Theological Commentary: Click Here
There are
three distinct messages in this chapter.
The first message is that the Lord wants the Hebrew people to know that
He is not happy. He is angry enough to
bring judgment against His own people.
He knows that they won’t listen to reason so He has to teach the lesson
the hard way. God is not ashamed to use
tough love. Like most beings, God would
rather accomplish love the easy and productive way, but tough love as a last
resort is also a tool in God’s toolbox.
What is it
that the Hebrew people have done? This
is a question often answered in the prophets.
They won’t listen to the prophets.
They won’t admit there is a problem, much less admit they. They don’t even feel shame when they are
sinning! In fact, it’s gotten to the
point that God finds their offerings detestable.
This is a
great point to learn. So often we think
that we can appease God by doing certain things. We go to church every Sunday. We pray at meals. We wear a cross. We put a Bible on our shelf. But do our actions mean anything if the heart
isn’t there to support it? Do our
actions earn anything if we have no meaningful relationship with God? Do our outward appearances have any kind of
lasting impact if we don’t have the inner spirit longing to be obedient to the
ways of God?
To answer
this question for the Hebrew people, God sets up Jeremiah as a litmus test. God puts Jeremiah into the midst of the
people to be the mirror that reflects the behavior of the people back at
them. He is to be the voice of reason
among them, illustrating their error.
Jeremiah isn’t called to be the popular one, or the smart one, or the
powerful one. Jeremiah is called to be
the voice of reason and the voice of truth.
It isn’t a role that is coveted or popular. It is a role that is necessary and mature in
the midst of a deaf and rebellious people.
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