JEREMIAH 8a

Graves opened to honor false gods verse 1- 3

At that time – says the LORD – they shall bring out the bones of the kings of
Judah – his princes – priests – prophets – inhabitants of Jerusalem
out of their graves – and they shall spread them before the
sun – moon – hosts of heaven – whom they have loved
whom they have served
and after whom they have walked
and whom they have sought
and whom they have worshiped
they shall not be gathered – nor be buried
they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth
AND death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that
remain of this evil family
which remain in all the places whither I have driven them
says the LORD of hosts

God’s people have fewer brains than a bird verse 4- 7

MOREOVER you shall say unto them – thus says the LORD
            Shall they fall and not arise?
                        Shall he turn away – and not return?
            Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a
                        perpetual backsliding ? – they hold fast deceit
                                    they refuse to return
            I hearkened and heard but they spoke not aright
                        no man repented him of his wickedness – saying
                                    What have I done? – every one turned to his course
as a horse rushes into the battle
            YEA the stork in the heaven knows her appointed times
                        and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the
time of their coming
            BUT MY people know not the judgment of the LORD

False hope in just possessing the Word of the LORD verse 8- 9

HOW do you say – We are wise – and the law of the LORD is with us?
            LO – certainly in vain made he it – the pen of the scribes is in vain
The wise men are ashamed – they are dismayed and taken
            LO – they have rejected the word of the LORD
                        AND what wisdom is in them?

Consequences of false hope verse 10- 13

THEREFORE will I give their wives unto others
            and their fields to them that shall inherit them
                        for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given
to COVETEOUSNESS
from the prophet even unto the priest every one
deals falsely
For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of MY people slightly – saying
            Peace – peace – when there is no peace (6:14)
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
            nay – they were not at all ashamed – neither could they blush
                        THEREFORE shall they fall among them that fall
in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down
says the LORD
I will surely consume them – says the LORD
            there shall be no grapes on the vine – nor figs on the fig tree
and the leaf shall fade
And the things that I have given them shall pass away from them

Realization of final judgment verse 14- 15

Why do we sit still? – assemble yourselves
            and let us enter into the defensed cities – and let us be silent there
                        for the LORD our God has put us to silence
and given us water of gall to drink
BECAUSE we have sinned against the LORD
We looked for peace – BUT no good came
and for a time of health – and behold trouble

Deadly snakes of Babylon coming verse 16- 17

The snorting of the horse was heard from Dan
            the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones
or they are coming – and have devoured the land
                                    and all that is in it – the city – and those that dwell therein
For BEHOLD – I will send serpents – cockatrices – among you
            which will not be charmed – and they will bite you – says the LORD

Jeremiah grieved with the judgment of Judah verse 18- 19

When I would comfort myself against sorrow
my heart is faint in me
BEHOLD the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people
BECAUSE of them that dwell in a far country
                        Is not the LORD in Zion? – Is not her king in her?
Why had they provoked me to anger with their graven images
            and strange vanities?

Statement of fact verse 20

The harvest is past – the summer is ended – we are not saved

No healing available verse 21- 22

For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt
I am black – astonishment hath taken hold of me
Is there no balm in Gilead? – Is there no physician there?
            Why then is not the health of the daughter of MY people recovered?

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 “At that time,” says the LORD, “they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Devotion: War brings desecration and horrible acts of violence on individuals and countries. We have seen what people are capable of doing in wars in our recent past. In Jeremiah’s statement the Babylonians would have no mercy on the people of Judah and specifically the city of Jerusalem. Even the dead would be pillaged and left in the open. The judgment of God is complete and terrible. It may be administered by a human agent but the Lord is the one controlling and designating what will occur.
We need to be aware that the Lord is a righteous judge and fully able to judge both the dead and the living. In the New Testament we see the dead raised and their facing of judgement. In Revelation 20:11-15 the dead who are unjust and unsaved will face the judgment seat and be cast into the Lake of Fire. When God calls for the people to be judged it will occur and it will be final.
Application: We live in a period of time where the judgment of God is not as apparent and mercy, grace and love is emphasized. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked! He is still a righteous, holy God who hates sin and will hold us accountable if we do not repent and submit to Him and His word. Take a moment and review your day, week or month and ask the Lord to reveal any sin that needs repentance. He loves to be our advocate (1 John 2:1-1) if we call out to Him! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. (5331 "perpetual" [netsach] means enduring, lasting, continually, pertaining to a period of time, or permanent.
DEVOTION: The LORD warns that the coming army is going to take all the bones of the leaders from their graves and spread them before the sun, moon and stars that they worshipped. This evil family had slidden back so far that it was something that was permanent.
They were practicing permanent apostasy. They were a covetous people. They were a people that believed a lie. They continued to think that they were going to experience peace because they were living where the temple was located. They thought they had the law of God, so therefore, they were protected. They found that they only had trouble coming their way.
Jeremiah was upset that they were not saved. He ends the chapter with good questions: Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? It hurt him to see Jerusalem in such a state.
There are many people today that feel that they have made a deal with God. They will leave HIM alone if HE leaves them alone. They want to sin and still have all the blessings HE promised to those who are followers of HIM.
Some of these people think that because they memorize the Bible and read the Bible through in a year they are on good terms with God. This is not always true. The LORD wants us to apply the Word of God to our life. Also there are some of these individuals who have pride in these facts and think they are better than other Christians, which is a sin.
The children of Judah had the Temple in their capital and the Law as their guide but that wasn’t enough to stop the judgment of God because they had these two things to worship instead of God HIMSELF.
What HE calls SIN they call pleasure. God doesn’t give up HIS holiness to HIS love. HIS love is toward those who are obedient. HIS holiness is toward those who are disobedient.
We are supposed to be a holy people. A holy people are ones that are not living in sin. The children of Judah were living in sin. Some people in our churches are living in sin. If they were genuine believers they would experience weakness, sickness and pre-mature death.
If this is not the case – they are not genuine believers. Whom the LORD loves HE chastens!!!
CHALLENGE: If you are not living for the LORD and HE is not chastening you – examine your life to see if you are genuine. Don’t spend eternity in hell because you are depending on something other than the Word of God. There is only so far back you can go before judgment!!)

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. (3467 “saved” [yasha] means deliverance, be liberated, to set free, conqueror, receive help, or preserved.
DEVOTION: The LORD compared the people of Judah to animals. One of the animals is a bird. They are given a brain that tells them when to migrate from north to south. They have this wisdom in their brain since birth. Each season they know what to do.
The children of Judah didn’t know that it was time to return to a proper service of the LORD. They were counting on the fact that they had the LAW of God. In the last chapter they were counting on the fact that the Temple of the LORD was in Jerusalem.
God doesn’t want anyone to count on a place or a book. They are to count on a relationship to HIM that can be based on the book we call the Bible. The Bible informs us on how to have a proper relationship with the LORD. Church is a place we should go to receive further instructions in the Word of God and have fellowship with other believers who are going through the same struggles we are going through on a regular basis. Other Christians can encourage one another in each other’s struggles.
However, this was not the case in Judah at this time. Each individual was doing what was right in their own eyes and leading others in the same direction. All of this was in a direction away from the LORD.
Now Jeremiah shares the fact that the enemy is coming and there is no hope because the people will not repent of their sins. The LORD gave them hope if they would repent. They would not listen because they counted on the fact that the Temple was in Jerusalem which was a symbol of the presence of the LORD. They thought the LORD wouldn’t destroy the place where HE lived. They were wrong.
They thought they would have another time of harvest. This was not going to happen. There was going to be a total destruction of their crop. There was coming a total destruction of their homeland. There was not going to be any deliverance from the Babylonians.
This verse was one that one of my teachers in Conewango made all the students memorize. Virginia thought it was a good verse to remind us that America could face a drought someday. That day might not be far away for us.
CHALLENGE: Our time of harvest is now. There are many that need to become followers of the LORD. Give them the message of Jeremiah. Repent now!!!)

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Law of the LORD verse 8
Word of the LORD verse 9

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)   verse 1, 3, 4, 7- 9,
12- 14, 17,
                                                                                                                        19
LORD of hosts verse 3
Judgment of the LORD verse 7, 10- 13, 17
Law of the LORD verse 8
Word of the LORD verse 9
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 14
LORD our God verse 14

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

False gods: sun, moon, stars verse 2
Evil verse 3
Slidden back verse 5
Perpetual backsliding verse 5
Deceit verse 5
Refuse to return verse 5
No man repented verse 6
Wickedness verse 6
No knowledge of God verse 7
Not obeying law of the LORD verse 8
Rejected the Word of the LORD verse 9
Reject wisdom verse 9
Covetousness verse 10
Prophets and priests deal falsely verse 10
Promise false peace verse 11
Abomination verse 12
Sinned verse 14
Provoke the LORD verse 19
Graven images verse 19
Vanities verse 19
No saved verse 20

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Repentance verse 6
Peace verse 11, 15
Health verse 15, 22
Comfort verse 18
Saved verse 20
Healing verse 22

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Kings of Judah verse 1
Princes verse 1
Priest verse 1
Prophets verse 1
Inhabitants of Jerusalem verse 1, 5
God’s people verse 7, 11, 19, 21
Dan verse 16
Zion verse 19

Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)

QUOTES

8:1 bring out the bones.Conquerors would ransack all the tombs to gain treasures and then humiliate the Jews by scattering the bones of the rich and honored in open spaces as a tribute to the superiority of their gods (v. 2).

In fact, the people of Judah weren’t as smart as the birds! (See Isa. 1:3.) God gave the birds the instinct to know the seasons and the times of their migrations, but He gave people so much more: a spirit within to hear God’s voice and understand His Law. Made in the image of God, men and women ought to be as obedient to divine instruction as birds are to natural instinct. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be decisive. An Old testament study. (45). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.)
Although the Bible is still a bestseller, its popularity isn’t keeping Western society from crumbling morally and spiritually. There appears to be no connection between what people say they believe and the way people act.
…..
The false prophets, who claimed to be writing and speaking in the name of the Lord, deceived the kingdom of Judah. They were men whose personal lives were godless, whose hearts were covetous, and whose remedies for the problems of the nation were useless. Their ministry was popular because they majored on the superficial and marketed whatever good news the people wanted to hear (see 5:12; 14:13–15; 27:8–9; 28:1–17). Jeremiah pictured these men as deceitful physicians (6:14; 8:11), empty wind (5:13), dispensers of chaff (23:28), ruthless, selfish shepherds (23:1–4), and infected people spreading disease (23:15, NIV). God had not sent these so-called prophets (14:14; 23:18, 21; 29:9, 31), nor did they receive their messages from God (23:25–28).
….
Verse 20 was the proverb they quoted: “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” They had missed their God-given opportunity, and it would never come again. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be decisive. An Old testament study. (47). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.)

“Balm” was the resin of the storax tree that was used medicinally. Gilead, east of the Jordan River, was famous for its healing balm (cf. Gen. 37:25; Jer. 46:11; 51:8; Ezek. 27:17). (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Je 8:18). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)