Jeremiah 11:17
The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal."
The LORD of Hosts, who planted you
This phrase emphasizes God's sovereignty and His role as the Creator and Sustainer of Israel. The title "LORD of Hosts" signifies His command over heavenly armies, underscoring His power and authority. The imagery of planting suggests care and intention, reflecting God's covenant relationship with Israel, akin to a gardener nurturing a vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7). This metaphor is also seen in the New Testament, where Jesus refers to Himself as the true vine (John 15:1), indicating a continuation of this divine care and purpose.

has decreed disaster against you
This part of the verse highlights the theme of divine judgment. The decree of disaster is a consequence of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness. In the historical context, this refers to the impending Babylonian exile, a fulfillment of the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 for disobedience. The prophetic nature of this decree is consistent with other warnings given by prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel, who also spoke of judgment due to Israel's sins.

on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves
Here, the focus is on the collective responsibility of both the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). Their evil actions, particularly idolatry and social injustice, are self-inflicted wounds leading to their downfall. This reflects the biblical principle of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8). The division of the kingdom after Solomon's reign (1 Kings 12) set the stage for distinct yet parallel paths of rebellion against God.

provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal
This phrase identifies the specific sin of idolatry, particularly the worship of Baal, a Canaanite deity. The act of burning incense is symbolic of worship and devotion, which should have been directed to Yahweh alone. The cultural context reveals the syncretism that plagued Israel, as they adopted pagan practices from surrounding nations. This idolatry is a direct violation of the first commandment (Exodus 20:3) and is frequently condemned by prophets. The anger of God is not capricious but a righteous response to covenant betrayal. This also foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan through Jesus Christ, who would restore true worship and reconcile humanity to God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD of Hosts
This title emphasizes God's sovereignty and power over all heavenly and earthly armies. It underscores His authority to judge and execute justice.

2. The House of Israel and the House of Judah
These represent the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, God's chosen people who have turned away from Him.

3. Baal
A Canaanite deity to whom the Israelites were burning incense, symbolizing their idolatry and unfaithfulness to God.

4. Jeremiah
The prophet through whom God delivers this message of impending judgment due to the people's disobedience.

5. Disaster
The consequence decreed by God as a result of the people's idolatry and rebellion against Him.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and Justice
God, as the LORD of Hosts, has the ultimate authority to judge His people. His decrees are just and righteous, reflecting His holiness.

The Consequences of Idolatry
Idolatry provokes God's anger and leads to severe consequences. Believers must guard against placing anything above God in their lives.

Faithfulness to God
The unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah serves as a warning. Christians are called to remain faithful and obedient to God, avoiding the pitfalls of spiritual adultery.

Repentance and Restoration
While judgment is pronounced, God's desire is for His people to repent and return to Him. There is always hope for restoration through genuine repentance.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets like Jeremiah are God's messengers, calling people back to righteousness. We should heed the warnings and teachings of Scripture as God's word to us today.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the title "LORD of Hosts" influence our understanding of God's authority and power in this passage?

2. In what ways can modern believers fall into the trap of idolatry, and how can we guard against it?

3. How does the imagery of God as a planter relate to His expectations for His people, both in Jeremiah's time and today?

4. What lessons can we learn from the consequences faced by Israel and Judah that apply to our personal and communal spiritual lives?

5. How can we apply the message of repentance and restoration in our daily walk with God, especially when we recognize areas of unfaithfulness?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 29:18-20
This passage warns against idolatry and the consequences of turning away from God, similar to the judgment pronounced in Jeremiah 11:17.

Isaiah 5:1-7
The imagery of God as the planter of a vineyard (Israel) that produces bad fruit, leading to its destruction, parallels the message in Jeremiah 11:17.

Hosea 10:1-2
Hosea speaks of Israel as a luxuriant vine that has turned to idolatry, echoing the themes of unfaithfulness and judgment.
The Limits of Long-Suffering LoveS. Conway Jeremiah 11:17
The Fated Olive TreeD. Young Jeremiah 11:16, 17
The First LastS. Conway Jeremiah 11:16, 17
People
Anathoth, Jeremiah
Places
Anathoth, Egypt, Jerusalem, Zion
Topics
Anger, Armies, Baal, Ba'al, Burning, Decision, Decreed, Disaster, Evil, Hosts, Incense, Judah, Moving, Offering, Perfume, Perfumes, Planted, Planting, Pronounced, Provoke, Provoked, Provoking, Sacrifices, Spoken, Themselves, Worked, Wrath, Wrought
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 11:17

     7386   incense
     9210   judgment, God's

Jeremiah 11:16-17

     4492   olive

Library
First, for Thy Thoughts.
1. Be careful to suppress every sin in the first motion; dash Babylon's children, whilst they are young, against the stones; tread, betimes, the cockatrice's egg, lest it break out into a serpent; let sin be to thy heart a stranger, not a home-dweller: take heed of falling oft into the same sin, lest the custom of sinning take away the conscience of sin, and then shalt thou wax so impudently wicked, that thou wilt neither fear God nor reverence man. 2. Suffer not thy mind to feed itself upon any
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

"And we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind, have Taken us Away. "
Isaiah lxiv. 6.--"And we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Here they join the punishment with the deserving cause, their uncleanness and their iniquities, and so take it upon them, and subscribe to the righteousness of God's dealing. We would say this much in general--First, Nobody needeth to quarrel God for his dealing. He will always be justified when he is judged. If the Lord deal more sharply with you than with others, you may judge there is a difference
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It

The Tests of Love to God
LET us test ourselves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God. For the deciding of this, as our love will be best seen by the fruits of it, I shall lay down fourteen signs, or fruits, of love to God, and it concerns us to search carefully whether any of these fruits grow in our garden. 1. The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

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

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