personal beliefs based upon lies, things that neither Jesus nor the apostles taught?
Behold, you trust in lying words that can’t profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered,’ that you may do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it,” says Yahweh. (Jer 7:8-11 WEB)
Did God tolerate sin and corruption among His people in the past?
Just go to my sanctuary in Shiloh, where I let my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, because you haven’t listened when I spoke to you again and again or responded when I called you, I will do to this temple that bears my name and on which you rely, the place that I gave to you and your ancestors, just as I did to Shiloh. I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out the rest of your family, all the people of Ephraim. (Jer 7:12-15 CEB)
Specifically, did God tolerate the worship of foreign gods or was He angry?
Jeremiah, don't pray for these people! I, the Lord, would refuse to listen. Do you see what the people of Judah are doing in their towns and in the streets of Jerusalem? Children gather firewood, their fathers build fires, and their mothers mix dough to bake bread for the goddess they call the Queen of Heaven. They even offer wine sacrifices to other gods, just to insult me. But they are not only insulting me; they are also harming themselves by doing these shameful things.
And now, I, the Lord All-Powerful, will flood Judah with my fiery anger until nothing is left—no people or animals, no trees or crops. (Jer 7:16-20 CEV)
Had each successive generation only gotten worse in the nation? What would God say about our current generations?
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. (Jer 7:21-26 ESV)
Will our current generation listen to a preacher of God’s word any better than that generation?
When you speak all these things to them, they will not listen to you. When you call to them, they will not answer you. You must therefore declare to them: This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the Lord their God and would not accept discipline. Truth has perished—it has disappeared from their mouths. Cut off the hair of your sacred vow and throw it away. Raise up a dirge on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned the generation under His wrath. (Jer 7:27-29 HCSB)
What had Judah done in the house of God, the Temple in Jerusalem? What abominable things were they doing with their own children?
“For the people of Judah have done evil in my eyes,” declares the Lord. “They have put their detestable idols in the house that is called by my name in order to defile it. They have built high places at Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I didn’t command this, and it never entered my mind! (Jer 7:30-31 ISV)
What punishment will God bring to Jerusalem because they sacrificed their children to pagan gods?
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate. (Jer 7:32-34 KJV)
Did Jesus also speak against another later misuse of the Temple in Jerusalem?
And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” (Mark 11:17 LSB)
How many lies that are not found in the Bible do we believe? You decide!
A Warning Ignored (Jeremiah 6)
How frustrating must it have been for a prophet to be just laughed at instead of taken seriously? Does the world still ignore the warnings in the Bible? Let’s look at Jeremiah 6.
What warning about Jerusalem and nearby localities did Jeremiah give?
Run for your lives, people of Benjamin. Get out of Jerusalem. Sound a trumpet in Tekoa and light a signal fire in Beth-Haccherem. Soon you will be struck by disaster from the north. Jerusalem is a lovely pasture, but shepherds will surround it and divided up, then let their flocks eat all the grass. Kings will tell their troops, “If we reach Jerusalem in the morning, we'll attack at noon. But if we arrive later, we'll attack after dark and destroy its fortresses.” (Jer 6:1-5 CEV)
Why was God disgusted with Jerusalem as a city that must be punished?
For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Cut down her trees; cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city that must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her. As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her evil; violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are ever before me. Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I turn from you in disgust, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land.” (Jer 6:6-8 ESV)
Would the people listen to such a warning? Would we listen today?
This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches. Who can I speak to and give such a warning that they will listen? Look, their ear is uncircumcised, so they cannot pay attention. See, the word of the Lord has become contemptible to them—they find no pleasure in it. But I am full of the Lord’s wrath; I am tired of holding it back. Pour it out on the children in the street, on the gang of young men as well. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old with the very old. Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land. This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 6:9-12 HCSB)
What are some of the specific faults of the inhabitants of Jerusalem?
“Indeed, from the least important to the most important, they’re all greedy for dishonest gain. From prophet to priest, they all act deceitfully. They treated my people’s wound superficially, telling them, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace. Were they ashamed because they did what was repugnant to God? They were not ashamed at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore they’ll fall with those who fall. When I punish them, they’ll be brought down,” says the Lord. (Jer 6:13-15 ISV)
Are religious sacrifices without a change of heart useless?
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. (Jer 6:16-21 KJV)
Because of their sins, was a foreign invasion from the north predicted?
Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, And a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. They take hold of bow and spear; They are cruel and have no compassion; Their voice roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arranged as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!” We have heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. Distress has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.
Do not go out into the field And do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword; Terror is on every side. O daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us. (Jer 6:22-26 LSB)
Like an assayer of metal being refined, does Jeremiah reject the quality of his own nation?
“I have made you an assayer and an examiner among My people, So that you may know and put their way to the test.” All of them are stubbornly rebellious, Going about as a slanderer; They are bronze and iron. They are, all of them, corrupt. The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the wicked are not separated. They call them rejected silver, Because the Lord has rejected them. (Jer 6:27-30 NASB)
Did Jesus echo verse 16 by promising rest for our souls in Him? Because Jesus gave no Sabbath command, is this a transformation of that law into the Spirit of the law?
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Mat 11:29 NIV)
How frustrating must it have been for a prophet to be just laughed at instead of taken seriously? Does the world still ignore the warnings in the Bible? You decide!
What warning about Jerusalem and nearby localities did Jeremiah give?
Run for your lives, people of Benjamin. Get out of Jerusalem. Sound a trumpet in Tekoa and light a signal fire in Beth-Haccherem. Soon you will be struck by disaster from the north. Jerusalem is a lovely pasture, but shepherds will surround it and divided up, then let their flocks eat all the grass. Kings will tell their troops, “If we reach Jerusalem in the morning, we'll attack at noon. But if we arrive later, we'll attack after dark and destroy its fortresses.” (Jer 6:1-5 CEV)
Why was God disgusted with Jerusalem as a city that must be punished?
For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Cut down her trees; cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem. This is the city that must be punished; there is nothing but oppression within her. As a well keeps its water fresh, so she keeps fresh her evil; violence and destruction are heard within her; sickness and wounds are ever before me. Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I turn from you in disgust, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land.” (Jer 6:6-8 ESV)
Would the people listen to such a warning? Would we listen today?
This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches. Who can I speak to and give such a warning that they will listen? Look, their ear is uncircumcised, so they cannot pay attention. See, the word of the Lord has become contemptible to them—they find no pleasure in it. But I am full of the Lord’s wrath; I am tired of holding it back. Pour it out on the children in the street, on the gang of young men as well. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old with the very old. Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land. This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 6:9-12 HCSB)
What are some of the specific faults of the inhabitants of Jerusalem?
“Indeed, from the least important to the most important, they’re all greedy for dishonest gain. From prophet to priest, they all act deceitfully. They treated my people’s wound superficially, telling them, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace. Were they ashamed because they did what was repugnant to God? They were not ashamed at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore they’ll fall with those who fall. When I punish them, they’ll be brought down,” says the Lord. (Jer 6:13-15 ISV)
Are religious sacrifices without a change of heart useless?
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. (Jer 6:16-21 KJV)
Because of their sins, was a foreign invasion from the north predicted?
Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, And a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. They take hold of bow and spear; They are cruel and have no compassion; Their voice roars like the sea, And they ride on horses, Arranged as a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Zion!” We have heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. Distress has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth.
Do not go out into the field And do not walk on the road, For the enemy has a sword; Terror is on every side. O daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth And roll in ashes; Mourn as for an only son, A lamentation most bitter. For suddenly the destroyer Will come upon us. (Jer 6:22-26 LSB)
Like an assayer of metal being refined, does Jeremiah reject the quality of his own nation?
“I have made you an assayer and an examiner among My people, So that you may know and put their way to the test.” All of them are stubbornly rebellious, Going about as a slanderer; They are bronze and iron. They are, all of them, corrupt. The bellows blow fiercely, The lead is consumed by the fire; In vain the refining goes on, But the wicked are not separated. They call them rejected silver, Because the Lord has rejected them. (Jer 6:27-30 NASB)
Did Jesus echo verse 16 by promising rest for our souls in Him? Because Jesus gave no Sabbath command, is this a transformation of that law into the Spirit of the law?
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Mat 11:29 NIV)
How frustrating must it have been for a prophet to be just laughed at instead of taken seriously? Does the world still ignore the warnings in the Bible? You decide!
Search for Justice (Jeremiah 5)
Why is justice so hard to find in our world? Let’s look at Jeremiah 5.
What kind of person was God looking for in the streets of Jerusalem?
“Wander through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and investigate; search through her squares and see whether you find anyone—even one person there—doing justice and seeking truth. Then I’ll forgive them. Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” (Jer 5:1-2 ISV)
Did God realize that some people refused to receive any correction from Him?
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. (Jer 5:3-5 KJV)
Will God just sit by while people have forsaken Him and not punish them?
Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down; A wolf of the deserts will devastate them; A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces Because their transgressions are many; Their acts of faithlessness are mighty. “Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. I had satisfied them to the full, Then they committed adultery And trooped to the harlot’s house. They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish these people,” declares Yahweh, “And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? (Jer 5:6-9 LSB)
Have the house of Israel and the house of Judah both dealt very treacherously with the Lord?
“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction; Strip away her branches, For they are not the Lord’s. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord. They have lied about the Lord And said, “Not He; Misfortune will not come upon us, Nor will we see sword or famine. The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. So it will be done to them!” (Jer 5:10-13 NASB)
Would God bring a distant nation against Israel to devour and destroy?
Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: “Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes. People of Israel,” declares the Lord, “I am bringing a distant nation against you—an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. (Jer 5:14-17 NIV)
As they served foreign gods at home, would they serve foreigners in another land?
“Nevertheless in those days,” says the Lord, “I will not make a complete end of you. And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’ (Jer 5:18-19 NKJV)
What did God explain to Israel and Judah was the cause of their punishments?
“Make this announcement to Israel, and say this to Judah: Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. (Jer 5:20-25 NLT)
Are wicked and deceitful men found among God’s people who have grown rich? Are even the prophets and priests crooks?
For wicked men are found among my people. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich. They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy. “Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? “An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it? (Jer 5:26-31 WEB)
Because Israel refused to listen to God, what kind of spirit and eyes did He give them?
As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day. (Rom 11:8 CEB)
Why is justice so hard to find in our world? You decide!
What kind of person was God looking for in the streets of Jerusalem?
“Wander through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and investigate; search through her squares and see whether you find anyone—even one person there—doing justice and seeking truth. Then I’ll forgive them. Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” (Jer 5:1-2 ISV)
Did God realize that some people refused to receive any correction from Him?
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. (Jer 5:3-5 KJV)
Will God just sit by while people have forsaken Him and not punish them?
Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down; A wolf of the deserts will devastate them; A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces Because their transgressions are many; Their acts of faithlessness are mighty. “Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. I had satisfied them to the full, Then they committed adultery And trooped to the harlot’s house. They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish these people,” declares Yahweh, “And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? (Jer 5:6-9 LSB)
Have the house of Israel and the house of Judah both dealt very treacherously with the Lord?
“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction; Strip away her branches, For they are not the Lord’s. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord. They have lied about the Lord And said, “Not He; Misfortune will not come upon us, Nor will we see sword or famine. The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. So it will be done to them!” (Jer 5:10-13 NASB)
Would God bring a distant nation against Israel to devour and destroy?
Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: “Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes. People of Israel,” declares the Lord, “I am bringing a distant nation against you—an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. (Jer 5:14-17 NIV)
As they served foreign gods at home, would they serve foreigners in another land?
“Nevertheless in those days,” says the Lord, “I will not make a complete end of you. And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’ (Jer 5:18-19 NKJV)
What did God explain to Israel and Judah was the cause of their punishments?
“Make this announcement to Israel, and say this to Judah: Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. (Jer 5:20-25 NLT)
Are wicked and deceitful men found among God’s people who have grown rich? Are even the prophets and priests crooks?
For wicked men are found among my people. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich. They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy. “Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? “An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it? (Jer 5:26-31 WEB)
Because Israel refused to listen to God, what kind of spirit and eyes did He give them?
As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day. (Rom 11:8 CEB)
Why is justice so hard to find in our world? You decide!
A Lament (Jeremiah 4)
Does God lament the sins of every nation? Let’s look at Jeremiah 4.
Does God ask of every nation the same as Israel, for truth, justice and righteousness?
“If you will return, Israel,” declares the Lord, “Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detestable things from My presence, And will not waver, And if you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will boast.” (Jer 4:1-2 NASB)
Does God ask of every nation the same as Judah, circumcision of the heart?
This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it. (Jer 4:3-4 NIV)
What punishment would come from the north for their many sins?
Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry, ‘Gather together,’ And say, ‘Assemble yourselves, And let us go into the fortified cities.’ Set up the standard toward Zion. Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.”
The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant. For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and wail. For the fierce anger of the Lord Has not turned back from us. (Jer 4:5-8 NKJV)
Did the people not realize that God’s promise of peace was conditional upon faithfulness? Does judgment come upon any nation that will not repent of evils?
“In that day,” says the Lord, “the king and the officials will tremble in fear. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be appalled.” Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!”
The time is coming when the Lord will say to the people of Jerusalem, “My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert, and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain. It is a roaring blast sent by me! Now I will pronounce your destruction!” (Jer 4:9-12 NLT)
Is God’s request to wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved, applicable to all nations?
Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined. Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you? For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim: “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah. As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says Yahweh. “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.” (Jer 4:13-18 WEB)
How long can a nation allow sin to flourish before disaster follows disaster?
Oh, my suffering, my suffering! My pain is unbearable; my heart is in turmoil; it throbs nonstop. I can’t be silent, because I hear the blast of the trumpet and the roar of the battle cry! Disaster follows disaster; the whole land is ruined. Suddenly, my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. How long must I see the battle flags and hear the blast of the trumpet? (Jer 4:19-21 CEB)
What happens to people that foolishly ignore God? Is all they know how to sin?
I heard the Lord say, “My people ignore me. They are foolish children who do not understand that they will be punished. All they know is how to sin.” After this, I looked around. The earth was barren, with no form of life. The sun, moon, and stars had disappeared. The mountains were shaking; no people could be seen, and all the birds had flown away. Farmland had become a desert, and towns were in ruins. The Lord's fierce anger had done all of this. (Jer 4:22-26 CEV)
Why is the whole land desolate, forsaken, fainting before murderers?
For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.”
At the noise of horseman and archer every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks; all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.” (Jer 4:27-31 ESV)
Does the New Testament also indicate a circumcision of the heart? Does this point to a transformation of the law under the new covenant?
On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God. (Rom 2:29 HCSB)
Does God lament the sins of every nation? You decide!
Does God ask of every nation the same as Israel, for truth, justice and righteousness?
“If you will return, Israel,” declares the Lord, “Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detestable things from My presence, And will not waver, And if you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will boast.” (Jer 4:1-2 NASB)
Does God ask of every nation the same as Judah, circumcision of the heart?
This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it. (Jer 4:3-4 NIV)
What punishment would come from the north for their many sins?
Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry, ‘Gather together,’ And say, ‘Assemble yourselves, And let us go into the fortified cities.’ Set up the standard toward Zion. Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.”
The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant. For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and wail. For the fierce anger of the Lord Has not turned back from us. (Jer 4:5-8 NKJV)
Did the people not realize that God’s promise of peace was conditional upon faithfulness? Does judgment come upon any nation that will not repent of evils?
“In that day,” says the Lord, “the king and the officials will tremble in fear. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be appalled.” Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!”
The time is coming when the Lord will say to the people of Jerusalem, “My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert, and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain. It is a roaring blast sent by me! Now I will pronounce your destruction!” (Jer 4:9-12 NLT)
Is God’s request to wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved, applicable to all nations?
Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined. Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you? For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim: “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah. As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says Yahweh. “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.” (Jer 4:13-18 WEB)
How long can a nation allow sin to flourish before disaster follows disaster?
Oh, my suffering, my suffering! My pain is unbearable; my heart is in turmoil; it throbs nonstop. I can’t be silent, because I hear the blast of the trumpet and the roar of the battle cry! Disaster follows disaster; the whole land is ruined. Suddenly, my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. How long must I see the battle flags and hear the blast of the trumpet? (Jer 4:19-21 CEB)
What happens to people that foolishly ignore God? Is all they know how to sin?
I heard the Lord say, “My people ignore me. They are foolish children who do not understand that they will be punished. All they know is how to sin.” After this, I looked around. The earth was barren, with no form of life. The sun, moon, and stars had disappeared. The mountains were shaking; no people could be seen, and all the birds had flown away. Farmland had become a desert, and towns were in ruins. The Lord's fierce anger had done all of this. (Jer 4:22-26 CEV)
Why is the whole land desolate, forsaken, fainting before murderers?
For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.”
At the noise of horseman and archer every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks; all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.” (Jer 4:27-31 ESV)
Does the New Testament also indicate a circumcision of the heart? Does this point to a transformation of the law under the new covenant?
On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God. (Rom 2:29 HCSB)
Does God lament the sins of every nation? You decide!
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