Jeremiah 5:15-17
“Attention! I’m bringing a far-off nation against you, O house of Israel.” GOD’s Decree. “A solid nation, an ancient nation, A nation that speaks another language. You won’t understand a word they say. When they aim their arrows, you’re as good as dead. They’re a nation of real fighters! They’ll clean you out of house and home, rob you of crops and children alike. They’ll feast on your sheep and cattle, strip your vines and fig trees. And the fortresses that made you feel so safe— leveled with a stroke of the sword!”
“O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,” says the LORD. “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand. Their weapons are deadly; their warriors are mighty. They will devour the food of your harvest; they will devour your sons and daughters. They will devour your flocks and herds; they will devour your grapes and figs. And they will destroy your fortified towns, which you think are so safe.”
Babylon was a nation in its prime, its cultural identity and traditions strong, its people disciplined and productive. Judah was descending, its distinctiveness having long ago vanished into the ease and lassitude of prosperity. It is an uncomfortable comparison since American today is decidedly more like Judah than Babylon. What are the fortresses we think safe? We may cite Democracy and our military strength. But it takes a disciplined, service-oriented population to sustain these. Adult Americans, though long past infancy, are still attached to one kind of nipple or another, always on the search for meaning, comfort, and actualization. We do not have the Great Depression induced discipline of the generation that fought the last world war. May God have mercy on us.
Lord, make us ready for the future. Discipline us as unruly children. Open our eyes to our own condition. Save us from ourselves.
Jeremiah 5:14
“Because they have talked this way, they are going to eat those words. Watch now! I’m putting my words as fire in your mouth. And the people are a pile of kindling ready to go up in flames.”
“Therefore, this is what the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies says: ‘Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood.’”
This was not ordinary speech. These words carried authority making people take notice. It must have been traumatic for Jeremiah, having his vocal tissues burn with such intensity. The image of a people aflame like kindling is disturbing. Judah’s spiritually shriveled people would now have to experience their God as a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17). It was not God’s choice, but theirs, whose behavior his character could no longer ignore.
Lord, the world around me is falling apart. People are miserable, believing this life is the end. Current events produce fear and uncertainty. Because of you, I know where hope lies. Grace me to share it with those who want to hear. Guide my days to those encounters. May I never fail to engage them.
Jeremiah 5:10-13
“Go down the rows of vineyards and rip out the vines, but not all of them. Leave a few. Prune back those vines! That growth didn’t come from GOD! They’ve betrayed me over and over again, Judah and Israel both.’ GOD’s Decree. ’They’ve spread lies about GOD. They’ve said, ‘There’s nothing to him. Nothing bad will happen to us, neither famine nor war will come our way. The prophets are all windbags. They speak nothing but nonsense.’”
“Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the LORD. The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me,’ says the LORD. ‘They have lied about the LORD and said, ‘He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine. God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”
No matter how grim it seems the Lord is always faithful to preserve a remnant who love and worship him. I mustn’t let the news convince me I am alone in the Lord. There are others just like me, trying to shine their way through the night, sharing hope and love with those in darkness.
The lie, “There’s nothing to him,” is not modern but age old. Contrarily, it is my job to share that he is truth, righteousness, hope and love. He is not, ‘nothing,’ but everything good, supremely satisfying to our souls.
Lord, make me able to shine brightly with all your goodness that those in the dark may turn hopefully to you. Let the fullness of your strength and character speak through me to comfort the grieving and dispossessed. Shape me to your purpose, my almighty Lord.
Jeremiah 5:7-9
“Why should I even bother with you any longer? Your children wander off, leaving me, Taking up with gods that aren’t even gods. I satisfied their deepest needs, and then they went off with the ‘sacred’ whores, left me for orgies in sex shrines! A bunch of well-groomed, lusty stallions, each one pawing and snorting for his neighbor’s wife. Do you think I’m going to stand around and do nothing?” GOD’s Decree. “Don’t you think I’ll take serious measures against a people like this?”
“How can I pardon you? For even your children have turned from me. They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all! I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife. Should I not punish them for this?” says the LORD. “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?”
This can be seen as a warning to unbelievers, but there is a caution to the believer too. We who believe stand upon these words as a guarantee of our eternal security. After all, we are not guilty of worshipping pagan gods. But we do have our own. Here are some examples: the obese Christian heaping their plate at a potluck leaving little for last minute stragglers, congregations divided over worship and music style, saying only a particular kind of dress, makeup or hairstyle is ‘Christian’, restricting our children’s development to ‘godly’ appearance and behavior, failing to discipline and develop self-control in our children, deifying a particular political opinion, adoring religious institutions instead of the risen Christ. All of these, and more, are ‘sacred’ whores for the believer. If we ignore our addictions, thinking ourselves above it all, we become Pharisees and are liable to the same judgement as they.
Lord, what a warning to us, to me. Protect me from idolatry that seeps in around the edges of my awareness. Keep me focused on you and your redeeming work in sinners like me. Make me salt and light to the world and the church too. Let me be faithful to my brothers and sisters in the church, speaking truth in love. May we ever sharpen one another in our faith in you.
Jeremiah 5:4-5
“Then I said to myself, “Well, these are just poor people. They don’t know any better. They were never taught anything about GOD. They never went to prayer meetings. I’ll find some people from the best families. I’ll talk to them. They’ll know what’s going on, the way GOD works. They’ll know the score.” But they were no better! Rebels all! Off doing their own thing. The invaders are ready to pounce and kill, like a mountain lion, a wilderness wolf, Panthers on the prowl. The streets aren’t safe anymore. And why? Because the people’s sins are piled sky-high; their betrayals are past counting.”
“Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don’t know the ways of the LORD. They don’t understand God’s laws. So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the LORD and understand God’s laws.” But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains. So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many.”
Wickedness is not a function of economic status. It is part of being human. We are all rebels if we are honest with ourselves, preferring our own way to any other. Eventually, our culture rots. Crime proliferates. Addictions flourish. We forget how to work. Words are redefined. We call good evil and evil good. Our institutions weaken and we are vulnerable. Historical record shows all human endeavors ends here, regardless the purity of initial intentions. It is a bleak picture, but it is not the end. Thanks be to God there is a way out named Jesus. His is the only path to creating anything of eternal value. He is our only hope.
Lord Almighty, thank you for redeeming me and restoring my efforts. You make it possible to do things that will last the test of time. Yours is all the credit, glory and praise. You give my life meaning. I own you everything, my good and faithful God.
Jeremiah 4:22
“What fools my people are! They have no idea who I am. A company of half-wits, dopes and donkeys all! Experts at evil but klutzes at good.”
“‘My people are foolish and do not know me,’ says the Lord. ‘They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!’”
All of us cry out to be heard and understood. It is an expression of our personhood. When denied, the resulting pain goes deep. Yet this is how God feels. He knows the same pain because his people, for whom he’s cared, over hundreds of years, live with him but do not know him. When creating us in his image God gave us emotions like he has. This passage shows us his feelings can be hurt just as ours. Incredible!
Lord, I am incredulous that you, with all your might and power, know my pain because you experienced it yourself. Thank you. I bow before you, my amazing, mysterious, holy Lord. You are full of good things. May I get to experience all of them!
Jeremiah 4:19-21
“I’m doubled up with cramps in my belly— a poker burns in my gut. My insides are tearing me up, never a moment’s peace. The ram’s horn trumpet blast rings in my ears, the signal for all-out war. Disaster hard on the heels of disaster, the whole country in ruins! In one stroke my home is destroyed, the walls flattened in the blink of an eye. How long do I have to look at the warning flares, listen to the siren of danger?”
“My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries. Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed. How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war?”
Here we see how costly being God’s prophet was to Jeremiah. Likewise, following God’s path can be this painful for us. I’ve been through such times and begged for deliverance. It did not come. Instead, I learned precious things. I discovered God walking alongside me. The focus changed from my pain to his presence, and it eclipsed the trial. I also learned how important it was for Jesus to experience pain and suffering. He wasn’t just beside me; he carried my pain just as he carried his cross. What a savior!
Lord, thank you for coming to show me, graphically, how much you love me. Thank you for carrying not just my pain but me as well. The world needs your goodness. Grace me to share it with them that other may savor it too.
Jeremiah 4:18
“It’s the way you’ve lived that’s brought all this on you. The bitter taste is from your evil life. That’s what’s piercing your heart.”
“Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”
Judgement has two faces. God made us to live his way. Life works when we follow his principles, whether we know him or not. He works on our behalf, bringing truth and light into our lives. When we rebel, following our own way, life falls apart and judgement is the natural consequence of our actions. Judgement also occurs when God’s call to turn from our wickedness is exhausted and he removes his protective presence. Our wrong actions are one face of judgement. God’s stepping aside to allow natural consequences is another, and the bitter taste of evil pierces our heart.
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to show me how to live. You faithfully hover over me, whispering warnings when I go astray. How can you, creator of the universe, care for, attend to such a speck of dust as I? You are a solid, comforting presence and I worship you, my perfectly divine mother and father.
Jeremiah 4:3-4
“Here’s another Message from GOD to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow your unplowed fields, but then don’t plant weeds in the soil! Yes, circumcise your lives for God’s sake. Plow your unplowed hearts, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. Prevent fire—the fire of my anger— for once it starts it can’t be put out. Your wicked ways are fuel for the fire.”
“This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the LORD, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.”
Plowing is disruptive. It rakes open and turns over the soil. God uses this as metaphor because his presence should, just so, rake open and upend our lives. It is a bloody and painful process. As the scars heal, we find our perspective changing and it is liberating. The self is a hard taskmaster, but the Lord’s yoke is easy and the burdens he gives light.
Lord, thank you for your gentleness in leading me through the plowing times in my life. May my heart be always devoted to you, willing to undergo the pain of transformation, faithful to the end.
Jeremiah 4:1-2
“If you want to come back, O Israel, you must really come back to me. You must get rid of your stinking sin paraphernalia and not wander away from me anymore. Then you can say words like, ‘As GOD lives . . . ’ and have them mean something true and just and right. And the godless nations will get caught up in the blessing and find something in Israel to write home about.”
“O Israel,” says the LORD, “if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more. Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.”
My capacity for self-deceit keeps me from turning away from sin with a whole heart. I think I’ve thrown out all that paraphernalia, but then falter, and find out I hadn’t after all. I long to live right and true, so unbelieving friends get caught up in God’s blessings and ignites a rumor mill. I long for the world to be filled with hope and light, healing and seeing. The way there requires ruthless subjection of my inner life to the Lord, every bit of sin stuff gets jettisoned for good.
Lord, I have no hope but you. You alone know how to lead gently but firmly. My inmost heart is laid bare before your eternal eyes. Your surgeon’s touch cuts and sutures, removing sin tumors. Recovery is hard and the tumors reappear. But I believe there will come a point where all is healed and I will be fit for living, loving, and sharing eternity with your dear Son. I bare it all before you my King. Help me walk through this painful but essential process and lay myself bare before you.
Jeremiah 3:13-14
“‘Turn back, fickle Israel. I’m not just hanging back to punish you. I’m committed in love to you. My anger doesn’t seethe nonstop. Just admit your guilt. Admit your God-defiance. Admit to your promiscuous life with casual partners, pulling strangers into the sex-and-religion groves While turning a deaf ear to me.’ GOD’s Decree. ‘Come back, wandering children!’ GOD’s Decree.”
“Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the LORD your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the LORD, have spoken! ‘Return home, you wayward children,’ says the LORD, ‘for I am your master.”
All we must do is face the fact we can’t do life on our own. He is God. We are his creatures, and we work best when working with, not against, him. Things are much easier when we cease wandering and submit ourselves to the Maker’s manual.
Lord, open may I follow you faithfully, trust you fully and live joyfully. Holy Spirit fill me, enable me to please you
Jeremiah 3:2
“Look around at the hills. Where have you not had sex?”
“Look at the shrines on every hilltop. Is there any place you have not been defiled by your adultery with other gods.”
God accuses Israel of exploring every hilltop for opportunity to worship other gods. This is an illustration of our essential depravity. We too explore every hilltop, always on the hunt for something to satisfy. I imagine I am securely anchored in the valley. Yet with honest reflection I find myself ever seeking to justify my own existence and create my own happiness on the next hill. When so bound, it is with immense relief that I hand it all over to the one who made me. He knows these unknowns in my life. He is the only constant. He can be trusted to guide me toward eternity according to my best interest. He is a mighty God and he is in my corner.
Lord, thank you for being in my corner. The perspective of age shows your faithfulness woven through my years, even when I felt the darkness would win. You are the best life coach, the best five year plan. I am in the best possible place, in the circle of your arms.