I will pronounce My judgments against them for all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands. I will pronounce My judgments against themThis phrase indicates God's role as the ultimate judge over Israel. The context is the impending judgment on Judah due to their disobedience. The Hebrew word for "judgments" can also mean "verdicts" or "sentences," emphasizing the legal aspect of God's decision. This reflects the covenant relationship where blessings and curses were outlined in Deuteronomy 28. God's judgments are consistent with His character as just and righteous, as seen throughout the Old Testament. for all their wickedness
"Wickedness" here refers to the moral and spiritual corruption of the people. This includes idolatry, social injustice, and breaking the covenant with God. The term encompasses a broad range of sins, highlighting the comprehensive nature of their rebellion. The prophets frequently called out such wickedness, as seen in Isaiah 1:4 and Ezekiel 16:2, where similar language is used to describe Israel's unfaithfulness. because they have forsaken Me
Forsaking God is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, symbolizing a breach of the covenant. This phrase underscores the relational aspect of Israel's sin, as they abandoned their unique relationship with Yahweh. The historical context includes alliances with foreign nations and adopting their gods, as seen in 2 Kings 17:7-8. This forsaking is not just a passive act but an active turning away from God. and they have burned incense to other gods
Burning incense was a common practice in ancient Near Eastern worship, symbolizing prayer and devotion. The act of burning incense to other gods indicates idolatry, a direct violation of the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). Archaeological findings, such as altars and incense burners, provide evidence of such practices in ancient Israel. This idolatry is condemned throughout the prophets, as in Hosea 11:2 and Isaiah 65:3. and worshiped the works of their own hands
This phrase highlights the futility and absurdity of idolatry, as people worship what they themselves have created. It reflects the cultural context where handcrafted idols were common, yet it also points to a deeper spiritual blindness. The prophets often mocked this practice, as seen in Isaiah 44:9-20, where the folly of idol-making is vividly described. This idolatry contrasts with the worship of the living God, who is the Creator, not a creation. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah. He is known for his prophecies of judgment and calls for repentance. 2. God (Yahweh)The one true God who is pronouncing judgment against His people for their idolatry and wickedness. 3. JudahThe southern kingdom of Israel, which had turned away from God and engaged in idolatry, leading to God's pronouncement of judgment. 4. IdolatryThe act of worshiping other gods and the works of human hands, which is a central issue in this passage and a recurring theme in the Old Testament. 5. JudgmentThe divine retribution that God declares He will bring upon Judah for their unfaithfulness and idolatry. Teaching Points The Seriousness of IdolatryIdolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can include anything that takes the place of God in our lives. We must examine our hearts for modern-day idols. God's Righteous JudgmentGod's judgments are just and are a response to human sinfulness. Understanding His righteousness helps us appreciate His mercy and grace. The Call to RepentanceLike Judah, we are called to turn away from sin and return to God. Repentance is a continual process in the life of a believer. The Consequences of Forsaking GodTurning away from God leads to spiritual and often physical consequences. We are reminded to remain faithful and obedient to His Word. The Importance of WorshipTrue worship is directed towards God alone. We must ensure our worship is genuine and not directed towards the "works of our own hands." Bible Study Questions 1. What are some modern-day "idols" that can distract us from worshiping God alone, and how can we identify them in our lives? 2. How does understanding God's righteous judgment in Jeremiah 1:16 help us appreciate His mercy and grace in the New Testament? 3. In what ways can we ensure that our worship remains focused on God and not on the "works of our own hands"? 4. How does the call to repentance in Jeremiah's time apply to us today, and what steps can we take to live a life of continual repentance? 5. How can we draw strength from other scriptures, such as Romans 1:21-23, to resist the temptation of idolatry in our daily lives? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:3-5This passage connects to the first and second commandments, where God commands His people to have no other gods and not to make idols. Jeremiah 1:16 highlights the violation of these commandments. Deuteronomy 28:15-68The curses for disobedience outlined here are relevant as they provide a backdrop for the judgments pronounced in Jeremiah. 2 Kings 22-23The reforms of King Josiah, who attempted to turn Judah back to God, show the historical context of Judah's idolatry and the efforts to correct it. Romans 1:21-23This New Testament passage discusses humanity's tendency to worship created things rather than the Creator, echoing the idolatry condemned in Jeremiah. People Amon, Anathoth, Benjamin, Hilkiah, Jehoiakim, Jeremiah, Josiah, ZedekiahPlaces Anathoth, JerusalemTopics Account, Bow, Burned, Burning, Decision, Evil, Evil-doing, Forsaken, Forsaking, Gods, Hands, Incense, Judgments, Offered, Perfume, Perfumes, Pronounce, Sacrifices, Spoken, Themselves, Touching, Utter, Whereby, Wickedness, Works, Worshiped, Worshiping, Worshipped, WorshippingDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 1:16 1310 God, as judge
6232 rejection of God, results
7386 incense
8138 monotheism
8771 idolatry, objections
8840 unfaithfulness, to God
9210 judgment, God's Jeremiah 1:11-16 1431 prophecy, OT methods Jeremiah 1:13-16 5607 warfare, examples Jeremiah 1:14-16 7217 exile, in Babylon Library May the Fifteenth God is Wide-Awake
"Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree." --JEREMIAH i. 7-19. And through the almond tree the Lord gave the trembling young prophet the strength of assurance. The almond tree is the first to awake from its wintry sleep. When all other trees are held in frozen slumber the almond blossoms are looking out on the barren world. And God is like that, awake and vigilant. Nobody anticipates Him. Wherever Jeremiah was sent on his prophetic mission the Lord would be there before …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling YearJeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Writings of Jerome.
The following is a list of the writings arranged under various heads, and showing the date of composition and the place held by each in the Edition of Vallarsi, the eleven volumes of which will be found in Migne's Patrologia, vols. xxii. to xxx. The references are to the volumes of Jerome's works (i.-xi.) in that edition. I. Bible translations: (1) From the Hebrew.--The Vulgate of the Old Testament, written at Bethlehem, begun 391, finished 404, vol. ix. (2) From the Septuagint.--The Psalms as used …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome Out of Sectarian Confusion
I was still a Methodist. The Methodist did not license women to preach; but when the preachers found out that God was using me in the salvation of souls and that I was not especially interested in building up any certain denomination, I had an abundance of calls. God had already begun talking to my brother Jeremiah about the sin of division, and he was beginning to see the evils of sectarianism. The winter after I was healed, he had attended the Jacksonville, Illinois, holiness convention, and had …
Mary Cole—Trials and Triumphs of Faith How those are to be Admonished who do not Even Begin Good Things, and those who do not Finish them when Begun.
(Admonition 35.) Differently to be admonished are they who do not even begin good things, and those who in no wise complete such as they have begun. For as to those who do not even begin good things, for them the first need is, not to build up what they may wholesomely love, but to demolish that wherein they are wrongly occupied. For they will not follow the untried things they hear of, unless they first come to feel how pernicious are the things that they have tried; since neither does one desire …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church That Sometimes Some Laudably Desire the Office of Preaching, While Others, as Laudably, are Drawn to it by Compulsion.
Although sometimes some laudably desire the office of preaching, yet others are as laudably drawn to it by compulsion; as we plainly perceive, if we consider the conduct of two prophets, one of whom offered himself of his own accord to be sent to preach, yet the other in fear refused to go. For Isaiah, when the Lord asked whom He should send, offered himself of his own accord, saying, Here I am; send me (Isai. vi. 8). But Jeremiah is sent, yet humbly pleads that he should not be sent, saying, Ah, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great A Defence of the Doctrine of Justification, by Faith in Jesus Christ;
SHEWING, TRUE GOSPEL-HOLINESS FLOWS FROM THENCE; OR, MR. FOWLER'S PRETENDED DESIGN OF CHRISTIANITY, PROVED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN TO TRAMPLE UNDER FOOT THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD; AND THE IDOLIZING OF MAN'S OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AS ALSO, HOW WHILE HE PRETENDS TO BE A MINISTER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, HE OVERTHROWETH THE WHOLESOME DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THE 10TH, 11TH, AND 13TH, OF THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES OF THE SAME, AND THAT HE FALLETH IN WITH THE QUAKER AND ROMANIST, AGAINST THEM. BY JOHN BUNYAN …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Letter Xlv (Circa A. D. 1140) to the Canons of Lyons, on the Conception of S. Mary.
To the Canons of Lyons, on the Conception of S. Mary. Bernard states that the Festival of the Conception was new; that it rested on no legitimate foundation; and that it should not have been instituted without consulting the Apostolic See, to whose opinion he submits. 1. It is well known that among all the Churches of France that of Lyons is first in importance, whether we regard the dignity of its See, its praiseworthy regulations, or its honourable zeal for learning. Where was there ever the vigour …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Epistle iv. To Cyriacus, Bishop.
To Cyriacus, Bishop. Gregory to Cyriacus, Bishop of Constantinople. We have received with becoming charity our common sons, George the presbyter and Theodore your deacon; and we rejoice that you have passed from the care of ecclesiastical business to the government of souls, since, according to the voice of the Truth, He that is faithful in a little will be faithful also in much (Luke xvi. 10). And to the servant who administers well it is said, Because thou hast been faithful over a few things, …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great The Sin-Bearer.
A COMMUNION MEDITATION AT MENTONE. "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."--1 Peter ii. 24, 25. THE SIN-BEARER. THIS wonderful passage is a part of Peter's address to servants; and in his day nearly all servants were slaves. Peter begins at the eighteenth verse: "Servants, be subject …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come John the Baptist's Person and Preaching.
(in the Wilderness of Judæa, and on the Banks of the Jordan, Occupying Several Months, Probably a.d. 25 or 26.) ^A Matt. III. 1-12; ^B Mark I. 1-8; ^C Luke III. 1-18. ^b 1 The beginning of the gospel [John begins his Gospel from eternity, where the Word is found coexistent with God. Matthew begins with Jesus, the humanly generated son of Abraham and David, born in the days of Herod the king. Luke begins with the birth of John the Baptist, the Messiah's herald; and Mark begins with the ministry …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 1:16 NIVJeremiah 1:16 NLTJeremiah 1:16 ESVJeremiah 1:16 NASBJeremiah 1:16 KJV
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