The Strand Study Bible

JEREMIAH JEREMIAH as he is aware of it, will he not do a u-turn and thank the one that showed him his mistake ( shall he turn away, and not return? )? Common sense says “yes” to both questions. However, the Jews of Jeremiah’s day apparently had no sense, for if they had, when they had fallen into sin, they would have rushed to get up again by repentance and corrected their misdirection. No “thinking” person will go on in a way that he knows will never bring him to his journey’s end. 8:9 The crowning sin of the people is that “ they have rejected the word of the LORD .” J. Vernon McGee in Jeremiah & Lamentations notes: 1156

This is the crowning sin of America also. The prevailing feeling is that if our economy is all right, we are all right. However, many folks are beginning to realize that the economy can be all right and we can be all wrong. 1

McGee goes on to note:

One cannot help but note that there is an analogy between Judah and our own nation. God is left out today. Our nation was founded by men and women who believed that the Book was the Word of God, and everything they did was based on that Book. As one of our outstanding historians has observed, our nation is controlled by men who do not know its spiritual heritage. We have turned away from God. We are going after the idol of the almighty dollar. The best news out of New York is a vigorous stock market. The best news out of Washington is that which will put more money in our pockets. Money is the god of the present hour. The Ephesians chanted, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” The cry of America is, “Great is the almighty American dollar,” and God is left out. 1 David Wilkerson in America’s Last Call agrees. He notes: …We have misread all our years of peace and prosperity, just as Israel did! The apostle Paul writes, “Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). All of these blessings have been poured out on us so we might repent! God is saying, “I determined to judge you long ago – but then I decided to give you one more chance. So I’ve poured out my blessings on you, prospering you, giving you peace and security, believing my goodness would lead you to turn to me. But you have not heeded!” Just before the Great Depression of the 1930s, America went through a period called the “roaring twenties.” It was a loud, sensuous, wicked time in our nation, when people wined and dined profligately, bought fur coats in excess, and spent the modern equivalent of $200,000 on automobiles. America’s leaders assured everyone our future was going to be glorious. They said, “We see fifty years of prosperity ahead – with two chickens in every pot, and two cars in every garage!” But overnight, the dream ended. Everything crumbled into dust. Why? We misread the times! We said, “God must be with us, because we’re blessed and prosperous.” But America’s boom days ended suddenly. And, beloved, today we are misreading our times of blessing as well! 2 8:12 Repentance may include remorse ( nay, they were not at all ashamed ), but remorse is not repentance ( II Cor 7:8-9 ). Judas had remorse over what he had done to Jesus ( Mt 27:3 -4), but he did not repent as to who he was (he was a sinner in need of salvation); he only repented what he had done to an innocent man. Being sorry for sin is not the same as being sorry for being sinful. You can weep over sin and even express great remorse, but until you change your mind and agree with God that He’s right and you’re wrong, you have not repented ( Jonah 3:5 ). 8:22 Although God had made adequate provision for their restoration, they refused the remedy ( why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered ). 9:1 With tears streaming down his face ( and mine eyes a fountain of tears ) Jeremiah pleaded with God’s people to change their ways before judgment arrived. Then, realizing that the people of God were not about to repent, he switched subjects (vs 2) and longed for a way out of his calling.

1 McGee, J. Vernon. Jeremiah & Lamentations, Pasadena, CA, Thru the Bible Books, 1978. Print. 2 Wilkerson, David. America’s Last Call , Lindale, TX, Wilkerson Trust Pub, 1998. Print.