Israel corrupts and perishes

³ "They make ready their tongue
like a bow, to shoot lies;
it is not by truth
that they triumph ^[a] in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
they do not acknowledge me,"
declares the LORD.

⁴ "Beware of your friends;
do not trust your brothers.
For every brother is a deceiver, ^[b]
and every friend a slanderer.

⁵ Friend deceives friend,
and no one speaks the truth.
They have taught their tongues to lie;
they weary themselves with sinning.

⁶ You ^[c] live in the midst of deception;
in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,"
declares the LORD.

⁷ Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says:
"See, I will refine and test them,
for what else can I do
because of the sin of my people?

⁸ Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
it speaks with deceit.
With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor,
but in his heart he sets a trap for him.

⁹ Should I not punish them for this?"
declares the LORD.
"Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?"

¹⁰ I will weep and wail for the mountains
and take up a lament concerning the desert pastures.
They are desolate and untraveled,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds of the air have fled
and the animals are gone.

¹¹ "I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
a haunt of jackals;
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah
so no one can live there."

¹² What man is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?

¹³ The LORD said, "It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. ¹⁴ Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them." ¹⁵ Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. ¹⁶ I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them."

I. Core Message

Content:

1) Prophet Jeremiah uses God’s word to name all the sins of people in Israel, sinning, not acknowledging God, and deceiving (v3-6)

2) God declares, “My people are sinning, I will refine and test them.” (v7-9)

3) Prophet Jeremiah is weeping wailing for the coming judgment on Israel (v10)

4) God again declares that his judgment will again come to Jerusalem. (v11)

5) Prophet Jeremiah does not understand the upcoming judgment and the ruined land, so he asks the Lord

6) God again states the reason why he judges Israel. .

Theme:

1. Israel corrupts and perishes
2. Weep for the land

II. Who are God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit?

1. God who is being denied and rejected by his people (v3, v6)
2. God who refine and punish his people (v7, v9, v15-16)
3. God who is in charge of the world.(v11)

III. What does the passage teach us (about commands, promises, examples, exhortations, and warnings?)

1. Deceitful People (v3-6)

“They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me, declares the Lord. Be aware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me, declares the Lord.” (v3-6)

Prophet Jeremiah uses God’s world to name Israel people’s sins, such as disobedience, violence, and deceit. He says, “No one speaks the truth, false has replaced the truth. He also used, “Israel people go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me. Be aware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. In their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me.”

Reflection: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15), “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’, ‘No,’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37) Do I understand what God is teaching us? Do I act accordingly?

2. God’s Righteous Judgment (v7-9)

“Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him. Should I not punish them for this? declares the Lord. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this” (v7-9) This is God’s respond to Jeremiah’s weeping. This shows that God is righteous. God says, “I will refine and test them.” God also firmly questions back, “My people have sinned, should I not punish them? I have to! Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.” These behaviours are sins. They should be refined. Whoever disobeys and deceits will be judged.

Reflection: “You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord adhors.” (Psalm 5:6) How do I behave? Am I honest? Or do I deceive?

3. Weeping for the Lands (v10-11)

“I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the desert pastures. They are desolate and untraveled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds of the air have fled and the animals are gone. I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.” (v10-11) Jeremiah sees what happens to Jerusalem after the judgment: fires, deserts, no lowing of cattle can be heard, no birds can be seen, no one can live there, and it becomes a hunt of jackals.” For this, Jeremiah weeps, and he says, “I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the desert pastures.”

Reflection: Does the flood of the summer give us revelation?

4. Consequences of Betraying God (v12-16)

What man is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them.” Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them.” (v12-16) After the harsh judgment, and seeing the ruined land, Jeremiah asks the Lord, “Why is it like this?” God replies, “They have forsaken my law, they have not obeyed me or followed my law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals.” Therefore, God will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, and scatter them among nations.

Reflection: “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.” (Deuteronomy 28:13) Do I understand this promise? Have I ever experienced this?