JEREMIAH 9A
Jeremiah crying over judgment of Judah verse 1- 2
Oh that my head were waters – and mine eyes a fountain of tears
that I might weep day and night for the slain of the
daughters of my people
Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men
that I might leave my people – and go from them
they be all adulterers – an assembly of treacherous men
Children of Judah don’t know the LORD verse 3
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies
BUT they are not valiant for the TRUTH upon the earth
they proceed from evil to evil
and they know not ME – says the LORD
Children of Judah a pack of liars verse 4- 6
Take you heed every one of his neighbor – and trust you not in any brother
for every brother will utterly supplant
and every neighbor will walk with slanders
And they will deceive every one his neighbor
and will not speak the TRUTH
they have taught their tongue to speak lies
and weary themselves to commit iniquity
YOUR habitation is in the midst of deceit
through deceit they refuse to know ME – says the LORD
Children of Judah planning to hurt neighbors verse 7- 8
THEREFORE thus says the LORD of hosts
BEHOLD – I will melt them – and try them
for how shall I do for the daughter of MY people?
Their tongue is as an arrow shot out – it speaks deceit
one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth
BUT in heart he lays his wait
Jeremiah lamenting over outcome for animals verse 9- 11
Shall I not visit them for these things? – says the LORD
shall not MY soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
FOR the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing
and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation
BECAUSE they are burned up
so that none can pass through them
neither can men hear the voice of the cattle
BOTH the fowl of the heavens
and the beast are fled
they are gone
And I will make Jerusalem heaps – a den of dragons
and I will make the cities of Judah desolate – without an inhabitant
LORD states why this is happening verse 12- 16
Who is the wise man
that may understand this?
And who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken
that he may declare it
FOR what the land perishes and is burned up like a wilderness
that none pass through?
AND the LORD says
BECAUSE they have forsaken MY law which I set before them
and have not obeyed MY voice – neither walked therein
BUT have walked after the imagination of their own heart
and after Baalim – which their fathers taught them
THEREFORE thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel
BEHOLD – I will feed them –even this people – with wormwood
and give them water of gall to drink
I will scatter them among the heathen
whom neither they nor their fathers have known
and I will send a sword after them
till I have consumed them
LORD wants them to call for funeral mourners verse 17- 19
THUS says the LORD of hosts
Consider ye – and call for the mourning women – that they may come
send for cunning women – that they may come
And let them make haste – and take up a wailing for us
that our eyes may run down with tears
and our eyelids gush out with water
FOR a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion
How are we spoiled! – we are greatly confounded
BECAUSE we have forsaken the land
BECAUSE our dwellings have cast us out
LORD wants all women to teach daughters to mourn verse 20- 21
Yet hear the word of the LORD – O you women
and let your ear receive the word of HIS mouth
and teach your daughters wailing
and every one her neighbor lamentation
FOR death is come up into our windows – and is entered into our palaces
to cut off the children from without
and the young men from the street
LORD states that there will be bodies everywhere verse 22
Speak – thus says the LORD
Even the carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field
and as the handful after the harvestman
and none shall gather them
LORD instructs those who want to boast verse 23- 24
THUS says the LORD
Let not wise man glory in his wisdom
neither let the mighty man glory in his might
let not the rich man glory in his riches
BUT let him that glories – glory in this
that he understands and knows ME
that I am the LORD which exercise loving-kindness
judgment – righteousness in the earth
for in these things I delight
says the LORD
LORD is going to judge all uncircumcised hearts verse 25- 26
BEHOLD – the days come – says the LORD
that I will punish all the which are circumcised with the uncircumcised
Egypt – Judah – Edom – children of Ammon – and Moab
and all that are in the utmost corners
that dwell in the wilderness
for all these nations are uncircumcised
and all the house of Israel are
uncircumcised IN THE HEART
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 23 Thus says the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 1984 “glory” [halal] means praise, boast, shine, celebrate, or brag.)
DEVOTION: We like to brag. If we have any characteristic that shows that we excel in something we like to let others know about it. Sports figures brag on their gift. Scholars brag on their knowledge. Others seem to brag about something.
Here we have the LORD warning HIS people not to brag about these things because HE wants them to realize all of what they have is a gift from HIM. They should be praising HIM instead of themselves.
The children of Judah thought that their position in Jerusalem should protect them from any judgment of God. They were wrong.
The LORD expected obedience. They were walking after the imagination of their own heart. Their imagination led to the worship of false gods. Their imagination made them think that truth telling wasn’t important. Their imagination taught them to not treat others nicely.
The outcome of their type of living caused sorrow for the LORD and Jeremiah. It was sad because they had the world promised to them by the LORD if they were obedient but they chose to want only the bread crumbs. They only wanted what they could take from others instead of what the LORD was willing to give them.
The problem is that this is true today just like it was in Jeremiah’s day. We would rather gather what we can on our own than give God the glory by serving HIM as HE commands. We are setting for the bread crumbs of the world rather than the blessings of the LORD.
This needs to change but can only change through a revival of our willingness to serve the LORD with all our heart. The children of Judah were accused of the LORD of having an uncircumcised heart. Can we be accused of the same sin?
CHALLENGE: Evaluate your motives and objections in life. Ask yourself if you give God the glory for all the good things that are happening in your life.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 24 But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD which exerciselovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, says the LORD. (6213 "exercise" [asah] means to do or make, appoint, bring forth, labor, maintain, offer, deed, work or expend considerable effort and activity in any task or endeavor.)
DEVOTION: Jeremiah states the chapter with a desire to leave Jerusalem behind and go to a lodging place. He can only cry for his people because they are full of sin and need to be judged.
They are valiant in lying. They want nothing to do with the TRUTH. They lie to their neighbors. They cannot be trusted by anyone. All of their activities are full of deceit. They walk after the imagination of their own heart. They worship Baal because that is what they were taught by their fathers.
The LORD informs Jeremiah that HE is going to visit HIS people because of these things. HE is going to destroy Jerusalem. HE instructs Jeremiah to hire mourning women to wail over Jerusalem.
The LORD warns Jeremiah that those who want to glory in something should glory in loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness.
Loving-kindness is loyal love. Their love should start with closeness to the LORD. Then it should move to our families and finally to those neighbors and friends.
Judgment is a state of fairness in disputes. Our relationship with others should not be to get what we can from them but to give what we can to them. Even if we have no money to give we can give time and talent to help them with projects. We can pray for them.
Righteousness is living by the standard that the LORD has set down for HIS people. Right living is one that honors the LORD. Right living shows those around us that we want to serve the LORD with gladness. Right living put a smile on our face when everything seems to be going in the wrong direction.
This is the opposite of what is happening in Jerusalem during his time. They were so bad and yet they didn’t care about serving HIM. This one verse describes that God wants to maintain these three characteristics in the world.
HE is the one who keeps bringing them to the forefront in our lives and our world. Christians are to bring forth God's loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness in our world.
God is a God of love but HE is also a God of judgment and a God of righteousness. We must remember all three. Do we understand this? The man who understands and knows the LORD should glory in the fact that HE knows what God’s true character is all about in our world as revealed by HIS inerrant WORD, the Bible.
Our world is not practicing these three characteristics today. Some Christians are not practicing these characteristics. Can our neighbors trust us? Is the LORD glorified by our actions?
CHALLENGE: Let us bring glory to the LORD in all that we say and do. Our world needs good examples to follow. Let them follow your example today.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 25– “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised-” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Devotion:The Jews boasted in the covenant sign of circumcision, but it was only in their flesh; the true spiritual circumcision had never reached their hearts (4:4; Deut. 10:16; Acts 7:51; Rom. 2:25–29). People today who depend on baptism and other church sacraments (ordinances), but who have never repented and trusted Christ, are in the same situation as the Jews in Jeremiah’s day; they think they’re a part of the divine covenant, but their confidence is a false one. [Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Decisive, Victor Books, 1996), 49–50.] So many people today think that some distant act or religious practice will protect them and secure a relationship with Christ. James in the New Testament seems to warn against that mentality (James 2:17) and Jeremiah here declares the same. Whether it be an act of circumcision outwardly or baptism and communion today these ordinances will not save or protect an individual from the judgment of God.
Paul was a good example of understanding this as he declares in Philippians 3:1-11 of all the outward symbols, acts and institutions he belonged to and it amounted to nothing in the sight of God. His relationship with Jesus Christ was the only thing that mattered.
Application: Today we have many who want to be religious and point to activities or religious ordinances to prove their standing before God. While those aspects are important and have validity to some degree they mean nothing to God without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Do not be fooled by teachings and organizations that claim an easy religious existence. Christ wants us to daily pick up the cross and follow him. We need to live for Christ all the time not just occasionally. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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 verse 13
Word of the LORD verse 20
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 3, 6, 7, 9, 12,
13, 15, 17, 20,
22- 25
LORD of hosts verse 7, 15, 17
Judgment of LORD verse 7, 15, 16
Mouth of the LORD verse 12, 20
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 15
God of Israel verse 15
Feed wormwood verse 15
Give water of gall to drink verse 15
Word of the LORD verse 20
Exercises: loving-kindness, judgment,
righteousness verse 24
Punish circumcised with the uncircumcised verse 25
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)
Wayfaring men verse 2
Neighbors verse 4, 5, 20
Heathen verse 16
Egypt verse 26
Edom verse 26
Amon verse 26
Moab verse 26
Uncircumcised verse 26
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Adulterers verse 2
Treacherous verse 2
Lies verse 3, 5
Not valiant for the truth verse 3, 5
Evil verse 3
Know not the LORD verse 3
Supplant others verse 4
Slanders verse 4
Deceive verse 5, 6, 8
Commit iniquity verse 5
Refuse to know the LORD verse 6
Lay in wait verse 8
Forsaken law of the LORD verse 13
Not obeyed voice of the LORD verse 13
Walked after the imagination of their heart verse 14
Worshiped false god: Baalim verse 14
Elders taught wrong beliefs verse 14
Forsaken land verse 19
Glory in wisdom verse 23
Glory in might verse 23
Glory in riches verse 23
Uncircumcised in the heart verse 26
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Truth verse 3, 5
Knowing the LORD verse 3, 6
Trust verse 4
Heart relationship with the LORD verse 8, 14
Wise man verse 12, 23
Understand the LORD verse 12, 24
Obey the voice of the LORD verse 13
Hear the word of the LORD verse 20
Teach the word of the LORD verse 20
Understands the LORD verse 24
Know the LORD verse 24
Circumcised heart verse 26
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jeremiah’s people verse 1, 2
God’s people verse 7, 15
Nation verse 9
Jerusalem verse 11
Cities of Judah verse 11, 26
Zion verse 19
House of Israel verse 26
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
QUOTES
The people he wished to leave are described as “adulterers,” “unfaithful,” and those who “shoot lies” like arrows from their tongues. But the worst sin was their refusal to “acknowledge” (lit. “know”) God (cf. Eli’s sons in 2 Sam 2:12, NASB). (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 118). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Being God’s covenant people is no excuse for sin (vv. 1–6). Like Jesus (Luke 19:41) and Paul (Rom. 9:1–5), Jeremiah wept over the sad spiritual condition of the people, and this is one reason he’s known as “the weeping prophet” (see Jer. 9:18; 10:19; 13:17; 14:17; Lam. 1:16; 2:11, 18; 3:48). It’s unusual today to find tears either in the pulpit or the pews; the emphasis seems to be on enjoyment. Instead of evangelists and revivalists, the church now has “religious comedians” who apparently have never read James 4:9–10, “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (NKJV). Vance Havner was right: “Never in history has there been more ribald hilarity with less to be funny about.”
Jeremiah would rather have fled from the people to a place of peace (see Ps. 55:6), but he knew that his calling was to stay and minister God’s Word (Jer. 40:6). His soul was grieved at the sins of the people, their immorality, idolatry, deception, and slander. Truth was a precious commodity; you couldn’t even trust your friends and relatives!
The people of Judah thought they were “free to sin” because they’d been born children of Abraham and were the people of the covenant. On the contrary, being a part of God’s covenant gave them a greater responsibility to live to glorify Him and obey His will! “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (Rom. 6:1–2). As I said before, any theology that minimizes personal holiness and excuses sinfulness is not biblical theology. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 47–48). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Bend, Heb. tread, because bows are usually kneeled or trod upon when they are bent, chap. 50:14; 51:3. Like their bow; their tongues are here compared to a bow, and lies to arrows, because as a bow shoots out arrows, so doth the tongue words, Psal. 64:3. For lies, i.e. all reproachful, false, and noxious words, to the damage of one another; and so bending may be preparing, framing, and contriving that mischief which they purpose to vent with their tongues, Psal. 52:2–4; 64:3, as bending is preparing the bow to do execution with the arrow. They are not valiant for the truth; equity, justice; they are as eager in the ways of falsehood as men engaged in war, but show no valour in maintaining the truth. Upon the earth, i.e. no truth in the earth in them, as we use to express ourselves; or rather more genuinely in the land wherein they live, they have no courage in what is good. They proceed from evil to evil; either in kind or in degree; they go on from bad to worse, 2 Tim. 3:13, which speaks little hopes of their repentance; the ground of all which is said here to be, their not knowing of God, as in the next clause, Judg. 2:10, 11; 1 Sam. 2:12. The heart cannot work strongly after God where there be but mean apprehensions of him. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 2, p. 526). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)
Ver. 3. And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies, &c.] Their tongues were like bows, and their lying words like arrows, which they directed against persons to their injury; see Psal. 11:2 and 64:3, 4 or, like their deceitful bow; to which the Targum agrees, “they teach their tongues words of falsehood, they are like to a deceitful bow.” Most agreeably to the accents the words may be rendered, they bend their tongues, their bow is a lie; either deceitful, or carries a lie in it, and shoots one out of it: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; which a man should do every thing for, and nothing against; and which he should earnestly contend for, and not part with or give up at any rate; not only for the truth of doctrine, for faith, as the Targum; for the doctrine of faith, the truth of the Gospel, and as it is in Christ; but for truth between man and man, for veracity, uprightness, and integrity: for they proceed from evil to evil; from one sin to another, growing worse and worse, as wicked men and deceivers usually do. Kimchi observes, it may be interpreted, as of evil works, so of the evil of punishment, from one evil of the enemy to another; or this year they are smitten with blasting, another with mildew, or with the locust, and yet they turn not from their evil ways: and they know not me, saith the Lord; the God of truth, and without iniquity, and who will severely punish for it; they did not serve and worship him as the only Lord God. The Targum is, “the knowledge of my fear they learned not.” (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 453). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
(hitp) boast, brag (1Ki 20:11; Ps 49:7[EB 6]; 97:7; Pr 20:14; 25:14; 27:1; Jer 9:22[EB 23],23[EB 24]; 49:4+), note: in some contexts this can be improper confidence, so be haughty, see also domain LN 88.206–88.222; note: see also 2149 (Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)