The Strand Study Bible

JEREMIAH 4:23

JEREMIAH 5:5

1149

wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 23 1 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. P 24 1 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. P 25 1 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. P 26 1 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. P 27 For thus hath the LORD said, 1 The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. P 28 1 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. P 29 1 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein. P 30 1 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do?Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. P 31 1 For I have heard a voice as of a wom- an in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth her- self, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe

is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers. P Jeremiah 5 Jeremiah’s third message – The reasons for Jerusalem’s judgment (Fulfilled - II Ki 25 - 586 BC) (Note - This portion of Jeremiah’s prophecy took place from the 14th - 18th year of King Josiah’s reign) Date Written – Between 627-623 BC 1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. Religiosity 2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. Refusal to repent, i.e., properly react to discipline and chastening 3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive 2 correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. 4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. 5 I will get me unto the 3 great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

1. Fulfilled - II Ki 25 (Fall of Judah) 2. Zeph 3:2 3. or, “leaders of the day”

4:23 The judgment that was about to be unleashed by God upon Judah and Jerusalem was equated with the upheaval (confusion and emptiness) that our earth experienced after Satan’s fall ( and, lo, it was without form, and void – Gen 1:2a ). Not pretty (vs 28 ). Just as the earth was stripped of all its beauty and splendor due to the sin of Satan and his angels, so the land of Judah, which included Jerusalem, would be made bare of all its magnificence (II Ki 25:8-10). 4:28 The sin committed by God’s people is as nauseating to God and worthy of judgment ( neither will I turn back from it ) as the sin committed by His angels ( Isa 14:12 -14 and Ezk 28:12 -15). Why? Because both were greatly enlightened and should have known better (Lk 12:48). 4:31 The Babylonian soldiers ( murderers ) would end up killing everything in their path, including the Jews. And the people of Judah and Jerusalem would cry, “ Woe is me now !” The killings were committed upon them because killings were committed by them ( Num 35:16 ,30-34 and II Ki 21:16 & 24:3-4). 5:1 God commanded Jeremiah to proclaim throughout the streets of Jerusalem a pardon from the up and coming invasion by Babylon. If just one person (common - vs. 1, and/or great - vs. 5) could be found who sought truth and executed justice, then a pardon would be granted ( and I will pardon it ). Sadly, none could be found (vs. 6-11). So, with biting irony and stinging sarcasm, God told His people what was going to happen to them (vs 6,9,19,29) and why: (1) Religiosity (vs 2 and Mt 11:20 -24); (2) Refusal to repent, i.e., properly react to discipline and chastening (vs 3,23 and Lev 26:41); (3) Adultery, both spiritually (vs 7,19-21) and physically (vs 8-11); (4) Misrepresenting the truth (vs 12-18,30-31); and (5) Greed (vs 26-29). 5:5 Jeremiah searched for greatness among the common people (vs 1), but found none. So he continued his searched among the leaders of Israel ( great men - vs 5); but they were no better. Greatness in the eyes of God is not based on what man thinks, but on what God thinks ( Jonah 1:2 and MATTHEW “MINI” SERIES ).