Jeremiah 17 FSI - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **Jeremiah 17 Notes** > [[Jeremiah 16 FSI|<Prev]]   [[Jeremiah 18 FSI|Next>]] > [[Jeremiah 17|Verse list view]] > [Jeremiah 17:1](Jeremiah%2017.md#^1) note > > "The sin of Judah *is* written with a pen of iron, *and* with the point of a diamond:" -- God is looking again at the local churches and congregations as typified by Judah. (We know, of course, that those who were saved in Judah were not under God's judgment, it is the visible representation of the kingdom of God on earth that has come under judgment. And those who were truly His people were to come out from among them.) And here God is indicating the character of their sin using very dramatic language. And we've already seen that their sin is to make their own kind of gods that they want to serve rather than the God of the Bible. > > A pen of iron points to something that has tremendous strength, you can really bear down on it. It's not talking about a feather that you can dip in ink. And the Hebrew word translated *diamond* is normally translated *brier*, it relates to something that is sharp and hard, and thus the phrase *with a pen of iron, *and* with the point of a diamond*. And the next phrase indicates why God speaks of using this unusual kind of writing instrument... > > "...*it is* graven upon the table of their heart" -- God is writing their sins upon the table of their heart, and their heart is intensely hardened against God. This is the nature of the unsaved that their hearts are very hard. So God is saying that their sins are scratched deep into the table of their hard hearts. > > "...and upon the horns of your altars;" -- God had instructed Israel to build an altar with a horn on each corner. And a horn has to do with power and strength, like, for example, the horns of the beast in Revelation represent kings who rule with great power and strength in the world. And the altar is where the burnt offerings were offered, and those offerings pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ Who alone pays for our sins. The altar itself thus spiritually signified God's salvation plan which is eternal in character and is able to wipe away all of our sins in the strength of Christ, Who is the only Way to have our sin removed. He is our Altar, He is our Strength, He is our Offering as the Lamb slain for our sins. And that means there is no more remembrance of our sins, they have all been paid for. But now God speaks of a time when their sins are scratched or carved upon the horns of their altars, just as they are upon the table of their hearts, so that they cannot be removed. He has abandoned them and He is no longer there so that their sin remains (see [verses 3](Jeremiah%2017.md#^3) and [4](Jeremiah%2017.md#^4); [Heb 6:4](Hebrews%206.md#^4), [5](Hebrews%206.md#^5), [6](Hebrews%206.md#^6)). ^jer17-1 > [Jeremiah 17:2](Jeremiah%2017.md#^2) note > > This verse is parallel to [Jeremiah 16:19](Jeremiah%2016.md#^19) - [20](Jeremiah%2016.md#^20) where the Gentiles who come into the kingdom of God today recognize that their fathers (whether in the nation of Israel or in the fallen churches and congregations) have come under God's judgment for their lies and vanities. Those who come into the kingdom of God can see where many before them came under the wrath of God for their idolatry, false doctrines and gospels and their worship of other gods in high places and so on. And many times we fail to realize that whenever someone follows a doctrine that is designed by people rather than by God in the Bible it is effectively the worship of another god, they are trusting in something that comes from a source other than the Bible. It is tantamount to the worship of Baal or Ashtaroth or Buddha. ^jer17-2 > [Jeremiah 17:3](Jeremiah%2017.md#^3) note > > This is the indictment that God is making against the local churches and congregations. > > "O my mountain in the field" -- The *mountain* is a synonym for a *kingdom* ([Rev 17:9](Revelation%2017.md#^9) - [10](Revelation%2017.md#^10)). The *field* is a synonym for the *world* ([Mt 13:38](Matthew%2013.md#^38)). So God is saying, "O My kingdom that is found everywhere in the world." This is *His* mountain, *His* kingdom, His people (in the visible sense, made up of many who are still unbelievers) that have gone their own way and have come under His judgment. > > "I will give thy substance *and* all thy treasures to the spoil, *and* thy high places for sin" -- Notice it is God Who is taking the action, "***I*** will give thy substance *and* all thy treasures to the spoil...." It's the language of destruction, everything they have trusted in will be destroyed. > > "...throughout all thy borders." -- There are no exceptions. There will not be one stone left upon another. Throughout *all* their borders will be destruction. So we cannot cling to the hope that maybe there might be an exception here or an exception there. ^jer17-3 > [Jeremiah 17:4](Jeremiah%2017.md#^4) note > > "And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee" -- God had made an eternal covenant with Israel that He would be their God. Now He is saying there will be a break in that inheritance. But God did not break the covenant, they broke the covenant. The covenant has to do with eternal salvation. But if we do not find a remedy for our sin, while we might be *visibly* identified with the kingdom of God, we are not eternally identified with the true, eternal kingdom of God. The inheritance is effectively gone. > > "and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, *which* shall burn for ever." -- God is using language that we find in [Deuteronomy 4:24](Deuteronomy%204.md#^24), [Hebrews 12:29](Hebrews%2012.md#^29), [Revelation 14:11](Revelation%2014.md#^11) and [20:15](Revelation%2020.md#^15) that God is a consuming fire and the unsaved will be cast into the lake of fire. It is the language of utter destruction. > > So this verse ties us into the fact that it is God's final judgment upon the local churches and congregations. It is for ever, they have lost the inheritance. There is no hope, it is the most terrible place in the world to be. It's in the place where the whole world will be on the last day when there's no longer any mercy anywhere. But now that's the situation for the visible kingdom of God in the world. Their sin is indelibly scratched into their soul and upon the horns of their altars ([v1](Jeremiah%2017.md#^1)) where it cannot be removed. ^jer17-4 > [Jeremiah 17:5](Jeremiah%2017.md#^5) note > > This gets right back to what we've said before that people are trusting in what others have set forth as doctrines that haven't actually come from the Bible. They are not going again and again to the Bible to see if *everything* squares perfectly with that the Bible teaches. They trust in what the fathers have put forward or what is written in their confessions. Or they trust in the various methods of interpretation imposed upon the Bible that they have come up with. Only the Bible itself is inspired and inerrant, and it determines and structures how it is to be studied by comparing Scripture with Scripture with spiritual levels of meaning, allowing the Bible to define its own terms as the Holy Spirit leads us into Truth. > > But mention that a confession has some statements that are less than Biblical and need correction and immediately they will think, "Who are you? You certainly aren't anything compared to these great theologians, these great people of God who wrote them." Now, this isn't to cut everything down with a confession just to be picky, but it is not even close to being on par with the Bible in any regard whatsoever. Only the Word of God is THE ETERNAL WORD OF GOD in which we should place our trust. A confession is just a work of men that is put together in such a way that it appears so holy, so circumspect and so on, but it is nevertheless merely a work of men. And yet many churches are closely patterned after them and rely upon them as their chief authority for doctrine. > > This verse of Jeremiah 17:5 ought to make any of us shiver about this situation. We should be spending our time searching out the Bible, comparing verse after verse looking for Truth, and to leave the confessions to the side. And it ought to make us realize that the Bible is a spiritual book so that when we trust too heavily in the work of other people, whatever it may be, we will be left in blindness while being convinced that all is well. God lays it down, "Cursed *be* the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD." We can give the appearance of being holy and of being a Bible-believer, but it doesn't mean a thing if our trust is in what people have written. If we make the will of man our strength ("and makes flesh his arm") it is a curse. The Bible must be our ultimate Authority. > > On a human level, it's easy to see why this verse can be very difficult to grasp. We see a lovely congregation where people are smiling and they're carrying their Bibles. They invariably have made a beautiful confession of faith and have been baptized, and they are decent, moral people. And they are following what we have traditionally believed to be the right path. And we can't understand how God could be upset -- look how nice these wonderful, fine people are. And to our eyes that is indeed what we see. But the fact is, when it comes to a relationship with God, God has laid down very strict rules. He is very concerned that our only Authority is the Bible, period. Everything must be constantly tested against the Bible. And it's a way of life for us, it's the way we stand in relationship to God. It's not something we just put on. It's the sense of a true believer that the Bible is the only thing we dare trust. > > We might see some other congregation full of decent, fine people and yet realize that they are in a completely different religion from us, and say, "How sad for those poor people. They are all happy and don't realize they are in deep and terrible trouble with God for following whatever their religion is." And yet, it's difficult for us to see that with regard to our congregation. On top of that, we know we are to be extremely careful with how we judge others. That's where we must finally listen to what God is saying here and place our trust firmly in the Bible alone and eschew those places that have come up with their own doctrines or their own kind of authority. ^jer17-5 > [Jeremiah 17:6](Jeremiah%2017.md#^6) note > > God gives another description of the destruction that comes upon the unsaved. And remember, God has Judah in view here, not those "out there" who are living the worse, most sinful lives in the world. These are His people, those who are firmly convinced that all is well with them because they think Jesus is their Savior. But they aren't trusting implicitly in the Word of God, they are trusting in their own doctrines and practices which emphasizes that they are *not* trusting in the Bible. So this verse describes the consequences of this. > > "For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes" -- The Hebrew word translated *heath* here is a word that means *naked or destitute*: "For he shall be *destitute* in the desert." This is the final end of those who have been listening to the will and intellect of people -- the psychology of what people teach rather than listening carefully to the Word of God. And that's a situation that is a spiritual *desert*, there's no water of the Gospel there. There's no good that will come because they are left destitute. > > "...but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, *in* a salt land and not inhabited." -- The word for *parched places* here indicates the dry, arid, barren and burnt condition of this wilderness. The *salt land not inhabited* is developed in [Deuteronomy 29 (starting about verse 16)](Deuteronomy%2029.md), where God gives Israel a warning before entering into the promised land of Canaan. And in [verse 19](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^19) of that chapter God highlights those who deceive themselves into thinking all is well as they worship other, false gods. They are walking in their own imaginations, according to their own thinking. And it's easy to get caught up in this kind of carnal mindset. But then comes the consequence of this in [Deuteronomy 29:20](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^20), [21](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^21), [22](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^22) and particularly in [verse 23](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^23), where we read the language of eternal damnation: > > *And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor bears, nor any grass grows therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:* > > (See also [Isaiah 66:24](Isaiah%2066.md#^24) for a parallel to that passage which also speaks to eternal damnation.) > > So we see the parallel to Jeremiah 17:6 which speaks of the destitute in the desert, the parched places in the wilderness and a salt land not inhabited. There is no life of any kind, there isn't even any grass that grows therein, the land doesn't bear anything. Then we read in [Deuteronomy 29:24](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^24), [25](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^25), [26](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^26) why this has all come upon them: Because they have forsaken the covenant of God to go after other gods. They forsook the Law of God to go after their own desires according to their own doctrines. And again, this isn't speaking about the heathen out there in the world, this is a dire warning to the "covenant people" of God. And then [Deuteronomy 29:27](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^27) - [28](Deuteronomy%2029.md#^28) conclude in parallel fashion to what we read a few verses earlier in [verses 4](Jeremiah%2017.md#^4) and [5](Jeremiah%2017.md#^5) that they will be rooted out of their land in God's wrath and come under His curse. > > The big lesson to learn from this is that we have no protection just because we think we have become a Christian by name or association with the visible kingdom of God and its doctrines and ordinances. The only Protection is Christ, and if He is our Protection it means we have become a new creature, we have become a child of God with the desire to do His Will from the Word of God. ^jer17-6 > [Jeremiah 17:7](Jeremiah%2017.md#^7) note > > This verse is in stark contrast to [verse 5](Jeremiah%2017.md#^5): "Cursed *be* the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD." And that's the situation in which we find Judah in this context (representing the churches and congregations in our day) as they trust in their own doctrines and theologians and so on. > > "Blessed *is* the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is." -- The word translated *hope* here is related to the one translated *trusts*. When we trust in the LORD He is our Hope. When we hope in Him we trust in Him. He is our Safety, our Security and our Confidence. It's altogether in what Christ has done. In Him our sins have all been paid for and we have been given eternal life and all that goes with it. And even as His visible kingdom has fallen into idolatry and under the curse and wrath of God, there is nevertheless the remnant that is chosen by grace. And that's what it means to be blessed, to receive the very highest good. And we trust and hope in God when we rely completely upon His Word. > > This verse is a huge ray of sunshine here. This is like an oasis in the midst of the desert, in the middle of this destitute situation in which we find Judah. And an oasis in the desert is what salvation is like for any of us who become saved out of this world and from the penalty of our sins (cp [Ps 92:12](Psalm%2092.md#^12)). We could become overwhelmed with all of the misery from the ongoing message of judgment that is coming upon the visible kingdom of God (and eventually upon the world itself) as we see through the language of Jeremiah. And we should be overwhelmed. But here we find the relief. ^jer17-7 > [Jeremiah 17:8](Jeremiah%2017.md#^8) note > > [Verses 7](Jeremiah%2017.md#^7) and [8](Jeremiah%2017.md#^8) here in Jeremiah 17 are parallel to [Psalm 1:2](Psalm%201.md#^2) - [3](Psalm%201.md#^3). Jeremiah 17:7 starts out: "Blessed *is* the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is." And then [Psalm 1:2](Psalm%201.md#^2) speaks about the one who delights in the Law of the LORD and meditates in it day and night. So we find the intimate relationship between those who trust and hope in the LORD and those who delight and continually meditate in His Law. > > "For he shall be as a tree" -- God uses this figure of a *tree* to represent people ([Mt 7:17](Matthew%207.md#^17); [Mk 8:24](Mark%208.md#^24)), and here it particularly represents Christ and the believers ([Ps 92:12](Psalm%2092.md#^12)) -- with Christ being the Tree of Life planted by the waters or the river of Life (the Gospel), Who gives us eternal life and the Wisdom of Christ ([Rev 22:2](Revelation%2022.md#^2); [Pr 3:13](Proverbs%203.md#^13), [18](Proverbs%203.md#^18)). > > "planted by the waters, and *that* spreads out her roots by the river" -- In order for the tree to survive and remain healthy it must have its tap roots deep down into the water. So this eternal tree is planted by the waters and its roots are spread out by the river. Without sufficient water a tree will die. And this river, this water is the *Gospel* -- we are rooted in Christ, in the Gospel ([Jn 4:14](John%204.md#^14)). > > "and shall not see when heat comes" -- Heat has to do with fire and with judgment. And when God brings judgment we are not caught in it at all if we are rooted in the Gospel, if we are rooted in Christ. In Christ we have no fears, we have complete security. > > "but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought" -- The word *careful* here means *afraid*: "[he] shall not be *afraid* in the year of drought." In these days it is very hard to find the true Gospel, there is a worldwide spiritual famine or drought. And periods like this have come up periodically throughout time. But if our root is in Christ, in the River of the Water of Life ([Rev 22:1](Revelation%2022.md#^1)), then we will survive and will not cease from yielding fruit. Our leaf will flourish and remain green and alive (with the leaves also representing the healing balm of the Gospel as we read in [Rev 22:2](Revelation%2022.md#^2)). > > "neither shall cease from yielding fruit" -- The fruit that this tree yields represents the fruits of the Spirit, as seen in [Galatians 5:22](Galatians%205.md#^22) - [23](Galatians%205.md#^23) (see also -- true love is to do the Will of God as expressed in the Bible: [Jn 14:21](John%2014.md#^21), [23](John%2014.md#^23)). ^jer17-8 > [Jeremiah 17:9](Jeremiah%2017.md#^9) note > > This verse gets to the fundamental problem of the human race describing our sinful nature and the fact that we are under the wrath of God, needing eternal salvation. > > The Hebrew word translated *deceitful* here is only used in 2 other places in the Bible. One place it is used is in [Isaiah 40:4](Isaiah%2040.md#^4), which speaks of the coming of Christ, where it is translated *crooked*. And we continue to use a related word today to refer to a thief (or someone who just takes advantage of other people) as a crook. They are devious and crooked and they don't live a straight and clean life. The other place this word is found is in [Hosea 6:8](Hosea%206.md#^8) where it is translated *polluted*. So this verse could read, "The heart *is* polluted/crooked above all *things*...." And the fearful thing here is that it is polluted and crooked *above all*. It's not just slightly polluted or crooked, it is as bad as it could be. And so we can see why the translators followed this up with "and desperately wicked: who can know it?" > > The phrase translated "desperately wicked" is also found in [2 Samuel 12:15](2%20Samuel%2012.md#^15). There we read about an illegitimate son that was born after King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. And in order to cover that sin David had the husband of Bathsheba, Uriah, murdered in battle. He then married Bathsheba in order for the birth of the baby to look as normal as it could. And God was, of course, aware of this. So we read in 2 Samuel 12:15, "And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick." The phrase *very sick* is the same phrase translated *desperately wicked* here in Jeremiah 17. It is also sometimes translated *incurable* ([Jer 30:12](Jeremiah%2030.md#^12), [15](Jeremiah%2030.md#^15)). This baby was so sick that it was destined to die, there is no way that it was going to live as a chastisement upon David for his grievous sin. Now, the Bible does give us evidence that God had indeed saved this son in an eternal sense ([2 Sa 12:22](2%20Samuel%2012.md#^22) - [23](2%20Samuel%2012.md#^23)). But the point is that this baby was very sick, he was incurable, and that gives us the definition of the phrase here in Jeremiah 17 where the heart is crooked and polluted above all. So this verse could be rendered, "The heart *is* crooked/polluted above all *things*, and very sick/incurable...." There is no hope, it is so dead. > > Interestingly, this word translated *desperately wicked, very sick, or incurable* in the Bible is the root for another word translated very frequently as *man or men*. An example is found in [Genesis 6:4](Genesis%206.md#^4) in the phrase "mighty *men*." And that is because this is the nature of the human race -- we are diseased, we are all *mortal*, we are incurable and identified with spiritual death. There is no remedy of ourselves. A similar idea is seen in this verse through the word *giants* which is a term that means *to fall*, with the spiritual meaning in this context that they are subject to the wrath of God ([Ps 5:10](Psalm%205.md#^10)). Of course, we must focus on the spiritual level of meaning to understand why God is using these specific terms. And the only healing that we can find is in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Great Physician, in the Word of God as our healing Balm. This is an enormous spiritual miracle that only God can provide for us. Without Christ there is nothing that can cure us from the disease of sin, we are *completely* locked in, we are *man*(kind) in the sense of being incurable, we are fallen. > > "who can know it?" -- That is, it's beyond belief just how crooked, polluted and incurable our hearts are by nature. We are spiritually very sick, we are destined to die. This is characteristic of every one of us before salvation, just as Lazarus was a stinking corpse in the grave before Christ raised him from the grave ([Jn 11:39](John%2011.md#^39)), a great illustration of our salvation ([Eph 2:1](Ephesians%202.md#^1), [4](Ephesians%202.md#^4), [5](Ephesians%202.md#^5), [6](Ephesians%202.md#^6)). > > See also [Eze 37:1-14](Ezekiel%2037.md) for another illustration of salvation in the raising up of a valley full of dry bones into a full living army of God. God makes it very clear that He is speaking of His elect as He gives them eternal life from a state of death and from the grave. [Ezekiel 37:11](Ezekiel%2037.md#^11) reflects the total hopelessness of the situation that we are in when we are in our sins. But then in [Ezekiel 37:13](Ezekiel%2037.md#^13) - [14](Ezekiel%2037.md#^14) we find that our only hope -- and it is a magnificent, awesome, eternal hope -- is in the LORD Who saves us through the Lord Jesus Christ Who has paid for our sins if we have become saved. > > So the principle here again is that by nature we are polluted and crooked above anything we could ever name, and we are very sick, spiritually, so there is no way we can ever come into spiritual life without the total intervention of God Himself. ^jer17-9 > [Jeremiah 17:10](Jeremiah%2017.md#^10) note > > "I the LORD search the heart, *I* try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, *and* according to the fruit of his doings." -- The word *reins* here means the *kidneys*, or the very inner part or essence of our being, the innermost recesses of who we are. And it's the same idea with the heart. God is not talking about our physical heart, but the very inner part of our being. God is using intense language to show that He knows everything about us. And He sets up trials and testings to reveal what is deep within us. > > See [Hebrews 4:12](Hebrews%204.md#^12) - [13](Hebrews%204.md#^13) where it speaks of the Word of God piercing into our soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart before God -- and how all things are exposed before God Who knows all things and to Whom we are accountable for our lives. God tries every individual and knows all about our sin. That is exactly what He is teaching here in Jeremiah 17:10, that no one escapes the all-searching Eye of God. > > When a criminal goes before the judge, they can hope that the prosecutor hasn't found everything out. The case can be messed up a little bit with a smart attorney and there's hope that this or that might be misunderstood so that *maybe* the real crimes won't be fully revealed. But that won't happen with God. The Word of God is the perfect Standard whereby He measures our sin. We stand against the plumb line of all the laws of God in the Bible and are found completely guilty and wanting. The hearts of all in the human race are incurable, there is sin, sin, sin. We cannot hide even one as God searches the heart, as we read in Hebrews 4:12-13. He has a record of everything, things we've even long ago forgotten -- thoughts, words, intents and actions -- things we might consider minor, so that we cannot measure up against the perfectly righteous law of God. So there is not one who can come away from the judgment Throne of God innocent unless we are completely covered by Christ. And this brings us back again to the wonder of salvation and to the glory that comes because of God's salvation plan. ^jer17-10 > [Jeremiah 17:11](Jeremiah%2017.md#^11) note > > "*As* the partridge sits *on eggs*, and hatches _them_ not;" -- The Hebrew word translated *partridge* is actually a word that means *call*, like one who calls or is called. And the word translated *sits* actually means *to gather*, as found in [Isaiah 34:15](Isaiah%2034.md#^15). Then the word translated *hatches* is translated very commonly to mean to *bear offspring*. Of course, in this context it says "hatches not" so here it means to not bear offspring. So we could better translate this part of the verse as, "The one who is called and gathers does not produce offspring." This represents the human race that is called by the Gospel as they gather in the world, as what they are gathering does not produce any fruit or continuation because they are under judgment. This is a very difficult phrase to understand, and we could leave it as a partridge that is frustrated while it's sitting on eggs that don't hatch because they are infertile. It's still a good picture as we'll see. > > "...*so* he that gets riches, and not by right," -- This idea of gaining riches, not by right, might be understood as we look at [Proverbs 10:22](Proverbs%2010.md#^22), [13:7](Proverbs%2013.md#^7). The word *right* here means *judgments*, that is, by the commandments of God. And as people try to better their lives in this world, are they doing it with the blessing of God, in a way that is pleasing to Him? And the answer is no, they are doing it all for themselves. They are trying to accumulate riches for their own sake, for their own enjoyment and security. They are following their own way and think they know more than God in their estimation. So they aren't following the rules that God lays down. What's more, the things of this world is not where the true riches are. It is only in those things that are of God, through His spiritual blessings. > > "...shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool." -- This is the difficulty for the people of this world. They think this world is where everything is. They think day and night about how they can get more of this and more of that -- more money, more things, more honor, more youth, better experiences, better health and so on. The super rich have to have a country house somewhere and homes on the islands and in other countries as they jet-set around. Or maybe they aren't looking for physical riches, but they find their richness in their philosophies or false religions or in whatever it is that they have put their trust other than God. And yet they are walking a narrow tightrope that can break at any time because they have no assurance of life tomorrow or next week. At any moment it can all come to an end. And even if they do live long in this world, their life is still cut very short compared to an eternity. So at their end they become fools. See [Proverbs 18:2](Proverbs%2018.md#^2) where the fool searches what they can find out of their own hearts. They don't want the real understanding that comes from the Word of God and at the moment they die they will lose *everything* and be found guilty before the judgment throne of God. ^jer17-11 > [Jeremiah 17:12](Jeremiah%2017.md#^12) note > > This is the opposite shift from verse 11, set over against the "rich", the fool who is not following the rules of God but is finding everything in their own heart rather than in the Word of God. God now declares that there is a super wonderful and marvelous Kingdom. It has a glorious high Throne from the beginning. So this is something that reaches all the way to the beginning of time, and even before the beginning because it's rooted in everlasting God and was always in existence before creation. And this Throne is the place of our sanctuary, that is, of our temple. And our Temple is the Lord Jesus Christ ([Jn 2:19](John%202.md#^19)), He is the very Essence of the Kingdom of God. ^jer17-12 > [Jeremiah 17:13](Jeremiah%2017.md#^13) note > > "O LORD, the hope of Israel" -- This is a beautiful statement. Jehovah is the hope of all those who are in the kingdom of God. And the Israel that is ultimately in view here is the eternal Israel made up of all those who have truly become saved throughout time. He is the Hope of all those who become saved and have become citizens of this glorious kingdom of God, this glorious high throne from the beginning that is the place of our sanctuary ([v12](Jeremiah%2017.md#^12)). > > "...all that forsake thee shall be ashamed," -- When God talks about shame He is focusing on the day of judgment. At that time all of the pride, all of the conceit, all of the ego, all of the self-importance and self-righteousness that the human race has will disappear as they stand spiritually naked before the Law of God. In His holy Presence they're going to know they've broken the Law repeatedly and will experience the greatest shame that could ever be experienced. But, unfortunately, it comes too late when there's no more salvation and no mercy. > > "...*and* they that depart from me" -- God switches the pronoun here from "all that forsake *thee* shall be ashamed" to "and they that depart from *me* shall be written in the earth." Ultimately, of course, they are forsaking and departing from God in both cases. But remember that Jeremiah is bringing the Word of God on behalf of God as His spokesman. And this clues us in to how the unsaved don't really trust that the Bible is the Word of God. They think that it's the word of Moses or Isaiah or Jeremiah, or Paul or Peter or John. They might print the words of Christ in red, thinking those words are more important than those of the other prophets. But the whole Bible is the Word of God on equal Authority. And even as we faithfully declare the Word of God today, though our words are not themselves inspired (except for when we are directly quoting the Bible), they are still to be heeded insofar as we are being faithful to the Bible. So as Jeremiah has been declaring the Word of God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we must listen to it. And if we do not listen, if we depart from them, then we are departing from God. > > "...shall be written in the earth," -- In [Luke 2:1](Luke%202.md#^1) we read where all the world was to be taxed. But the word translated *taxed* should actually be translated *written*, where they were to be enrolled or recorded into the public record. When a person is born or a census is taken by a country or a city in which you live, you are written into the records of the world. So, in principle, that's how we are identified with this world. > > On the other side of the coin, God speaks about those who are written in Heaven ([Heb 12:22](Hebrews%2012.md#^22) - [23](Hebrews%2012.md#^23)). So even though we've been written into the records of the world, when we become saved we have an eternal inheritance, we become citizens of an eternal kingdom and our names are written in Heaven. > > But those who depart from God shall be written in the earth only, they shall not have eternal life in Heaven "because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters." This is the beautiful fountain of the Gospel that flows out of the very nature of God. And if we forsake that by turning our backs on God's Word to go our own way, which many do, they will only be written in the earth, they will be included amongst all those who perish eternally. Only when we come to trust in the Lord Jesus will our names be written in Heaven as citizens of the kingdom of God. ^jer17-13 > [Jeremiah 17:14](Jeremiah%2017.md#^14) note > > "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved:" -- Here Jeremiah is used as an illustration of those who have become saved. The healing and saving relate to the same thing. We must be healed spiritually from the disease of our sin and saved from the wrath of God and eternal death. And there's only One Who can heal and save us, and that is Jehovah Who is Jesus ([Is 43:11](Isaiah%2043.md#^11); [Acts 4:10](Acts%204.md#^10), [11](Acts%204.md#^11), [12](Acts%204.md#^12)). He is the Great Physician ([Mk 2:17](Mark%202.md#^17); [Eph 2:1-10](Ephesians%202.md)). And God is absolutely True and Trustworthy -- if He heals us we *shall* be healed, if he saves us we *shall* be saved. There is no possibility that what God intends to do will not come to pass. > > "...for thou *art* my praise." -- See [Deuteronomy 10:20](Deuteronomy%2010.md#^20) - [21](Deuteronomy%2010.md#^21). All of our praise goes to God alone because He heals and saves us, He accomplishes what He has planned to do. To Him belongs *all* of the praise and *all* of the glory. None of it goes to us, to our actions or to our "free will" whatsoever. There's nothing at all that we can credit to ourselves, we only deserve the wrath of God in our sins and our salvation is only by His grace and mercy entirely. Remember what we read in [verse 9](Jeremiah%2017.md#^9) that our hearts by nature are *incurably sick*, requiring God to bring healing through His Word, through Christ. ^jer17-14 > [Jeremiah 17:15](Jeremiah%2017.md#^15) note > > Remember, in the historical setting Jeremiah is being used as God's spokesman to declare to Judah that they better surrender to Babylon -- because Babylon is going to destroy Jerusalem and Judah because they have gone their own way. Instead, they became his enemy as they considered him to be a traitor, as one who had betrayed them. They slandered and reviled him and wanted to silence and to kill him. And the same happens today as we declare the words of God's warning of judgment and the Way of escape in Christ, and that the churches and congregations, too, have gone the way of Judah in the days of Jeremiah, that these very words of Jeremiah actually apply to our day and were typified by what happened to Judah and Jerusalem. > > "Behold, they say unto me, Where *is* the word of the LORD? let it come now." -- So this is the derisive mocking of those in unbelief. It is not the cry of the faithful who at times may wonder where God is in times of trouble. Those out in the world, or those who are trusting in their churches just as Judah in the days of Jeremiah, are mockingly saying, "Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now." In [Psalm 42:3](Psalm%2042.md#^3), [10](Psalm%2042.md#^10) and [Matthew 27:39](Matthew%2027.md#^39), [41](Matthew%2027.md#^41), [42](Matthew%2027.md#^42), [43](Matthew%2027.md#^43) we find the same kind of idea. They consider themselves to be happy and blessed with all kinds of money and friends and so on. They are all highly respected and respect one another. And here you come with this crazy nonsense (they think) that they're under the wrath of God. So they scoff, "Tell us, where is your God. If you think you have Truth then let God show Himself now." ^jer17-15 > [Jeremiah 17:16](Jeremiah%2017.md#^16) note > > This is a statement of self-examination. The Bible tells us to examine ourselves as to whether we are truly saved, are we truly a child of God. > > "As for me, I have not hastened from *being* a pastor to follow thee:" -- The word translated *pastor* here means *shepherd*. And when we become saved, like Jeremiah, we act not only as Christ's sheep, but as shepherds as we send forth the Gospel. And, of course, the pastor of a church would be the shepherd of that congregation when they remained faithful to the Bible. So here Jeremiah, in examining himself, declares that he has not refrained from acting as God's shepherd in declaring His Word. > > "...neither have I desired the woeful day;" -- The word translated *woeful* is the same Hebrew word in [verse 9](Jeremiah%2017.md#^9) translated *desperately wicked*, or *very sick* that speaks to the fact we are incurably ill, spiritually. And if we are true believers we do not desire the day of judgment, we desire to serve the Lord. We don't live in such a way as if we are headed for eternal death. > > "...thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was *right* before thee." -- The word right isn't in the original, the verse should simply read, "that which came out of my lips was before thee." In other words, "Oh, Lord, search my heart, and know me, whether there's any sin within me. And if there's any sin, bring it into my mind that I might turn from it and do Thy Will. Work in me to work and to will of Thy good pleasure." Everything within our hearts is before the Lord, and only the Lord can guide us to do His perfect Will. ^jer17-16 > [Jeremiah 17:17](Jeremiah%2017.md#^17) note > > What is the day of evil? Remember the Lord's prayer where Jesus said, "Deliver us from evil." The day of evil is that terrible day of God's wrath being poured out, it is Judgment Day. It's the prayer of every true believer that we might not have to stand before the Judgment Throne of God. As a true believer we know that we're safe and secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. But particularly for everyone that is not saved, that's especially what they should be praying, "Oh, Lord, deliver me from the evil day, bring me not into trial!" That day is certainly coming upon them. We'll see this again in [verse 18](Jeremiah%2017.md#^18). > > Of course, sin is also evil, and we should pray that the Lord would turn us from our sins. But the context here is particularly on the day of God's wrath being poured out. ^jer17-17 > [Jeremiah 17:18](Jeremiah%2017.md#^18) note > > God sets forth here that there are only 2 paths -- the broad path that leads to destruction, and the narrow way that leads to eternal life in Christ. > > "Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded:" -- The word *confounded* is associated with shame and with standing before the Judgment Throne of God, being convicted of all of our sins that we now have to pay for. We were created in the image of God, we're measured against the perfection of the Law of God and we break it repeatedly -- so there is shame upon shame. And at that time it's too late. The day of grace, mercy and salvation is gone and there is only judgment and eternal death. And either we're on the path toward shame, or we're on the path where there will be no shame. If we're saved it means all of our sins have been covered and we'll be caught up to meet with Christ in the air. > > "...let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction." -- We see again *the day of evil*, as we saw in [verse 17](Jeremiah%2017.md#^17). Again, it is the day of God's wrath, Judgment Day. What does it mean to *destroy them with double destruction*? Wouldn't that somehow be a violation of God's justice? Let's look at [Isaiah 40:1](Isaiah%2040.md#^1), [2](Isaiah%2040.md#^2) we find a similar statement in the context of those who have become saved. > > This doubling has to do with the fact that Christ is the Firstborn ([Col 1:18](Colossians%201.md#^18); [Heb 12:23](Hebrews%2012.md#^23)). As a quick aside, this is teaching us exactly how it is that Christ is the only *begotten* Son. How could He be begotten when He is from eternity past? It is because He is the *Firstborn from the dead*, He had come out of the second death. And then, in Him, we become the church of the firstborn if we are saved. Theologians from the past have really struggled to understand this concept. Now, we find in [Deuteronomy 21:17](Deuteronomy%2021.md#^17) that the biblical rule of the firstborn was that they were to receive a *double* inheritance. > > In [Numbers 20:11](Numbers%2020.md#^11) we find a picture of Christ as He suffered double destruction. Moses and his rod are a picture of the Law of God and the Rock is the Lord Jesus Christ. And as Moses struck the rock twice the water came flowing forth which typifies the water of life, the Gospel, that the believers drink unto eternal life ([Jn 4:14](John%204.md#^14), [6:35](John%206.md#^35)). The death of Christ relating to the firstborn is also picked up through the killing of the *firstborn* of Egypt. Those who had the blood of the lamb on their doorposts were spared so that their firstborn was not killed, that blood was in place of the firstborn. > > So when God says in Jeremiah 17:18, "destroy them with double destruction" He is saying to destroy them with the destruction of the firstborn. The inheritance of every human being is the wrath of God because the human race is incurably ill with the sickness of sin ([v9](Jeremiah%2017.md#^9)), and the unsaved will suffer the wrath of God that Christ, the Firstborn, suffered on behalf of the believers. ^jer17-18 > Intro to Jeremiah 17:19-27 note > > In the next several verses, if we did not understand the *spiritual nature* of the seventh day sabbath in the Old Testament, we would puzzle about this and not really understand what God is saying here. It's so fundamental that if we do not understand what God is teaching through the seventh day sabbath that we will change the entire nature of the Gospel so that it is no longer the true Gospel. He is teaching a huge principle that interrelates with everything that has to do with salvation. The importance of this will be underscored once we get to [verse 27](Jeremiah%2017.md#^27), where we read that if we disobey this then the wrath of God will result. And the solution is not that we are to continue to observe the seventh day sabbath in our day -- that would actually go against what God is teaching through it. > > The touchstone phrases in [verses 21](Jeremiah%2017.md#^21) - [22](Jeremiah%2017.md#^22) which will help us understand what God is teaching in verses 19-27 are "bear no burden on the sabbath day," "neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day" and "neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day." > > We first read about not doing any work on the sabbath day in the 10 commandments (it is the 4th commandment) ([Ex 20:8](Exodus%2020.md#^8), [9](Exodus%2020.md#^9), [10](Exodus%2020.md#^10), [11](Exodus%2020.md#^11)). And what is the reason that God gives? It is because He rested on the seventh day after creation ([Gen 2:1](Genesis%202.md#^1), [2](Genesis%202.md#^2), [3](Genesis%202.md#^3)), so He blessed and hallowed it. God set the pattern that we work 6 days and rest on the 7th. And notice that this commandment wasn't just given to each one personally, but to everything and everyone that they were in charge of: it was for their family, their servants, their cattle, their visitors and so on. > > When we look at the second account of the 10 commandments we find something additional in [Deuteronomy 5:13](Deuteronomy%205.md#^13), [14](Deuteronomy%205.md#^14), [15](Deuteronomy%205.md#^15). Here God gives a different reason altogether for resting on the sabbath day. They are to remember that they were servants in the land of Egypt and God brought them out by a mighty hand and stretched out arm. > > God gives us more information in [Exodus 31:13](Exodus%2031.md#^13). Here is the clue, this is the guideline. The fact is that God gave us some laws that in themselves are not based on a moral principle, rather, they point to some aspect of *salvation* and what is required for our salvation. And here, God says that the sabbath rest was a *sign* -- it's like a signpost pointing to the fact that it is God Who makes us holy, that is, we become holy or set apart for the service of God when we become saved, when all of our sins are paid for. So the *resting* on the seventh day sabbath points to this. This is also what [Deuteronomy 5:15](Deuteronomy%205.md#^15) is pointing to. When God rescued Israel from their bondage to Egypt He brought them out by His mighty hand and stretched out arm. That is, it points to salvation where God delivers us from bondage to sin and the tyranny of Satan and set us on the path to salvation, toward the promised land of Canaan. And it is *God* Who has done *all* of the work on our behalf (as we read at the beginning of the 10 commandments in [Exodus 20:2](Exodus%2020.md#^2)). We simply find rest in Him. > > So right in the middle of the 10 commandments where God gives us principles how we are to live before God, He is giving us the warning that we are to remember that *He* has already done *all* of the work on our behalf in saving us, He is the One Who sanctifies us and makes us free from the guilt of our sins. So the 4th commandment is one of the most important verses in the Bible -- we are to make sure that we rest from any work that we're doing in trying to get right with God and rely only upon His Work. See [Hebrews 4:1-11](Hebrews%204.md) for an important New Testament commentary on this. > > Returning to Exodus 31, in [verses 14](Exodus%2031.md#^14), [15](Exodus%2031.md#^15) we see just how important this is. This verse is parallel to what we read here in Jeremiah 17, particularly in [verse 27](Jeremiah%2017.md#^27). God is driving home the point, "This is super, super serious! If we do any work on the seventh day sabbath, that is, if we take even the slightest credit or glory in salvation for some work that we have done, we will be put to death, we are still subject to eternal death." God illustrates this in [Numbers 15:32](Numbers%2015.md#^32), [33](Numbers%2015.md#^33), [34](Numbers%2015.md#^34), [35](Numbers%2015.md#^35), [36](Numbers%2015.md#^36) -- A man committed what seems to us quite a minor infraction, he picked up some sticks on the sabbath day. He hadn't murdered anyone, to us it was an incidental matter. But God commanded all of the congregation to stone him to death. And that's a dramatic picture of what it means spiritually if we take even the slightest amount of credit for doing any work in our salvation, it will lead us to eternal death. God must receive all of the glory for our salvation. > > So this is the framework for Jeremiah 17. This isn't teaching that we continue to observe the Old Testament sabbath day today ([Col 2:16](Colossians%202.md#^16), [17](Colossians%202.md#^17)). The 7th day sabbath, like all of the other Old Testament ceremonial laws, was a shadow of things to come, and a shadow has no substance. It points to something far greater in a spiritual sense. And it points to the fact that God the Lord sanctifies us, He does all of the work and receives all of the glory in our salvation. We receive absolutely none -- in fact, anything that we do further contributes to our damnation if we do not become saved. And this is spiritually what God is commanding us to do here in Jeremiah 17. > > Now in [Matthew 12:1-8](Matthew%2012.md) we read about Jesus and the disciples as they plucked and ate ears of corn on the sabbaths. And when the Pharisees questioned them about this and accused them of breaking the sabbath, Christ referred them to the passage where David ate the showbread, which was not lawful for him or those with him to eat ([1 Sam 21:1-6](1%20Samuel%2021.md)). In [Leviticus 24:5](Leviticus%2024.md#^5), [6](Leviticus%2024.md#^6), [7](Leviticus%2024.md#^7), [8](Leviticus%2024.md#^8), [9](Leviticus%2024.md#^9) God describes the showbread: Each week the priests were to bake 12 loaves or cakes to be put out in the holy place on a table in 2 rows of 6. And every sabbath day they were to bake an additional 12 loaves. And that was to be food for the priests. So at this time David had fled from Saul as Saul sought to kill him ([1 Sam 20:32](1%20Samuel%2020.md#^32), [33](1%20Samuel%2020.md#^33), [42](1%20Samuel%2020.md#^42)). And here comes David and his small contingent of servants to Ahimelech as he flees from Saul and they are hungry. So David asks Ahimelech for that showbread. And this is the situation Jesus is calling attention to in [Matthew 12:3](Matthew%2012.md#^3) - [4](Matthew%2012.md#^4). > > (Incidentally, we might understand that David is being truthful to Ahimelech in [1 Samuel 21:2](1%20Samuel%2021.md#^2) if we understand that "the king has commanded me a business" refers to God Himself, not to King Saul, while he does not disclose the situation that he is fleeing from Saul. And indeed, God had already secretly anointed David to be king by this time - [1 Sam 16:13](1%20Samuel%2016.md#^13).) > > Looking at the spiritual significance, remember that this showbread was baked by the priests on the sabbath day, which was itself a violation of the sabbath ([Mt 12:5](Matthew%2012.md#^5)). They were doing the work of the service of the house of God in baking the showbread and setting it in order on the sabbath, as we saw in [Leviticus 24:8](Leviticus%2024.md#^8). And when the priests made the cakes, they were a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ -- He is our High Priest ([Heb 3:1](Hebrews%203.md#^1), [4:14](Hebrews%204.md#^14)) and He is the Bread of Life ([Jn 6:35](John%206.md#^35), [48](John%206.md#^48)). So when David and his servants came along and were hungry, they represent those of us who are spiritually hungry and in need of Bread, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it was baked on the sabbath day because it represents that Christ does all of the work. We do none of the work, we simply feed on the Bread that Christ has done all of the work to produce. > > Similarly, in [Numbers 28:3](Numbers%2028.md#^3), [9](Numbers%2028.md#^9), [10](Numbers%2028.md#^10) we read that the priests were to offer lambs continually, including on the sabbaths. And again, the priests and the lambs represent the Lord Jesus Christ Who does all of the work in saving us. They didn't work on their houses or that kind of thing, but they did perform spiritual, ceremonial work on the sabbath pointing to Christ. > > Lastly, in [Luke 6:1-5](Luke%206.md), the parallel passage to Matthew 12, we read about the *second sabbath after the first*. Through this language God is indicating that the sabbath has been changed from the seventh-day sabbath of the Old Testament to the first-day sabbath of the New Testament. This is seen also in a proper translation of [Mattthew 28:1](Matthew%2028.md#^1), "In the end of the sabbaths [plural], as it began to dawn toward the first of the sabbaths [plural], came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." That is, the Old Testament seventh-day sabbath ran all the way from creation until Christ was in the tomb. And on that Sunday morning when Christ arose a new era of Sunday sabbaths began to dawn. As we read in [Luke 6:5](Luke%206.md#^5) Christ is the Lord of the sabbath. And, like the priests of the Old Testament sabbath, we are to be performing spiritual work on the Sunday sabbath in sending forth the Gospel, in prayer and in the study of the Word of God that we might be fed the spiritual corn, the Bread of Life, the Word of God. And as we read in [Luke 6:1](Luke%206.md#^1) they were actually *rubbing* the corn in their hands, which means that they were *harvesting* -- which represents what we are to be doing as we send forth the Gospel. Then, as we continue in this passage to [Luke 6:6-11](Luke%206.md), we find that Christ heals the withered hand of a man on the sabbath, which spiritually represents the healing that we need in order for us to become saved. ^jer17-19-27-Intro > [Jeremiah 17:19](Jeremiah%2017.md#^19) - [20](Jeremiah%2017.md#^20) note > > (See the [Introduction to vv19-27](Jeremiah%2017%20FSI.md#^jer17-19-27-Intro) before continuing with this verse). > > This is a message to all of Judah and Jerusalem, from the kings on down to everyone who enters into and exits from the temple by the gates of it. And remember that Judah and Jerusalem, as we've seen throughout this study of Jeremiah, point to us in our day. And the gates of the temple, that is, into the kingdom of God, represent Christ. He is the Door through Whom we must enter to get into the kingdom of God. And when we become saved, we become kings who enter and exit through the gates ([Eph 2:4](Ephesians%202.md#^4), [5](Ephesians%202.md#^5), [6](Ephesians%202.md#^6); [Rev 1:6](Revelation%201.md#^6), [5:10](Revelation%205.md#^10)). So this message applies spiritually to us today just as much as it did to them as they served as types and figures. This passage is to those who want to reign with Christ, it identifies with those who want to come into the heavenly Jerusalem and into the eternal temple. And we are not to come in on the sabbath carrying a burden as we'll see in [verses 21](Jeremiah%2017.md#^21) and [22](Jeremiah%2017.md#^22). ^jer17-19-20 > [Jeremiah 17:21](Jeremiah%2017.md#^21) - [22](Jeremiah%2017.md#^22) note > > (Again, make sure you have read the [Introduction to vv19-27](Jeremiah%2017%20FSI.md#^jer17-19-27-Intro) before continuing with these verses). > > When we read the word *burden* in verses 21-22, we might think of a Jewish man in those days carrying a load of firewood or load of grain on their back. But we must understand that God is speaking in spiritual language. The historical, physical meaning points to a spiritual concept. And the word *burden* in these 2 verses can be found in [Isaiah 13:1](Isaiah%2013.md#^1), [2](Isaiah%2013.md#^2), [3](Isaiah%2013.md#^3). There, the word burden means *the message or the Word of God* (concerning Babylon). It's seen again in [Isaiah 15:1](Isaiah%2015.md#^1) and [17:1](Isaiah%2017.md#^1) -- the Word of God concerning Moab and the Word of God concerning Damascus. > > But here in Jeremiah 17 God is speaking to Judah and to Jerusalem ([v20](Jeremiah%2017.md#^20)), He is speaking to the kingdom of God. (In speaking to us today, this would be to the churches and congregations.) And the *gates* of [verses 20](Jeremiah%2017.md#^20) - [21](Jeremiah%2017.md#^21) are the *entryway* into the kingdom of God. So why is God saying not to bear or carry a burden near the gates or out of the house on the sabbath day? Is it wrong to carry the Word of God, which is what the burden represents spiritually, into the kingdom of God? > > We must understand what the Word of God tells us to do: We must believe, we must repent, we must seek God with all of our heart in order to become saved. That is the *Law* of God. And even one sin or transgression of the Law is enough to incur the wrath of God and leads to eternal death. But here is the problem. In [Ezekiel 37:1-14](Ezekiel%2037.md) we read where God brings to life a valley of dead, dry bones. And God tells us that these dead, dry bones brought to life represent the whole house of Israel, that is, they represent all of us who become saved. That is, before salvation, we are dead, dead, dead. We are like these dead, dry bones, there is no spiritual life in us whatsoever. Of ourselves we cannot believe, we cannot repent, we cannot seek God with all of our heart because we are *spiritually dead*. So God does *all* of the work to save us in giving us eternal life. God takes the action by giving us the breath of Life, by giving us His Holy Spirit and causing us to become born again. *Only in this manner* can we become saved and truly enter into the eternal kingdom of God -- it is all by *God's* action, not because we are in any way keeping the law ([Eze 36:24](Ezekiel%2036.md#^24), [25](Ezekiel%2036.md#^25), [26](Ezekiel%2036.md#^26), [27](Ezekiel%2036.md#^27), [33](Ezekiel%2036.md#^33)). And this points to the *sabbath rest* because, when we become saved, we enter into His rest, that is, He has done all of the work, then we rest in that work with Him as He demonstrated by resting after the 6 days of creation ([Heb 4:1-11](Hebrews%204.md)). > > So if we believe that we have actually done what God requires in saving us *in any sense* to our credit, in order to bring ourselves into the kingdom of God, then we are bringing our own work, our own burden, our own message into the gates of Jerusalem. We are like the man picking up sticks on the sabbath day who was stoned to death. We are not giving God all of the glory for doing all of the work on our behalf. ^jer17-21-22 > [Jeremiah 17:23](Jeremiah%2017.md#^23) note > > When we are completely submissive to God we bow down to Him, we are broken before Him. But if we have a stiff neck, it means that we are not bowing to God, we are rebelling against Him. And that's exactly what is happening when we insist on following our own kind of gospel based upon our own doctrines, ideas and works. And this is why God is finished with Judah and Jerusalem, which point to the churches and congregations in our day. This is the big problem. We cannot become saved by our efforts whatsoever, God must receive all of the credit. We cannot truly believe, accept and follow God unless and until He has given us His Spirit and dwells within us. It is altogether something we cannot do. We cannot set up our own confessions and formulas and methods of Bible interpretation in order to follow a pattern to get right with God. ^jer17-23 > [Jeremiah 17:24](Jeremiah%2017.md#^24), [25](Jeremiah%2017.md#^25), [26](Jeremiah%2017.md#^26) note > > The *kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David* (which is speaking spiritually about the Throne of Christ, whom David typifies as the Shepherd/King) in [verse 25](Jeremiah%2017.md#^25) refer to all of the believers who come into the kingdom of God. Those who have bowed their necks to God (and not been stiff-necked as per [verse 23](Jeremiah%2017.md#^23)) and have refused to trust in anything that *they* have done or contributed unto salvation -- only trusting in the work of Christ to save them -- become eternal kings and princes to God under Christ ([Eph 1:20](Ephesians%201.md#^20), [21](Ephesians%201.md#^21), [22](Ephesians%201.md#^22); [Eph 2:4](Ephesians%202.md#^4), [5](Ephesians%202.md#^5), [6](Ephesians%202.md#^6); [Rev 1:6](Revelation%201.md#^6), [5:10](Revelation%205.md#^10)). > > "...riding in chariots and on horses," -- This is a phrase that indicates mighty strength, like a powerful army with regard to our salvation ([Ps 68:17](Psalm%2068.md#^17) - [18](Psalm%2068.md#^18)). We are amongst many who have become saved if we are a child of God. And strong is God Who has saved us by His mighty arm! In [2 Kings 2:11](2%20Kings%202.md#^11) we see where Elijah went up to Heaven in a chariot of fire. (The chariot of fire and the whirlwind possibly represent the fact that God has saved us through the judgment that was poured out on the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf.) And in [2 Kings 6:17](2%20Kings%206.md#^17) we see where God reveals to the servant of Elisha that God was protecting them with many horses and chariots of fire. And ultimately all of that has to do with our salvation that God has accomplished on our behalf. > > ^jer17-24-26 > [Jeremiah 17:27](Jeremiah%2017.md#^27) note > > As we've seen in this section from verse 19, if we believe that we have actually done what God requires to save us *in any sense* to *our* credit in order to bring ourselves into the kingdom of God, then we are bringing our own work, our own burden, our own message into the gates of Jerusalem. We are like the man picking up sticks on the sabbath day who was stoned to death. We are not giving God all of the glory for doing all of the work on our behalf and are still subject to eternal death under the wrath of God. ^jer17-27 Tags: #Old_Testament #Jeremiah #Gods_judgment_on_His_people #FSI