We have meditated on God's righteous judgment from Jeremiah 4:5-31. Today, we shall continue with Jeremiah 5:1-13, telling us about the sins, transgressions, and backsliding of God's people, even the Jews, because none is righteous.
God commanded Jeremiah as well as the people of Judah "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it" (Jeremiah 5:1). The Lord commanded them not to walk aimlessly, but to run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, with a purpose, to "see and know and seek" in the broad places, open places, public squares, where most people usually met, especially where trials were held. God challenged them, "if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it." Sadly, none was found, and that is why later they were taken in captivity to Babylon. God commanded Jeremiah to expose the sins of Judah:
1. They did not execute judgment
Jeremiah 5:1... if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment…
There was no justice, fairness, and righteous judgement in their heart, mind, life as well as in their dealings with others and in their judgement! God also used the prophet Micah to expose the ungodliness and unrighteousness of the people of Judah, even the religious leaders. It is also the same today, as ungodliness and unrighteousness is everywhere!
Micah 3:11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
Micah 7:2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none uprightamong men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. 3 That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. 4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
2. They did not seek the truth
Jeremiah 5:1... if ye can find a man, ... that seeketh the truth …
It is very sad that God gave His people the Scripture, even the truth, but they did not seek His Word. God sent His true prophet like Jeremiah to tell them the truth of their sins, of God's warnings and His impending judgement, but they rejected God's Word of truth. They believed in lying words of false prophets! It is the same in our days. Many do not have time to seek and study God's truth, even the Holy Scripture, but they still have time for news, movies, favourite channels and programs on TV or the Internet, Facebook, chit-chat with friends, hobbies, and so forth.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
What about us? Do we truly love and seek the truth of God's Word? God commands us to buy the truth:
Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
We cannot buy the truth with money, but we have to pay a price for the truth, and that is our time for the Scriptures, our sincere heart, our humble and teachable mind, and our prayer, then the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16:13), and "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). That is why the Lord Jesus prays to His Father for His followers, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).
3. They lied to others and to God, even when they swore faslsely in the LORD's Name
Jeremiah 5:2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. …12 They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine.
They did not fear God nor honour His holy Name. They swore falsely in the LORD's Name, but they told lies to the Lord, to others or to the judge, or they did not keep their vows. However, they believed lying words from false prophets, saying that, It is not the Lord to punish them with evil, sword (war) and famine.
4. They refused to receive correction in repentance
Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
Jeremiah knew that the LORD's eyes are on the truth and that He had to chastise and correct His people with diseases, pestilences, natural disasters, insects destroying crops, famine, defeat before the enemies, and so on (Deut 28:15-61; Amos 4:6-11), but they did not grieve nor receive correction, nor return to the Lord in repentance. It is the same today. The holy and righteous God has to chastise this ungodly and unrighteous world with diseases, natural disasters, pestilences, and even pandemic, but many do not see the hand of God, nor come back to the Lord in sorrow and repentance! They even deny God and blame climate change for natural disasters!
5. They transgressed and rebelled against the LORD and His Word
Jeremiah 5:5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. 6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
Jeremiah at first thought that the common people were foolish, "for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God" (v 4). Then he went to meet and speak to "the great men" in Jerusalem like the religious leaders (priests, Levites, scribes, judges, etc.), "for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God." However, Jeremiah was disappointed because they "altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds." They did not want to be under the yoke or under the control of their holy LORD and His holy Word, nor to be tied with God's holy regulations, precepts, statutes, and commandments. They wanted to be free from the LORD and His Word so that they could do whatever they liked according to their sinful and carnal nature and to worldly and ungodly trends. They wanted to worship anyway they liked, even in idolatry! It is also the same today! Many do not want to be under the control of the holy LORD and His holy Word. They just want to do whatever they like in their life, in their worship, in their ministry, and so forth!
6. They were not faithful to the LORD and to their spouses
Jeremiah 5:7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses 8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. 9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
They forsook the LORD their Divine Husband and turned to idolatry. They were not faithful to the LORD nor to their spouses. It is also the same in our days, full of compromise, apostasy, idolatry, divorces, sexual immorality, etc.
7. They dealt very treacherously against the LORD
Jeremiah 5:11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.
Deal treacherously, in Hebrew bāg̱aḏ, means to deal treacherously with, to be traitorous, to act unfaithfully, to betray. The verb connotes unfaithfulness in relationships like marriage (Jer 3:20); Israel's covenant with the Lord (Psalm 78:57); friendships (Job 6:15); leadership (Judges 9:23) (The Complete Word Study Dictionary). Are we true and faithful to the Lord and to His Word and to our spouses?
Proper Attitudes
God has chosen Abraham and his descendants, even the Jews, to be His people and given them all His blessings: the true worship of the living and true God, God's Covenants, God's Word, God's law, and His glory, guidance, protection, provision and chastisement, and so forth (Romans 9:4-5). However, they transgressed God's commandments, broke God's covenants, rebelled against Him and His Word, and dealt treacherously against Him. The failure of Israel and Judah reminded us of human sinful, totally depraved, deceitful, and rebellious nature. Truly, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer 17:9). Then what are our proper attitudes?
1. Be humble in repentance: You and I may be better than some others, but according to God's holy and righteous standard, none is righteous including each one of us. Thus, we should not be proud nor despise others like the Pharisee, but acknowledge our sins and shortcoming and cry unto God for His mercy and forgiveness like the tax-collector.
Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
2. Come to the Lord Jesus, learn from Him and submit to Him
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Out of love, the Lord Jesus was willing to humble Himself to be a Man, to die for our sins, and the third day He rose again to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption and our All (1 Cor 1:30; Colossians 3:11). The Lord Jesus is really our good Lord, good Master, and good Shepherd, and His yoke is good. He is so meek and humble to bear all our heavy burden of sins, and life, and so on. He is also willing to bear His yoke together with us when we take His yoke and learn from Him. Shall we not wisely submit ourselves to our good Lord's yoke, reign and control? If not, we are still under the evil yoke of sin, sinful nature, worldliness or even Satan!
3. Count all things but loss and receive the Lord Jesus Himself our Righteousness
Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
No matter who we are and what we have done or achieved, all our bests and "our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" before the righteous and holy God (Isaiah 64:6). We thank God for giving us His Son Jesus Himself, Who is our Righteousness. It is always wise to humbly hide ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness!
4. Trust in the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit and rely on Him to live a righteous life like the branches on the Vine (John 15:5), "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Eph 5:9).
We are living in the end times, and this world is getting worse and worse morally and spiritually. May the Lord help us know more about His righteous and holy standard as well as our sins, shortcoming and sinful nature so that we may always humbly hide ourselves in the Lord, trust in Him, rely on Him and submit to Him and His Word. Amen. HN.
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