Jeremiah 9:23-24
Wednesday Night Prayer and Praise • Sermon • Submitted
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What are some things you have bragged on lately?
Human nature leads us to brag about our accomplishments.
This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
Three things that we might boast about: wisdom, strength, or riches.
Wisdom is actually a word that speaks of political sagacity, which is the quality of being discerning; sound of judgement or quickness of perceptive.
It is used here as if it could rescue one from the impending calamities.
Strength is a military reference.
Riches of course is wealth.
God says in tongue and cheek, “Go ahead, rely on your own abilities of wisdom, strength and riches. Put your trust in yourself and boast on it.”
The people were told about the judgement to come and they pleaded their politics, military powers and their wealth and treasures. They thought this would make their city impregnable.
However, God shows them just how ridiculous this is.
Man’s wisdom may fail him when he needs it most.
Man’s strength may not always be his glory. The battle is not always won by the strong. Remember Goliath?
All human strength is nothing without God.
Man may think the money answers all things. Money could become the greatest downfall ever.
Wisdom, strength and riches are all things that can fail.
God always gives us an alternative. God says instead of boasting of wisdom, strength and riches, things that can fail, boast in the truths found in verse 24:
The person God delights in is the one that understands and knows that He is God. Do you understand and know that He is the Lord?
He understands. This person gives insight, causes to consider, gives insight to and teaches.
He knows. This person indicates cognizance or mental awareness of something by the means of personal experience. How do you know the Lord? What are some ways you have personally experienced Him?
He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?”
declares the Lord.
“Submit to God and be at peace with him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
When one knows God, he or she knows Him in such a way that they will desire to walk in the ways of God.
He exercises kindness, justice and righteousness. The word for exercise is from the Hebrew word ASA. It refers to doing or making in general. It is the same word that is used in the creation story when God spoke and made the heavens and the earth and all that He created. God desires for the person that knows Him to continue working in the divine creation. God desires for that person to continue to work as God worked in the creation.
Think about that more: are you exercising, doing or making things that would be as important as the divine creation was done or made?
What are we to be exercising? The first word in the NIV is kindness. A better translation would be lovingkindness or mercy. Are you demonstrating lovingkindness or mercy the way you have had it given to you?
We should always place God’s mercy in the highest place because without it we should flee from God in fear and despair. We would have no hope.
Yet He exercises His lovingkindness through justice.
In context of this passage, Jeremiah had declared to the people that a day of judgement was coming. They thought they could depend on their wisdom, strength or riches. Yet all the wisdom, all the strength and all the riches apart from God are absolutely worthless.
What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
God gives us lovingkindness towards the godly and judgement towards the ungodly.
Righteousness carries out the execution of His judgement.
Then men will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
God uses His faithfulness to preserve the Godly.
That’s why we have in this last phrase: “for in these things I delight.”
These things are referring back to being able to boast about understanding, knowing and exercising the things of God.
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
And to know that GOD delights in us!
The word “delight” comes from the Hebrew hapasti which means to take pleasure in or delight.
How does it feel to know God delights in you?
Then we see that all this is a declaration of the Lord.
It is one thing to know that God declares. It is another thing to know He declares this for us, in us, and through us!
So what are you going to boast in?