seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Jeremiah 17:1 “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,
inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts
and on the horns of their altars.
2 Even their children remember
their altars and Asherah poles[a]
beside the spreading trees
and on the high hills.
3 My mountain in the land
and your[b] wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,
together with your high places,
because of sin throughout your country.
4 Through your own fault you will lose
the inheritance I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies
in a land you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
and it will burn forever.”
inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts
and on the horns of their altars.
2 Even their children remember
their altars and Asherah poles[a]
beside the spreading trees
and on the high hills.
3 My mountain in the land
and your[b] wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,
together with your high places,
because of sin throughout your country.
4 Through your own fault you will lose
the inheritance I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies
in a land you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
and it will burn forever.”
5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
9 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
10 “I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”
11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay
are those who gain riches by unjust means.
When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
and in the end they will prove to be fools.
are those who gain riches by unjust means.
When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
and in the end they will prove to be fools.
12 A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,
is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel;
all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust
because they have forsaken the Lord,
the spring of living water.
is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel;
all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust
because they have forsaken the Lord,
the spring of living water.
14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.
15 They keep saying to me,
“Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it now be fulfilled!”
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd;
you know I have not desired the day of despair.
What passes my lips is open before you.
17 Do not be a terror to me;
you are my refuge in the day of disaster.
18 Let my persecutors be put to shame,
but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
destroy them with double destruction.
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.
15 They keep saying to me,
“Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it now be fulfilled!”
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd;
you know I have not desired the day of despair.
What passes my lips is open before you.
17 Do not be a terror to me;
you are my refuge in the day of disaster.
18 Let my persecutors be put to shame,
but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
destroy them with double destruction.
19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People,[c] through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem who come through these gates. 21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors. 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline. 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”
a. Jeremiah 17:2 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
b. Jeremiah 17:3 Or hills / 3 and the mountains of the land. / Your
c. Jeremiah 17:19 Or Army
I'm starting with Bible-studys.org.
"Cursed be the man”: Jeremiah contrasted the person who experience barrenness, with the one who receives blessing. The difference in attitude is in “trust” placed in man or “trust” vested in the Lord. And the contrast in vitality is between being like a parched dwarf juniper in the desert (verse 6), or a tree drawing sustenance from a stream to bear fruit (Psalm 1:1-3).
The “heart” (compare Prov. 4:23), means man’s innermost being. The bent of man’s natural disposition, apart from God’s redeeming grace, is described as “deceitful” (literally, crooked), and “desperately wicked” (incurably sick). Therefore, man cannot trust his own heart but must leave all to God who alone knows the heart and judges all men fairly. Only a person with a redeemed heart, can live in proper fellowship with God (Job 11:13; 1 John 3:18-24).
Because the personal observance of the “Sabbath” recognized God as Creator and Preserver of the world and was a distinct obligation of the revealed law of God (Exodus 20:8-11; Deut. 5:11-15), its defilement necessitated Judah’s judgement. Conversely, a future Israel will be blessed for its sabbath-keeping (Isa. 56:2; 58:13-14; 66:22-24; Ezek. 44:24; 45:17; and 46:1-4).
“Sabbath day”: Not only had the Jews failed to observe Sabbath days, but also the required Sabbath year of rest for the Land (Lev. 25:1-7), was regularly violated. God had warned that such disobedience would bring judgment (Lev. 26:34-35, 43; 2 Chron. 36:20-21). The 70 year captivity was correlated to the 490 years from Saul to the captivity, which included 70 Sabbath years. When the Jews were restored from captivity, special stress was placed on Sabbath faithfulness (compare Neh. 13:19).
If they fail to keep God's commandments, God will destroy Jerusalem and all of them with it
Two things come to mind here.... a tree in my front yard and babysitters. We have a tree in our front yard.... it's several years old.... but it fights for life every day. I'm out in Arizona. The tree in my front yard gets green in the fall, more so than in the spring. In the Sonora Desert..... trees stay green all year, as long as they get water and an occasional breath of fresh air. In the summer, though.... the wind comes out of the west most afternoons.... the temperature goes up to 120 degrees on some summer days..... so the trees are blasted by a hot wind.... kind of like being air fried.... all summer long. The only thing keeping the tree in my front yard alive.... is an irrigation tube that brings water to the roots during the summer. One would think... good a cool drink of water..... but out here in the Sonora Desert..... the land is rock so these irrigation tubes are not buried deep..... and when the summer sun heats everything... the ground itself swelters.... and the water the tree in my front yard has to drink is warm enough to make a cup of instant coffee. Seriously... in the summer we turn off the hot water heater.... cold is hot and hot is room temperature. In the fall, the air and water cools. The little tree in my front yard can get a cool sip of water and a cool breath of air.... for that... the tree in my front yard will push out new leaves.... in the fall. In these verses.... the tree in my front yard is like that bush in verses 5 through 8.
I know a couple of young ladies who are stay at home moms. They have babies about 4 months old. One of them also has a toddler. Both of them make comments about being worn out from the daily routines. Taking care of a baby is a full time job. Adding a toddler to the mix quadruples the task. Both of these women have babysitters.... someone to watch over their children while they get a break.
God created the universe and everything in it.... and then He took a break. Then Adam and Eve found that snake.... and God never got another break. He had to be on duty 24/7 to listen to prayer.... heal the sick.... guard the stupid..... lift up the weak. There is no babysitter for humanity.... God has no days off.... God would be happy to be awakened at 2 AM.... that would mean He had the opportunity to get a little rest..... God has no babysitter to depend on.....
Now if humanity would do as they were instructed.... and everyone was to take one day off.... then God would be able to catch a break...... but no.... humanity has to chase those tiny little idols constantly. Like a baby needing constant care.... or a toddler with an unending supply of energy.... humanity is constantly "needing". Humanity never goes down for a nap at the same time..... Humanity never gives God a break.
