"They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account," declares the LORD. They bend their tongues like bows;This phrase uses the metaphor of a bow to describe the deceitful nature of the people's speech. In ancient warfare, a bow was a weapon of precision and power, symbolizing the intentional and targeted nature of their lies. The imagery suggests that their words are not only false but also harmful and destructive. This metaphor is consistent with other biblical passages that describe the tongue as a powerful tool, such as in James 3:5-8, where the tongue is likened to a small fire that can set a forest ablaze. lies prevail over truth in the land.
The prevalence of lies over truth indicates a society deeply entrenched in deceit and moral corruption. This reflects the broader context of Jeremiah's ministry, where the people of Judah had turned away from God's commandments and embraced falsehoods. The land, representing the nation of Judah, is characterized by a lack of integrity and righteousness. This situation is reminiscent of Isaiah 59:14-15, where truth has stumbled in the streets, and honesty cannot enter. The cultural context of the time shows a society that has rejected divine truth in favor of self-serving deception. For they proceed from evil to evil,
This phrase highlights the progressive nature of sin, where one act of evil leads to another. It underscores the idea that sin is not static but grows and multiplies when left unchecked. This progression from evil to evil is a common theme in the Bible, illustrating the depravity of the human heart without God's intervention. In Romans 1:28-32, Paul describes a similar downward spiral of sin, where people are given over to a depraved mind, leading to a cascade of wicked actions. and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD.
The failure to consider God in their actions is the root cause of the people's moral decay. This phrase emphasizes the importance of acknowledging God in all aspects of life, as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6, which advises trusting in the Lord and acknowledging Him in all ways. The declaration by the LORD serves as a divine indictment against the people, highlighting their spiritual blindness and rebellion. This disregard for God is a recurring issue in the history of Israel and Judah, leading to their eventual judgment and exile. The prophetic voice of Jeremiah calls the people back to a covenant relationship with God, urging them to repent and return to Him. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. He is known for his lamentations over the spiritual state of the nation. 2. The People of JudahThe primary audience of Jeremiah's prophecies. They were in a state of moral and spiritual decline, often turning away from God to idolatry and falsehood. 3. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who is speaking through Jeremiah, expressing His displeasure with the people's deceit and lack of knowledge of Him. 4. The Land of JudahThe geographical and spiritual setting of the prophecy, representing the broader context of Israel's covenant relationship with God. 5. The Bow and Tongue ImagerySymbolic language used to describe the deceitful nature of the people's speech, likening their tongues to weapons of war. Teaching Points The Power of WordsOur words can be as destructive as weapons. We must be mindful of how we speak, ensuring our words align with truth and righteousness. The Prevalence of DeceitIn a world where lies often prevail, Christians are called to be beacons of truth, reflecting God's character in our speech and actions. Knowing God PersonallyThe root of the people's sin was their lack of knowledge of God. We must prioritize a personal relationship with God, seeking to know Him through His Word and prayer. Progression of EvilSin often leads to more sin. We must be vigilant in our spiritual lives, confessing and repenting to prevent a downward spiral. God's Call to RepentanceDespite the people's waywardness, God's declaration through Jeremiah is a call to return to Him. We should heed His call to repentance and transformation. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of the tongue as a bow in Jeremiah 9:3 challenge us to consider the impact of our words in daily life? 2. In what ways can we ensure that truth prevails in our personal and community interactions, as opposed to deceit? 3. Reflect on a time when you experienced the progression of sin in your life. How did you address it, and what role did knowing God play in your repentance? 4. How can we cultivate a deeper knowledge of God to prevent spiritual ignorance and its consequences, as seen in Jeremiah 9:3? 5. Compare the themes in Jeremiah 9:3 with those in James 3:6. How do these scriptures together inform our understanding of the power and responsibility of speech? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 64:3This verse also uses the imagery of tongues as weapons, highlighting the destructive power of deceitful speech. James 3:6The New Testament warns about the tongue's potential to corrupt and spread evil, echoing the concerns in Jeremiah. Hosea 4:1Similar themes of lacking truth and knowledge of God are found here, emphasizing the consequences of spiritual ignorance. People JeremiahPlaces Ammon, Edom, Egypt, Gilead, Jerusalem, Moab, ZionTopics Acknowledge, Affirmation, Bend, Bent, Bow, Declares, Evil, Faith, Falsehood, Fidelity, Forth, Grown, Lie, Lies, Mighty, Prevail, Proceed, Says, Shoot, Sin, Stedfastness, Strong, Tongue, Tongues, Triumph, Truth, ValiantDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 9:3 1461 truth, nature of
5193 tongue
5210 arrows
5236 bow and arrow Jeremiah 9:1-9 5550 speech, negative Library India's Ills and England's Sorrows
It would seem as if some men had been sent into this world for the very purpose of being the world's weepers. God's great house is thoroughly furnished with everything, everything that can express the thoughts and the emotions of the inhabitant, God hath made. I find in nature, plants to be everlasting weepers. There by the lonely brook, where the maiden cast away her life, the willow weeps for ever; and there in the grave yard where men lie slumbering till the trumpet of the archangel shall awaken …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857"Boast not Thyself of To-Morrow, for Thou Knowest not what a Day May Bring Forth. "
Prov. xxvii. 1.--"Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." There are some peculiar gifts that God hath given to man in his first creation, and endued his nature with, beyond other living creatures, which being rightly ordered and improved towards the right objects, do advance the soul of man to a wonderful height of happiness, that no other sublunary creature is capable of. But by reason of man's fall into sin, these are quite disordered and turned out of …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Characters and Names of Messiah
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. S uch was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 How the Simple and the Crafty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 12.) Differently to be admonished are the simple and the insincere. The simple are to be praised for studying never to say what is false, but to be admonished to know how sometimes to be silent about what is true. For, as falsehood has always harmed him that speaks it, so sometimes the hearing of truth has done harm to some. Wherefore the Lord before His disciples, tempering His speech with silence, says, I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now (Joh. xvi. 12). …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it …
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in …
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity 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 9:3 NIVJeremiah 9:3 NLTJeremiah 9:3 ESVJeremiah 9:3 NASBJeremiah 9:3 KJV
Jeremiah 9:3 Commentaries
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