Jeremiah 17:19-27 – The importance of keeping the Sabbath

Sabbath is to be a day where everyone refrains from work to rest. One of the misconceptions concerning the Sabbath is that since it was a day to rest, it ought to be a day of passivity. But this was never God’s idea. He wanted it to be a day where His people would rest from strenuous work but not from restful activities that enable connection with Him.

In God's covenant with Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, He stipulated in the fourth of the Ten Commandments that they should keep the Sabbath and hallowed that day. However, this call to rest to make the day holy precedes the giving of the Ten Commandments. God instituted it after He brought creation into order. Genesis said that God rested on the seventh day and made that day holy. So we safely conclude that Sabbath rest is an ordinance in creation. God had decreed it at the onset of creation. This was the pattern God had ordained for mankind to allow them to recalibrate life.

Over time His people had broken the sabbath and failed to observe the day of rest stipulated. Perhaps this was one of the reasons that led them to be so distracted by the work that they lost their focus. From Jeremiah 17:19-27, we see how much God values the Sabbath. So in these verses, Jeremiah was told to go to all the gates of the city as well as the gate of Jerusalem, where the kings, as well as the citizens, would go in and out and warn them to cease from work on the Sabbath. They must not repeat the mistake of their forefathers who had chosen to break the Sabbath. In verse 27 he warned that the nation would be overthrown if they persist in their disobedience by breaking the Sabbath.  

However, in verses 24-26, God restates the covenant blessings they would enjoy if they would keep this command. God promised to proper them as He stipulated in His agreement with King David. Verses 25-26  specifically said that “…then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord.” 

What relevance has the call to observe Sabbath to us? This call is particularly relevant for us living in an affluent society where our focus in life can be so wrong. Unconsciously many have allowed work and rigorous activities on the Sabbath to  squeeze God out of life. We forget His warning that apart from Him we can do nothing. Our well-being in life can only be maintained and enjoyed when our connection with Him stays intact.  When we observe the Sabbath rest, we will be surprised that our focus on work on the other days will be enhanced. Besides observing the Sabbath also allows us to connect with the other members of our family as well as friends. So let us remember to the Sabbath to keep it holy!      

Jeremiah 17:14-18 – Shaped through tough times.

Reading Jeremiah 17:15 gives hint that the prophet's opposers were smugly jeering Jeremiah and making fun of his prediction. They asked him “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!” He had been warning them people of God’s impending judgment which they were yet to experience. And it seemed long coming.  So they took a dig at him mocking him for the delay.

Despite the mocking he received from his opposers, Jeremiah did not shy away from his under-shepherd role and calling. Though his message was hard to stomach, and he took no delight in proclaiming it, yet he did not flinch from the task. However, it must be said that he felt intimidated and entertained some trepidations. So he started out asking God to heal him, probably of the mental torment. He was certain that God would do so for He was the one that he had come to praise.     

Jeremiah’s  message was one of doom and gloom. Seriously, who would look forward to such a message? He knew his message would inevitably bring opposition. So even speaking God’s truth, he had trepidations. However, the assurance he had that kept him going was that he knew His God. It was to Him that Jeremiah sought refuge. Thus, he had nothing to fear. So he prayed against all his opponents and asked that they be put to shame and be dismayed and that a day of disaster would come upon them, and totally destroy them.

No true servant of God who proclaims His message dares to take the role lightly. Being God’s spokesman is an awesome task that must be done with all serious intensity. It must not be lightly and cursorily done. The main motivation for us to serve God must not be for glory or self-aggrandizement. Otherwise, when we face challenges and hardship in the ministry, our first thought is to quit. What’s your motivation for serving God? Remember while we serve God. He uses the service we offer to Him to build our character and mature us and make us more Christlike.   

Jeremiah 17:12-13 – Our hope and security is in God

How pathetic the people of Judah were as we consider the paths they had chosen to walk. It was sheer folly for them to depart from the true God,  their Covenant Lord, their source of life. It was unthinkably stupid for them to choose to depart from Him, and like the pagans went after false gods. In Jeremiah 17:1, we were told that their sins were carved on their hearts and even on the horns of the altar. In other words, on the most sacred part of the altar that belonged to God, they made to bear the names of false gods.  

Now in Jeremiah 17:12-13, the prophet was redirecting the attention of the people to the true God, who had chosen to make Jerusalem His dwelling place. Jerusalem was synonymous with the exalted throne of God. He was the true hope of Israel, and their security was in Him. He should be the one the people ought to trust with their whole hearts. For He was the source of their living. He alone could provide nourishment to them like streams of living water to thriving green trees.  

In Jeremiah 17:13 we see a reiteration of what the prophet had earlier said in verse 11. There, Jeremiah talked about the result of those who had placed their hope and trust in their own strength and not in God. They had chosen to turn away from Him. According to him, their lives would be wasted and useless.  Like shrubs planted in barren and waste desert ground their growth would be stunted. The emphasis in verse 13 is on those who had chosen to forsake God. They would be depriving themselves of the fountain of living water, the source of life.  Their end would be a shame.

These two verses underscore for us to the need build a steadfast faith in God. It is important that our faith in God be immovable and unchanged. How do we build steadfast faith? Here are a few suggestions: Fix our eyes on Jesus; don’t get distracted; stay connected with God by spending time in the Word and prayer. Fellowship with like-minded believers. Bear in mind that the things of the world may seem more attractive, but true security can only be found and experienced in God.    

Jeremiah 17:9-11 – The heart matters

The human being is a complex being that God has made. Every one of us is essentially made up of a spirit, a soul, and a body. In the Bible, the heart is seen functioning not only in the body but also in the spirit and the soul. In the physical body, the heart is that vital organ located within the person’s chest. It plays a crucial role in our circulatory system by pumping non-stop day and night to keep us alive. It ensures that our blood is sent to be oxygenated in our lungs, then it ensured that the oxygenated blood is sent to provide oxygen to the cells in our whole body.

Relating to the spirit and the soul, the heart is said to be the aspect of us that enables us to feel, desire, and decide. This is the heart that Jeremiah 17:9 is referring to. He is talking about our feeling and emotion, and our desire and decision in relation to pleasing God. Concerning our feeling, desire, and decision, this verse tells us that our hearts are deceitful and desperately sick and hard to understand. Why? Because we all have adopted Adam’s fallen nature, hence we are prone to fall prey to our fallen desire.

Unlike the physical heart, the spiritual heart is hard to fathom. In the body, the function of the heart is strictly assigned and regimented to keep us alive. But in the spirit and soul, the heart is hidden and is hard to comprehend. While we know we need God, yet we may have desires that drive us to make decisions that are contrary to a healthy relationship with Him. The only person that can see our hidden attitudes, and motives is God. And He is constantly searching and testing our hearts. He deals with it when we are wayward and blesses us when we steer our hearts toward pleasing Him.

There are people who seek to gain riches by dubious means. using a bird, a partridge to illustrate, Jeremiah 17:11 shows us the outcome of gaining wealth through dubious means.  It is like a bird, a partridge that hatches eggs that it had stolen from the nest of others. When the birds it had hatched from the stolen eggs had grown, they will definitely fly the coup and leave one's nest empty.  

What does the Bible propose that we do? In Proverbs 4:23, we are told to guard our heart with all diligence, for from it flows the wellspring of life. In Proverbs 3:5 we are urged to trust the Lord wholeheartedly and not to lean on our own understanding. It is undeniable that the heart of learning is the learning of the heart.

  

Jeremiah 17:5-8 – Live a flourishing life, not a languishing one

Jeremiah 17:5-8 like Psalm 1 provides us with the contrast of two groups of people with two different sets of outcomes. The first category is about those who put their trust in their natural strength and the second category is about those who trust and walk with the Lord. While Psalm 1 deals first with the blessed people that put their trust in the Lord and walk with Him, Jeremiah starts with those cursed people who put trust in their own strength.  

We can see clearly here the outcomes of each group. The hearts of the people who place their hope and trust in their own strength are not with God. They choose to turn away from Him. As a result, their lives are useless.  They experience stunted growth like shrubs planted in barren and waste desert ground. They are deprived of water because  sources of water would be scarce.

On the other hand, the people who put their hope and trust in God  are like the blessed man described in Psalm 1. They shall be like trees planted by streams of water whose leaves will never wither. In walking with God, this group of people is planted fertile and well-irrigated soil. How can such trees not flourish when their roots are supplied with a constant stream of water? Such people had no anxiety and would continue to bear fruit in life even when the conditions were harsh.

There is nothing more important than to build a God-centred life where we live according to the Word of God. Building it any other way will give us a weak foundation and cause us to be separated from God’s purpose for our lives. If we want to be counted among the redeemed and make the mark at the final accounting, partaking of God and obeying and acting on the Word of God must take a significant place in our daily living.  Thus, it is important to study, meditate, memorize, and obey the Word of God. They will certainly ensure that we attain a Word-watered, God-centred life that is pleasing to Him.      

Jeremiah 17:1-4 – The need to swiftly deal with sin

The national sin was Judah was deeply entrenched. Their waywardness was indelibly engraved upon their hearts. Notice how Jeremiah 17:1 describes the people’s condition. It was as if their sins had been engraved with an iron stylus and an instrument with diamond tips.  They were not only carved upon their hearts but were also on the most sacred part of the altar, the “horns of the altars.” Worship of Baal was widespread and had become a part of everyone’s daily living. They remember the pagan altars and the Asherim on every green tree as much as they remembered their own children. God surmised that unless he did something drastic it would be  impossible to remove their evil practice.   

God’s anger for His people and His unstoppable fire had been kindled. They had steeply persisted in their sins and rebelliousness and polluted Jerusalem, the mountain to God. Hence in God’s judgment of them,  Jerusalem, all the pagan altars of the land, and their treasures would be given as booties of wars to an enemy. They would forgo their inheritance and the citizens of Judah be carried all carried away to a foreign land to be servants of their enemies.

Sin must not be minimized or underestimated. It becomes entrenched when we refused to deal with it instantly. The more we persist in sin, the harder it would be to turn around. This was demonstrated in the people of Judah. Despite God’s overextending His patience, Judah would not budge. Hence He had to harden Himself and deal harshly with these wayward people by giving them into the hands of their enemies. Sin has a way to harden us. It holds us longer than we can afford to be held. It makes us pay much more than we are willing to pay. Don’t trifle with sin, the longer you toy with it, the deeper it will be entrenched.  Deal with sin swiftly.   

  

Jeremiah 16:19-21 – Where is your focus? Is it on God?

In response to God’s promise, Jeremiah's confidence in the Lord was renewed. This was seen in his prayer to God. In Jeremiah 16: 18-20, affirming the Lord as his strength and stronghold, he affirmed that  God was his refuge in the day of distress. He foresaw that it would be to Him that His people the Jews would return. Besides, he was also sure that people from other nations would flock to Him too. So he looked forward to the day when God would be acknowledged and the uselessness of the false gods renounce. For no false gods could become real no matter how much they were acknowledged and worshipped.

Then in Jeremiah 19:21, God responded to the prophet saying that He would make the people who returned experience His power and might. They shall come to know and experience the significance of Yahweh, the covenant name of the Lord, the only true God.

 

No matter how gloomy and bleak the situation and the circumstances of life may be, we must fix our eyes on God. When we do so, we will see Him for who He truly is. Our confidence is found in Him. And like the song says, “the things of this world will become strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

 

Is our focus on God as we consider the chaotic situation in the world today? It matters that our eyes are fixed on God and not on the situations of the world. We tend to move toward where we are focused on. The greater the intensity of our focus, the greater will be the mastery of our mind over our lives and the situation. Focus always brings clarity. Don’t focus on what we are up against but on God and the goals and dreams He has for us. He promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.