Jeremiah 5:4-6 – Be people who will walk our talk.

In the first three verses of Jeremiah 5, God challenged him to search and see if could find one righteous man in Judah. And if he could find as little as even one, He would spare the city. Unfortunately, Jeremiah could not even find one. He only saw among them unrighteous people dealing unfairly with God and with each other. Moral corruption was all he could see.

Unconvinced and not ready to concede that no righteous man could be found, Jeremiah rationalized that perhaps only the poor would engage in such immoral ways. He thought that because of their social condition, they were oblivious to the ways of the LORD and His justice. So he was determined to go among the rich and find out for himself among those so-called “great” and speak to them. He reckoned that he could find some righteous among them. He thought that they were better predisposed, hence they would have more time to discover the ways of the LORD and His justice. Jeremiah found to his disappointment that he could not find any there too. In saying that they alike had “broken the yoke and burst the bonds,” Jeremiah was saying that they too were lawless.

Judah was morally corrupt, both the rich and the poor. And there was only one predictable end for them. They would be dealt with at the ferocious hands of their enemy, the Babylonians. Like being severely savaged by wild beasts Judah would be savagely devoured. Verse 6 said, “… a lion from the forest shall strike them down; a wolf from the desert shall devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities; everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces….” The reason for their end was obvious. They had committed many transgressions and apostasies.

No one escapes the sight of God. He is impartial. He sees the deeds of everyone as he is, whether rich or poor, and evaluated them as He sees them. He is looking for truth and seeking people who are faithful. He can see through our deception and pretense. We must be sure to walk our talk. Live uprightly, make our promises and be sure to keep them. Live life keeping Psalm 14:2 in mind:

The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God.