When I read chapter 17, vs. 7-8, I was reminded of Psalm 1. Psalm 1 is one of my favorite Psalms, and over the years, it has become a part of me. I pray my life becomes a demonstration of that “blessed man.”

Lately, depravity has been on my mind as well. 17:9 shows us the depth of our depravity. Above everything else, above every other trait we may use to describe our hearts, the most fitting, the most true, is that our hearts are deceitful. Not only is it deceitful, but it is desperately sick (ESV). It wants to be good, but it just can’t be. And because this is the case, who can understand the heart? Who can make sense of right and wrong, good and evil. Only God, who searches the heart and tests the mind.

Verses 19-27 of chapter 17 sort of caught me off guard. These verses drive home the importance of Sabbath. But, I think the issue is deeper than just Sabbath. The issue is obedience.

Moving to chapter 18, we see a familiar passage about the potter and the clay. So often, we use it today with a positive connotation. But in this set of Scriptures, it obviously has a negative connotation. Hmm…are there other places where there might be similar illustrations with positive connotations? I’ll let you search it out.

To end this section, we read Jeremiah’s prayers against his adversaries. He prays for the Lord’s vengeance, for retribution. He prays what some call imprecatory prayers. In the truest sense, that is what they are.

Perhaps this is a special circumstance. Or maybe it’s a regular thing that we need to grow accustomed to. “God does whatever He pleases.”

See Jeremiah 14:11-12 for the case and point. “The Lord said to me: ‘Do not pray for the welfare of this people.Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'”

Just a couple verses later, Jeremiah complains about the lying prophets. So God says, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.”

Doesn’t that just seem bizarre? Yet we have people doing similar things today. They speak on behalf of God despite not hearing from God. They speak lies because that’s what the masses want to hear. I pray, earnestly, that I am never guilty of this sin. I want to speak truth above all.

After reading 15, I believe this was Jeremiah’s heart as well. He wanted to speak truth, it was getting him into trouble, so he prayed and asked for deliverance. God answered Jeremiah’s prayer, though He wouldn’t answer the prayer of the masses.
Chapter 16 continues the refrain of judgment on the nation for sin. Exile is looming.

Jeremiah 11:20: “O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously,who tests the heart and the mind…”

What a line concerning the character of the Lord! We would be wise to remember this.

In 12:1-4, Jeremiah lays out a complaint before the Lord. He wants the wicked to be dealt their hand. God replies in a somewhat unexpected way, “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,how will you compete with horses?”

It’s as if God hears his complaint, and says, “Toughen up.” Or, “You think it’s bad now; just wait. It will be worse.”

God often replies to his saints in this way. Habakkuk and Job receive similar answers when they lay out their complaints to the Lord. See, some pastors tell you that you shouldn’t complain to God or have doubts in your prayers. But the Bible is very clear–God can handle it. He can handle it and will even respond most of the time. The problem is you may not like His response.

But He is sovereign, so how can you argue? We’re the clay. He’s the potter.

The wickedness of the nation overwhelms Jeremiah. I pray our wickedness as a nation would overwhelm us, for we are not doing any better than they were at that point in history.

The original text did not include quotation marks, which makes it exceptionally hard to know where God’s declarations end and the prophet’s laments begin. In some ways–well, in every way–I think this was intentional. The words of the Lord should be part of the prophet’s being; and, the prophet should declare only the words of the Lord. Thus, when we read 9:1, how do we know if it is God lamenting or Jeremiah lamenting? Or, does it even matter? Should not their hearts be the same?

Something to think about.

As is 9:23 and 10:24.

 

Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have? (8:9)

This chapter is so full of poignant phrases and rebukes from the Lord. He does a fine job of taking the wrecking ball to Israel’s walls and facades, as well as our own. Yet in all these rebukes, this one hit me hardest.

To reject means, “to not accept something, to not use something, to turn down or pass on something.”

While I know this was written to the Israelites at a specific time in their history, I can’t help applying the lesson to myself today. How often do I hear the word of the Lord, but not accept it, not use it? How often do I know I should be in it, but I turn it down? How often do I know I should be practicing it, but I pass and opt for selfishness instead?

What kind of wisdom do I have when I don’t accept, embrace, and practice the word of the Lord? Dare I say none.

**See James 3 also**

Here’s something worth paying attention to. The Lord is speaking, and He states, “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. But I am full of the wrath of the Lord,and I cannot hold it in” (6:10-11).

Here’s another. “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike,all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” (6:13-15).

Here’s another: “Hear, you earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law” (6:19).

All of this in chapter 6. Gloomy indeed.

In chapter 7:2-7, God gives the offer of repentance, of change, of reform. If they take it, He will reward them and allow them to stay in the land. If not, well…we should get the picture by now. God even warns Jeremiah at the end of the chapter as to what the result will be.

What a gut-wrenching and simultaneously comforting thought:

“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire,and burn with none to quench it,because of the evil of your deeds.”

Circumcision, as we know from Genesis and the rest of Torah, was a practice given by God to the Israelites. For one, it was a sign of the covenant between Abraham and God. God changes his name from Abram to Abraham, and He makes him fruitful, promising to make him the father of many nations.  For two, circumcision had great health benefits. Less disease and less infection is always a plus. For three, it would distinguish them from the surrounding nations. No other nations practiced circumcision in those days.

Now, here is God (thru Jeremiah), bringing to mind a common physical practice and applying it metaphorically to the people’s hearts. They need to repent and rid themselves of infection, disease, SIN. If they don’t there will be consequences. Think of how painful the physical act of circumcision is.

Then think of how much it hurts when you realize you have idols, sin, and disease in your heart.

Moving to chapter 5, verse 17: “They shall…they shall…they shall…” meaning it’s going to happen. And the other repeated phrase, this coming as God asks a rhetorical question,  “Shall I not punish them for these things? Shall I not avenge Myself on a nation such as this?” We know that these are heavy truths. The people will go into captivity. That is their punishment. It is the Lord’s way of avenging Himself.

How painful. How comforting.