Jeremiah 17

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The Persistent Sin of Judah

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1 The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus. With a diamond point it is engraved on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of their altars,

Job 19:24, Proverbs 3:3, Proverbs 7:3, 2 Corinthians 3:3

2 while their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles, by the green trees on the high hills—

Exodus 34:13

3 My mountains in the countryside. I will give up your wealth and all your treasures as plunder because of the sin of your high places in all your borders.

4 You will, on your own, relinquish your inheritance that I gave you. I will make you serve your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have set My anger on fire; it will burn forever.

Deuteronomy 28:48, Isaiah 5:25, Jeremiah 7:20, Jeremiah 12:7

1 “The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron chisel—engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts and on the corners of their altars.

2 Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill.

3 So I will hand over my holy mountain—along with all your wealth and treasures and your pagan shrines—as plunder to your enemies, for sin runs rampant in your land.

4 The wonderful possession I have reserved for you will slip from your hands. I will tell your enemies to take you as captives to a foreign land. For my anger blazes like a fire that will burn forever.”

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 beside the spreading trees and on the high hills.

3 My mountain in the land and your 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.”

1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;

2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.

3 O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.

4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.

Curse and Blessing

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5 This is what the Lord says: The man who trusts in mankind, who makes human flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed.

2 Chroinicles 32:8, Isaiah 30:1, Isaiah 31:3, Ezekiel 29:6-7

6 He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives.

7 The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.

Psalm 34:8, Psalm 40:4, Psalm 84:12

8 He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.

Psalm 1:3, Psalm 92:12-14

5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

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.

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.”

5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

The Deceitful Heart

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9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?

Matthew 13:15, Mark 2:17, Mark 7:21-22, Romans 1:21

10 I, Yahweh, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.

Romans 8:27

11 He who makes a fortune unjustly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay. In the middle of his days his riches will abandon him, so in the end he will be a fool.

12 A throne of glory on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

Jeremiah 14:21

13 Lord, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away from Me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.

Jeremiah 14:8

9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools.

12 But we worship at your throne—eternal, high, and glorious!

13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who turn away from you will be disgraced. They will be buried in the dust of the earth, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things 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.”

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.

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.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.

Jeremiah's Plea

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14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.

Deuteronomy 10:21, Psalm 54:1, Jeremiah 33:6

15 Hear how they keep challenging me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come!”

Isaiah 5:19, Amos 5;18

16 But I have not run away from being Your shepherd, and I have not longed for the fatal day. You know my words were spoken in Your presence.

Jeremiah 12:3

17 Don’t become a terror to me. You are my refuge in the day of disaster.

Jeremiah 16:19, Nahum 1:7

18 Let my persecutors be put to shame, but don’t let me be put to shame. Let them be terrified, but don’t let me be terrified. Bring on them the day of disaster; shatter them with total destruction.

Psalm 35:4, Jeremiah 20:11

14 O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!

15 People scoff at me and say, “What is this ‘message from the Lord’ you talk about? Why don’t your predictions come true?”

16 Lord, I have not abandoned my job as a shepherd for your people. I have not urged you to send disaster. You have heard everything I’ve said.

17 Lord, don’t terrorize me! You alone are my hope in the day of disaster.

18 Bring shame and dismay on all who persecute me, but don’t let me experience shame and dismay. Bring a day of terror on them. Yes, bring double destruction upon them!

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.

14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now.

16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.

18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Observing the Sabbath

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19 This is what the Lord said to me, “Go and stand at the People’s Gate, through which the kings of Judah enter and leave, as well as at all the gates of Jerusalem.

20 Announce to them: Hear the word of the Lord, kings of Judah, all Judah, and all the residents of Jerusalem who enter through these gates.

Jeremiah 19:3-4

21 This is what the Lord says: Watch yourselves; do not pick up a load and bring it in through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

Numbers 15:32-36, Nehemiah 13:15-21, Mark 4:24, John 5:9-12

22 You must not carry a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day or do any work, but you must consecrate the Sabbath day, just as I commanded your ancestors.

Exodus 20:8, Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12

23 They wouldn’t listen or pay attention but became obstinate, not listening or accepting discipline.

Jeremiah 7:26, Jeremiah 19:15

24 “However, if you listen to Me, says the Lord, and do not bring loads through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day and consecrate the Sabbath day and do no work on it,

Exodus 15:26,Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 11:13, Ezekiel 20:20

25 kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses with their officials, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem. This city will be inhabited forever.

2 Samuel 7:16, Psalm 132:13-14, Jeremiah 22:4, Luke 1:32, Hebrews 12:2

26 Then people will come from the cities of Judah and from the area around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from the Judean foothills, from the hill country and from the Negev bringing burnt offerings and sacrifice, grain offerings and frankincense, and thank offerings to the house of the Lord.

Psalm 107:22, Jeremiah 33:11

27 If you do not listen to Me to consecrate the Sabbath day by not carrying a load while entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, I will set fire to its gates, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem and not be extinguished.”

Jeremiah 39:8, Ezekiel 20:47, Amos 2:5

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates.

20 Say to all the people, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem.

21 This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day.

22 Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors,

23 but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline.

24 “‘But if you obey me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy,

25 then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever.

26 And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple.

27 “‘But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.’”

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People, 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.’”

19 Thus said the Lord unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

21 Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.

26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord.

27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

Study Notes

RightNow Media

This chapter of Jeremiah has a RightNow Media lesson:

https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/player/video/780673?session=780686&position=0

Notes: Jeremiah 17:1

1. God's people continued to sin even though they had the law, the prophets of God, and a national history filled with God's miracles. How could they do that? Why do we continue to cherish sin even though we understand the eternal consequences? Jeremiah says that the heart is deceitful (17:9) and that Judah's sin was "engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts."
2. The Hebrews symbolized various aspects of a person by associating them with specific physical organs: the heart was the organ of reason, intelligence, and will. So deep is our tendency to sin that only God's redemption can deliver us.

Notes: Jeremiah 17:5-8

1. Two kinds of people are contrasted here: those who trust in human beings and those who trust in the Lord. The people of Judah were trusting in false gods and military alliances rather than in God; thus, they were stunted and unfruitful. In contrast, those who trust in the Lord flourish like trees planted by a steady source of water (see Psalm 1). In times of trouble, those who trust in human beings will be impoverished and spiritually weak, leaving them with no strength to draw on. But those who trust in the Lord will have abundant strength, not only for their own needs, but also for the needs of others.
2. Are you living in an unfruitful drought, or do you, like a well-watered tree, have strength for times of crisis? Accept God's blessing on you and ask him to help you bear fruit.

Notes: Jeremiah 17:9-10

God makes it clear why we sin - it's a matter of the heart. Our hearts have been rebellious, sinful, and secretive from the moment we were born. It is easy to fall into the routine of forgetting and forsaking God, but it is our choice whether to continue in sin. We can yield to temptation, or we can ask God to help us resist temptation when it comes.

Notes: Jeremiah 17:11

For many of our daily tasks, there is a right way and a wrong way to do them. Even more so, there is a right way and a wrong way to treat the people with whom we do these tasks. Jeremiah says that people who become rich by unjust means will end up foolish and poor. Whether at work, school, home, or anywhere else, we should strive to be honest in all our dealings. Sinning in order to get a promotion, cheating to pass an exam, or gaining prestige by dishonest means will never bring God's blessing or lasting happiness.

Notes: Jeremiah 17:19-27

The people were working on the Sabbath, their day of rest (Exodus 20:8-11). Instead of entering the city's gates on their way to worship, they continued the hustle and bustle of business like any other day. They considered making money more important than keeping God's law. If they would repent and put God first in their lives, God promised them honor among the nations. Over a century later, when Nehemiah led the exiles on their return to Jerusalem, one of his most important reforms was to reinstitute the Sabbath observance (Nehemiah 13:15-22). Honoring the Sabbath is still an abiding principle; not only is it an act of obedience to God, but it is also spiritually and physically beneficial to us.

Cross-References

1. Jeremiah 17:3 >> Jeremiah 15:13
2. Jeremiah 17:10 >> Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 12:13
3. Jeremiah 17:12 >> Jeremiah 14:21
4. Jeremiah 17:13 >> Jeremiah 14:8

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