Read Jeremiah 8
8 “‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. 2 They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground. 3 Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the Lord Almighty.’
Sin and Punishment
4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘When people fall down, do they not get up?
When someone turns away, do they not return?
5 Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;
they refuse to return.
6 I have listened attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course
like a horse charging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know
the requirements of the Lord.
8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the law of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
9 The wise will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed and trapped.
Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom do they have?
10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
11 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.
12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when they are punished,
says the Lord.
13 “‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine.
There will be no figs on the tree,
and their leaves will wither.
What I have given them
will be taken from them.’”
14 Why are we sitting here?
Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities
and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
and given us poisoned water to drink,
because we have sinned against him.
15 We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses
is heard from Dan;
at the neighing of their stallions
the whole land trembles.
They have come to devour
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there.
17 “See, I will send venomous snakes among you,
vipers that cannot be charmed,
and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.
18 You who are my Comforter in sorrow,
my heart is faint within me.
19 Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King no longer there?”
“Why have they aroused my anger with their images,
with their worthless foreign idols?”
20 “The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
21 Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?
Go Deeper
Jeremiah 8 is hard to read as we feel the anguish in the heart of Jeremiah over the rebellion of his people. However, as we shall see, he also reveals the deep love of God to a rebellious nation and rebellious man. His heart is deeply grieved over Judah’s continual rejection of God and His ways as we read in verse 18 which says, “You who are my comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me.” This is written during the time of the Babylonian captivity, and the people have either died or been exiled out of the Promised Land. Verse 3 puts an exclamation point on Israel’s self-inflicted situation saying, “Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the Lord Almighty.”
God’s judgment and conviction through the chapter includes the priests and scribes who were to be the holy and righteous representatives of God to the people. They and the nation were sadly described as backslidden, apostate (which means renouncing their faith), deceitful, liars, and unrepentant. God’s holy and chosen people have chosen their way over God’s ways, deceit over holiness, and willful disobedience over submission to the Law. Verse 12 describes this position of their hearts saying, “Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even blush.”
However, we see the answer for the fallen nation, and for anyone of us today who find ourselves far from God and in a dark place in our lives. It says, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” God, in His goodness and mercy cries out to His people through Jeremiah to return to Him. Today, this same cry for goodness and mercy is found in His son Jesus Christ! As Gilead, a day’s walk from Jerusalem, offered its medicinal balm that healed people in Jeremiah’s day, Jesus is the spiritual healing balm of Gilead for us now if we simply turn to Him.
The nation of Israel simply needed to repent and turn away from their sin and return back to their God who loves them deeply. Through belief and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we can return to God to receive forgiveness, and find grace, mercy, and goodness. Hence, we can choose life over death and His ways over our own. First John 1:9 offers the simple “how” in returning to God saying, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Charles Spurgeon preached a beautiful sermon on Jeremiah 8 which mentions how migratory birds know the when, where, and way to go, and they show their wisdom by actually going to their sunny place. What a beautiful picture that paints for us as well. Let us all turn to the sunny place of forgiveness and wholeness only found in Jesus Christ.
Questions
- What is the burden that Jeremiah is feeling over the nation of Israel?
- What posture do the people of Judah have towards God in this chapter and why is this such a perilous place? Discuss this with your Life Group.
- What can we do to return to God as described in 1 John 1:9? If you have followed these steps, please reach out to another Christian friend for support and encouragement.
A Quote
Charles Spurgeon, a 19th century British preacher, said, “Shake off thy depression, dear brother. Abide not in the dark but abide in the light. In Jesus is thy hope, thy joy, thy heaven. Look to Him, to Him only, and thou shalt rejoice as the birds rejoice at sunrise and as angels rejoice before the throne.”
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2 thoughts on “Jeremiah 8”
Jeremiah 8:4-5 GNB The LORD told me to say to his people, “When someone falls down, doesn’t he get back up? If someone misses the road, doesn’t he turn back? 5 Why then, my people, do you turn away from me without ever turning back? You cling to your idols and refuse to return to me.
Verse 6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying,
“What have I done?”
That is the question today, What have I done for God? To further His Kingdom, to feed His sheep, to love the unlovable, to demonstrate the Gospel? I don’t want to deceive myself, so the question is give me eyes to see where my ways do not line up with Your ways God.
God thank You for showing me where I am not lining up with Your ways. Give me the heart to hear and not to be selfish or righteous when You correct me. Thank You for Holy Spirit to guide me as I endeavor to love Your people. Show me who, what, when where to see, speak or not to speak that I am a witness for You in ALL I do. God I am so thankful grateful and blessed beyond wordology. I desire to see You high and lifted up. Thank You for loving me when I so do not deserve it. Thank You for pursuing me and showing up in my life continuously!!!! Give me Your love goggles to see the people and the words to speak today that glorify and edify You in all the minutes of this day in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!
I’ve felt the sorrow of Jeremiah as he weeps over his people and pleads with God to intervene. It is no small offense the people have committed against Holy God. I noted 10 specific ones he calls out as they:
•turned away from God
•cling to deceit
•refuse to return or repent
•say what is not right
•pursue their own course
•do not know the Lord’s requirements
•reject the word of the Lord
•are greedy for gain
•practice deceit
•have no shame
Are we guilty of the same? As we truthfully inspect our lives, most likely these sins are lurking at our door wanting to have dominion over us. Make no mistake about it, we cannot minimize our sin thinking consequences will not follow. Jeremiah’s message is for us as well. Our sin is a sickness only Jesus can heal.