The schedule only has Jeremiah 8 for today, but I think it’ll be easier for me to combine 8 & 9 than 9 & 10. So I’m releasing the post for chapter 9 today (separately) as well as 8. Hopefully you’ll have time for both. If not, then you can pick it up tomorrow.

BONES 🦴 💀 🦴 ☠️

You may recall from past posts that the first century Jewish historian, Josephus, recorded that King David, along with Solomon and a few of the other good kings of Judah were buried (along with vast treasure) in chambers hidden so well, that even people standing right next to them would have no idea they were there. So I wonder if maybe they were not included in the desecration of the tombs of Jerusalem’s graves described in the opening 2 verses of this chapter.

The wicked kings and other leaders loved looking to the host of heaven for help. Now the host of heaven can stare at their bones.

MIGRATING BIRDS 🪿🪿🪿🪿🪿🪿

“Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the Lord’s laws.” Jeremiah‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Even the birds know when it’s time to turn around and go back home. God’s people? Either dumber or more ornery than a goose. Probably both.

If you left home and you saw this sign, the sensible thing to do would be to turn around and go back home.

The bizarre thing about these descendants of Abraham is that they ignore the signs and just keep going.

REPEAT THE CHORUS 🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵

“They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is an exact repeat of chapter 6:14-15. When the Lord repeats the chorus, we should pay attention.

There’s a term for when someone says “Peace! Peace!,” when there is in fact no peace. It’s called “fake news.” Otherwise known as ‘propaganda.”

The people of Jerusalem have totally bought into the propaganda. It allows them to continue in idol worship without it bothering their conscience. They dismiss Jeremiah as a conspiracy theorist; a radical.

This is the last generation before exile. But they don’t know that yet. Or rather, they refuse to believe it. Yahweh waits and waits and looks for even a tiny bit of fruit. Nothing.

“When I would gather them, declares the Lord, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

And here’s the Lord declaring it again a few centuries later:

“And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus did give them a little more time. Then when He was in Jerusalem just before His crucifixion, He saw a fig tree and looked for some fruit but there was none. So He cursed it and it withered. Within a generation, Israel (the Lord’s fig tree) would be cut down by the Roman legions under Titus.

This passage about grapes and figs from Jeremiah also reminds me of John 15 –

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬, ‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I hope this helps us see that, contrary to what the critics say, the Word of the LORD in the OT is not a different voice than the Word of the Lord in the NT. There’s no such thing as a “God of the OT” and a “God of the NT.” There is only one. And He is consistent in desiring a people who bear the fruit of obedience through and to Him.

GRIEVING THE LOSS 💔

This chapter feels like a funeral. But it is grief for something that hasn’t quite happened yet but Jeremiah can see it coming.

Most of us can think of a time when we knew something was about to hurt and there was nothing we could do except brace for impact. Sometimes it feels like everything is in slow motion.

I remember a fender-bender we were in during a road trip when I was about 14. We had just stopped at McDonald’s for breakfast. I was in the back seat helping little brothers with food. We were only traveling about 35mph or so and topped a hill but there was a stop light 🚥 at the bottom of the hill (terrible design) and a row of cars were stopped nearly to the top.

🚗🚕🚐🛻🚗. 🚙

In a split second I was pretty sure we were going to hit the car in front of us but there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. We did hit the car (thankfully with minimal damage). The McMuffins had been somehow deconstructed and their various parts were in random places in the car along with the hash browns. I discovered that my orange juice cup was now empty. 🥤 I think I was wearing most of it.

Jeremiah knows what’s coming. All he can do is brace for impact. And weep.