"The Whole Book"

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

#1055 Jeremiah 7 Part 2 Reina Del Cielo

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord. 12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.

16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 19 Is it I whom they provoke? declares the Lord. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? 20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.”

21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. 22 For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 25 From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. 26 Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.

27 “So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. 28 And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.

29 “‘Cut off your hair and cast it away;

raise a lamentation on the bare heights,

for the Lord has rejected and forsaken

the generation of his wrath.’

The Valley of Slaughter

30 “For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have set their detestable things in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. 31 And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind. 32 Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere. 33 And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, and none will frighten them away. 34 And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste. Jeremiah 7 ESV

Jeremiah 7: 16-20

…14And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him. 16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.… 1 John 5: 14-16

16-17. As for you, do not pray for this people - In the first part of this chapter God has Jeremiah address the people as they come to the temple to worship. He is to tell them to amend their ways, much like John the Baptist calls to the religious of his day, repent and be saved. Keep in mind, they are coming to the temple to worship God, but God is unimpressed. They want His blessing, and a form of godliness, but they deny His power and right to be worshiped solely and in truth. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, as in the vein of all great intercessors, like Moses, who prayed for a rebellious people, including his brother Aaron and sister Miriam, is probably well aware of their unrepentant nature and so on his way to intercede. God says, "don't bother, I won't hear it." Remember Abraham, what if there are 50 righteous, ok what if there are 10? These people are hardened and determined to continue in their apostasy, "do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah?"

“They have filled up the measure of their iniquity, and they must become examples of my justice. How terrible must the state of that place be, where God refuses to pour out the spirit of supplication on his ministers and people in its behalf!” (Clarke)

18. The children gather wood - What are they doing? Look, Jeremiah, at the thing they are doing in Jerusalem, openly and without shame. Not only do they do this, but they have violated the law of God to parents, in that they teach their children in this false way also. They have brought them in to this sin, as well as their friends and neighbors.

…5Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them. 6Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22: 5-6

The fathers kindle fire - Those that should be leading toward righteousness have sent the children out to gather wood to make strange fire. The priest of the home has failed, the spiritual leader is absent.

…10For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.… 1 Corinthians 8: 10-12

…2“Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3“that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.… Ephesians 6: 2-4

…11My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; 12for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3: 11-12

And the women knead dough - I'm sure this is not directed against baking just like God's judgment on Aaron's sons was not against the art of making fire or having a fire, but this is rather about obedience and apostasy. They are making cakes to worship an idol, a pagan goddess, and all the family is involved. The children are encouraged in this, the father has not stood up against, is not exercising discernment and shepherding away from this disaster. The mother is fully employed in this, baking cakes to a deity which is no deity.

…26She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well:… Proverbs 31: 26-28

3I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.… 2 Timothy 1: 3-5

…14But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. 15 From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,… 2 Timothy 3: 14-16

To make cakes for the queen of heaven - Wow, goddess worship, now this will open quite a can of worms, and it is a very old can, probably going back so far as the tower of Babel. This form of idolatry persist in our day, and most commonly within groups that are associated with Christianity. There is really a lot to unwrap with this, and it is going to come up again in later chapters, so I want to start small here, and give you some things to ponder.

Jeremiah is speaking to people who have the word of God, live in the city that has the temple of the true God, and consider themselves Jews, circumcised, set apart as children of Abraham.
In the word of God they have been warned over and over again not to worship idols or created things, this would include human beings.
These are a people who have preferred ritualism, titles, praise of men, and sacrifices over truth and obedience.
Their preference for ritual over reality, for filthy gain over mercy and compassion, has led to delusion about their spiritual state and a hankering for superstition. In all this they have come to put hope in the approval of men rather than the word of God.
They have also added to the word of God and removed the weightier matters of the law. Jeremiah, along with the other prophets, continues to condemn their treatment of the poor, widows, fatherless and sojourners.

This can happen in the so called Christian church as well, when people want the benefits that they think God can give, but without the repentance that He demands. It can happen when people think that doctrine is not important or that the traditions of men trump the word of God. The Pharisees were quick to add things to the law that made them appear spiritual to others, like sages or gurus, but they also forsook God's command to take care of widows, to the extent of taking their property, and they forsook His command about being a light to the other nations. Instead, they blended the idolatries and rituals of their pagan neighbors into their Judaism. God said, "thou shalt not have any other gods,' and He also said, 'thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images." Rather than go with what God says, people tend to dabble in what appears to work for the world. I offered up cakes to the goddess of heaven yesterday and today my boss gave me a raise and a promotion. I buried an idol of a saint in my yard and the property sold, so now, regardless of what God says, they stand convinced that they have found a better way, based on superstition and materialism. God has declared that He has put His word up with His name, and that His word won't return to Him void. So I am going to show preference to what He says over what I feel, over what men would like to be true, over mishandling of His name, and over human traditions. Here is a great link that I hope you will use for your study and to equip you to be that light that helps someone else see the truth, and I am going to keep probing deeper into this probably around chapter 44. Idolatry of Mary worship Link

“The ‘queen of heaven’ was the Babylonian Ishtar, identified with the planet Venus, whose worship, similar to the cults of the Canaanite goddesses, Asherah, Ashtaroth and Anath, was probably introduced into Judah by the apostate king, Manasseh (2 Kings 21:3ff).” (Cundall)

“There is goddess worship in the Roman Catholic religion, where Mary is sometimes given the title ‘The Queen of Heaven.’ This title sets off alarm bells for anyone who knows the book of Jeremiah.” (Ryken)

iv. “Family worship is a most amiable and becoming thing when performed according to truth. What a pity that so few families show such zeal for the worship of God as those apostate Israelites did for that of their idols!” (Clarke)

And they pour out drink offerings to other gods - Just in case, wouldn't want to miss one that might give me a new car or better love life.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,

for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

2 Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

3 Our God is in the heavens;

he does all that he pleases.

4 Their idols are silver and gold,

the work of human hands.

5 They have mouths, but do not speak;

eyes, but do not see.

6 They have ears, but do not hear;

noses, but do not smell.

7 They have hands, but do not feel;

feet, but do not walk;

and they do not make a sound in their throat.

8 Those who make them become like them;

so do all who trust in them. Psalm 115 ESV

Is it not themselves to their own shame - You trusted in things that couldn't save you, and you rejected the Creator of the universe. Now, the people to whom God has made Himself the most known, will be destroyed by the people who know Him least. You wanted to worship their gods so now see if they can deliver you. You wanted your sin, see what it has to offer you in regards to eternity. What does it profit you?

#1054 Jeremiah 7 Part 1 Say It Three Times Standing On One Foot

29 “‘Cut off your hair and cast it away;

raise a lamentation on the bare heights,

for the Lord has rejected and forsaken

the generation of his wrath.’

The Valley of Slaughter

Jeremiah 7: 1-15 Evil in the Land

1-4. Amend your ways and your deeds - Judgment for this nation is getting close, but God is still extending them the opportunity to come to His terms. Repent and be saved, but their hope has turned elsewhere.

Do not trust in these deceptive words, "This is the temple of the Lord" - It is not just the Jews that come to this bad and dangerous habit, as I mentioned a pastor in a previous post, who thought there were too many godly people in the U.S. for God's wrath and justice to ever fall here. The Pharisees put a lot of weight on genealogy, that they were "children of Abraham", on rituals, on being recognized as good by men's standards, based upon cleaning the outside of the cup. Jeremiah is addressing people who have been getting their ears fondled by false prophets, and these people think that every thing is going to be ok because Jerusalem is where the temple of the true God resides. I have heard prosperity teachers suggest that about the physical body as well, it is God's temple, so they think as long as they say they belong to God and hold on to happy thoughts that they will be healthy.

…43For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will level you to the ground— you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” 45Then Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling there.… Luke 19: 43-45

18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.… 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20

…29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment.… 1 Corinthians 11: 29-31

5-7. If you truly amend your ways and your deeds - Most of them couldn't even come to admit their deeds, or that their deeds were wrong. If you won't let go of your sin then you have to deny God's being, or His right to justice, or His demands. You have to say that what He says is sin is not sin, or that He does not exist so there is no such thing as sin. He is saying here that He does not want mere verbal confessions, but rather "truly amend", which looks like this:

Truly execute justice with one another, like MLK Jr. said, there is no such thing as justice that is only for some and not for others. Don't call it justice if only the rich can afford it, or if it is not based on truth. If truth was ignored then it is a great and costly injustice.
Don't oppress the sojourner, the fatherless or the widow. It's not right to devalue someone else life because they are a foreigner. You should protect the fatherless and widows, not use them for cheap labor, and do not take advantage of their situation, robbing them of their estates.
Don't shed innocent blood. He will go further into this as the sacrifices of their children in the valley, but they also killed the messengers God sent them.
Don't go after other gods. Israel had been idolaters, and in the elevation of such occults, they came to sacrifice their own children.

…4The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. 5Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice. 6A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.… Proverbs 18: 4-6

18You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. 19Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. 20Pursue justice, and justice alone, so that you may live, and you may possess the land that the LORD your God is giving you.… Deuteronomy 16: 18-20

…20If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction. 21You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 22You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.… Exodus 22: 20-22

36Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38Look, your house is left to you desolate.… Matthew 23: 36-38

1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him. 3And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name.…

…4And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech, 5then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech. 6Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.… Leviticus 20: 1-6

8-15. You trust in deceptive words to no avail - "The temple of the Lord x 3, my god is a god of love x 3, I go to this church, I am circumcised, I am one of Abraham's children, I am a Christian, I am a good person."

And then come stand before Me in this house - This is what men hate about the God of the Bible, and love about those who don't preach Him in spirit and in truth. Do we really think He is a token god, that we can go out and steal, kill, commit adultery, swear falsely and worship idols, but then show up on Sunday, say some hail Mary's, put some money in the plate, worship with our lips only, while we withhold our hearts for the pursuits of that which He condemns?

1What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? 3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?… Romans 6: 1-3

…10The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. 11So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.… Romans 6: 10-12

14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! 16Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?… Romans 6: 14-16

We are delivered - They put a lot on the building, lineage and ritual, but God calls for humility and obedience. They pronounce themselves ok, living in a vacuum with false prophets and compromised priests. Isaiah has warned of this day, and Jeremiah is warning this new generation, but they are flipping the channels to see if there is something else on tv, something more agreeable.

…49Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. 50For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12: 49-50

…19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.… Matthew 7: 19-21

…16For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.… Psalm 51: 16-18

Become a den of robbers -

12Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. 13And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.… Matthew 21: 12-14

As I did to Shiloh - God is letting them know through Jeremiah that He is not a respecter of persons or buildings. The temple offers the obstinate no safety. It is interesting that He is going to destroy it by using the Babylonians, and Christ also predicts the destruction of another temple at the same time He references His own body. Christ is also referred to as Shiloh, and the only hope to be right with God comes through the gracious offering of His Son. These people, no different than many who call themselves the church today, take their sin to be such a light thing.

…9Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. 11He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.… Genesis 49: 9-11

…18On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?” 19Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”… John 2: 18-20

#1053 Jeremiah 6 Peace, Peace, They Cried, When There Was None

Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin,

from the midst of Jerusalem!

Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,

and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem,

for disaster looms out of the north,

and great destruction.

2 The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy,

the daughter of Zion.

3 Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her;

they shall pitch their tents around her;

they shall pasture, each in his place.

4 “Prepare war against her;

arise, and let us attack at noon!

Woe to us, for the day declines,

for the shadows of evening lengthen!

5 Arise, and let us attack by night

and destroy her palaces!”

6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Cut down her trees;

cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem.

This is the city that must be punished;

there is nothing but oppression within her.

7 As a well keeps its water fresh,

so she keeps fresh her evil;

violence and destruction are heard within her;

sickness and wounds are ever before me.

8 Be warned, O Jerusalem,

lest I turn from you in disgust,

lest I make you a desolation,

an uninhabited land.”

9 Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“They shall glean thoroughly as a vine

the remnant of Israel;

like a grape gatherer pass your hand again

over its branches.”

10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,

that they may hear?

Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,

they cannot listen;

behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;

they take no pleasure in it.

11 Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord;

I am weary of holding it in.

“Pour it out upon the children in the street,

and upon the gatherings of young men, also;

both husband and wife shall be taken,

the elderly and the very aged.

12 Their houses shall be turned over to others,

their fields and wives together,

for I will stretch out my hand

against the inhabitants of the land,”

declares the Lord.

13 “For from the least to the greatest of them,

everyone is greedy for unjust gain;

and from prophet to priest,

everyone deals falsely.

14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly,

saying, ‘Peace, peace,’

when there is no peace.

15 Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?

No, they were not at all ashamed;

they did not know how to blush.

Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;

at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,”

says the Lord.

16 Thus says the Lord:

“Stand by the roads, and look,

and ask for the ancient paths,

where the good way is; and walk in it,

and find rest for your souls.

But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

17 I set watchmen over you, saying,

‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’

But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’

18 Therefore hear, O nations,

and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.

19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,

the fruit of their devices,

because they have not paid attention to my words;

and as for my law, they have rejected it.

20 What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba,

or sweet cane from a distant land?

Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,

nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.

21 Therefore thus says the Lord:

‘Behold, I will lay before this people

stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;

fathers and sons together,

neighbor and friend shall perish.’”

22 Thus says the Lord:

“Behold, a people is coming from the north country,

a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.

23 They lay hold on bow and javelin;

they are cruel and have no mercy;

the sound of them is like the roaring sea;

they ride on horses,

set in array as a man for battle,

against you, O daughter of Zion!”

24 We have heard the report of it;

our hands fall helpless;

anguish has taken hold of us,

pain as of a woman in labor.

25 Go not out into the field,

nor walk on the road,

for the enemy has a sword;

terror is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth,

and roll in ashes;

make mourning as for an only son,

most bitter lamentation,

for suddenly the destroyer

will come upon us.

27 “I have made you a tester of metals among my people,

that you may know and test their ways.

28 They are all stubbornly rebellious,

going about with slanders;

they are bronze and iron;

all of them act corruptly.

29 The bellows blow fiercely;

the lead is consumed by the fire;

in vain the refining goes on,

for the wicked are not removed.

30 Rejected silver they are called,

for the Lord has rejected them.” Jeremiah 6 ESV

Jeremiah 6 Impending Disaster

1-8. Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin - When the kingdom was divided after Solomon's rule, Benjamin stayed loyal to Judah. Benjamin was the tribe of the firs king, Saul, and Judah was the tribe of David. Jeremiah was the son of a priest in Anahoth, which is in the territory of Benjamin.

Blow the trumpet in Tekoa - Tekoa was a town near Jerusalem, situated in such a way that it was an outpost of protection for Jerusalem. Beth-hacharrem was even closer to Jerusalem, and in those days, before the cell phone and even before the telegraph, it was common to blow the warning trumpet, then light the signal fire which would be seen from Tekoa to Bethlehem, then Beth-hacharrem and finally Jerusalem. Beth- hacharrem means a vineyard place.

The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy - Jerusalem prided herself on being refined and well educated. They were worldly wise and special in their estimation of themselves, but before this strong and cruel army, delicate and spoiled will not seem such great attributes.

Cut down her trees - This is the voice of God, directing Babylon against Jerusalem. Jeremiah is warning of the coming siege.

There is nothing but oppression within her - They had not understood the significance of the moral law. Men took advantage of their neighbor, robbed widows and were cruel to orphans. The city was filled with lying prophets and inward decay.

…35One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: 36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’…

…38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”… Matthew 22: 35-40

So she keeps her evil fresh - There is no true repentance here. Though they may attend the temple, and though they may toss coins into the plate, yet they are heartless towards their neighbors. God hates empty ritual, praying just to hear the sound of my own voice, there is no actual brokenness over their sin that would lead them to separate themselves from such. No, they listen to false prophets and dirty priests, who will not rebuke their sin, and it is ever and openly being flaunted before a God Who hates it. Saying, "I'm sorry", a million times, means nothing, quantity is useless where there is no true intent of the heart. You say, "how dare you, you don't know my heart," and you are right, the fearful thing is that God does. He sees through you.

…7Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”… Luke 3: 7-9

18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” 20And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”…

…21Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.… 1 Corinthians 3: 18-23

9-21. To whom shall I speak and give warning - Maybe future generations, these people's ears are uncircumcised, they can't hear the things of God.

…28A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God. Romans 2: 28-29

…13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.… 1 Corinthians 2: 13-15

They take no pleasure in it - They don't recognize the treasure that is God's word. Below is a verse from Psalm 119, but read the whole chapter, it honors God's word.

…15I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. 16I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. 17Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word.… Psalm 119: 15-17

1Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises. 2I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else. 3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.… Psalm 138: 1-3

…50Has not My hand made all these things?’ 51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—… Acts 7: 50-52

Peace, peace, when there is no peace - We are told as Christians to put on the whole armor of God, it is a cry to battle, not against flesh and blood, but against disastrous ideologies, against false prophets and teachers, against sin in all it's forms.

“They may be saying peace, peace, when there is no peace, in many ways. They may do it, by silence, refusing to refer to evil practices. They may do it by speaking of evil as though it were only the under-side of good, and inevitable thing. They may even do it in denying that there is any such thing as evil.” (Morgan)

iii. In a sermon titled A Blast of the Trumpet Against False Peace, Charles Spurgeon suggested a few ways that many people receive a false peace.

· Some have peace because they live for entertainment and excitement, distracting them from higher things.

· Some have peace because they tell themselves there is no God and therefore no accountability before Him.

· Some have peace because they ignorant of the things of God and need to be told the truth of their responsibility.

· Some have peace because they intend to do better later in life and such future wishes are enough to make them right.

They did not know how to blush - Whether a thing upsets you or not is never a good measure. If God says it is sin, then blush at the hearing, there is no room for joking, or would you take lightly the words of the Lord? Would you take so lightly the cross of Jesus?

…28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”… Hebrews 10: 28-30

And ask for the ancient paths - It reminds me of that song, "give me that ole time religion". They need to go back, remember the patriarchs, look at the laws of Moses and walk in them. See from the scriptures where you have gone astray, have come off the tracks, and repent. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.

…3For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.” 4For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. 5Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus,… Romans 15: 3-5

They have not paid attention to My words - Now comes disaster, they will reap the fruit of what they have sewn, sin leads to death.

What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba - Their sacrifices and burning of incense was as empty as their prayers. The sacrifice was to remind you that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. They so looked down on God, to the extent that they thought He could be impressed or bought off, with things that belonged to Him anyway.

…4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.… Hebrews 10: 4-6

22-30. Put on sack cloth and roll in ashes - He still extends the command to repent, to hate the sin that has brought you here, to loathe it, to mourn over it.

In vein the refining goes on - The dross is still there, Jerusalem is full of impurities.

Fortress: “The word mibsar (EVV ‘fortress’) presents difficulties, but if vocalized as mebasser, with RSV, it could be rendered ‘assessor’, thus constituting a gloss on assayer.” (Harrison)

ii. The picture used at the end of Jeremiah 6 works something like this:

· Judah was like the metal, claiming to be precious (such as gold or silver).

· Like a precious metal, Judah was tested and refined with fire.

· Lead was put in to act as flux, to draw the impurities to itself.

· The Prophet Jeremiah was like the bellows, used to create an intense heat.

· Yet Israel – the supposed precious metal – was so hard and impure that the refining work was useless. - Enduring Word

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