Jeremiah 9:23-26
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
So far in Jeremiah 9 we’ve seen Jeremiah heartbroken over the sin of the people of Judah. He simultaneously weeps for their repentance and wants to run from the disastrous effects of their rebellion against God. Judah is filled with wickedness because it’s people, God’s people, are wicked. God will leave Judah and its capital a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals. There’s no mystery as to why this is happening, Judah has rejected God’s law, not obeyed His voice, and not walked in His ways. Instead, they’ve followed idols to their death. Women will wail. Corpses will fall like dung.
In the face of wrath like this, what good will earthly wisdom, riches, and might do?
That’s the point of vv. 23-26 at the end of Jeremiah 9…
23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. 25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised— 26 Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”
[TS] …
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
Let’s look at vv. 23-24 first…
Let’s look at vv. 23-24 first…
23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
Imagine that you’re the king of Judah. Imagine that Babylon is breathing down your neck. You’re a bit panicked. You’re looking for answers, for solutions. Imagine you have four advisors.
The first advisor, Wisdom, comes to you and says, “I have a plan.” A plan sounds very good to you right about then, so you shout, “We have a plan!”
The second advisor, Might, comes to you and says, “I have an army.” An army sounds very good to you right about then, so you shout, “We have an army!”
The third advisor, Richie, comes to you and says, “I have wealth.” Money would be needed to fight and rebuild, so you shout, “We are fully funded!”
Surely a formidable defense could be made by taking the counsel of Wisdom, Might, and Richie. What could go wrong with these three on your side!?
But you have a fourth advisor. His name is Godly. And he says, “Wisdom’s plan won’t work. Might’s army will fail. Richie’s money is no good in this situation.
“We need to turn back to God. We need to trust in God. We need to boast in Him alone.
“He is the Lord!
“He practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness!
“He delights in those things!”
With Babylon at the gate, who are you listening to? Wisdom, Might, and Richie or Godly?
We all know who we should listen to, but Judah’s leadership couldn’t see the godly perspective because they were blinded by their persistent sin.
The word BOAST carries the idea of shining.
Q: Why would it be foolish for Judah to shine a light on its own wisdom, might, and wealth with Babylon bearing down?
It would be foolish because Judah’s wisdom, might, and wealth wasn’t going to do anything to stop the judgment of God coming on Judah in the form of the Babylonians.
[APP] Just as God’s wrath descended upon Judah, God’s wrath will one day descend upon the whole world. Matthew writes…
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
To His sheep Jesus will say, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” (Mt. 25:34).
To the goats Jesus will say, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…” (Mt. 25:41).
Some of those goats may boast of their wisdom when faced with Jesus’ wrath.
“Do you know how many advanced degrees I have?”
Some of those goats may boast of their might when faced with Jesus’ wrath.
“Do you know how powerful I am?”
Some of those goats may boast of their wealth when faced with Jesus’ wrath.
“Do you know how much money I have?”
But earthly wisdom, power, and riches are pathetic defenses against the wrath of God in Jesus Christ.
Those who boast in these things “will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life,” (Mt. 25:46).
That’s brings us to boasting in God.
Q: Look at v. 24. What would it look like for Judah to boast in or shine a light on God even with Babylon bearing down?
It would mean coming to the understanding and knowledge that YHWH is Lord.
The word Lord carries with it authority. For Judah to boast in YHWH at this point would mean to understand and know that the wrath coming their way was sent by God. It would mean to understand and know that it was their sin—their rebellion against His authority—that provoked His wrath.
It would mean coming to the understanding and knowledge that YHWH practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness.
This is what God does. This is how He acts.
He exercises steadfast love or lovingkindness.
This is God’s loyal covenant love toward His people. It’s a love that even causes God to go beyond the obligations of the covenant for the good of His people.
He exercises His justice or executes His judgments.
By doing so, God creates a state of affairs in which His people might enjoy His righteousness.
YHWH practices righteousness because He is righteous.
He is holy in all things including in relation to His people, but His people have not be holy in relation to Him.
For Judah to boast in God would mean coming to the understanding and knowledge that YHWH delights in steadfast love, justice, and righteousness.
That God delights in lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness means that He rejoices to see these things in Himself, and He would rejoice to see these things in His people as well.
[APP] As followers of Jesus, we are not under the Mosaic Covenant but under the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. Because Jesus gave His life for us and sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, we certainly should be shining a light on or boasting in God’s lovingkindness, His justice, and His righteousness as seen in Jesus Christ.
Listen for the ideas of lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in Romans 3:21-26…
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Then in Romans 3:27, Paul asks, “Where then is boasting?” And he answers, “It is excluded.”
In 1 Corinthians 1:51 he quotes from Jeremiah 9, writing in regards to our God-exalting salvation, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
In 2 Corinthians 10:17 Paul quotes again from Jeremiah 9 in regard to our God-exalting works, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
And in Galatians 6:14, Paul says…
14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
That should be our commitment as well.
We should decide, “I will never boast in any wisdom, might, or riches. I will only boast in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ.”
Let’s look at Jeremiah 9:25-26…
Let’s look at Jeremiah 9:25-26…
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised— 26 Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”
Egypt, Judah, Edom, and Moab were all nations that practiced circumcision of the flesh. These nations—Judah included—were circumcised and yet uncircumcised.
Q: What do you think means?
The answer comes at the end of v. 26 where all the house of Israel is described as being uncircumcised of heart.
Judah bore the mark of covenant loyalty to YHWH in the flesh, but that mark in the flesh was no different from Egypt, Edom, and Moab.
It was no different because Egypt, Edom, and Moab weren’t set apart to God in the heart either.
Judah’s circumcision was as pointless as (v. 26) “all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples.”
This refers to Arabian tribes that cut their hair from the corners of their temples in worship of Bacchus, the pagan god of wine.
God was saying to Judah that because it was not circumcised in the heart, it’s circumcision in the flesh might as well have been a pagan act of idol worship.
[APP] To be the boasters, practitioners, and delighters that God calls us to be, we must first be circumcised in the heart.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 2:28-29…
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Circumcision of the heart by the Spirit only come through faith in Christ.
As we come to understand and know Him as Lord…
As we come to see in Him the love, justice, and righteousness of God…
…only then are we circumcised in heart.
…only then can we boast in the Lord as we should.
Conclusion
Conclusion
[PRAYER]