Jeremiah 9
COMMENTARY:
: 5 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. (3925 “taught” [lamad] means learn, instruct, exercise in, to create by training and teaching, be skillful, well-versed, or to accustom oneself.)
DEVOTION: We live in a world that is full of individuals who lie to get what they want out of other people. This is something that is wrong in the eyes of the LORD. HE wants us to tell the truth at all times.
Society thinks that always telling the truth can hurt people so they think it is better to tell little white lies to not hurt people’s feelings.
However, we also realize that once the person finds out that we have not been telling them the truth they will lose a friendship over the fact that most people what to hear the truth the first time they ask.
Here we find that we can teach ourselves to lie without the help of others. The children of Israel were supposed to represent the LORD to the rest of the world but it was found that they were lying to one another and also to other nations.
We have to keep close watch on our tongue every moment of every day because even believers can say things that are not true because we don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings but that is not what should be done.
It is said “if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all.” It would be good that we practiced this principle in our daily walk with the LORD.
We should be stopping each time we have a conversation with others and ask the LORD to give us wisdom in all the words we say at any given time. HE will give us the right words to say each time if we ask.
It doesn’t seem that God’s people should “weary” themselves with lies when they can either tell the truth with love or not say anything at all.
CHALLENGE: In our society it is easier to lie to people instead of speaking the truth in love! Each day we have to ask the LORD to give us the right words to say to everyone we meet. HE will answer our prayers.
: 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.
: 24 But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, 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.
: 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.
CHALLENGE: 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)
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