Jeremiah Laments Over the Coming Destruction, continued · 2013. 4. 1. · Jeremiah Laments Over...

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Jeremiah Laments Over the Coming Destruction, continued

The Lord Laments That He Has No Choice But to Judge Them

The Coming Destruction Calls for Mourning

Jeremiah 9:1-26



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Jeremiah Laments Over the Coming Destruction, continued


The Coming Destruction Calls for Mourning Text: Jeremiah 9:1-26, 1. I wish that my head were a well full of water and my eyes were a fountain full of tears! If they were, I could cry day and night for those of my dear people who have been killed. 2. (9:1) I wish I had a lodging place in the desert where I could spend some time like a weary traveler. Then I would desert my people and walk away from them because they are all unfaithful to God, a congregation of people that has been disloyal to him. 3. The Lord says, “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me. 4. Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. And all of his friends will tell lies about him. 5. One friend deceives another and no one tells the truth. These people have trained themselves to tell lies. They do wrong and are unable to repent. 6. They do one act of violence after another, and one deceitful thing after another. They refuse to pay attention to me,” says the Lord. 7. Therefore the Lord who rules over all says, “I will now purify them in the fires of affliction and test them. The wickedness of my dear people has left me no choice. What else can I do?



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8. Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They are always telling lies. Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths. But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them. 9. I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord. “I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!” 10. I said, “I will weep and mourn for the grasslands on the mountains, I will sing a mournful song for the pastures in the wilderness because they are so scorched no one travels through them. The sound of livestock is no longer heard there. Even the birds in the sky and the wild animals in the fields have fled and are gone.” 11. The Lord said, “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins. Jackals will make their home there. I will destroy the towns of Judah so that no one will be able to live in them.” 12. I said, “Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened? Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it? Why does the land lie in ruins? Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?” 13. The Lord answered, “This has happened because these people have rejected my laws which I gave them. They have not obeyed me or followed those laws. 14. Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to the gods called Baal, as their fathers taught them to do. 15. So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say. ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment. 16. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known anything about. I will send people chasing after them with swords until I have destroyed them.’” 17. The Lord who rules over all told me to say to this people, “Take note of what I say. Call for the women who mourn for the dead! Summon those who are the most skilled at it!”



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18. I said, “Indeed, let them come quickly and sing a song of mourning for us. Let them wail loudly until tears stream from our own eyes and our eyelids overflow with water. 19. For the sound of wailing is soon to be heard in Zion. They will wail, ‘We are utterly ruined! We are completely disgraced! For our houses have been torn down and we must leave our land.’” (NET) 20. I said, “So now, you wailing women, hear what the Lord says. Open your ears to the words from his mouth. Teach your daughters this mournful song, and each of you teach your neighbor this lament. 21. ‘Death has climbed in through our windows. It has entered into our fortified houses. It has taken away our children who play in the streets. It has taken away our young men who gather in the city squares.’ 22. Tell your daughters and neighbors, ‘The Lord says, “The dead bodies of people will lie scattered everywhere like manure scattered on a field. They will lie scattered on the ground like grain that has been cut down but has not been gathered.”’” 23. The Lord says, “Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. 24. If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,” says the Lord. 25. The Lord says, “Watch out! The time is soon coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh. 26. That is, I will punish the Egyptians, the Judeans, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples. I will do so because none of the people of those nations are really circumcised in the Lord’s sight. Moreover, none of the people of Israel are circumcised when it comes to their hearts.” (NET)



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Introduction: I. Jeremiah 9:1-12 and 17-24 are written in poetic form while Jeremiah 9:13 – 16 and 25-26 are written in prose. II. Halley via Coffman wrote, “Jeremiah, a man of sorrows, in the midst of a people abandoned to everything vile, weeping day and night at the thought of impending retribution, moved about among them, begging, pleading, persuading, threatening, entreating, imploring that they turn from their wickedness. But in vain.” III. Coffman well wrote, “The pitifully wicked and immoral behavior of God’s Once Chosen People had at last reached its terminal extent; and the horrible punishment which their apostasy so richly deserved was soon to be executed upon the degenerate, reprobate nation. The lament expressed here was not only applicable to the fallen condition of ancient Israel; but the words are just as appropriate today for the millions of people who have forsaken their first love, and have chosen to wallow in the sensuous pleasures of sin for a season, rather than to live by the true standards of God’s word.” Commentary:

Jeremiah Laments Over the Coming Destruction, continued Jeremiah 9:1, I wish that my head were a well full of water and my eyes were a fountain full of tears! If they were, I could cry day and night for those of my dear people who have been killed. (NET) I. I wish that my head were a well full of water and my eyes were a fountain full of tears! Note: From 9:1 to 9:26 the verse numbers in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text, with 9:1 ET = 8:23 HT, . . . etc. (NET footnote)



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A. The Pulpit Commentary states, “The Hebrew more correctly attaches this verse to chapter 8.”

B. Smith wrote, “Jeremiah wished that he could produce an inexhaustible supply of tears so that he might lament the inevitable doom of his people.”

C. Coffman noted that the theme of this entire chapter is given in this verse 1.

II. If they were, I could cry day and night for those of my dear people who have been killed.

A. Jeremiah could not produce enough tears to fully demonstrate his grief for the troubles which were to befall his beloved people. (See Hamilton.)

B. Jeremiah had wept for his beloved people all he physically could, but he would have wept even more if he had had the ability. (See Coffman.)

Jeremiah 9:2, (9:1) I wish I had a lodging place in the desert where I could spend some time like a weary traveler. Then I would desert my people and walk away from them because they are all unfaithful to God, a congregation of people that has been disloyal to him. (NET) I. I wish I had a lodging place in the desert where I could spend some time like a weary traveler (a wayfaring man).

A. Jeremiah wanted to isolate himself as a hermit from the evils of Judah and Jerusalem. (See Smith.)



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1. Psalm 55:6-7, I say, “I wish I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and settle in a safe place! Look, I will escape to a distant place; I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah) (NET)

B. Clarke observed that Jeremiah may have in mind public buildings called caravanserais where travelers could lodge: but they were without furniture of any kind, and without food. These buildings were often without a roof, being mere walls for protection against the wild beasts of the desert.

1. Jeremiah would welcome a lodging in such a place in order to avoid witnessing the destruction that would befall Jerusalem.

II. then I would desert my people and walk away from them because they are all unfaithful to God, a congregation of people that has been disloyal to him.

A. Jeremiah had a yearning to leave the people of Judah and Jerusalem because of their unfaithfulness, disloyalty to God, adultery, idolatry, treacherousness, hypocrisy and untrust-worthiness. (See Smith.)

B. These people were filled with wickedness including adultery, gross immoralities, spiritual and physical.

1. Jeremiah 2:20, “Indeed, long ago you threw off my authority and refused to be subject to me. You said, ‘I will not serve you.’ Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hill and under every green tree, like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers. (NET)

2. Jeremiah 3:8-9, She also saw that I gave wayward Israel her divorce papers and sent her away because of



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her adulterous worship of other gods. Even after her unfaithful sister Judah had seen this, she still was not afraid, and she too went and gave herself like a prostitute to other gods. Because she took her prostitution so lightly, she defiled the land through her adulterous worship of gods made of wood and stone. (NET)

3. Jeremiah 3:20, But, you have been unfaithful to me, nation of Israel, like an unfaithful wife who has left her husband,” says the Lord. (NET)

4. Jeremiah 5:11, For the nations of Israel and Judah have been very unfaithful to me,” says the Lord. (NET)


Jeremiah 9:3, The Lord says, “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me. (NET) I. The Lord says, “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies.

A. The people of Judah-Jerusalem were liars, full of falsehoods and slander.

1. They used their tongues as if they were bows to fire arrows of deceit, falsehoods and lies. (See Smith.)

2. Coffman quoted the Scribner’s Bible Commentary as saying the people of Judah and Jerusalem evidenced, “An utter want of upright dealing between man and man.”



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II. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means.

A. The people of Judah-Jerusalem were dishonest.

1. “There is a sad, stern irony in these words which, The Pulpit Commentary states, reminds us of:

a. Isaiah 5:22, Those who are champions at drinking wine are as good as dead, who display great courage when mixing strong drinks. (NET)

b. Jeremiah 23:10, For the land is full of people unfaithful to him. They live wicked lives and they misuse their power. So the land is dried up because it is under his curse. The pastures in the wilderness are withered. (NIV)

c. Psalm 64:3, They sharpen their tongues like a sword; they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, (NET)

III. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me (acknowledge me, know me).

A. The people of Judah-Jerusalem were evil and paid no attention to God.

B. Hamilton wrote that Jeremiah emphasized the importance of knowing God which is equal to living a highly ethical life and trusting and reverencing God.

C. The people did one evil thing after another without interruption and paid no attention to Jeremiah’s preaching. (See Smith.)



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Jeremiah 9:4, Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. And all of his friends will tell lies about him. (NET) I. Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives.

A. God warned Jeremiah not to trust anyone in his community.

1. Jeremiah knew that no one could be trusted, not even his friends nor relatives. (See Smith.)

2. This was truly a corrupt society.

a. Many children in today’s society have learned they cannot trust their father, mother, brothers and sisters.

b. When have you last heard on the news programs of parents having killed their own children or step-children?

II. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him, and all of his friends will tell lies about him.

A. Everyone would find ways to cheat others and would bear false witness, tell lies, about them.

B. Regarding relatives cheating relatives, remember Jacob’s dealings with Esau.

1. Genesis 25:27-34, When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, but



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Rebekah loved Jacob. Now Jacob cooked some stew, and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed me some of the red stuff—yes, this red stuff—because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) But Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” So Esau swore an oath to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. So Esau despised his birthright. (NET)

2. Genesis 27:1-41, weak that he was almost blind, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau replied. Isaac said, “Since I am so old, I could die at any time. Therefore, take your weapons—your quiver and your bow—and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game for me. Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then I will eat it so that I may bless you before I die.” Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now then, my son, do exactly what I tell you! Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. Then you will take it to your father. Thus he will eat it and bless you before he dies.” “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! My father may touch me! Then he’ll



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think I’m mocking him and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, my son! Just obey me! Go and get them for me!” So he went and got the goats and brought them to his mother. She prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck. Then she handed the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob. He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world did you find it so quickly, my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” he replied. Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob replied. Isaac said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. Then I will bless you.” So Jacob brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” So Jacob went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent of his clothing, he blessed him, saying, “Yes, my son smells like the scent of an open field which the Lord has blessed. May God give you the dew of the sky and the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. May peoples serve you and nations



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bow down to you. You will be lord over your brothers, and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.” Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau said to him, “My father, get up and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” His father Isaac asked, “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” he replied, “Esau!” Isaac began to shake violently and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. He will indeed be blessed!” When Esau heard his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” But Isaac replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away your blessing.” Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! He has tripped me up two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?” Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” Then Esau wept loudly. So his father Isaac said to him, “Indeed, your home will be away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the sky above. You will live by your sword but you will serve your brother. When you grow restless, you will tear off his yoke from your neck.” So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. Esau said privately, “The time of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill my brother Jacob!” (NET)



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3. Jacob, the supplanter, was well named!

C. These people had a form of righteousness but had denied the power of it.

1. They did not practice the moral obligations of their religion and really did not observe its rituals correctly, as God commanded.

Jeremiah 9:5, One friend deceives another and no one tells the truth. These people have trained themselves to tell lies. They do wrong and are unable to repent. (NET) I. One friend deceives another and no one tells the truth. These people have trained themselves to tell lies.

A. No one tells the truth!”

1. They had trained themselves to tell lies, deceive and slander. (See Willis.)

a. Leviticus 19:16, You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord. (NET)

2. How many people do you know who are totally honest? . . . reasonably honest? . . . mostly dishonest? . . . totally dishonest?

3. We are inclined to use the word “friend” in incorrect ways.

a. Would you call a person who deceives you and tells you one lie after another your friend?



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b. What is your definition of “friend”?

II. They do wrong and are unable to repent.

A. The New King James Version reads here, “They weary themselves to commit iniquity.”

1. Isaiah 59:4, No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully. They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin. (NET)

2. Coffman wrote, “The gross indulgence of physical passions can and does result in the debilitation and weakening of the body.”

Jeremiah 9:6, They do one act of violence after another, and one deceitful thing after another. They refuse to pay attention to me,” says the Lord. I. They do one act of violence after another.

A. They had worn themselves out by sinning so much!

1. This direction is addressed to the Jewish people. (The Pulpit Commentary)

a. “Trust no one; for you dwell surrounded by deceit on every side.”

II. They refuse to pay attention to me,” says the Lord.

A. The people of ancient Judah-Jerusalem refused to pay attention, listen to, obey God.



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B. Regrettably, many who sing “Oh, How I Love Jesus” on Sunday morning, pay little or no attention to God, do not really listen nor obey God on the other days of the week!

Jeremiah 9:7, Therefore the Lord who rules over all says, “I will now purify them in the fires of affliction and test them. The wickedness of my dear people has left me no choice. What else can I do? (NET) I. Therefore, the Lord who rules over all says, . . .

A. The omnipotent Lord, ruler over all, had something to say to Judah and Jerusalem.

II. “I will now purify them in the fires of affliction and test them. The wickedness of my dear people has left me no choice. What else can I do?

A. Since the sinners of Judah-Jerusalem had totally rejected God and his prophets, nothing was left for God to do but to bring “the fires of affliction” upon them in order to purify them.

1. Willis noted that the Lord would avenge himself on such a nation as this.

a. Jeremiah 5:9, 29, I will surely punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord. “I will surely bring retribution on such a nation as this!” I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord. “I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this! (NET)

b. God would purify them by putting them in the furnace of affliction.



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i. Jeremiah 6:27, The Lord said to me, “I have made you like a metal assayer to test my people like ore. You are to observe them and evaluate how they behave.” (NET)

ii. Malachi 3:3, He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the Lord a proper offering. (NET)

2. “Purification, not destruction, is the object of the judgment which is threatened.” (The Pulpit Commentary)

B. However, Judah’s sins had been so grievous that the loving Lord was left with no alternative but to severely punish Judah and Jerusalem.

1. Jeremiah 7:12, So, go to the place in Shiloh where I allowed myself to be worshiped in the early days. See what I did to it because of the wicked things my people Israel did. (NET)

2. Jeremiah 11:17, For though I, the Lord who rules over all, planted you in the land, I now decree that disaster will come on you because the nations of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made me angry by offering sacrifices to the god Baal.” (NET)

3. Jeremiah 32:32, 36, I am determined to do so because the people of Israel and Judah have made me angry with all their wickedness—they, their kings, their officials, their priests, their prophets, and especially the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem have done this wickedness. “You and your people are right in saying,



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‘War, starvation, and disease are sure to make this city fall into the hands of the king of Babylon.’ But now I, the Lord God of Israel, have something further to say about this city: (NET)

Jeremiah 9:8, Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They are always telling lies. Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths. But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them. (NET) I. Their tongues are like deadly (murderous) arrows. They are always telling lies.

A. Psalm 55:21, His words are as smooth as butter, but he harbors animosity in his heart. His words seem softer than oil, but they are really like sharp swords. (NET)

II. Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths. But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them.

A. These people were not to be trusted.

1. “Friendly neighbors” were hypocrites who spoke kindly while devising ways to ensnare, trap, take advantage of those to whom he was speaking.

2. How well do you know your neighbors?

Jeremiah 9:9, I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord. “I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!” (NET) I. I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord. “I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this!”



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A. God was deeply grieved that punishment of Judah-Jerusalem was his only option. (See Hamilton.)

1. Coffman quoted Matthew Henry as writing, “Those who would not know the Lord as their lawgiver, would be compelled to know him as their judge!”

B. The New King James Version reads, “Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the Lord. “Shall I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?”

1. Judah had broken, violated the sacred covenant which made their sins especially grievous!

2. Judah had despised by their sins God’s blessings which they received because of their covenant relationship with the Lord.

The Coming Destruction Calls for Mourning

Jeremiah 9:10, I said, “I will weep and mourn for the grasslands on the mountains, I will sing a mournful song for the pastures in the wilderness because they are so scorched no one travels through them. The sound of livestock is no longer heard there. Even the birds in the sky and the wild animals in the fields have fled and are gone.” (NET) I. I said, “I will weep and mourn for the grasslands on the mountains, I will sing a mournful song for the pastures in the wilderness because they are so scorched no one travels through them.

A. God deeply grieved because of the desolation which was to befall Jerusalem and the countryside. (See Hamilton.)



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B. The Babylonians left Judah and Jerusalem in total desolation as God had foretold all because of the sinfulness of the people.

1. The year was 586 B.C.

C. God would weep, wail and lament because of Judah’s-Jerusalem’s becoming a desolate place, a desert wasteland in which no animal would live. (See Willis.)

II. The sound of livestock is no longer heard there. Even the birds in the sky and the wild animals in the fields have fled and are gone.

A. Clarke wrote, “The land shall be so utterly devastated, that neither beast nor bird shall be able to live in it.”

B. The pastures which once had been rich with domesticated livestock and wild animals and birds were now totally deserted, left utterly a wasteland where no subsistence could be found even for the birds. (See The Pulpit commentary.)

Jeremiah 9:11, The Lord said, “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins. Jackals will make their home there. I will destroy the towns of Judah so that no one will be able to live in them.” (NET) I. The Lord said, “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins. Jackals will make their home (den) thee.

A. In this passage, “jackals” in the NRSV, NIV and REB is translated “foxes” in NKJV, KJV and NASB.

1. Elsewhere “jackals” may reference “wild dogs” as in Isaiah 34:13, Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns; thickets and weeds will grow in her fortified cities. Jackals will settle there; ostriches will live there. (NET)



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2. Clarke wrote that jackals were originally bred between the wolf and the dog.

a. The original is sometimes interpreted “dragons, whales,” etc.

B. The Pulpit Commentary states, “A true prophet has no personal views.” He simply speaks the word that God entrusts to him.

II. I will destroy the towns of Judah so that no one will be able to live in them.”

A. The once land of milk and honey was now totally devastated because of the sins of the people of Judah (Jews) and Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 9:12, I said, “Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened? Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it? Why does the land lie in ruins? Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?” (NET) I. I said, “Who is wise enough to understand why this has happened? Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it?

A. Coffman wrote that verses 12-16 give God’s reasons for severely punishing Judah and Jerusalem; specifically, . . .

1. they had revolted against their God, . . .

2. they had disobeyed the Lord and had taken up arms against him, . . .

3. they were worshipping idols which they had made, . . .



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4. they were worshipping the fertility cults of the various Baalim, wallowing in the vulgar, sensuous rites of that orgiastic religion.

B. Matthew Henry via Coffman wrote, “The king of kings never made war against his own subjects except when they had treacherously rebelled against him and had made such punishment necessary.

C. No “wise man” could be found in Judah-Jerusalem who could explain why this has happened. No one had a word from the Lord that could explain it. (See Keil via Coffman.)

II. Why does the land lie in ruins? Why is it as scorched as a desert through which no one travels?”

A. To Jeremiah his prophet, God revealed the answers to these questions. (See Clarke.)

1. In this way Jeremiah became wise, but the people to whom Jeremiah preached were not wise enough to accept the truth when it was explained to them. (See Clarke.)

Jeremiah 9:13, The Lord answered, “This has happened because these people have rejected my laws which I gave them. They have not obeyed me or followed those laws. (NET) I. The Lord answered, “This has happened because these people have rejected my laws which I gave them. They have not obeyed me or followed those laws.

A. The answer to the questions asked in verse 12 are clearly given in verses 13-16.



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B. Disaster would fall upon Jerusalem because its people had rejected the laws of God; that is, the entire law of Moses.

1. Jeremiah 8:8-9, How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean. Your wise men will be put to shame. They will be dumbfounded and be brought to judgment. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what wisdom do they really have? (NET)

Jeremiah 9:14, Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to the gods called Baal, as their fathers taught them to do. I. Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations (imaginations) of their own hearts.

A. These sinful people rejected the laws of the Lord and followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts.

1. Jeremiah 3:17, At that time the city of Jerusalem will be called the Lord’s throne. All nations will gather there in Jerusalem to honor the Lord’s name. They will no longer follow the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. (NET)

II. They have paid allegiance to the gods called Baal (Lords), as their fathers taught them to do.

A. Judah and Jerusalem had forsaken God and His ways and had followed Baal.

B. Baal was a major idol, god among the Caananites who was associated with other local, regional gods such as Baal-hazor,



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Baal-peor, Baal-sidon, Baal-lebanon, Baal-harem, Baal-berith. (Harrison via Coffman)

1. Further, “many of the cultic practices associated with the Baal fertility cults were heavily oriented toward sexual immorality.”

a. Jeremiah 2:8, Your priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those responsible for teaching my law did not really know me. Your rulers rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied in the name of the god Baal. They all worshiped idols that could not help them. (NET)

2. Note the Israelites affinity for Baal-peor in Numbers 24-26.

a. Numbers 24:1-25, When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to seek for omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness. When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. Then he uttered this oracle: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor; the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; the oracle of the one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground with eyes open: ‘How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel! They are like valleys stretched forth, like gardens by the river’s side, like aloes that the Lord has planted, and like cedar trees beside the waters. He will pour the water out of his buckets, and their descendants will be like abundant water; their king will be greater than Agag, and their kingdom will be



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exalted. God brought them out of Egypt. They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull; they will devour hostile people and will break their bones and will pierce them through with arrows. They crouch and lie down like a lion, and as a lioness, who can stir him? Blessed is the one who blesses you, and cursed is the one who curses you!’” Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless them these three times! So now, go back where you came from! I said that I would greatly honor you, but now the Lord has stood in the way of your honor.” Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, ‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will, but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’? And now, I am about to go back to my own people. Come now, and I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the future.” Then he uttered this oracle: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor; the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; the oracle of the one who hears the words of God, and who knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground with eyes open: ‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be a possession, Seir, his enemies, will also be a possession; but Israel will act valiantly. A ruler will be established from Jacob; he will destroy the



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remains of the city.’” Then Balaam looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end will be that he will perish.” Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle: “Your dwelling place seems strong, and your nest is set on a rocky cliff. Nevertheless the Kenite will be consumed. How long will Asshur take you away captive?” Then he uttered this oracle:“O, who will survive when God does this! Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and will afflict Eber, and he will also perish forever.” Balaam got up and departed and returned to his home, and Balak also went his way. (NET) b. Numbers 25:1-18, When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab. These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. When Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor, the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel. The Lord said to Moses, “Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the Lord in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.” So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you must execute those of his men who were joined to Baal-peor.” Just then one of the Israelites came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the plain view of Moses and of the whole community of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up from among the assembly, took a javelin in his hand, and went after the Israelite man into the tent and thrust through the



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Israelite man and into the woman’s abdomen. So the plague was stopped from the Israelites. Those that died in the plague were 24,000. The Lord spoke to Moses: “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites, when he manifested such zeal for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in my zeal. Therefore, announce: ‘I am going to give to him my covenant of peace. So it will be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he has been zealous for his God, and has made atonement for the Israelites.’” Now the name of the Israelite who was stabbed—the one who was stabbed with the Midianite woman—was Zimri son of Salu, a leader of a clan of the Simeonites. The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur. He was a leader over the people of a clan of Midian. Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Bring trouble to the Midianites, and destroy them, because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor.” (NET)

c. Numbers 26:1-65, After the plague the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, “Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River across from Jericho. They said, “Number the people from twenty years old and upward, just as the Lord commanded



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Moses and the Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt.” Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The Reubenites: from Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the Palluites; from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Carmi, the family of the Carmites. These were the families of the Reubenites; and those numbered of them were 43,730. Pallu’s descendant was Eliab. Eliab’s descendants were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram who as leaders of the community rebelled against Moses and Aaron with the followers of Korah when they rebelled against the Lord. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and Korah at the time that company died, when the fire consumed 250 men. So they became a warning. But the descendants of Korah did not die. The Simeonites by their families: from Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; from Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; from Jakin, the family of the Jakinites; from Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; and from Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. These were the families of the Simeonites, 22,200. The Gadites by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites; from Ozni, the family of the Oznites; from Eri, the family of the Erites; from Arod, the family of the Arodites, and from Areli, the family of the Arelites. These were the families of the Gadites according to those numbered of them, 40,500. The descendants of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the Judahites by their families were: from Shelah, the family of the Shelahites; from Perez, the family of the Perezites; and from Zerah, the family of the



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Zerahites. And the Perezites were: from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. These were the families of Judah according to those numbered of them, 76,500. The Issacharites by their families: from Tola, the family of the Tolaites; from Puah, the family of the Puites; from Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; and from Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. These were the families of Issachar, according to those numbered of them, 64,300. The Zebulunites by their families: from Sered, the family of the Sardites; from Elon, the family of the Elonites; from Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. These were the families of the Zebulunites, according to those numbered of them, 60,500. The descendants of Joseph by their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. The Manassehites: from Machir, the family of the Machirites (now Machir became the father of Gilead); from Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. These were the Gileadites: from Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; from Helek, the family of the Helekites; from Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; from Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; from Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; from Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These were the families of Manasseh; those numbered of them were 52,700. These are the Ephraimites by their families: from Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; from Beker, the family of the Bekerites; from Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. Now these were the Shuthelahites: from Eran, the family of the Eranites. These were the



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families of the Ephraimites, according to those numbered of them, 32,500. These were the descendants of Joseph by their families. The Benjaminites by their families: from Bela, the family of the Belaites; from Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; from Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; from Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. The descendants of Bela were Ard and Naaman. From Ard, the family of the Ardites; from Naaman, the family of the Naamanites. These are the Benjaminites, according to their families, and according to those numbered of them, 45,600. These are the Danites by their families: from Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These were the families of Dan, according to their families. All the families of the Shuhahites according to those numbered of them were 64,400. The Asherites by their families: from Imnah, the family of the Imnahites; from Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; from Beriah, the family of the Beriahites. From the Beriahites: from Heber, the family of the Heberites; from Malkiel, the family of the Malkielites. Now the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. These are the families of the Asherites, according to those numbered of them, 53,400. The Naphtalites by their families: from Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; from Guni, the family of the Gunites; from Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; from Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. These were the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those numbered of them were 45,400. These were those numbered of the Israelites, 601,730. Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “To these the land must be divided as an inheritance according to the number of the names.



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To a larger group you will give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group you will give a smaller inheritance. To each one its inheritance must be given according to the number of people in it. The land must be divided by lot; and they will inherit in accordance with the names of their ancestral tribes. Their inheritance must be apportioned by lot among the larger and smaller groups.” And these are the Levites who were numbered according to their families: from Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; from Merari, the family of the Merarites. These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram. Now the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And to Amram she bore Aaron, Moses, and Miriam their sister. And to Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the Lord. Those of them who were numbered were 23,000, all males from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the Israelites; no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites. These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the Israelites in the plains of Moab along the Jordan River opposite Jericho. But there was not a man among these who had been among those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, “They will surely die in the wilderness.” And there was not left a single



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man of them, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (NET)

C. They had been taught by their fathers to worship idols.

1. Jeremiah 2:8, Your priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those responsible for teaching my law did not really know me. Your rulers rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied in the name of the god Baal. They all worshiped idols that could not help them. (NET)

Jeremiah 9:15, So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say. ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment. (NET) I. So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say.

A. The people of Judah and Jerusalem were strongly urged to listen to what the Lord, the ruler over all, had to say.

1. People are not good listeners!

2. Notice how often in conversations the speaker is interrupted and what he has said is ignored.

II. ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering (wormwood) and drink the poison water (gall) of judgment.

A. The NET footnote reads, “Hebrew: I will feed this people wormwood and make them drink poison water (representing suffering and judgment).

1. Lamentations 3:15, He has given me my fill of bitter herbs and made me drunk with bitterness. (NET)



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2. Deuteronomy 29:17, You have seen their detestable things and idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold.) (NET)

B. Hamilton identified “the bitter food of suffering” and “the poison water of judgment” as metaphors for exile, slavery, and the sword.

1. “Wormwood is a plant having a very bitter juice, and gall was a poisonous bitter herb. The terms were often used together to indicate bitter afflictions.” (Wycliffe Bible Commentary via Coffman)

2. Gall (poppy) was partially opium and may have been a mixture of wine and opium.

C. Smith wrote, “These two poisonous substances, wormwood and gall, were symbols in the Old Testament for bitter affliction.”

D. God is the God of grace, mercy, love and kindness, but he is also God of wrath and judge of sinners.

1. Exodus 34:6-7, The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” (NET)

2. The ancient people of Judah and Jerusalem and many Christians think of God in terms of grace, mercy, love and



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kindness only and that God’s wrath and judgment did not/does not apply to them.

a. Judah-Jerusalem learned the hard way how wrong this view is.

b. Wayward Christians will learn the same lesson.

3. Clarke wrote the people of Jerusalem would have the deepest sorrow and heaviest affliction. They would have poison instead of meat and drink.

Jeremiah 9:16, I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known anything about. I will send people chasing after them with swords until I have destroyed them.’” (NET) I. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors (Hebrew: fathers) have known anything about.

A. Related references:

1. Leviticus 26:33, I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword after you, so your land will become desolate and your cities will become a waste. (NET)

2. Deuteronomy 28:64, The Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of wood and stone. (NET)

II. I will send people chasing after them with swords until I have destroyed them.’”



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A. “Even in the land of their captivity, they shall have no rest.” (The Pulpit Commentary)

1. Jeremiah 44:27, I will indeed see to it that disaster, not prosperity, happens to them. All the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will die in war or from starvation until not one of them is left. (NET)

Jeremiah 9:17, The Lord who rules over all told me to say to this people, “Take note of what I say. Call for the women who mourn for the dead! Summon those who are the most skilled at it!” (NET) I. The Lord who rules over all told me to say to this people, . . .

A. Again the Almighty has a word for the people.

II. “Take note of what I say, Call for the women who mourn for the dead! Summon those who are the most skilled at it.”

A. God had told Jeremiah what would happen and why.

1. It was time to call for the mourners, the best money could buy . . . and as many.

a. Amos 5:16, Because of Israel’s sins this is what the Lord, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One, says: “In all the squares there will be wailing, in all the streets they will mourn the dead. They will tell the field workers to lament and the professional mourners to wail. (NET)

b. Ecclesiastes 12:5, and they are afraid of heights and the dangers in the street; the almond blossoms grow white, and the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry shrivels up— because man goes



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to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the streets— (NET)

2. Lamentation was appropriate and inevitable. (Smith)

B. Willis observed that lament, mourn and wail are used five (5) times in just four (4) verses; that is, Jeremiah 9:17-20.

C. Hired mourners continued into the times of Christ.

1. Luke 8:40-56, Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him. Then a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue, came up. Falling at Jesus’ feet, he pleaded with him to come to his house, because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed around him. Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and at once the bleeding stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who was it who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not escape notice, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any



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longer.” But when Jesus heard this, he told him, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” Now when he came to the house, Jesus did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. Now they were all wailing and mourning for her, but he said, “Stop your weeping; she is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him, because they knew that she was dead. But Jesus gently took her by the hand and said, “Child, get up.” Her spirit returned, and she got up immediately. Then he told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened. (NET) 2. The mourners were people who were paid to make lamentations at funerals and to bewail the dead, Clarke wrote.

Jeremiah 9:18, I said, “Indeed, let them come quickly and sing a song of mourning for us. Let them wail loudly until tears stream from our own eyes and our eyelids overflow with water. (NET) I. I said, “Indeed, let them come quickly and sing a song of mourning for us.

A. The horribleness of the destruction of Jerusalem was so horrendous that they exhausted the supply of mourners. (See Coffman.)

II. Let them wail loudly until tears stream from our own eyes and our eyelids overflow with water.

A. Hired mourners would continue their lamentations and comply with the grieving ritual of that day.



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1. This, to some extent, would “relieve the sorrow of the afflicted by providing for it a vent,” The Pulpit Commentary reads.

Jeremiah 9:19, For the sound of wailing is soon to be heard in Zion. They will wail, ‘We are utterly ruined! We are completely disgraced! For our houses have been torn down and we must leave our land.’” (NET) I. For the sound of wailing is soon to be heard in Zion. They will wail, ‘We are utterly ruined! We are completely disgraced!

A. Death, pestilence, torture, imprisonment and plagues would soon afflict Judah and Jerusalem and produced wailing and lamentation.

B. Jeremiah foretold the terrible disasters which were to befall Judah and Jerusalem.

1. What Jeremiah prophesied came to pass exactly as spoken!

II. For our houses have been torn down and we must leave our land.’”

A. Sinfulness had destroyed the homes, houses of Judah and Jerusalem leaving the people with no dwelling places.

1. They were forced to leave their beloved land.

Jeremiah 9:20, I said, “So now, you wailing women, hear what the Lord says. Open your ears to the words from his mouth. Teach your daughters this mournful song, and each of you teach your neighbor this lament. (NET) I. I said, “So now, you wailing women, hear what the Lord says.



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A. Everyone, including the wailing women, paid mourners, were well advised to hear what the Lord says.

1. This was true then and it is true today that everyone is to hear what the Lord says.

II. Open your ears to the words from his mouth. Teach your daughters this mournful song, and each of you teach your neighbor this lament.

A. That the supply of mourners would be adequate to meet the coming need, every man was to teach his daughters and each person was to teach his neighbor this mournful song.

Jeremiah 9:21, ‘Death has climbed in through our windows. It has entered into our fortified houses. It has taken away our children who play in the streets. It has taken away our young men who gather in the city squares.’ (NET) I. ‘Death has climbed in through our windows. It has entered into our fortified houses.

A. Here Death is personified (Some have suggested an allusion to Mesopotamian mythology and the demon Lamaster). (NET footnote)

B. Willis wrote, “The invaders are not just enemy soldiers, but Death itself.”

1. “Death” here is equivalent to “pestilence,” disease.

a. Jeremiah 15:2, If they ask you, ‘Where should we go?’ tell them the Lord says this: “Those who are destined to die of disease will go to death by disease. Those who are destined to die in war will go to death



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in war. Those who are destined to die of starvation will go to death by starvation. Those who are destined to go into exile will go into exile.” (NET)

b. Joel 2:9, They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief. (NET)

C. Men, young and older, were dead. Widows were left with no visible means of support. (See Willis.)

1. The fields were left untilled, desolate making gleaning impossible.

D. Sinners may lock their doors, but destruction, death then enters through the windows.

1. Sinners have no defense.

II. It has taken away our children who play in the streets. It has taken away our young men who gather in the city squares.

A. These are results of sinfulness.

B. Unburied corpses of Judean soldiers littered the fields. (See Smith.)

1. This was regarded as a most disgraceful situation.

2. The dead were to be honorably buried.

C. Eventually these tribulations lead Judah and Jerusalem to return to the Lord.



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D. Notice the destruction of the children and young men of Jerusalem.

1. This was the result of the wickedness of the people of Judah.

2. Nahum 3:10, Yet she went into captivity as an exile; even her infants were smashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her nobility; all her dignitaries were bound with chains. (NET)

3. Luke 19:44, They will demolish you—you and your children within your walls—and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” (NET)

4. Sinners will surely die!

5. Zechariah 8:5, And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing. (NET)

E. The children would be killed as they played in the streets. The young men would be kidnapped as they transacted their business in the city squares. Those barricaded in their houses would be attacked through the windows.

F. The “broad places” or “city squares” were places people gathered to hear the news, The Pulpit commentary states.

Jeremiah 9:22, Tell your daughters and neighbors, ‘The Lord says, “The dead bodies of people will lie scattered everywhere like manure scattered on a field. They will lie scattered on the ground like grain that has been cut down but has not been gathered.”’” (NET)



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I. Tell your daughters and neighbors, . . .

A. No one was to be overlooked. All were to hear the word of the Lord.

II. ‘The Lord says, “The dead bodies of people will lie scattered everywhere like manure (dung) scattered on a field.

A. The people of Judah and Jerusalem had refused to obey God’s commands.

1. Now they are told to wail and lament because of the results of their sins, deaths of multitudes.

a. Psalm 78:50, He sent his anger in full force; he did not spare them from death; he handed their lives over to destruction. (NET)

B. Clarke wrote that so many had been killed that no one remained alive to bury the dead.

III. They will lie scattered on the ground like grain that has been cut down but has not been gathered.”’”

A. Corpses would lie on the ground everywhere as if they had been cut grain, but which had not been gathered. (The Pulpit Commentary)

Jeremiah 9:23, The Lord says, “Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. (NET) I. The Lord says, “Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich.



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A. People should not boast about worldly achievements.

B. Wisdom, strength and wealth are not the important things of life. (See Smith.)

1. Truly knowing God is the most important thing in life!

2. To know God means to put into practice such fundamental principles as loving kindness, justice and righteousness in which the Lord delights.

a. 2 Corinthians 10:17, But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord. (NET)

C. God is the Embodiment of all things worthy.

D. A complete desolation would result from the Chaldean invasion.

1. Habakkuk 3:17-18, When the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines; when the olive trees do not produce, and the fields yield no crops; when the sheep disappear from the pen, and there are no cattle in the stalls, I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! (NET)

Jeremiah 9:24, If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,” says the Lord. (NET) I. If people want to boast (glory), they should boast (glory) about this: They should boast (glory) that they understand and know me.



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A. Hamilton wrote, “The word “know”in verses 23-24 reveals the mind of the Lord and is timeless in its relevance. Neither wisdom, power, nor wealth is significant. To know God intimately is to reflect God’s character of kindness, justice, and righteousness.

1. Willis wrote, “To ‘know’ the Lord involves a deep, personal relationship with him. It leads a person to pattern his own character after God’s. The Lord exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, and the person who ‘knows’ him will do the same.

2. The only thing of which the people should boast (glory) is that they understand and know the Lord.

II. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth . . .

A. Coffman wrote, “The knowledge of God and his way of salvation is greatly to be preferred above all the honors, power, riches, and achievements of mankind.”

1. God acts out of faithfulness, fairness, justice, loving-kindness, and righteousness.

a. God’s loving-kindness is shown to those who are in a covenant relationship with Him.

2. We are to go and do likewise!

3. Coffman rightly concluded, “The only proper ground for anyone’s glorying is in the right relationship with God; this is the thing that supremely matters.

B. Related references:



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1. Psalm 85:10, Loyal love and faithfulness meet; deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss. (NET)

2. Psalm 5:7-8, But as for me, because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you. Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of those who wait to ambush me, remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! (NET)

3. Psalm 36:5-6, O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky; your faithfulness to the clouds. Your justice is like the highest mountains, your fairness like the deepest sea; you preserve mankind and the animal kingdom. (NET)

III. and that I desire people to do these things,” says the Lord.

A. God wants his people to possess his characteristics such as faithfulness, fairness, justice, loving-kindness and righteousness.

Jeremiah 9:25, The Lord says, “Watch out! The time is soon coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh. (NET) I. The Lord says, “Watch out! The time is coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh.

A. “Verses 25-26 contrast the preferred circumcision of the heart with the less important circumcision of the foreskin,” Hamilton wrote.

B. Smith wrote, “Even though they were circumcised physically, the men of Judah were uncircumcised spiritually; i.e., their hearts were closed to the word of God. Their circumcision meant no



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more to God than the circumcision of some of the Gentile nations of the day. God planned to punish all who were uncircumcised of heart whether or not they were circumcised of flesh.”

1. Judah-Jerusalem placed faith in their being circumcised, but in their hearts they were no different than pagans living around them. (See Willis.)

C. Clarke wrote, “Do not imagine that you, because of your crimes, are the only objects of my displeasures; the circumcised and the uncircumcised, the Jew and the Gentile, shall equally feel the stroke of my justice, their transgressions being alike, after their advantages and disadvantages are duly compared.”

1. The Pulpit Commentary reads, “ . . . no outward privileges, if dissociated from inward moral vitality, will avail.”

2. The Jews were circumcised in flesh, but not in heart.

3. The heathens appear generally to have been uncircumcised in both flesh and heart.

Jeremiah 9:26, That is, I will punish the Egyptians, the Judeans, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples. I will do so because none of the people of those nations are really circumcised in the Lord’s sight. Moreover, none of the people of Israel are circumcised when it comes to their hearts.” (NET) I. That is, I will punish the Egyptians, the Judeans, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and all the desert (wilderness) people who cut their hair short at the temples.



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A. Hamilton concluded that, since Judah-Jerusalem were not circumcised in heart they were no better than the surrounding heathen nations.

B. “ . . . circumcision was not practiced by any of these nations; whereas, all we can affirm is, that, except for a small class (of priests) in Egypt, there is no proof of the general acceptance of circumcision by the list of nations mentioned here.” (Coffman)

C. “Israel is here degraded to the level of other uncircumcised nations.” (Robinson via Coffman)

D. Other nations listed in this verse also were delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, all of which were uncircumcised in regard to the covenant with God. (See Clarke.)

1. The Israelites had undergone physical circumcision, but were uncircumcised in heart. (See Clarke.)

2. The New King James Version translates “who cut their hair short at the temples” (NET) “as all who are in the farthest corners.”

E. In regard to “the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples,” The Pulpit Commentary explains, “all that are corner-clipped; i.e., that have the hair cut off about the ears and temples” identified the heathen Gentiles.

1. Jeremiah 3:8, She also saw that I gave wayward Israel her divorce papers and sent her away because of her adulterous worship of other gods. Even after her unfaithful sister Judah had seen this, she still was not afraid, and she too went and gave herself like a prostitute to other gods. (NET)



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2. Jeremiah 25:23, the people of Dedan, Tema, Buz, all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples; (NET)

3. Jeremiah 49:32, Their camels will be taken as plunder. Their vast herds will be taken as spoil. I will scatter to the four winds those desert peoples who cut their hair short at the temples. I will bring disaster against them from every direction,” says the Lord. (NET)

4. Leviticus 19:27, You must not round off the corners of the hair on your head or ruin the corners of your beard. (NET)

5. Leviticus 21:5, Priests must not have a bald spot shaved on their head, they must not shave the corner of their beard, and they must not cut slashes in their body. (NET)

II. I will do so because none of the people of those nations are really circumcised in the Lord’s sight.

A. This contrasts circumcision which is merely physical with circumcision which is a sign of commitment to the covenant and to the God of the covenant.

1. Deuteronomy 5:28-29, When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you—they have spoken well. If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever. (NET)

2. Jeremiah 4:3-4, Yes, the Lord has this to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Like a farmer breaking up hard unplowed ground, you must break your



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rebellious will and make a new beginning; just as a farmer must clear away thorns lest the seed is wasted, you must get rid of the sin that is ruining your lives. Just as ritual circumcision cuts away the foreskin as an external symbol of dedicated covenant commitment, you must genuinely dedicate yourselves to the Lord and get rid of everything that hinders your commitment to me, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you do not, my anger will blaze up like a flaming fire against you that no one will be able to extinguish. That will happen because of the evil you have done.” (NET)

B. There was no benefit to physical circumcision without spiritual circumcision of the heart, life and spirit.

III. Moreover, none of the people (house) of Israel are circumcised when it comes to their hearts.”

A. The point is, both Jews and Gentiles came up short! Conclusion: I. Our loving God suffers because of what his people do to him and to one another.

A. Isn’t it wonderful that God loves us as a father loves a child and is hurt by our misbehaviors!

II. God’s punishment fell upon Judah-Jerusalem because of their stubbornness, other sins stemming for this evil. III. Sins caused death, suffering, destruction and deep grief, mourning, wailing, weeping and lamentation.



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A. A shorter elegy is found in Jeremiah 31:15, The Lord says, “A sound is heard in Ramah, a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone.” (NET)

IV. The measure of true greatness is not human wisdom, power, wealth, etc., but living in keeping with the will of God.

A. Heart and life must be in compliance with the will of God. (See Craigie, Kelley and Drinkard, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 26, Word books, Publisher, Dallas, Texas 1991.



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Questions

on

Jeremiah 9:1-26

(Questions based on NET text.) 1. ____________ and ______________ are written in ______________ form while ___________ and ___________ are written in ___________. 2. How can you distinguish poetry from prose as you read the Bible? __ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Describe Jeremiah’s behavior according to Halley. _______________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Describe the behavior of Judah and Jerusalem according to Halley and Coffman. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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5. What accounts for the differences in verse numbers in Jeremiah 9:1 – 26 in the English Bible as contrasted with the Hebrew text? __________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. How important are these differences? _________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. What is the theme of this entire chapter, Jeremiah 9, as described in verse 1? ___________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. ____________ had ___________ for his ___________ ___________ all he ______________ could, but he would have ______________ even more if he had had the ______________. 9. What were caravanserais, how did they relate to verse 2 and why did Jeremiah want to live in the desert? _____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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10. Why did Jeremiah consider deserting his people? _______________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. How were the tongues of the people of Judah and Jerusalem used as weapons? How had they become powerful in the land? _____________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. What evil things had the people of Judah and Jerusalem done? ____ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. What does “knowing God” mean, involve? ____________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 14. ______________ knew that no one could be _______________, not even his ____________ and _____________. H is was _____________ a ______________ ______________.



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15. Many _______________ in today’s _______________ have learned they ____________ ____________ their ____________, ___________, ______________ and ______________. 16. Do you feel you must be on your guard around your friends? Do you feel you can trust your relatives? . . . all of them? _______________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. Define “friends”. Define “neighbors”. _______________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. If conditions were advantageous, how many of your acquaintances would cheat you and tell lies about you? Give reasons for your answer. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. How did Jacob cheat his brother Esau? Why then was Jacob favored over Esau by the Lord? _______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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20. The people of ancient Judah and Jerusalem had a ______________ of ______________, but had denied the ______________ of it. They did not practice the ______________ ______________ of their __________ and really did not observe its ___________ ____________, as ______________ ______________. 21. One ___________ ______________ another and ______________ ______________ ______________ the ______________. They had ______________ themselves to ______________ ______________. 22. How many people do you know who are totally honest? . . . reasonably honest? . . . mostly dishonest? . . . totally dishonest? ______ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23. Why are some people unable to repent? _______________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24. What are the results of a person’s wearing himself out living sinfully? Consider the physical, mental, social, financial and spiritual aspects of wickedness. Don’t forget the sinner’s family. ____________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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25. They do one ____________ of ____________ after _____________. They ______________ to ______________ ______________ to God. 26. What did the Lord say beginning in verse 3? ___________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27. What did the Lord say beginning in verse 7? ___________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 28. The ________________ ______________, ________________ over ______________, had ______________ to say to ______________ and ______________ and he has ______________ to say to you and me. 29. How did God “purify” Judah and Jerusalem? Why was it necessary for God to “purify” Judah and Jerusalem? ________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30. Why were the people of Judah and Jerusalem regarded as unreliable, hypocrites? (See verse 8.) ____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 31. Why did the Lord punish Judah and Jerusalem? How did the Lord feel about having to punish his covenant people? __________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 32. Define retribution. _______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 33. On the basis of Jeremiah 9:10-16, contrast the condition of the land and people before and after 586 B.C. ____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34. Define jackals. When the people were devastated and Jerusalem destroyed, what did Jackals do? ________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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35. Why, according to Coffman, did God so severely punish Judah and Jerusalem? ________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36. Who was wise enough to understand why Jerusalem and Judah were devastated? Who has a word from the Lord that can explain it? Why did all these terrible things happen to Judah and Jerusalem? __________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 37. Because the people had ___________ the ___________ of ________ and ______________ the ______________ ______________ of their own ______________, disaster befell them. 38. Give as much information as you can about Baal and its worship. What happened at Baal-peor? __________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 39. What did the Lord God of Israel say beginning at verse 15? _______ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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40. God told the people to listen to what he had to say? Are people good listeners to one another? . . . to God? Give reasons for your answer. ___ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 41. What is wormwood? What is gall? Of what are they symbols in the Old Testament? _____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 42. __________ is the ____________ of ______________, __________, __________ and __________, but he is also _________ of __________ and ____________ of ____________. 43. The ___________ ___________ of ___________ and ___________ and ______________ ______________ think of ______________ in terms of ______________, ______________, ______________ and ______________ only and that ______________’s ______________ and ____________ _____________ ______________/______________ ______________ apply to them. ______________ - ______________ ______________ the hard way how ___________ this ______________ is. 44. What do Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:64 say about sinners being scattered among nations of which neither they nor their ancestors had any knowledge? ________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 45. Even in the ______________ of their ______________, they would have no ______________. ______________ would ______________ after them ______________ until they had been ______________. 46. Beginning with verse 17, what did the Lord say? _______________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 47. ______________, ______________ and ______________ are used ______________ times in just ______________ verses. 48. Explain the custom of hiring mourners for funerals and in times of deep grief as practiced in both the Old and New Testaments. _________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 49. ___________, ______________ ______________, ______________ and ___________ would soon ______________ ______________ and ___________ and ____________ ______________ and ___________. 50. Their ______________ had been ______________ ______________ and they had to ______________ their own ______________. 51. How was an adequate supply of mourners to be assured? _________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 52. How did death enter through the windows? ____________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 53. ______________ have no ______________. ______________ has taken away their ___________ who ____________ in the ___________. It has taken away our ___________ ___________ who ____________ in the ________________ ______________. These are the results of ____________. ______________ ______________ of _____________ ______________ ______________ the ______________. 54. Unburied corpses of Judean soldiers littered the fields. How did the people of Judah and Jerusalem regard unburied bodies? _____________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 55. For what were the “broad places” or “city squares” customarily used? _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 56. How were the corpses scattered in the field like manure and grain?_



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__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 57. For what should people not boast? About what should people boast? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 58. In our society, for what do people boast? How have things changed since Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem? _______________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 59. Judah was circumcised in the flesh only. What was lacking to cause God to warn them that they were to be punished. __________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 60. Why were surrounding nations to be punished? In what were they lacking? ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 61. What are the meaning and significance of “ . . . all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples”? _________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 62. There was no ____________ to ______________ ______________ without ___________ ___________ of the ___________, ___________ and ______________. 63. Our ______________ ______________ ______________ because of what his ______________ do to ______________ and to ___________ ______________. Judah’s basic sin was ____________ from which their other sins sprang. 64. ___________ caused ____________, ____________, ___________, ______________ and ______________. 65. The measure of ___________ ___________ is not ______________ ______________, ______________, ______________, etc., but ___________ in keeping with the ______________ of ______________ ______________ and ______________ must be in ______________ with the ______________ of ______________.

Jeremiah Laments Over the Coming Destruction, continued · 2013. 4. 1. · Jeremiah Laments Over...

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Transcript of Jeremiah Laments Over the Coming Destruction, continued · 2013. 4. 1. · Jeremiah Laments Over...