Jeremiah 9-11 • Let him who boasts, boast that he knows me

we're in jeremiah so open your bibles please to jeremiah chapter 9. we're going to do our best to get through three chapters tonight and we're still in the thick of the uh the the lord uh confrontation of uh the southern kingdom of judah for their disobedience rebellion and idolatry and you know we've mentioned in the past that jeremiah is called the weeping prophet and this chapter is one of the reasons why we say that and you'll see that as we go through here so let's just pray quick father as we get into your word tonight we need your grace we need your strength we need your insight to be able to lay hold of these verses because lord when we talk about judgment and impending judgment and destruction these aren't the kind of fun warm fuzzy devotional passages lord that are things that we tend to want to cling to and yet lord this is your word this is this is your holy scripture and you've given it to us for a reason and we pray tonight that the ministry of your holy spirit among us would bring application and understanding and we ask that you would do this in the name of our savior jesus christ amen amen all right keep in mind weeping prophet verse 1 oh that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears that i might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people and i want to remind you that jeremiah is witnessing the destruction of the southern kingdom of judah prophetically meaning that it hasn't happened yet in the sense of the day-to-day chronology of events but for jeremiah because it's been given to him and revealed to him by the lord it is essentially a done deal and he's already in a in a state of mourning over uh this thing verse two oh that i had in the desert a traveler's lodging place that i might leave my people and go away from them for they are all adulterers a company of treacherous men now the lord speaks in verse three they bend their bow or excuse me their tongue like a bow falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land that sounds familiar doesn't it it's kind of sounds like our country falsehood has grown strong in the land uh he says for they proceed from evil to evil and they do not know me declares the lord let everyone beware of his neighbor and put no trust in any brother for every brother is a deceiver and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer everyone deceives his neighbor and no one speaks the truth they have taught their tongue to speak lies they weary themselves committing iniquity heaping oppression upon oppression and deceit upon deceit they refuse to know me declares the lord therefore thus says the lord of hosts behold i will refine them and test them for what else can i do because of my people their tongue is a deadly arrow it speaks deceitfully with the his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor but in his heart he plans an ambush for him shall i not punish them for these things declares the lord and shall i not avenge myself on a nation such as this i will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains and the lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness because they are laid waste so that no one passes through and the lowing of cattle is not heard both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and gone i will make jerusalem a heap of ruins a layer of jackals and i will make the cities of judah a desolation without inhabitant verse 12 who is the man so wise that he can understand this to whom has the mouth of the lord spoken that he may declare it why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness so that no one passes through and the lord says because they've forsaken my law that i set before them and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the baals as their fathers taught them therefore thus says the lord of hosts the god of israel behold i will feed this people with bitter food and give them poisonous water to drink i will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known and i will send the sword after them until i have consumed them thus says the lord of hosts consider and call for the morning women to come now let's just stop there for just a second it goes on actually to end that verse saying send for the skillful women to come and we in our culture might not know what that's talking about but in israel they used to pay people to mourn and it was it was a fairly common thing when you had a a loved one who passed away if the the the wealthier you were the more you could afford to heighten the honor of the passing of your loved one by hiring mourners and they would come and wail and can you imagine being paid to go somewhere and wail and to weep but of course you know the louder you wail the more honor is extended supposedly to this person who has passed from the scene you know they did it even in the new testament times which is one of the reasons that passage uh of jairus's daughter always used to befuddle me because it says that when jesus got there uh that they were the women the people were wailing and and weeping and jesus said to them you know why are you wailing this woman is is not dead she's just asleep and it says they laughed at him and i always thought what in the world how could people go from wailing to laughing well they were paid they were paid so i suppose you can probably turn it on at will you know i always i was kind of thought well there were people there who were genuinely mourning over the loss of this little girl anyway they were paid to do it so that's why the lord is saying in verse 17 call for the morning women to come for the skillful women and he says in verse 18 let them make haste and raise a wailing over us that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids flow with water for a sound of wailing is heard from zion how we are ruined we are utterly shamed because we have left the land because they have cast down our dwellings and of course here isaiah is hearing the voice of those who have been conquered but this is before it takes place he's hearing it prophetically and this will actually happen again in these chapters we're dealing with so he says in verse 20 hear o women the word of the lord and let your ear receive the word of his mouth teach to your daughters a lament and each to his neighbor a dirge and of course a dirge was a funeral song for death has come up into our windows it has entered our palaces cutting off the children from the streets and the young men from the squares speak thus declares the lord the dead bodies of men shall fall like dung upon the open field like sheaves after the reaper and none shall gather them we've talked about uh how important it was to jews to have a proper burial and he talks here about the fact that many will fall in the open field and no one will be there to bury them and then i believe that what comes up here in verse 23 and verse 24 i believe this is one of the most powerful passages in all of jeremiah so you ready thus says the lord let not the wise man boast in his wisdom let not the mighty man boast in his might let not the rich man boast in his riches but let him who boasts boast in this that he understands and knows me that i am the lord who practices steadfast love justice and righteousness in the earth for in these things i delight declares the lord isn't that a great passage when you think about all the things that people boast in and i think probably today we might have to add shameless fame to the list of things that people boast in used to be people got famous because they were they did something significant today they become famous or maybe we should say infamous for all kinds of reasons that have no connection to fame from years gone by so whatever we might boast in he says let not them boast if somebody's boasting in the fact that he is a very wise man let it not be if some if someone is boasting that he is powerful and mighty let it not be let him not boast in the sight of the lord if a man is boasting in his abundant wealth let him not boast in the presence of the lord but let those who boast i love this just boast that they know me that they know me you know this is such a important element of understanding what god cares about most you know through the course of scripture we get to the new testament and what does jesus say is most important to know the lord and to be known to have that kind of a relationship jesus said there's coming a time when some will be cast to the to the side saying with the words i never knew you and that's obviously because they didn't know the lord either so knowing the lord oh so incredibly important it doesn't matter if somebody knows their bible but doesn't know the lord i mean what good is that so what is what is what impresses god that we might know him verse 25 behold the days are coming declares the lord when i will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh and then he names those countries egypt judah edom the sons of ammon moab and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair and that was a pagan practice okay for all these nations are uncircumcised and all the house of israel are uncircumcised in heart it's funny how many times people read things like this in the word of god about cutting the corners of their hair and they come to conclusions that oh we can't we have god cares about how we cut our hair we're going to look at another one here coming up here in the coming chapters where god talks about something and people will end up looking at it and going oh we're not supposed to do that you know there's there's a passage in leviticus about tattoos and i've heard that quoted many many times many times see it says in the bible do not do not get a tattoo the bible forbids getting a tattoo well i'm not crazy about tattoos to be completely honest with you um actually i'll go a little bit further i think they're dumb but that's not what that verse says that verse is not forbidding all the all getting of tattoos it was something they did again that was connected to pagan practices and worship rituals and that's what god was condemning and uh so i i so i get that question a lot you know pastor paul is there anything in god's word about getting a tattoo and i always respond the same way i i say no actually there's the the the reference to tattoos is made once in the bible but it's made in relation to pagan ritual worship so they go so it's okay then i go well ask god the bible says that your body belongs to him you are not your own you've been bought with a price so before you go marking up your body once you talk to god about it see what he says ask him don't ask me ask him chapter 10 chapter 10 reads very much like a psalm i think you're going to see that as we go through it but it begins this way hear the word of the lord excuse me hear the word that the lord speaks to you o house of israel thus says the lord learn not the way of the nations nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them for the customs of the peoples are vanity a tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an ax by the hands of a craftsman they decorate it with silver and gold they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move and you know what he's talking about here talking about how the the the building of their pagan idols but i need to pause here for a moment and tell you that every single christmas i get emails from people because i'll talk about christmas and i like christmas because i like celebrating the birth of jesus christ i think it's the best gift that man ever got hands down and ever will and so i like i like christmas i've always liked christmas but every year i get these very angry condemning emails from people who say don't you know what the word of god says about christmas and christmas trees and then they quote jeremiah and they quote this very passage and they see don't you see that what it says you know what's interesting about that this is one of those prime examples of cherry-picking certain phrases and words out of the word of god to get it to say what you want it to say now you just read those verses or along with me i trust but now let me show you up on the screen what they see when they look at this they see hear the word that the lord speaks to you thus says the lord learn not the way of the nations for the customs of the peoples or vanity a tree from the forest is cut down they decorate it with silver and gold that's all they see that's it and so what do you come up with god condemns having christmas trees therefore god condemns christmas period and that's and i and i get it every year now just for the sake of context remember we've talked about that let me show you this passage now i've highlighted the important contextual words and phrases here it is again hear the word that the lord speaks to you o house of israel if this is talking about christmas trees why in the world is he talking to israel first of all do you guys understand that the church doesn't even exist in the old testament and god doesn't even mention it but the point is the jews don't celebrate christmas okay so this is a word that is specifically given to the house of israel thus says the lord learn not the way of the nations nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them for the customs of the people or vanity a tree from the forest is cut down but they leave this part out and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman and that's talking about somebody who carves it into looking like an idol they carved it into their pagan the likeness of their pagan gods right and then it says they decorate it with silver and gold and they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move you know that last comment there about the fact that it cannot move that's one of god's favorite statements concerning pagan idols he loved to bring out the fact that the pagan idols can't see they can't speak and they can't move and he would say that to them almost in a taunting sort of a way he'd say your god has a problem he can't utter any sound your god can't even move you have to pick him up do you remember what he used to say through isaiah he used to say you guys are really a piece of work you go out and cut down a tree you take half of the wood and you roast your food with it and the other half you carve into an idol and you worship it what's up with that and he's just trying to reason with them in some sense of you know understanding but look at what he goes on to say he in the context of this passage in verse five their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field for they cannot speak they have to be carried for they cannot walk do not be afraid of them for they cannot do evil fact of the matter is neither can they do good i like that that's just that's just kind of hitting them right where they live you know it's like don't worry they can't do anything bad but you know what they can't do good either so that's kind of a you get one with the other you know what i mean so you can see here in these first five verses that the context of the passage is clearly pagan idolatry and god's condemnation of the nation of israel for their involvement in pagan idolatry and the making of pagan idols verse 6 there is none like you o lord you are great and your name is great in might for who would not fear you o king of the nations for this is your due for among all the wise ones of the nations and all in all their kingdoms there's none like you they are both stupid and foolish the the instruction of idols is but wood beaten silver is brought from tarshish and gold from euphase they are the work of the craftsmen in the hands of the goldsmith their clothing is violent and purple they are all the work of skilled men so you can see what he's doing here jeremiah is drawing a contrast between the the the living god which is gonna he's gonna do more in the reindeer of this chapter but this this contrast between the living god and these dumb and deaf idols that can't move and so what he's basically talking about he's talking about the difference between the idols which are the work of man's hands and the god who created man's hands you know what i mean it's really something similar that paul wrote when he wrote to the romans i love this check this out therefore it says god gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves why because they exchanged the truth about god for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever amen and you know we've talked about the fact that you don't have to be a pagan idol worshiper to worship the creature you don't have to bow down to a little statue in your home or somewhere else you can worship the creation or the creature in some other way um so we got to be careful of that verse 10. here's the argument but the lord is the true god he is the living god and the everlasting king at his wrath the earth quakes and the nations cannot endure his indignation thus shall you say to them the gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens it is he who made the earth by his power who established the world by his wisdom and by his understanding stretched out the heavens when he utters his voice there is a tumult and that means a loud noise that causes confusion or possibly even fear of the waters or waters in the heavens and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth he makes lightning for the rain and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses every man is stupid and without knowledge every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols for his images are false and there's no breath in them they are worthless a work of delusion at a at the time of their punishment they shall perish not like these is he who is the portion of jacob for he is the one who formed all things and israel is the tribe of his inheritance the lord of hosts is his name gather up your bundle from the ground oh you who dwell under siege for thus says the lord behold i am slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this time and i will bring distress on them that they may feel it wow tough things but now i want you to notice beginning in verse 19 and following we begin once again to hear the cry of those who are under the coming babylonian invasion and this is the this is the cry of those who will in jeremiah's future still feel the sting of god's discipline they cry saying woe is me because of my hurt my wound is grievous but i said truly this is an affliction and i must bear it my tent is destroyed and all my cords are broken my children are have gone from me and they are not which is a euphemism for death there is no one to spread my tent again and set up my curtains for the shepherds in this case it refers to the leaders of judah are stupid and do not inquire of the lord therefore they have not prospered and their flock and all their flock rather is scattered a voice a rumor behold it comes a great commotion out of the north country and that speaks of the babylonian army to make the cities of judah a desolation a layer of jackals i know oh lord that the way of man is not in himself that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps and what jeremiah is saying here is he's confessing to the lord that the coming of the babylonian army is not their own doing he's saying that the lord is behind it he's confessing and admitting that this coming destroyer is a work of god's hand for the because of the sins of the people of judah and that's what he means in verse 23 verse 24 correct me o lord but in justice not in your anger lest you bring me to nothing pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not and on the peoples that call not on your name for they have devoured jacob they have devoured him and consumed him and they have laid waste his habitation and again all these are things that jeremiah is seeing before they take place but notice here at the end of this chapter he begins to pray now for the judgment of the nations who will who will actually be used as god's spanking spoon so chapter 11 the word that came to jeremiah from the lord hear the words of this covenant and speak to the men of judah and the inhabitants of jerusalem you shall say to them thus says the lord the god of israel cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant that i commanded your fathers when i brought them out of the land of egypt from the iron furnace saying listen to my voice and do all that i command you so shall you be my people and i will be your god that i may confirm the oath that i swore to your fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey as it is this day then i answered so be it lord and the lord said to me proclaim all these words in the cities of judah and in the streets of jerusalem hear the words of this covenant and do them for i solemnly warned your fathers when i brought them up out of the land of egypt warning them persistently even to this day saying obey my voice yet they did not obey or incline their ears but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart therefore i brought them rather i brought upon them all the words of this covenant which i commanded them to do but they did not again the lord said to me a conspiracy exists among the men of judah and the inhabitants of jerusalem they have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refuse to hear my words they have gone after other gods to serve them the house of israel and the house of judah have broken my covenant that i made with their fathers therefore thus says the lord behold i am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape though they cry to me i will not listen to them then the cities of judah and the inhabitants of jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they make offerings but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble for your gods have become as many as your cities o judah and as many as the streets of jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame altars to make offerings to baal therefore do not pray for this people or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf for i will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble what right has my beloved in my house when she has done many vile deeds can even sacrificial flesh avert your doom can you then exalt the lord once called you a green olive tree beautiful with good fruit but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it and its branches will be consumed the lord of hosts who planted you has decreed disaster against you because of the evil that the house of israel and the house of judah have done provoking me to anger by making offerings to baal the lord made it known to me and i knew then you showed me their deed stop there for a moment i want to tell you what he's saying here in verse 18. notice it's it's almost kind of a mysterious statement on the surface he says the lord made something known to him and then the lord showed him what was behind what he had made known to him and what we are going to discover in the following verses is that the understanding that jeremiah received from the lord was that the men of his own city the city of anathoth wanted to kill him if he refused to stop prophesying in the name of the lord so these are his own towns folk and they are putting together a determination on their part to snuff out his life and so jeremiah says but i was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter i did not know it was against me they devised schemes saying let us destroy the tree with its fruit let us cut him off from the land of the living that his name be remembered no more but o lord of hosts who judges righteously who tests the heart and the mind let me see your vengeance upon them for to you have i committed my cause and so knowing what the lord has given to jeremiah in the way of a revelation of the men of anathoth jeremiah then prays and says lord judge them and he he says let me see your vengeance brought upon them and then the lord responds therefore thus says the lord concerning the men of anathoth who seek your life and say do not prophesy in the name of the lord or you will die by our hand therefore thus says the lord of hosts behold i will punish them the young men shall die by the sword their sons and their daughters shall die by famine and none of them shall be left for i will bring disaster upon the men of anathoth the year of their punishment wow so the lord responds to jeremiah into his prayer and says i will do as you asked and i will bring judgment upon them this chapter this last chapter here chapter 11 is where the lord goes through and recounts uh not in detail but about the covenant that he made with the people of israel saying i gave you this covenant i commanded your fathers when i brought them out of egypt and out of the the the the furnace the iron furnace he said uh telling them listen to my voice and and that they would prosper if they did and and i confirmed my oath with them and and told and brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey and and so forth and so on but he goes on to to say in in verses 6 and 7 that even though i warned them persistently about the breaking of this covenant they ultimately refused to listen to me and so now the lord is saying therefore i'm bringing upon them all the words all the promises of the covenant because you'll remember the promises of the mosaic covenant were both curses and blessings they were both promises god said if you obey me and keep my covenant i promise to do this if you walk away from me if you rebel against me if you worship other gods i promise that i will do this curses and blessings and he made it very clear to the people and so he is emphasizing once again the covenant and the fact that the people rather than following the covenant of the lord walked in the stubbornness of their own evil hearts i bring that up because on sunday morning we're going to be continuing our study in hebrews and as we get into chapter 8 the writer of hebrews is going to compare the covenants the mosaic covenant with the new covenant and he's going to compare them in such a way as to talk about the the the blessings and the promises that go along with them and he's going to talk about why the new covenant is so superior and so much better than the old and so i think that as we read through the difficulties that are laid out here by jeremiah and as we get into our study of hebrews on sunday morning you're going to see a great contrast here that's going to help us to really appreciate the covenants as they are laid out in the word of god so that's where we're going to stop for tonight you

Channel: Calvary Chapel Ontario

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Keywords: Bible, Bible teaching, Thru-the-Bible, verse by verse, Calvary Chapel, Bible study, Christianity, New Testament, Old Testament

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Length: 33min 39sec (2019 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 04 2021