The Book of Jeremiah - Part 6

Okay, let's begin here in Jeremiah 8.1.

At that time, says the Lord, this is when the Babylonians invade, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah. That's one of the things that the ancient conquerors did, that they would untune. They would dig up the graves, especially the leadership and princes, because many of them buried the dead with precious jewels, and so they would dig up those graves and search for the bounty in the graves. And the bones of the princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones and inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves.

And then, in verse 2, you have this irony that is here in verse 2, and they shall spread them before the sun and the moon. See, what did they worship? They worship the sun and the moon. They worship the sun and moon greatly. One of the things that Josiah did when he became king, remember that Jeremiah began to prophesy in the, what was it, the, I think it was the 18th year of Josiah. But in 2 Kings 23 and verse 5, you see that they burned incense to the heavens, to the sun, the moon, and the stars. So Josiah, I'm reading now 2 Kings 23.5, and he, that is Josiah, put down the idolatrous priest, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places and the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem, and them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the planets, and to all the hosts of heaven. So you see, they, when they dug out those things from the graves, they spread them out before the sun and moon, the irony of it, and all the hosts of heaven, spread them out before the sun, the moon, and of course the stars and the planets, the host of heaven, whom they have loved. And we just read 2 Kings 23.5, where they burned incense to the sun, the moon, the host of heaven, whom they have served, and after whom they have walked. Now listen to these five things I'm about to read. They loved, they served, after, walked, sought, worshiped. They have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, whom they have sought, whom they have worshiped, they shall not be gathered nor be buried, they shall be dung upon the face of the earth. So they are unearthed, taken out of the tomb, and they are not to be buried. Now in verse 3, and death shall be chosen rather than alive.

They weren't committing suicide, but what the prophet is saying here is they would be worse off. They wouldn't be worse off if they were dead. The survivors will be worse off than those who are dead, or they would be better off if they were dead. That's what he's saying. And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family. So what he's saying, for those who remain, they'd really be better off dead, which remain in all the places where I have driven them, says the Lord of Hosts. Of course, the main place that they were driven at that time was into Babylon. Now in verse 4, moreover, you shall say unto them, Thus says the Lord, shall they fall and not arise? Shall they turn away and not return? Now once again, this is a bit awkward in its translation. And what he's saying here, the natural instinct of people is if they see that they're going in the wrong direction, they will return and come back to the right way. So why doesn't Jerusalem do that? Why don't they turn around? Why don't they return unto God? So he plays on the double sense of return, literal and metaphorical. Shall they fall and not arise? Shall he turn away and not return? Well, most people, when they realize they're going the wrong way, especially directionally, if they're going to a certain destination, they will turn around and go in the right way. So he's saying, why is it that Judah can't see that they're going in the wrong direction? Why won't they turn around and return unto me? Why then is this people of Jerusalem slid backward by perpetual backsliding?

Perpetual is in contrast to rise again. They keep on doing it. They don't rise again. They just keep on in their sins. They hold fast deceit. They refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright. No man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turn to his course as the house rushes into the battle. I said the house as a horse rushes into the battle. So, spoke not aright means that it is not so penitently to confess that they acted wrong. Everyone goes on his course, and that's what we see today. There's no one really talking about repentance on a national level. It's some religious voices who are crying to turn around. You don't hear that among the politicians, among the leadership today. What have I done? Everyone turn to his own course as a horse rushes into the battle. Yea, the stork in the heavens knows. And some translations talk about the migratory birds. The migratory birds are led by instinct to return every spring from their winter abodes in summer climes. But God's people will not return to him even when the winter of his wrath is passed, and he invites them back to the spring of his favor. So the migratory birds know that if they're up north, where it's freezing cold, they come south, and then when the weather turns warm again, they return back to their home. Yes, the stork in the heaven knows her appointed times, and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But my people know not the Lord, the judgment of the Lord. And of course, one of the things that God is so interested in, as we've said so many times, is that we administer judgment, mercy, and faith.

The administration of judgment, mercy, and faith is the true path to unity. Now in Jeremiah 8 and verse 8, how do you say we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he, yet the pen of the scribes is in vain. Now, the scribes were also known as the sophorine. The sophorine were ones who were responsible for preserving the purity of the scriptures. But in many cases, the sophorine did change the scriptures, and especially when it came to the anthropomorphization of God. Anthropomorphization means ascribing God-like qualities to God, anthro-man, anthropomorphic, changing humankind qualities to God. And so, I might send a handout on that with regard to where the sophorine changed several passages that spoke of Yahweh doing such and such, and they changed it to Adonai, to a lesser, what they consider to be a lesser name of God. And Adonai can just mean master or lord over something. So, the scribes were on the scene, and the scribes at that time did not hold the political power that they came to hold in the day of Jesus Christ. You remember Matthew 23 in verse 1. One, to use scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites, where you sit in the seat of Moses, and then it says you can do what they tell you to do. Of course, that's always predicated with if it doesn't violate the law of God, but don't do after they're away because they say and don't do.

So, the scribes, of course, in a lot of cases, were trying to please the people. So, the false pins of the scribes had converted the law into a lie. A wise man are ashamed. They are dismayed and taken. Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them. The wisdom that was in them is now gone. Therefore, will I give their wives unto others? There's hardly a more drastic kind of punishment that can be meted out than that to think about your wife given to somebody else, and that's one of the things that the armies of old did. And, of course, if you remember, ISIS, one of the things that ISIS did during their reign of terror there that lasted several months, maybe a couple of years or so, that they would take the wives and do all kind of terrible things to them.

Therefore, will I give their wives unto others and their fields to them that shall inherit them, for everyone from the least, even unto the greatest, is given to covetousness. Now, covetousness is a form of idolatry. In fact, I believe it's John 5.13. My first John 5.13. I'm doing this by memory. I don't have it in my notes.

It is not 5.13. But in 1 John, it says that covetousness is idolatry. My doesn't fall on the scripture at the moment. We'll continue. When covetousness is idolatry, you can look at that. It's pretty sure it's in 1 John 5.

So they're given to covetousness from the prophet, even, and these were the false prophets, even unto the priest, everyone deals falsely. So that's one of the main things that, I mean, the right things were said in one way, even in that time.

But when it came to it, they turned from God, and they committed all kind of heinous acts, yet at the same time pretended to worship God, pretended to be loyal to the nation, pretended to honor the flag, pretended to honor the family, pretended, and we could go on with the pretense, and the pretense is so gross that it makes one sick. Verse 11, For they have healed the hurt of the daughters of my people slightly, and by that I mean they kept the people somewhat pacified by crying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

Of course, as it says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and other places in the Bible, the way of peace, they know not. So the false prophets continue to say, everything is all right. We don't have anything to worry about. And one of the things it says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, maybe we should turn there for just a moment, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, and verse 1, But at the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that aride unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord, and in Revelation 1 and verse 10, this is translated as the Lord's day, but it's the correct translation is the day of the Lord when God directly intervenes in human affairs, introduced by the sixth seal, the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night, for when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as surveil upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. And of course, as it says in Ezekiel 13, 10, the prophets of our day shall continue to prophesy of good times and peace. Now I'm reading Ezekiel 13 and verse 10. If you haven't reviewed Ezekiel 13 in recent times, it is very reflective of our day. Ezekiel 13, I'm reading verse 10. Because even they have seduced my people, saying peace, and there was no peace. And one built up a wall and lo others dobbed it with untempered mortar.

In other words, is to put a false face, a false facade, on a corrupt and crumbled and rotten wall or a way of a way of government or a way of life. In Jeremiah 8, 12, were they ashamed when they had committed an abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed. Neither could they blush. Could you imagine anybody today blushing because of their sins? Therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the time their visitation? They shall be cast down, says the Lord. In verse 13, I will surely consume them, says the Lord.

There shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree. And the leaves shall fade, and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them. Of course, that means famine that is coming.

The things that I've given them will pass away. And that's because, of course, the enemy has kind of come upon them, and their grapes and their figs, even though they may be ripe and shanai, they won't be allowed to enjoy them. In verse 14, why do we still assemble? Why do you sit still? Why do you sit still? Assemble yourselves and let us enter into the defense cities. Why do you just sit there and not do anything as I am prophesying to you?

And let us be silent there, for the Lord our God has put us to silence and given us water of gall to drink because we have sinned against Him.

So let us be silent, not assault the enemy, but defend ourselves.

But defend ourselves and go into the cities. But no, they're not even going to do that. They're going to ignore it altogether and not admit that they have sinned. In verse 15, we look for peace, but no good came, and for a time of health and behold trouble. The snorting of the horses was heard. The snorting of the horses. This is a poetical phrase for steeds, the strong ones, as we shall read in just a moment. The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan, and of course that was the northern part where the Chaldean army would start first. The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of the horses, instead of strong ones horses. For they are come and have devoured the land, and all that is in it, the city and those that dwell therein. And now the next verse 17. For behold, I will send serpents, and these serpents are going to bite them. Now look what it says, among you which will not be charmed. And one of the things in the east was that there were serpent charmers in the east, and they were would play the music and charm the snakes so that they wouldn't strike. But that is not going to happen now. They will not be the snakes, the serpents will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the eternal. Of course, there was another time in which God sent serpents, fiery serpents, among the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land, if you will recall. Now in Jeremiah 8 and verse 18, when I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.

This is the lamentation of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet. He was so sad. He was so despondent. And can you imagine having this mission to tell the people to repent, to turn to God, and yet at the same time, knowing that God had said that it is really that He is going to punish them, and the best thing that they can do is to surrender. When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.

So he was, as I said, known as the weeping prophet, and oftentimes he was very despondent and depressed because of the lack of response from the people, no matter how much he tried. Verse 19, Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people. Now, this daughter of my people is often used for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In this case, the daughter of my people would be the inhabitants of Judah because of them that dwell in a far country, and those that are dwelling a far country is that from a distant land, they are going to come.

Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images and with strange vanities? So another way to look at this is because of them that dwell in a far country or a land afar off. I mean, the nations round about and some way off knew about Israel. They knew about the temple. They knew about God and what he had done. And they would even say, well, don't they have God? Don't they have God among them? Don't they have the temple? Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not the king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger? With their graven images and with their strange vanities? It would seem if you know that God is with you and God says that he is with each one of us, in fact, he says that we are his temple. He says that today he dwells in us. So does God dwell with abominable things? As I have said several times already in the study of Jeremiah, if God did not take action with regard to what is happening in the land in the sense of the people, he would not be God. For the herd of the daughter of my people, the inhabitants, am I heard I am black. Astonishment has taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead? No balm in Gilead. I love that song. One time I gave a sermon by the title here, and we played at the end of it Roger Bryant singing, Is there no balm in Gilead? Of course, the title of the song is, There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul. Of course, at that time they were using a balm from a plant that was used much like we would use aloe vera today to put on wounds, to heal the wounds, but in the metaphorical spiritual sense, the balm in Gilead is to turn to God and Christ, to turn to God and Christ and repentance, exercising faith in the sacrifice of Christ for remission of sins that are passed, and receiving the laying on of hands, the true balm, the soothing balm of Gilead. Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Well, there was the salve in that part of the world at that time from the various plants. It was brought into Judea first from Arabia by the queen of Sheba in Solomon's time, according to Josephus in antiquity, in Tiquities 8.2, and then it is spoken of by other historians, the balm in Gilead. What is the balm of Gilead today? What did I say? The balm in Gilead today is God in Christ, Jesus Christ. He is the balm that heals our wounds and pays for our sins and removes the pain of guilt. I'm reading now Jeremiah 51.8, Babylon has suddenly fallen and destroyed. How for her take balm for her pain? If so be, she may be healed. Of course, the physical balm is not the balm that is going to ultimately heal. Through the balm of Gilead, we can have peace with God and see Romans 5 talks about making peace with God. If you turn to Romans chapter 5 at this time, and I think this oftentimes goes right over our heads, even in sermons, or when we talk about it, it is very significant. In Romans 5.8, for God commends his love toward us, and then while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us much more than being now justified by his blood. That is, all of the guilt is paid for. The wages of sin, which is death, is paid for. You're justified. You are viewed as whole. We shall be saved from him. We shall be saved from wrath through him. Jesus Christ was resurrected. See, there are three elements, the death, the burial, the resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit.

For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. Notice that when we were enemies, sin is an enemy of God. All sin is against God. All sin is against ourselves. Why is all sin against ourselves? Because the wages of sin is death, and all sin is against God, because he is the one that has given us the commandment, and also has told us that if we do sin, it brings on the death penalty. And of course, some sins are against others as well. So never forget what the true balm of Gilead really is. Now we go to chapter 9 and verse 1.

Jeremiah's lamentation for the Jews and sins and consequent punishment. All that my head wore waters and might eyes a fountain of tears, once again the weeping prophet, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.

All that I had in the wilderness a lodging place, a wayfaring men, that I might leave my people and go from them, where they all be adulterers and assembly of treacherous men.

Jeremiah would prefer the the wiles of the wilderness, the discomfort of the wilderness, as opposed to dwelling with the sinful people that he has to deal with on a daily basis.

I don't think we understand how God looks at sin. Remember, once again, the Proverbs 8.13, that the beginning of the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Another place in the Psalms it says that God is angry with the wicked every day.

And so Jeremiah says, you know, I just soon live off in the wilderness where there are no comforts as to live with all of these sinful people. And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies, but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth. And one of the things that I heard quite often today was the word truth. I heard it quite often, spoken, that the truth be told, and all of that, that we will base this on truth. You see, the Bible definition of truth is John 1717. Sanctify them through your word. Your word is truth.

And so the ultimate truth, of course, is the word of God. The word of God is the standard for all moral and spiritual knowledge. If you're seeking truth in the moral and spiritual sense, you go to God. But they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, says the Lord. You can say all you want to say in a prayer course that you heard so much that actions speak louder than words. And as James writes, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works. Faith without works, or that is disobedience, is dead. Faith without, King James says obedience works, but it's actually talking about obedience. You can call it works, you can call it obedience. Faith without obedience is dead. Take ye heed therefore, verse 4, every one of his neighbor, and trust you not in any brother, for every brother will utterly supplant every neighbor will walk with slanderers.

I believe it's in Micah 7. I should have looked this up, perhaps, where it says that every man's hand shall it be against his neighbor. There's coming a time in which the situation on the face of the earth will be so difficult that people will be betraying one another, and you can't even, as it talks in Matthew 24, can't even trust the members of your own household, the members of your own family. Take heed every one of his neighbor, and trust you not in any brother, for every brother will utterly supplant every neighbor will walk with slanderers. Of course, you know who the father of slandering is, and that is Satan the devil.

In Jeremiah 9-5, and they will deceive everyone his neighbor and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. It's like, do you know when he's lying, the old joke about lawyers, do you know when a lawyer's lying? Well, it's when he opens his mouth. Well, it might be so with a lot of politicians as well. They have taught their tongue to speak lies and worry themselves to commit lawlessness. Verse 6, Your habitation is in the midst of deceit. Through deceit they refuse to know me, says the eternal. Of course, as it says in Hebrews 3, sin is deceitful, and sin can easily catch up with a person, because sin is deceitful. You can fall into sin as the old saying goes, before you know it, there it is. One of the things that David prayed in Psalm 14 is to keep me from secret sins. And sometimes sin is so deceitful that it's there before you know it. Verse 6 again, Your habitation is in the midst of deceit. Through deceit they refuse to know me, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts, Behold, I will melt them and try them. For how shall I do for the daughter of my people? I melt them and try them. And one of the things that happens with those who turn to God, even those who do turn to God, are tried as precious metal. Maybe we'll turn to a couple of scriptures there and look at that. And look at that. In 1 Peter 1, 1 Peter 1, verse 6, wherein we greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be you are in heavenness, through manifold temptations, that the trying of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the peering of Christ. Of course, the fiery furnace is the smelting pot of life, the trials, tribulations, and troubles of life, that is the smelting pot of life. In Malachi, it talks about Jesus Christ coming on the scene.

Remember in our sermon this past week, we talked about the great rhetorical question of Malachi, Malachi 2.17. Malachi 2.17 closes with, where is the God of judgment? And then Malachi 3 answers that question. The first verse says, well, I'm going to send John the Baptist. John the Baptist is going to prepare the way for the messenger of the covenant, and he will come. Verse 2, this is Malachi 3.2, but who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller soap. So keep in mind now, 1 Peter 1.7, you know, it's not a literal fire as in a fire that burns combustible material, but is the fiery furnace of life, the fiery trials of life. He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. He shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, and that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. See, refiner as a refiner and purifier of silver. So when it talks about melting here, I will melt them and try them, or how shall I do for the for the daughter of my people? Their tongue is an arrow shot out. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, and in his heart, in his heart, he lays or lies in weight. See, that is one of the most terrible things that a person could be. That is to be double-tongued, to be, the old saying is, to be two-faced. To your face he's one way, and when he's away from you, he's another way. Their tongue is an arrow shot out, speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, oh yeah, you're the greatest, but in his heart he is laying in weight. He's ready for him to trip him up and to get him, and that is a terrible state for anyone to be in, because that is a precursor of bitterness, and maybe it is, maybe a person has already tripped the line into bitterness. Once a person goes into bitterness, as did Esau over the situation with selling his birthright to Jacob, that he sought repentance but was not able to find it. He became so bitter that his whole life's ambition became to kill Jacob. Verse 9, shall I not visit them for these things, says the Lord, shall not my soul be a binge on such a nation as this? Well, you can look at the nation, and you can say, and you can ask, is this the way we are? Is this the way we are as a nation? Is this the way we are personally? Verse 10. For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitation of the wilderness lamentation, because they're burned up so that none can pass through them. Neither can men hear the voice of the cattle, both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled. They are gone. It is the sound of silence. I think I've mentioned this in the past. If you haven't listened to Simon and Garfunkel's song, it's, of course, in the rock era, and the rockers really fled to Simon and Garfunkel, because they portrayed in a lot of their songs the weaknesses, the two-facedness, the hypocrisy of the establishment, yet at the same time they also endured some of the ways of the hippie movement. But they have a song, the Sounds of Silence. I would encourage you to listen to it, because it talks about at the end, they would not heed the prophet's call that were written on the subway walls and the tenement halls.

And the warning, and who writes the warning on those walls? I don't know. But warnings are written on the walls in many different ways.

And then when all is said and done after the calamity, it is the sound of silence. And verse 11, and I will make Jerusalem heaps and a den of dragons, and I will make the cities of Judah desolate without an inhabitant. Of course, there were a few people left in Jerusalem we read about that those, the residue that might be left, might escape, would be better off dead than to be there. Who is the wise man that may understand? Verse 12, who is the wise man that may understand? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken that he may declare it, for what the land perishes and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passes through? The similar phrase, who is wise and instructed among you, what chapter in the Bible would we find that? Let's go to James 3 and 4 verse 14. Many times I have talked about this, that even the splits in the church and the things that trouble people's relationships and the things in congregations have to do to a large degree with what we shall read here.

James chapter 3 verse 13. See in Jeremiah 9 and 12 we read, who is the wise man?

In James chapter 3 we read in verse 13, who is a wise man and indeed with knowledge among you, let him show out of a good conduct his works with meekness of wisdom, but if you have envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descends not from above but is earthly, sensual, devilish. In being, strife, who's going to be number one? Who's going to get on top? Will I be recognized? Will I be this? Will I be that? Verse 16, for where in being and strife is, there is confusion in every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits without partiality, without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness and sown in peace of them that make peace. Where in being and strife is, there is evil in every wicked work. Verse 13, back in Jeremiah, Jeremiah 9 and verse 13. For the Lord says, because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them, have not obeyed my voice, and either walked therein, but have walked after the imagination of their heart, and after Balaam, which their fathers taught them.

What Balaam taught the Moabites to do was to have the women folk to seduce the men people, the men folk of Israel, and lie with them, and thus seduce them and turn them away.

Now verse 15. Therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them even this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. Verse 16. I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them. But of course, there is always the promise of restoration and not complete destruction. Look at Amos chapter 9. Amos chapter 9.

Hosea, Joel, Amos, and the minor prophets. We want to go to Amos and chapter 9.

Amos chapter 9. Verse 8, similar to Jeremiah. This is Amos chapter 9. Verse 8. Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob. Remember, sometimes the house of Jacob means Israel, the whole house of Israel, all twelve tribes. Now listen to this. For lo, I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like its corn is sifted in a sieve, but yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. And of course, when you read Revelation chapter 7 and the sealing of the tribes of Israel, you see that all the tribes are sealed, save Dan. Dan is excluded, probably because Dan led the way in adultery. Now verse 17. Thus says the Lord of hosts, consider you and call for the mourning women, that they may come and sin for cunning women that they may come, and let them make haste, verse 18, and take up a wailing. So there were people who were dedicated this kind of service, the mourners, the weepers, when people died. Let them make haste and take up wailing for us that our lives may run down with tears. Of course, the wailing wall in Jerusalem, we have been there. It is also called the wall of tears, a wailing for us that our tears may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. For the voice of a wailing is heard out of Zion. How are we spoiled? We are greatly confounded because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.

The enemy, the correct translation, the enemy have cast down our habitation, so though thus we're cast out. Verse 20, yet hear the word of the Lord, O you women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and everyone his neighbor lamentation. It won't be just the the whalers, those who are appointed for that, or have signed on for that. However, they got to be the whalers. Everyone will be lamenting and wailing. Verse 21, for death has come up into our windows, and has entered into our palaces to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. Verse 22, speak thus, says the Lord, even the carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as a handful after the harvestmen none shall gather them. No, you won't have the gleaners to come in and clean up the fields. They will be dung on the face of the earth. You notice that basically every kind of metaphorical comparison and analogy that can be thought of is used in the book of Jeremiah. Verse 23.

Thus says the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. These two verses here, 23 and 24, I have often quoted in sermons.

If you want to be boastful, if you want to pat yourself on the back, these verses are the verses you should look to among others. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me. So what are the things that we are most thankful for when we pray? Would it be that we have so much wisdom, that we have so much might, that we have so much glory, or that God has called us into his marvelous light, and we are no longer gripped by fear, anger, superstition, and the dogmas of man? We know and we know that we know who God is, what God is, what is his purpose. We know who man is, what man is, what is his purpose. Let him glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Eternal, which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. Remember this? Here's what God exercises. He exercises loving kindness, and just by a parenthetical, I may say here that some people confuse God's judgment with God's long suffering. God may be long suffering in that he does not execute sentence against an evil work speedily, but it does not mean that the evil work will not be brought into judgment unless it is repetitive. Of course, God wants us, as it talks about in 1 Corinthians 11, to judge ourselves so we won't be judged with the world. So the Lord exercises loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness. To me, that's another way of saying that God, of course, He exercises judgment. He exercises mercy upon repentance. He tells us to go walk in faith or in righteousness. You can't walk in faith. See, faith is inextricably linked to the commandments, obedience. So you can't walk in righteousness unless you are obeying. But He is a God of loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. In these things I delight, says the Lord. And in Malachi 6a, he talks about I delight in, I'm paraphrasing, judgment, mercy, and faith.

And to this man will I look to he that is a humble and contrite heart. Verse 25, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised.

Correct translation, all that are uncircumcised in uncircumcision. In other words, that even the heathen are circumcised, many of them practice circumcision, but they are uncircumcised in heart. And of course, even the Jews were uncircumcised in heart. They boasted, as Paul talks about in Romans 2, of circumcision in the flesh. But Paul says circumcision is of the heart. And God is going to punish all nations. It doesn't matter if they are physically circumcised, because those who are not circumcised in heart will be punished with the uncircumcised in the flesh and heart. In Romans 2, in verse 29, we are familiar with, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. So everyone that is not circumcised in heart verse 29, Egypt and Judah and Edom, this verse bears out what I just said, Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that are the utmost corners that shall dwell in the wilderness for all these nations are uncircumcised in heart, and all the houses of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. And so the true circumcision, the true Jew, is one who is circumcised in heart, and God is building, developing his holy nation, made of all kindreds, races, tongues, and we are to be a part of that holy nation, and to be circumcised in heart doesn't matter the color of your skin, your ethnic origin, whether you're rich or poor, male or female, it is whether or not you are circumcised in the heart. The stony parts are cut away and you have a perfectly teachable heart.