Jeremiah 10

REVIEW OF CHAPTER EIGHT

I. Facts to Master.

The name of the northern-most town of Pales tine (Jeremiah 8:16).

The _______________ is past, the _____________is ended and we are not saved (Jeremiah 8:20).

IS there no ______ in Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22).

Significant tides for God (Jeremiah 10:7; Jeremiah 10:16).

Distant lands from which precious metals were brought to be made into idols (Jeremiah 10:9).

The peculiar thing about Jeremiah 10:11.

The identity of the shepherds and the flock in Jeremiah 10:21.

II. Questions to Ponder.

What is the point of the contrast between the migratory birds and the people of God? Jeremiah 8:7.

In what way had sin blinded the eyes of the people of Judah? See Jeremiah 8:8.

What is meant by the expression the false pen of the scribes bath wrought falsely? (Jeremiah 8:8).

Who is a wise man? See Jeremiah 8:9, Jeremiah 9:12.

The inhabitants of Judah could not blush (Jeremiah 8:12). Has the present generation lost its sense of shame?

What are the wormwood and the gall mentioned in Jeremiah 8:14 and Jeremiah 9:15?

What is meant by the expression, The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved? (Jeremiah 8:20).

Is there a suggestion for every Gospel preacher in Jeremiah 8:18 to Jeremiah 9:9, the lament of Jeremiah? What is it?

What strong impulse does Jeremiah have as he views the corruption of the society of his day? (Jeremiah 9:2). Did God intend for Christians to live in monasteries?

What was the fulfillment of the prophecy uttered in Jeremiah 9:10-11?

What were some of the mourning customs in ancient Israel? Check a Bible dictionary.

Is it wrong for a Christian to boast? See Jeremiah 9:23-24, also Galatians 6:14.

Two kinds of uncircumcision are distinguished in Jeremiah 9:25-26. What does circumcision in this passage symbolize? Sometimes preachers are heard to say: you people may have been baptized but your hearts were never really yielded to God. Is this good theology? Can a person be baptized and remain unconverted?

Is there anything wrong with the Christian wearing good luck charms? Should he be afraid of Friday the 13th, broken mirrors, or walking beneath ladders? What about astrology? See Jeremiah 10:1-5.

How would you describe Jeremiah’s attitude toward his own personal grief? (Jeremiah 10:19)

Analyze the prayer which closes chapter 10. What confession is made? What personal petition? What imprecation?

Jeremiah 10:1-5

V. GOD VS. THE IDOLS Jeremiah 10:1-25

In chapter 10 Jeremiah ridicules idolatry (Jeremiah 10:1-5) and extols the incomparable God of Israel (Jeremiah 10:6-16). He points out the folly of forsaking God (Jeremiah 10:17-22). The chapter closes with a prophetic prayer (Jeremiah 10:23-25). The Jeremian authorship of the first sixteen verses has been questioned by various scholars on the grounds that they interrupt the thought sequence of the section and on the grounds that they are written in a different style. But one author may employ more than one style of writing depending upon he subject he is treating and the audience he is addressing. As the present section of the Book of Jeremiah is in the nature of an anthology of prophetic utterances no appeal to the interruption of thought sequence would seem to be appropriate. In short there is no good reason to suspect that Jeremiah was not the author of the first sixteen verses of chapter 10.

A. The Folly of Idolatry Jeremiah 10:1-5

TRANSLATION

(1) Hear the word which the LORD spoke against you, O house of Israel. (2) Thus says the LORD: Do not learn the way of the nations and do not be dismayed because of the signs of the heavens; for the nations are dismayed because of them. (3) For the customs of the people are vanity; for it is a tree which one cuts out of the forest, the work of the hands of the carpenter with an ax. (4) With silver and gold he adorns it; with nails and hammers they secure them so that it might not be made to totter. (5) They are like a post in a cucumber patch. They cannot speak. They must even be carried about for they are immobile. Do not fear because of them for they cannot do evil nor can they even do good.

COMMENTS

Through His prophet God exhorts His people (Jeremiah 10:1) not to learn, i.e., become accustomed to, the idolatrous ways of the heathen. The people of God need not become upset by the signs of the heavenseclipses, meteors, and the likewhich other nations regarded as portents of evil (Jeremiah 10:2). Numerous tablets from the ancient Near East have been found which indicate how closely the heavens were observed and how carefully every movement of the heavenly bodies was recorded. Modern astrology had its birth in the pagan temples of Mesopotamia. Those who worship the God who created the heavens need have no superstitious fears regarding the position of the sun, moon and stars, The religious customs, practices and rituals of the heathen are utterly empty and without content (cf. Isaiah 40:19 f; Isaiah 44:12 ff.). Idols are in reality nothing more than a tree which has been cut out of the forest by the ax of a woodsman (Jeremiah 10:3). Though beautifully adorned with gold and silver overlay that idol is still nothing more than lifeless wood. An idol cannot even stand on its own two feet. It must be fastened down with hammer and nails in order to prevent it from tottering (Jeremiah 10:4).[190] The idol is as harmless as a post erected in a cucumber patch for the purpose of scaring away the birds. They cannot speak nor can they move about without being carried by someone. They cannot harm any one, nor for that matter, can they bring blessing upon anyone. For this reason there is no particular advantage in serving an idol and no harm in failing to do so.

[190] The description here is similar to that in Isaiah 40:19-20; Isaiah 41:7.

Jeremiah 10:6-16

B. The Incomparable God of Israel Jeremiah 10:6-16

TRANSLATION

(6) There is none like You O LORD; great are You and great is Your name in power. (7) Who would not fear You, O King of the nations; for You are worthy of it. Because among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their royalty there is none like You. (8) They are altogether stupid and foolish; the instruction of vanities is wood. (9) Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of a craftsman and the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple is their clothing, all of them the work of wisemen. (10) But the LORD is the true God. He is the living God and eternal King. Before His wrath the earth trembles; nations cannot endure His indignation. (11) Thus you shall say to them: the gods which did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from beneath the heavens. (12) It is He who made the earth by His power who founded the world in His wisdom; and in His understanding stretched out the heavens. (13) When He gives forth His voice, there is the noise of the waters in the heavens, and He causes the vapors to go up from the ends of the earth; lightings He makes for the rain and brings forth wind from His treasures. (14) Every man is stupid, without knowledge! Every goldsmith is put to shame because of his image, for his molten image is a fraud, and there is no breath in them. (15) They are vanity, a ridiculous work; in the time of their visitation they shall perish. (16) Not like these is the Portion of Jacob; for He is the Maker of everything and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is His name.

COMMENTS

None of the idols can compare to the Lord in greatness and in power (Jeremiah 10:6). He is not merely a tribal deity restricted theologically and geographically in His sphere of influence. He is worthy of reverence by all mankind. No wise man of the earth can equal Him in wisdom. No prince of mankind is His equal in majesty and power (Jeremiah 10:7). On the other hand the idols are nothing but lifeless lumber. They are stupid and foolish and are utterly unable to render intelligent counsel. From an idol of wood one can only obtain wooden, lifeless, worthless guidance (Jeremiah 10:8). Men go to no little trouble in producing their idols. The wooden image is covered by the finest silver and gold sheets. Silver is secured from Tarshish, generally thought to be located on the southwest coast of Spain. Gold is imported from Uphaz the location of which is unknown. Since Tarshish is in the extreme west in relation to Palestine, Uphaz is perhaps equally far in the opposite direction. Some think that Uphaz, which is also mentioned in Daniel 10:5, is to be identified with Ophir.[191] Once the beautiful metal had been shaped and molded to fit the wooden base the image was clothed in blue and purple, the most expensive cloth in antiquity. Embellished with precious metals and adorned with costly garments an image was in reality a work of art produced by cunning and skillful men. It was no wiser and more powerful than the craftsmen who produced it (Jeremiah 10:9).

[191] This interpretation of Uphaz appears in the Syriac versions of the Old Testament and in the Aramaic Targum.

What a contrast exists between the God of Israel and the idols of the nations! They are false gods, but He is the true God; they are lifeless but He is living; they are temporal, but He is eternal; they are provincial, but He is sovereign over all the earth. All nations tremble before His indignation. (Jeremiah 10:10).

Jeremiah 10:11 is regarded as a gloss by most commentators. The verse is in the Aramaic language rather than Hebrew. It does seem strange, however, that a copyist would have inserted an Aramaic gloss into a Hebrew text either accidentally or purposely. It is best then to regard Jeremiah 10:11 as having originally been part of the text and written by Jeremiah himself. Why then is the verse in Aramaic? Probably Jeremiah is here utilizing some proverb which was current in his day in the Aramaic language. The basic idea of the verse is clear- All the gods of the nation which were in reality false gods will eventually perish.

Every man who engages in idolatry is stupid. Only when men accept the self-revelation of God through His word do they have any insight into the true meaning of life. Those who make the idols will be utterly ashamed in the day of judgment as they will be forced to admit that their images are powerless. In spite of the elaborate ceremonies in which the spirit of the god came to make its abode in the images Jeremiah declares there is no breath in them (Jeremiah 10:14). Those idols are utterly vain, empty, ridiculous. They, along with their worshipers, shall experience the visitation of judgment of the true God. In that time the images shall perish, unable to save themselves, let alone those who held them in esteem (Jeremiah 10:15). None of the gods so popular in the days of Jeremiah remain on the scene today. They have indeed perished. The Lord of hosts is not like the idols. He who is the Creator of everything is the Portion of Jacob and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. Though He is God of all nations, yet He belongs to Israel in a special way (Psalms 73:26; Psalms 119:57; Psalms 142:5) and Israel belongs to Him in a special way (Jeremiah 10:16).

Jeremiah 10:17-22

C. The Folly of Forsaking God Jeremiah 10:17-22

TRANSLATION

(17) Gather your bundle from the land, you who dwell in the siege. (18) For thus says the LORD! Behold, I am about to hurl out the inhabitants of the land at this time and I shall distress them in order that they might be found. (19) Woe to me because of my hurt! My wound is grievous. But as for me, I said, Alas, this is a grief that I must bear. (20) My tent is destroyed and all my cords have been snapped; my children have gone away from me and they are dead; there is none to stretch out my tent any longer and to raise up my curtains. (21) For the shepherds are stupid and they do not seek the LORD. Therefore they have not acted wisely, and all of their flock is scattered. (22) Hark! A report! Behold, it comes! A great shaking out of the land of the north, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, the habitation of jackals.

COMMENTS

Idolatry has inevitable consequences as far as God is concerned. In Jeremiah 10:17 Jeremiah sadly addresses his people and urges them to gather together their possessions and prepare to go into captivity when the siege of the land has ended (Jeremiah 10:17). The inhabitants of Judah are about to be violently expelled from their land, hurled forth as a rock is hurled from a sling. Because of their idolatry God Himself becomes their antagonist. He will bring them into this distress. The last phrase of Jer 10:18 is very difficult, that they might be found. Literally the phrase might be translated, that they might find. Find what? Perhaps the voice of the prophet trailed off and he never completed that sentence. On the other hand it is permissible to translate the last verb as a passive, that they might be found. Only when Judah has been purged of wickedness through the ordeal of captivity will God be able to find or accept His people once again.

As he contemplates the future of his people Jeremiah bursts forth into another lamentation. The knowledge of what will befall his people is compared to a hurt, a wound, a grief or sickness for which there is no cure. Jeremiah must simply live with his mental suffering (Jeremiah 10:19). The prophet compares Judah to a tent which has collapsed because the cords have been snapped or cut. Those who once occupied that tent have been taken into exile or else they are dead. No one remains to help raise up the national tent once again (Jeremiah 10:20). All of this calamity has come about because the shepherds, the political and religious leaders, have not sought the Lord. The word seek here is a technical word meaning to inquire of, to seek an oracle from the Lord. Spurning divine revelation these leaders were making decisions which were most unwise. Jeremiah is probably alluding to the scheming, plotting and outright revolt against Babylon the superpower. Because of the policies of the national shepherds, the flock, the people of the land, were being scattered. Innocent people often suffer when national leaders spurn divine revelation. Even as he points this finger of accusation at the national leadership Jeremiah dramatically pauses and puts his hands to his ears. Hark! he cries. A report! He seems to hear rumors or reports of the dreaded enemy from the north. The earth itself seems to rumble to the cadence of marching feet. The Chaldeans are on the march. Jerusalem and indeed all the cities of Judah would shortly be desolation, inhabited by wild creatures.

Jeremiah 10:23-25

D. A Prophetic Prayer Jeremiah 10:23-25

TRANSLATION

(23) I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own and that a man in walking cannot direct his step (24) Chastise me, O LORD, but in measure, not in Your wrath lest you cause me to become small. (25) Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You and upon tribes which have not called on Your name for they have consumed Jacob, they have consumed him and finished him and his habitation they have made desolate.

COMMENTS

The solemn description of the impending desolation of Judah (Jeremiah 10:22) sent the prophet of prayer to his knees in intercession for his people. He acknowledges man’s weakness and waywardness and uses this as the grounds upon which to appeal for the mercy of God. A man’s way is not his own; a man belongs to God. He is under the obligation to walk in the path which God has marked out for him in the word. If a man fails to acknowledge his relationship to God, fails to submit to divine direction, he denies the fundamental reason for his existence. One who walks the path of life is not able to give moral and spiritual guidance to his own steps. He will inevitably stray from the straight and narrow (Jeremiah 10:23). He therefore requires divine discipline and correction.

Jeremiah feels himself to be one with his people. The me of Jer 10:24 is really us. The prophet knows that God must chastise or discipline His people; he only prays that God will be merciful. Let God punish His people, but not in the wrath they deserve lest the nation become small and dwindle into insignificance. Rather let God punish Judah in measure,[192] i.e., with enough punishment to bring about the reformation of Judah. Jeremiah is willing to endure all that God intends to do to Judah so long as the judgment stops short of absolute and total annihilation of the nation.

[192] The Hebrew word is usually translated justice or judgment. That it also means measured amounts is indicated by 1 Kings 4:28 where the same word is used,

Israel deserves punishment and Jeremiah admits it. But the nations by whom and through whom God would bring judgment upon Judah also deserve divine judgment. These nations had gone beyond the appointed bounds (Isaiah 10:6-7; Isaiah 47:6; Zechariah 1:15). God intended for these nations to punish Israel; instead they aimed at destroying the people of God. Quoting Psalms 79:6-7, Jeremiah calls upon God to pour out His wrath upon them as well as Israel.