Jeremiah 10
IDOLATRY: was a snare to Israel from ...the beginning. We have no account of the making and veneration of idols before the flood in Noah's time, but Genesis 31:1919And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. (Genesis 31:19) speaks of household images belonging to Laban the Syrian, stolen from her father by Rachel, Jacob's wife. This was 900 years after the flood. But Joshua (Joshua 24:22And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. (Joshua 24:2)) declared that Abraham's father and other ancestors of his served other gods; this brings the record to within 350 years after the food. The same chapter (verse
14) shows that idolatry was practiced by the Israelites while in Egypt.
Then, when God delivered Israel from their wretched states of slaves of the Egyptians, and brought them with Moses as their leader to the border of Canaan, we have the incident of the golden calf at Sinai (Exodus 32) and the testimony in Amos (5:25-26) that they carried false gods with them during those forty years in the wilderness. Joshua 24, to which reference has been made (verses 14-23), is proof that those gods were still worshiped, after the conquest of the land given them by God for their dwelling place. Judges 2:11-1311And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: 12And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. 13And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. (Judges 2:11‑13) and chapters 17 and 18 may be referred to. showing the continuance of idolatry until Samuel's day. Indeed it was never given up, though it remained for Solomon to bring in the practice openly (1 Kings 11), and later kings followed in his steps. (See 2 Kings 2:5, 11-145And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. (2 Kings 2:5)
11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 13He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 14And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. (2 Kings 2:11‑14) ) .
Chapter 10, as Isaiah 40, 44, etc., takes up the subject of idols in a charge to the house of Israel. They are not to learn the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens which troubled the nations (verse 2). "This would seem to have particular importance in view of the religion and practice„ of the Babylonians among whom they were shortly to live.
Folly is written upon the worship of the idols of men's contriving (verses 3-5). The true God is extolled, with His Millenial title (made good in Christ) of King of nations. (See Revelation 15:3,3And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. (Revelation 15:3) where the marginal reading is King of nations, and Rev. 19:11-2111And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21)).
"King of eternity", as the margin shows, is the true reading, instead of "an everlasting king" in verse 10 of our chapter. None other is the ultimate Ruler of the world, Who is also its Creator (verses 11, 12). And it is grace alone that leads Him to speak of Himself as the "Portion of Jacob" and of Israel as the rod or tribe of His inheritance. (Verse 16).
Nevertheless the need for governmental dealing with Judah is not forgotten; the exile to Babylon is nowhere said to be a final cutting off of the people, nor was it, as Ezekiel and Daniel and the still later prophets witnessed.
Jeremiah, in verses 19 to 25, speaks for Judah, but as justifying God in His dealings with them. He knows that man is a dependent creature; his way is not his own, and it is not in a man that walketh to direct his steps (verse 23). He therefore asks (for Judah) for correction with judgment, not in God's anger lest he be brought to nothing, The fury of God will be poured out in due time on the nations that know Him not (verse 25), and particularly will those who have oppressed God's earthly people suffer in that day, as we noticed in our studies in Isaiah.
Messages of God’s Love 9/2/1934