Key Verse: Verse 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.
“Hear the Word, O House of Israel, v. 1
A. Usually, Israel refers to the 12-tribe nation.
B. After the Divided Kingdom of Rehoboam, Israel referred to the 10-tribe Northern Kingdom, also called, Samaria and Ephraim.
C. At this point of Jeremiah’s ministry, Israel (the 10 northern tribes) had been disbursed and assimilated into Assyrian empire, losing their identity.
D. God refers to Judah as Israel as a warning, lest they also suffer Israel’s judgment.
Prohibition against Idolatry, vv. 1-5, 8-9
A. Dead tree fashioned into an idol, see Deuteronomy 16:21.
- Grove of trees, the prohibition against groves is not about prohibiting the planting of trees. It is about fashioning a group of idols from trees, specifically Asherah poles, e.g. Totem poles.
- Asherah means “straight” or bare pole.
- Ashtoreth was a fertility goddess of the Canaanites.
B. “Do not learn the ways of the Gentiles”
- worshipping inanimate, dead idols.
- “Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven”
a. God gave the sun, moon, and stars as signs, Genesis 1:14.
b. Don’t be fearful of eclipses, comets, or meteors, which the Gentiles believed portended disaster.
C. Cut and decorated trees.
- The way of the Gentiles taught that God has a wife, Ashtoreth.
- Judah adopted the idea that Ashtoreth was Jehovah’s wife, justifying her worship.
Note: This is not a prohibition of Christmas trees. Asherah poles were bare, straight poles, v. 5.
Note: NIV, ESV, NLT, NCV, GW, HCSB, JW-NWT, NRSV, & NASB render a strange translation: “like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak.” The Hebrew word, tomer, refers to the palm tree. This word is only used twice in the OT, Judges 4:5 and Jeremiah 10:5. These other translations translate tomer in Judges 4:5 as palm tree, but in Jeremiah 10:5 as a “scarecrow in a cucumber patch.” This is not a scarecrow and cucumber patch isn’t even in the Hebrew text! These translations follow the Jehovah Witness translation rather than the Hebrew text!
D. Foolish man spares no expense for his idol, vv. 8-9, 14-15
- Silver from Tarshish / Spain
- Gold from Uphaz / India
- Workmanship of a metalurgist
- Blue and purple clothes
E. Idolaters are just as foolish and wooden-headed as their wooden idols!
The Living Jehovah-Sabaoth Is Superior to Idols, vv. 6-7, 10-13, 16
A. There is none like Jehovah, v. 6
B. Jehovah is the only God there is, vv. 10-13.
C. Jehovah is Jacob’s portion / inheritance, v. 16.
Man is stupid / brutish, vv. 14-15
A. Man’s knowledge is limited
B. Man’s religion is false
C. Man’s work is vanity.
Jehovah instructs Judah, vv. 17-18
A. “Get your stuff together”
B. “I’m going to sling you out of the Land”
Jeremiah weeps and prays, vv. 19-20
A. “My wound is great; I must bear it.”
B. “My tabernacle is plundered, my cords are broken, my children are gone!”
C. “No one is left of my family to erect the family tent.”
The Reason for the Exile, vv. 21-22
A. The leaders / shepherds of Judah, political and spiritual, did not seek God.
B. Their flocks of the people are scattered.
C. The word “bruit” means “rumor or noised report.”
Jeremiah prays, vv. 23-25
A. “I know the Babylonian invasion comes from You, Lord.”
B. “Correct me fairly.”
C. “Pour out Thy wrath on the heathen who go beyond Thy will.”