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!
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!
World Repentance (Jeremiah 3)
Does God’s plan include the repentance of people from Israel, Judah and all nations? Let’s look at Jeremiah 3.
What use was Israel asking God for mercy without repentance?
If a man divorces his wife, and after she leaves him marries another, can he return to her again? Wouldn’t such an act completely corrupt the land? Yet you have prostituted yourself with many lovers. Would you return to me? declares the Lord. Look to the well-traveled paths and see! Where haven’t you committed adultery? On the roadsides you sit in wait for lovers, like a nomad in the wilderness. You have corrupted the land with your cheap and reckless behavior. That’s why the showers have failed and the spring rains have ceased. Still you act like a brazen prostitute who refuses to blush. At the same time you say to me, “My father, my friend since youth, will you stay angry forever? Will you continue to be furious?” This is what you say while you do as much evil as you possibly can. (Jer 3:1-5 CEB)
Did God lament the unfaithfulness of both Israel and Judah?
When Josiah was king, the Lord said: Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel was like an unfaithful wife who became a prostitute on the hilltops and in the shade of large trees. I knew that the kingdom of Israel had been unfaithful and committed many sins, yet I still hoped she might come back to me. But she didn't, so I divorced her and sent her away.
Her sister, the kingdom of Judah, saw what happened, but she wasn't worried in the least, and I watched her become unfaithful like her sister. The kingdom of Judah wasn't sorry for being a prostitute, and she didn't care that she had made both herself and the land unclean by worshiping idols of stone and wood. And worst of all, the people of Judah pretended to come back to me. (Jer 3:6-10 CEV)
What does God declare to the northern ten tribes of Israel about returning to Him?
And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. (Jer 3:11-14 ESV)
What does God predict about the ark of the covenant, Jerusalem and all nations?
“I will give you shepherds who are loyal to Me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill. When you multiply and increase in the land, in those days”—the Lord’s declaration—“no one will say any longer, ‘The ark of the Lord’s covenant.’ It will never come to mind, and no one will remember or miss it. It will never again be made. At that time Jerusalem will be called, Yahweh’s Throne, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh in Jerusalem. They will cease to follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land I have given your ancestors to inherit.” (Jer 3:15-18 HCSB)
How does God speak to them about His heart’s true desire? What is His appeal?
“I said, ‘How I wanted to treat you like children, and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of the nations.’ I said, ‘You will call me, my father, and won’t turn back from following me.’ Instead, like an unfaithful wife leaves her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, house of Israel,” declares the Lord. A voice is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the children of Israel because they have perverted their way. They have forgotten the Lord their God. “Turn back, unfaithful people, and I’ll heal your unfaithfulness.” (Jer 3:19-22a ISV)
What does God predict the nation will say in repentance, as they return to God?
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. (Jer 3:22b-25 KJV)
Will all the nations eventually be gathered to the name of God and adopted?
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15 LSB)
Does God’s plan include the repentance of people from Israel, Judah and all nations? You decide!
What use was Israel asking God for mercy without repentance?
If a man divorces his wife, and after she leaves him marries another, can he return to her again? Wouldn’t such an act completely corrupt the land? Yet you have prostituted yourself with many lovers. Would you return to me? declares the Lord. Look to the well-traveled paths and see! Where haven’t you committed adultery? On the roadsides you sit in wait for lovers, like a nomad in the wilderness. You have corrupted the land with your cheap and reckless behavior. That’s why the showers have failed and the spring rains have ceased. Still you act like a brazen prostitute who refuses to blush. At the same time you say to me, “My father, my friend since youth, will you stay angry forever? Will you continue to be furious?” This is what you say while you do as much evil as you possibly can. (Jer 3:1-5 CEB)
Did God lament the unfaithfulness of both Israel and Judah?
When Josiah was king, the Lord said: Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel was like an unfaithful wife who became a prostitute on the hilltops and in the shade of large trees. I knew that the kingdom of Israel had been unfaithful and committed many sins, yet I still hoped she might come back to me. But she didn't, so I divorced her and sent her away.
Her sister, the kingdom of Judah, saw what happened, but she wasn't worried in the least, and I watched her become unfaithful like her sister. The kingdom of Judah wasn't sorry for being a prostitute, and she didn't care that she had made both herself and the land unclean by worshiping idols of stone and wood. And worst of all, the people of Judah pretended to come back to me. (Jer 3:6-10 CEV)
What does God declare to the northern ten tribes of Israel about returning to Him?
And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. (Jer 3:11-14 ESV)
What does God predict about the ark of the covenant, Jerusalem and all nations?
“I will give you shepherds who are loyal to Me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill. When you multiply and increase in the land, in those days”—the Lord’s declaration—“no one will say any longer, ‘The ark of the Lord’s covenant.’ It will never come to mind, and no one will remember or miss it. It will never again be made. At that time Jerusalem will be called, Yahweh’s Throne, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh in Jerusalem. They will cease to follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land I have given your ancestors to inherit.” (Jer 3:15-18 HCSB)
How does God speak to them about His heart’s true desire? What is His appeal?
“I said, ‘How I wanted to treat you like children, and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of the nations.’ I said, ‘You will call me, my father, and won’t turn back from following me.’ Instead, like an unfaithful wife leaves her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, house of Israel,” declares the Lord. A voice is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the children of Israel because they have perverted their way. They have forgotten the Lord their God. “Turn back, unfaithful people, and I’ll heal your unfaithfulness.” (Jer 3:19-22a ISV)
What does God predict the nation will say in repentance, as they return to God?
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. (Jer 3:22b-25 KJV)
Will all the nations eventually be gathered to the name of God and adopted?
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15 LSB)
Does God’s plan include the repentance of people from Israel, Judah and all nations? You decide!
Broken Cisterns (Jeremiah 2)
Have we forsaken the fountain of living water, and dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water? Let’s look at Jeremiah 2.
Was Israel once devoted to God, and enemies who attempted to devour the nation ended in disaster?
The Lord’s word came to me: Go and proclaim to the people of Jerusalem, The Lord proclaims: I remember your first love, your devotion as a young bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in an unplanted land. Israel was devoted to the Lord, the early produce of the harvest. Whoever ate from it became guilty; disaster overtook them, declares the Lord. (Jer 2:1-3 CEB)
How did the relationship between God and Israel become worthless?
Listen, people of Israel, and I, the Lord, will speak. I was never unfair to your ancestors, but they left me and became worthless by following worthless idols. Your ancestors refused to ask for my help, though I had rescued them from Egypt and led them through a treacherous, barren desert, where no one lives or dares to travel. (Jer 2:4-6 CEV)
Even after entering the land did all of Israel prove unfaithful to God, from the least to the greatest?
And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. (Jer 2:7-8 ESV)
Had Israel exchanged the one true God for an array of useless man-made idols? What have we exchanged for God?
Therefore, I will bring a case against you again. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will bring a case against your children’s children. Cross over to Cyprus and take a look. Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. Be horrified at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled. This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 2:9-12 HCSB)
Does the analogy of the broken cisterns in any way apply to us?
“Indeed, my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jer 2:13 ISV)
Did Israel learn anything from their Egyptian and Assyrian slavery? Will their own sins bring self-inflicted punishment?
Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes [Egyptian cities] have broken the crown of thy head. Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor [blackness of the Nile]? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. (Jer 2:14-19 KJV)
How did Israel act like a harlot who loved strangers instead of being faithful?
“For long ago I broke your yoke And tore off your bonds; But you said, ‘I will not serve!’ For on every high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot. Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely true seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not walked after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel entangling her ways, A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her. Keep your feet from being barefoot And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’ ” (Jer 2:20-25 LSB)
How had Israel acted like a thief whose crimes are exposed? Is worshipping idols made of stone and trees in any way realistic?
“Like the shame of a thief when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their leaders, Their priests, and their prophets, Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me, And not their faces; But in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us!’ But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you In the time of your trouble! For as many as the number of your cities Are your gods, Judah.” (Jer 2:26-28 NASB)
Has punishment brought about national repentance in Israel? Will we repent?
“Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,” declares the Lord. “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravenous lion.” (Jer 2:29-30 NIV)
Why did Israel live in the delusion of self-mastery and forget God? Have we?
“O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jer 2:31-32 NKJV)
How well did foreign alliances work out for Israel? Do we put too much trust in foreign alliances, especially with nations that spurn Christian values?
“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you! Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor, though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses! And yet you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’ But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned.
First here, then there—you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before. In despair, you will be led into exile with your hands on your heads, for the Lord has rejected the nations you trust. They will not help you at all.” (Jer 2:33-37 NLT)
Did Jesus also allude to coming to Him, the fountain of living water?
Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38 WEB)
Have we forsaken the fountain of living water, and dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water? You decide!
Was Israel once devoted to God, and enemies who attempted to devour the nation ended in disaster?
The Lord’s word came to me: Go and proclaim to the people of Jerusalem, The Lord proclaims: I remember your first love, your devotion as a young bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in an unplanted land. Israel was devoted to the Lord, the early produce of the harvest. Whoever ate from it became guilty; disaster overtook them, declares the Lord. (Jer 2:1-3 CEB)
How did the relationship between God and Israel become worthless?
Listen, people of Israel, and I, the Lord, will speak. I was never unfair to your ancestors, but they left me and became worthless by following worthless idols. Your ancestors refused to ask for my help, though I had rescued them from Egypt and led them through a treacherous, barren desert, where no one lives or dares to travel. (Jer 2:4-6 CEV)
Even after entering the land did all of Israel prove unfaithful to God, from the least to the greatest?
And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. (Jer 2:7-8 ESV)
Had Israel exchanged the one true God for an array of useless man-made idols? What have we exchanged for God?
Therefore, I will bring a case against you again. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will bring a case against your children’s children. Cross over to Cyprus and take a look. Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. Be horrified at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled. This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 2:9-12 HCSB)
Does the analogy of the broken cisterns in any way apply to us?
“Indeed, my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jer 2:13 ISV)
Did Israel learn anything from their Egyptian and Assyrian slavery? Will their own sins bring self-inflicted punishment?
Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes [Egyptian cities] have broken the crown of thy head. Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor [blackness of the Nile]? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. (Jer 2:14-19 KJV)
How did Israel act like a harlot who loved strangers instead of being faithful?
“For long ago I broke your yoke And tore off your bonds; But you said, ‘I will not serve!’ For on every high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot. Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely true seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not walked after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel entangling her ways, A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her. Keep your feet from being barefoot And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’ ” (Jer 2:20-25 LSB)
How had Israel acted like a thief whose crimes are exposed? Is worshipping idols made of stone and trees in any way realistic?
“Like the shame of a thief when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their leaders, Their priests, and their prophets, Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me, And not their faces; But in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us!’ But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you In the time of your trouble! For as many as the number of your cities Are your gods, Judah.” (Jer 2:26-28 NASB)
Has punishment brought about national repentance in Israel? Will we repent?
“Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,” declares the Lord. “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravenous lion.” (Jer 2:29-30 NIV)
Why did Israel live in the delusion of self-mastery and forget God? Have we?
“O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jer 2:31-32 NKJV)
How well did foreign alliances work out for Israel? Do we put too much trust in foreign alliances, especially with nations that spurn Christian values?
“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you! Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor, though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses! And yet you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’ But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned.
First here, then there—you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before. In despair, you will be led into exile with your hands on your heads, for the Lord has rejected the nations you trust. They will not help you at all.” (Jer 2:33-37 NLT)
Did Jesus also allude to coming to Him, the fountain of living water?
Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38 WEB)
Have we forsaken the fountain of living water, and dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water? You decide!
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