Jeremiah 10:1–10:11 The prophet concludes his temple message by painting a picture of the broad scope of God’s relationship to the nations (vv. 1-11), to nature (vv. 12-13), and to mankind (vv. 14-25). He brings a charge on the fallacy of worshiping idols. God addressed the house of Israel wit … Read more
Jeremiah 9:1–9:11 The prophet calls for his head to be an inexhaustible source of water, feeding his eyes with an unceasing supply of tears so that he might weep day and night over his people (v. 1). His message is one of judgment and impending doom. Even at the “assembly” for divinely … Read more
Jeremiah 9:12–9:16 These verses pose the question and give the answer as to why judgment has come to Judah (vv. 12-14). They have “forsaken” the law of God and refused to hear His voice. They follow the “dictates” of their hearts and go “after Baal.” The utter de … Read more
Jeremiah 9:17–9:26 Beginning with verse 17, Jeremiah lists three separate pronouncements.: God called for the professional mourners
(wailing women) to lament for Jerusalem. “The “skillful wailing women” refers to women wise or skillful at mourning.
Jeremiah urges these women to wail … Read more
Jeremiah 8:13–8:22 Jeremiah pictured the panic of the people when God’s judgment began. They would flee to the fortified cities knowing that God had doomed them to perish. Their hope for peace was gone and the terror of the Babylonians filled the land. As the enemies’ horses stampeded f … Read more
Jeremiah 8:1–8:12 Even the dead would not escape God’s judgment. Jeremiah describes how the enemy will
desecrate the graves which was a common practice in the warfare of that day. The bones of those
who had died before the fall of Jerusalem would be removed from their graves and exposed to t … Read more
Jeremiah 7:16–7:20 God’s admonition to Jeremiah, “Do not pray for this people,” is the result of serious rebellion on their part (v. 16). They
are seen worshiping false gods and making sacrifices to them. God commanded that prayer cease, but that preaching
continue. If you read through … Read more
Jeremiah 7:21–7:34 The people of Judah offered all the correct sacrifices, but they failed to obey God and to walk in His ways (vv. 21-29).
Verse 22 is not to be understood as a denial that God commanded the sacrifices to be made. Rather it is an argument
against substituting sacrifice for obedience … Read more
Jeremiah 7:1–7:7 Most of his messages from chapters 7-20 were delivered during the reign of Jehoiakim. King Josiah had led the nation in a reformation during which he restored the temple and removed idols from the land. In 609 he was wounded in battle near Megiddo and taken to Jerusalem where he … Read more
Jeremiah 7:8–7:15 Any theology which said Jerusalem was safe because of the Temple failed to take note of the hypocrisy practiced
there. Those who came to the Temple had been guilty of stealing, murder, adultery, and false swearing. They had
sacrificed to Baal and walked after other gods. Yet because … Read more
Jeremiah 6:16–6:30 Jeremiah admonishes the people to remember the old traditions of faith and obedience. By returning to those ancient
paths and walking in them they could find rest. They defiantly refuse (v. 16)! They actually showed a stubbornness and
rejection of the law (vv. 16-19), as they gave … Read more
Jeremiah 6:1–6:15 This closing part of Jeremiah’s sermon focuses on the invading Babylonian army, from the north, and the devastation it would bring to Jerusalem and Judah (vv. 1-2). At this time the city and the country seemed secure and they were under no apprehension of danger. Jeremiah t … Read more
Jeremiah 5:14–5:31 God told Jeremiah that his words would be like a fire (v. 14) that would consume the people. He would bring judgment (Babylon) against Judah. This was a nation whose language they did not know (v. 15). The difference of language would make it more difficult to achieve peace. Thes … Read more
Jeremiah 5:1–5:13 Jerusalem was about to fall into the hands of the political enemy from without because of the spiritual enemies of God working from within. Jeremiah is commanded to search Jerusalem and Judah for a man. He searched among the common people in the city squares, but he found none (v … Read more
Recent commentaries
The Fallacy of Worshiping Idols
Jeremiah 10:1–10:11
The prophet concludes his temple message by painting a picture of the broad scope of God’s relationship to the nations (vv. 1-11), to nature (vv. 12-13), and to mankind (vv. 14-25). He brings a charge on the fallacy of worshiping idols. God addressed the house of Israel wit … Read more
Dealing With Deceit
Jeremiah 9:1–9:11
The prophet calls for his head to be an inexhaustible source of water, feeding his eyes with an unceasing supply of tears so that he might weep day and night over his people (v. 1). His message is one of judgment and impending doom. Even at the “assembly” for divinely … Read more
Why Judgment Has to Come From God
Jeremiah 9:12–9:16
These verses pose the question and give the answer as to why judgment has come to Judah (vv. 12-14). They have “forsaken” the law of God and refused to hear His voice. They follow the “dictates” of their hearts and go “after Baal.” The utter de … Read more
No Substitute For a Pure Heart For God
Jeremiah 9:17–9:26
Beginning with verse 17, Jeremiah lists three separate pronouncements.: God called for the professional mourners (wailing women) to lament for Jerusalem. “The “skillful wailing women” refers to women wise or skillful at mourning. Jeremiah urges these women to wail … Read more
Response To a World Dying in Sin
Jeremiah 8:13–8:22
Jeremiah pictured the panic of the people when God’s judgment began. They would flee to the fortified cities knowing that God had doomed them to perish. Their hope for peace was gone and the terror of the Babylonians filled the land. As the enemies’ horses stampeded f … Read more
Refusing to Listen to God’s Direction
Jeremiah 8:1–8:12
Even the dead would not escape God’s judgment. Jeremiah describes how the enemy will desecrate the graves which was a common practice in the warfare of that day. The bones of those who had died before the fall of Jerusalem would be removed from their graves and exposed to t … Read more
When Preaching Trumps Praying
Jeremiah 7:16–7:20
God’s admonition to Jeremiah, “Do not pray for this people,” is the result of serious rebellion on their part (v. 16). They are seen worshiping false gods and making sacrifices to them. God commanded that prayer cease, but that preaching continue. If you read through … Read more
Sacrifices Can be Meaningless
Jeremiah 7:21–7:34
The people of Judah offered all the correct sacrifices, but they failed to obey God and to walk in His ways (vv. 21-29). Verse 22 is not to be understood as a denial that God commanded the sacrifices to be made. Rather it is an argument against substituting sacrifice for obedience … Read more
The Results of Compromise
Jeremiah 7:1–7:7
Most of his messages from chapters 7-20 were delivered during the reign of Jehoiakim. King Josiah had led the nation in a reformation during which he restored the temple and removed idols from the land. In 609 he was wounded in battle near Megiddo and taken to Jerusalem where he … Read more
Religious Ritual Doesn’t Change a Sinful Life Style
Jeremiah 7:8–7:15
Any theology which said Jerusalem was safe because of the Temple failed to take note of the hypocrisy practiced there. Those who came to the Temple had been guilty of stealing, murder, adultery, and false swearing. They had sacrificed to Baal and walked after other gods. Yet because … Read more
Remembering Traditions
Jeremiah 6:16–6:30
Jeremiah admonishes the people to remember the old traditions of faith and obedience. By returning to those ancient paths and walking in them they could find rest. They defiantly refuse (v. 16)! They actually showed a stubbornness and rejection of the law (vv. 16-19), as they gave … Read more
Speaking to People Who Would Not Hear
Jeremiah 6:1–6:15
This closing part of Jeremiah’s sermon focuses on the invading Babylonian army, from the north, and the devastation it would bring to Jerusalem and Judah (vv. 1-2). At this time the city and the country seemed secure and they were under no apprehension of danger. Jeremiah t … Read more
We Must Fear The Lord
Jeremiah 5:14–5:31
God told Jeremiah that his words would be like a fire (v. 14) that would consume the people. He would bring judgment (Babylon) against Judah. This was a nation whose language they did not know (v. 15). The difference of language would make it more difficult to achieve peace. Thes … Read more
The Results of Refusing to Receive Correction
Jeremiah 5:1–5:13
Jerusalem was about to fall into the hands of the political enemy from without because of the spiritual enemies of God working from within. Jeremiah is commanded to search Jerusalem and Judah for a man. He searched among the common people in the city squares, but he found none (v … Read more