Nuggets in Jeremiah – The Futility of Worshiping False Gods and the Cause
Jer 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Pay attention and listen. Hear. It is the Word which the Lord speaks. What an intro that the Lord gives to Jeremiah here. You get the impression right away that this is important.
Jer 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
The heathen cannot understand the Lord’s ways. They are dismayed at the true God and His ways. The heathen are dismayed at the signs of heaven. All creation testifies that there is a God. The heavens declare His handywork. And since they are dismayed at it they come up with all kinds of crazy stuff like evolution. You know the theory that everything came from nothing.
While that is the way of the heathen it should not be that way for God’s people. It would only seem right that the Lord’s people do not learn the ways of the wicked nor worship what they do or how they do.
Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
He starts talking about the futility of worshiping false gods. And the first thing he brings up is the fact that they are made by man. And they make these false gods out of the raw materials that God created.
They take a tree out of the forest as raw material and then work it over until it no longer looks like a tree. Men do the same thing today. Mormons took the raw material of a few verses of the Bible and the raw material of a few names like Jesus, and worked it all over until what they have is nothing like what they started with. They change it and warp it and carve it. Cut pieces off and cut more off and more. They fashion the raw material and create their own idol. False god or in their case false gods.
Jehovah witnesses and many others do the same thing. And after carving away, this false idol they have is still too plain looking. They have to pretty it up.
Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
They deck it with gold and silver. They have to make it impressive to the eye. It has to be costly, appeal to the flesh, the pride. It needs wow factor. They did it this way in Jeremiah’s day and they do this today. Men build huge fancy buildings and call them temples or cathedrals.
It all might look good and fancy and expensive, but it is obviously dead.
Jer 10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
The false idol they set up is worthless even though it is silver and gold and expensive. It is good for nothing because it can do nothing. It cannot do good and it cannot do evil. It is dead. All of the false idols and false religious systems of this world cannot do one thing for eternity.
They cannot save one soul from hell. A fancy temple cannot save, a pretty system of services cannot save. No amount of money, no amount of gold and silver added to these idols created by man can save.
Jeremiah then reminds them that there is a true God and there is none like Him.
Jer 10:6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
Jer 10:7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.
Jer 10:8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
When you compare the only true God and all the false religions of men there is no comparison. I mean you scratch your head and go really. Their doctrine is a bunch of vanities. Vain. That is empty, in the end comes to nothing. And in this God calls them brutish and foolish.
Some will say but they are so smart. Have a P.H.D. and some are brain surgeons.
Jer 10:9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
Yes they are talented and cunning. Smart and quick of mind and they are workmen. They put effort and talent and smarts into it. But it is still just a foolish effort. It is still error and gold and silver and the work of men. It is not of God.
Jer 10:10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
Jer 10:11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
In the end all they do will perish. End the end not one Mormon temple will survive. All of the false religions will end, their books, and beliefs will all be gone one day.
Jeremiah now reminds them of God’s power and authority. He is the creator.
Jer 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
Jer 10:13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
Jer 10:14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
Jer 10:15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
In the time of their visitation they shall perish. They are vanity. The work of errors.
Jer 10:16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.
Jer 10:17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
Jer 10:18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.
The warning that because of false worship, and idols, and false religion God says He will kick the people out of the land that He gave them.
But this does not make God happy. God does have feelings. He is loving and compassionate. It hurts Him that their wickedness and rebellion has brought things to this level.
Jer 10:19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
Jer 10:20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
The results of these false systems of worship. Yes I know in the end there are no results. They are dead and in the end come to nothing. But there is a result in the short term. They got all God’s children to leave Him. There was none left to do God’s work. Only Jeremiah and Ezekiel and maybe a few others. On the whole man went after the systems that man created.
We see this today as well. There is only a small remnant left today. The bulk of humanity has left the one true God.
We have seen the futility of worshiping false gods. That it is error and vain and comes to nothing in the end. We have seen how man goes about it. He takes raw materials that God has created and works them over to fit what the man wants.
Reshapes them and makes them look like he wants. And we have seen the results. God’s children have left Him.
Now we get to the real cause that it was so bad. There will always be and always has been those who will reject God, but we are talking about why so many. What is the cause of almost everyone leaving God.
Jer 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
The spiritual leaders left God first and took the people with them. The men who had the position to lead did not seek God.
The pastors are become brutish. They have not sought the Lord. Without men seeking God, men will always screw things up. Man left to himself, to his own thinking and own leadership will go the wrong way.
And when all the men of God look to each other and their own desires and their own thinking, they go down a bad road and take the people with them.
The result is bad. The consequences are not good.
Jer 10:22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.
Jeremiah is given this to give to the people. And he does go out and preach it faithfully.
And then we have Jeremiah’s reaction to this truth. The truth that the pastors did not seek the Lord and the results of it. And this affects Jeremiah on a personal level.
Verses 23 and 24 is Jeremiah talking. He is praying to the Lord about this truth.
Jer 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
It is a very short prayer. 1st he calls upon the Lord and says O Lord, I know this. Man does not have it in himself to direct his own steps. That is a good way to start a prayer. Call upon the Lord, (so recognize who you are talking to, His authority and power) and then he acknowledges the truth.
And then asks for help.
Jer 10:24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
Lord I know I cannot direct my own steps. I do not have the wisdom or power to see to keep me on track. So O Lord correct me. Not in anger. But with your perfect knowledge and perfect judgment. Guide me Lord.
Do not let me become like them. Do not let me become a preacher who does not seek after you.
This truth goes for me in a special way. I am standing up here declaring what the Bible says. I need to seek the Lord. I cannot direct my own ways.
But this is also true for every single Christian. No one can properly direct his own steps in the ways of God. In the spiritual realm it is impossible. In the business realm many have, but not spiritually. Each one of us needs to be like Jeremiah and humble ourselves, realize we need guidance, fear the road that we can go down without God’s guidance, and seek God and ask for His direction.
See more Nuggets from Jeremiah