Read Jeremiah
5-6 & 1
Timothy 1
To discover:
As you read consider how
the people have treated God’s word.
To ponder:
God promises Jeremiah that if he can find one person who
acts honestly and seeks the truth of God in Jerusalem ,
he will forgive the city. But he is adamant that they make oaths in his name
that are false because they don’t intend to keep them (5v1-2). And so Jeremiah
acknowledges how God seeks truth, yet the people refused to repent even after
being disciplined – probably referring to their prior oppression by other
nations or Assyria (5v3). Jeremiah put this down to the
poor who don’t know God’s word, and so went to the leaders only to find that
they too had rebelliously thrown off the yoke like an ox who should serve the
farmer. In the light of this, Jeremiah predicts that they will be torn apart by
wild animals, referring to Babylon
(5v4-6).
God then asks why he should
forgive, when Jerusalem ’s children
have forsaken him for idols, flocked to prostitutes, and committed adultery,
despite God supplying their needs. So he declares they no longer belong to him.
But in commanding their destruction, he still limits it so the people are not
destroyed completely (5v7-11). Jeremiah notes how the people falsely declared
no harm would really come to them and that the true prophets were not actually
speaking God’s word. They even wished harm on them. In response, God says
Jeremiah’s words will be fire, no doubt in the sense that they will result in
judgement. And so he outlines the destruction he will bring through a “distant
nation” (5v12-17). Yet again, he also declares that he will not destroy completely,
whilst stating that Jeremiah will explain the people have nevertheless suffered
because of their idolatry (5v18-19). The LORD then tells Jeremiah to announce
to the people, who don’t see or hear, how they should fear God because he forms
the boundaries of the creation, perhaps implying that proves he is able to
protect them against the advancing hoards. But instead, he notes how stubborn
and rebellious they e are, refusing to fear him as the one who provides the
seasons and harvests, meaning that their harvests have suffered (5v20-25). He
describes men amongst the people who are rich and powerful, and who seek to
trap others with their deceit, and who do not uphold the rights of the poor.
Again, he asks, “should I not punish” them for this. Indeed, even their
prophets prophecy lies, the priests go along with them, and the people love it
(5v26-31).
Throughout this section God is
displaying how appropriate Judah ’s
punishment is, but also how merciful he is in limiting it. Likewise, on the
last day none will be able to say that God acted unjustly, but only marvel at
his mercy in saving a remnant through Christ.
In chapter 7 God again calls the
people to flee Jerusalem as a way
of stressing the coming disaster. Jerusalem
is described like a beautiful meadow to which the kings and their armies come
like shepherds with their flocks, so that their flocks can graze on their own
portion of it (6v1-3). 6v4-5 stresses that daylight will not keep the
destruction back. So God speaks to the attacking armies, telling them to build
siege ramps because the city must be punished for her wickedness, which is
described as being poured out like water, and as sickness and wounds. Once more
God calls the people to turn so the land is not made desolate, even though he
knows they will refuse to (6v6-8). 6v9 then seems to call both the armies and
Jeremiah to glean fruit from Israel ,
and so gather a repentant remnant. But Jeremiah asks who he can warn as
everyone’s ears are closed so they find offence in the word he speaks. This has
always been the way with respect to those who proclaim God’s judgement. And in
response, as God’s prophet, Jeremiah feels in himself God’s outrage at the
people and cannot hold it in. God therefore instructs him to pour that wrath out,
no doubt in his words, on everyone from children to the elderly – as they will
all suffer when their homes, fields and even wives are handed over to the enemy
by God’s hand (6v10-12). The reason is that everyone is greedy. And the
prophets and priests in particular are deceitful, unashamedly declaring peace
and so acceptance by God, when in reality God is bringing destruction
(6v13-15). One cannot but think of ministers in today’s church who teach that
God would never judge, but instead save all. Here God is clear: Such people
will also be punished.
The LORD goes on to urge the
people to seek out and walk in the ancient paths (ie. of faithful obedience)
and find rest for their souls (6v16), just as Christ calls us to come to him
for the same (Matt 11v29). They had refused to listen to the watchman
(prophets) God had put over them and listen to the trumpet (their warnings).
God therefore calls the nations to witness their destruction for rejecting his
law, affirming that because of that he doesn’t care for their offerings of incense
or sacrifices, and will cause the people to stumble. The cause of stumbling may
be temptation to further sin or the coming armies. Either way, it will lead to
all generations perishing (6v17-21). 6v22-26 describes the cruelty and
fearfulness of the Babylonian army the LORD has stirred up, and how this should
lead the people to deep anguish and mourning. God then says he has made
Jeremiah a tester of Judah
like a refining fire that is intended to purge impurities out of ore. But this
testing has not caused Judah ’s
wickedness to be purged out because, as already stated, she refuses to listen.
And so God has rejected the people like rejected silver that is unfit for use
because of its impurity (6v27-30).
Throughout we are being urged to
seek out and heed faithful Bible teachers, who will be honest about sin and its
consequences. It is utter foolishness to look to those who are not honest about
God’s word.
Praying it home:
Praise God for faithful
Bible teachers within the church. Pray that he would raise up more to be honest
about sin and judgement as well as grace and mercy.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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