Listen to Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 10 – 13.
Follow along on Blue Letter Bible.
Second Milers also read – Acts 7 – 9; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Read the “0817 Evening and Morning” devotion for today by Charles Spurgeon.
Jeremiah 10–13 records God’s word through Jeremiah to Judah in the years leading to the Babylonian captivity. They announce covenant curses for idolatry and rebellion, with the impending exile as God’s just judgment. Principles of God’s uniqueness, the folly of idolatry, and the call to repent apply in every age, but the specific national judgments and any future restoration language belong to Israel, not the Church.
The Lord warns the house of Israel not to learn the way of the heathen or be dismayed at the signs of heaven (unusual appearances in the sky—eclipses of the sun or moon, comets, unusual planetary alignments, meteors, and other astronomical events). Idols are nothing more than wood cut from the forest, decorated with silver and gold, fastened so they will not fall—speechless, immobile, unable to do good or evil. In sharp contrast, “the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king.” He made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heavens. Israel is the rod of His inheritance.
The chapter then shifts to the nearness of judgment: the people are told to gather their wares because the land will be desolated and they will be cast out. Jeremiah prays for correction in measure, not in anger, and asks God to pour out wrath on the nations that have devoured Jacob.
The Lord commands Jeremiah to proclaim the words of the covenant He made with the fathers when He brought them out of Egypt: “Obey my voice… so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God.” Yet both houses of Israel and Judah have broken that covenant by walking after other gods. Therefore God will bring evil upon them from which they cannot escape; they will cry to their idols, but the idols will not save them.
A conspiracy against Jeremiah arises from the men of Anathoth (his own hometown). The Lord assures the prophet that those men will be punished—young men by the sword, sons and daughters by famine—with no remnant left.
Jeremiah complains that the wicked prosper and the treacherous are at ease, even while the land suffers. The Lord answers that if Jeremiah is wearied by running with footmen, how will he contend with horses? Even his own brothers have dealt treacherously with him.
God then declares that He has forsaken His house and given the dearly beloved of His soul into the hand of her enemies because Judah has become like a lion roaring against Him. The land will be made desolate. Yet after the plucking out, the Lord will return and have compassion, bringing every man back to his heritage. Neighboring nations that have touched Israel’s inheritance will also be judged; if they learn the ways of God’s people and swear by His name, they may be built in the midst of His people; if not, they will be utterly destroyed.
The Lord instructs Jeremiah to buy a linen girdle, wear it, then hide it by the Euphrates. When retrieved after many days it is marred and profitable for nothing. This pictures how the Lord will mar the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. As the girdle was meant to cleave to a man’s loins, so the Lord had caused the whole house of Israel and Judah to cleave to Him for a people, a name, a praise, and a glory—but they would not hear.
A second object lesson follows: every bottle shall be filled with wine. The people mock the obvious statement, but the Lord means He will fill the inhabitants of the land—kings, priests, prophets, and people—with drunkenness and dash them one against another without pity.
The chapter closes with urgent calls to hear and give glory to the Lord before He brings darkness and the feet stumble upon the dark mountains. Pride and stubborn idolatry have made change as impossible as an Ethiopian changing his skin or a leopard his spots. Captivity is certain; the flock will be carried away.
These chapters consistently present Jehovah as the living, covenant-keeping God who judges His people for persistent idolatry while preserving the integrity of His word concerning both judgment and eventual restoration for Israel.
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” (Jeremiah 13:23)
The context of this passage and the Book of Jeremiah as a whole is the impending judgment that is facing Judah and Jerusalem because of their sin. They had gotten totally out of control. God had sent prophets to them and God had sent judgment to them but they did not get the message. They were too far gone. God was about to do something very big in and to Jerusalem. The Babylonians were about to invade. It would be perhaps the worst calamity to hit the people of God. However, the good news is that the judgment that would come would be the very thing that would cause the people of God to repent and change their spots. The people seemed powerless to change on their own, but through the loving hand of judgment from God, the leopard would indeed have his spots changed.
Sometimes, I get so very frustrated with myself, particularly my inability to get victory over some of the recurring sins in my life. I am utterly powerless, it seems, to win the battle. However, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” and through the power of the Holy Spirit of God, and through the loving correction of my Heavenly Father, my spots can also be removed. I can’t change my spots but God can. Do you need a spot remover? God can do it. Yield to Him. Open your heart up and be willing to allow God to make the necessary changes in your life.
God can and will remove our spots but there are some things that we can do to help God as He cleanses away the stain of sin from our life:
1 We first must acknowledge the fact that we have spots. We need to allow God to completely examine us and show us where the spots are in our life. We cannot withhold any area of our life. He must be able to thoroughly inspect us, and we must agree with His assessment. If He sees a spot, we must agree that it is indeed a spot.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – (1 John 1:9)
2 We must next be willing to submit ourselves to God’s cure for our spot problem. God may bring us through an uncomfortable process in order to accomplish His will. Trust Him. He knows what He is doing. He is the Great Physician. He knows just how deep to cut. He knows just how much we can handle. He may bring in some people to help Him. He may use a pastor or other counselor to help you as He works on you.
3 We must also be willing to continue down a prescribed path that will keep the spots from coming back in the future. We must stay in fellowship with God. We must daily spend time with Him through His Word and through prayer. He will keep His eye on us, and He will be able to quickly “spot” any new blemishes that may be coming to the surface.
The great news for us who are saved is that God already sees us positionally as spotless, because He views us through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” – (Psalm 103:12)
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” – (Isaiah 1:18)
“Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” – (Romans 4:7 & 8 )
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 7 - 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio…
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio…
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 1 - 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio…
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 63 - 66 (Click on the references to listen to the audio…
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 58 - 62 (Click on the references to listen to the audio…
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 53 - 57 (Click on the references to listen to the audio…
This website uses cookies.