SCRIPTURE: JEREMIAH 8
SIN AND PUNISHMENT (vs. 4-22)
SINS OF JUDAH:
- The people cling to deceit and refuse to return. (v. 5)
- They do not say what is right but pursue their own course without repenting their wickedness. (v. 6)
- They do not know the requirements of the Lord. (v. 7)
- They have rejected the word of the Lord. (v. 9)
- All are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. (v. 10)
- They say “peace, peace” but there is no peace. (v. 11)
- They are not ashamed of their loathsome conduct. (v. 12)
PUNISHMENT FROM GOD:
- The wise will be put to shame. (v. 9)
- Their wives will be given to other men and their fields to new owners. (v. 10)
- Their harvest will be taken away. There will be no grapes on the vine, no figs on the tree and their leaves will wither. (v. 13)
- There will be terror without peace. (v. 15)
- The enemies have come to devour their land (v. 16)
- Venomous snakes and vipers will bite them. (v. 17)
THOUGHTS:
The people of Judah highly honored the dead. But God said: “The graves of Judah’s people would be opened and laid out before the sun, moon and stars.”. That was an ironic punishment for idol worshipers.
The people lived their sinful lives by choice. They deceived themselves thinking that there would be no consequences. So they had lost perspective concerning God’s will for their lives. When you have fallen down and are heading the wrong way, be sure to get back on the right path.
Jeremiah was in anguish with broken heart when he saw His people rejecting God. As you watch the world today on your lost friends and neighbors, do you have the kind of passionate concern to help them know God?