Jeremiah 8:1-3
This passage continues on from Jeremiah 7 with the thought of this coming day when this place becomes known as the Valley of Slaughter. During this time the bones would be removed from the graves and exposed to the sun. The exposure of these bones of the dead would cause the valley to be defiled and no a longer useful as a ritual site. You see a similar thing play out in 2 Kings 23:16. It had been prophesied in 1 Kings 13:1-3 that a man of God named Josiah would come and burn the priests on that altar. The altar had caused Israel to sin. It was not used to worship Yahweh. Josiah removed the bones from the tomb on the nearby hillside and burned them on the altar to defile it.
Proper and timely burial were important to Israel. Exposing the bones was a common practice for the Assyrians. They believed it would interrupt their rest in the spirit world. Jeremiah said that in that day the bones of the kings, priests, prophets and people would be exposed in the valley. Jeremiah specifically mentions they would be exposed to the sun, moon and stars that they loved, served, followed, consulted and worshiped. The bones would be scattered around like dung lying randomly about. This was humiliation as part of their judgment after their astral worship; it testified to the futility of worship of the astral bodies.
Jeremiah 8:4-7
Normal and reasonable people get up after they fall down. When someone discovers that they've turned away, they quickly turn back. Both assume a desire that things would be made right. Jerusalem turns away and doesn't turn back. They are found to be different. Why? They cling to deceit; deceiving themselves – believing their own lies so long they've become entrenched in their life. God has listed closely, looking for some sign of repentance or turning back. But they were all following after their own ways and did not take counsel from those to said to turn back. They were likened to a warhorse rushing into battle, maybe to his demise, without caution or pause. Several examples are given where lower animals act by reasonable instinct. However, Israel doesn't not act this way.
They simply have no desire to get up after they fall down or to turn back when they've found to be turned away.
Jeremiah 8:8-12
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. These people claimed to be wise because they possessed the law. When in reality, they had taken God's law and perverted and corrupted the message. They had misrepresented what God had said (v11). These so-called wise would be judged for their failing. How can anyone claim wisdom if they've rejected God's word (yet, it is done almost daily). The outcome of their lack of wisdom would become evident in the loss of their blessings. The wives left behind would become the wife of other men; their fields would have new owners.
This great deception ran through all the people, they all felt comfort in that everyone else felt the same. The prophets and priests were the one's who should have corrected this. However, they dressed the grievous wound with a band-aid and declared peace, as if all were well. But there was no peace, God was angry at their sin. The people had become very comfortable in their rebellion. There was no shame. There was no blushing before God. So, to those who fall and don't get back up; they would fall among the fallen (v4).
Jeremiah 8:13
Israel is considered the Lord's vineyard in many places, particularly the prophets. While this seems to be speaking of the judgment on their crops, there is an irony. The Lord's vineyard bore no fruit for Him in spite of all His efforts, as judgment, their vineyards would bear no fruit.
Jeremiah 8:14-17
When the judgment became all too real, they questioned their own lackadaisical attitude and encouraged each other to run to the fortified cities. It is there they might find some hope, some escape, or at least put off the inevitable a little longer. The people had poisoned their own spiritual waters and now they blamed God for the outcome. Yet, they understood it was because they sinned. They hoped for a better outcome; but their hope was based on false hope of false prophets speaking peace and safety.
The setting changes to Dan, the furthest north of Israel. The enemy had arrived, they were on their way. The land trembled in fear and anticipation at the sound of the warhorses.
The setting changes again to a vision of venomous snakes of a kind that cannot be charmed. This is another picture of the enemy and coming judgment. They had come to deliver their deadly bite. Snakes never represent anything good and they are associated with sin and judgment. How fitting that a poisonous snake would deliver the judgment of God for their rebellion and sin.
Jeremiah 8:18-19
Jeremiah knows the Lord as His comforter and he is looking to Him as He is overcome with grief and sorrow for His people and the land. The people cry out asking their questions, wondering why the Lord wasn't delivering them. Through all their rejections and through all the warnings, they ignore the Lord and now quickly look to Him for deliverance.
God answers their question with a question. Why were they not crying out to their worthless idols? When real trouble came, they wanted to run to the Lord. But God's anger was aroused.
Jeremiah 8:20-22
Jeremiah then likens their situation to a missed harvest. It's too late, its in the past and they are now without hope. There had been many God-given warnings and God-given opportunities. They had rejected them all, but now they wanted God to listen.
Jeremiah identifies with his people, even in their sin and judgement. Gilead was famous for its balm. Jeremiah knew the balm of the Lord had been passed over. It was now as if there were no balm or doctor to apply it. They were without hope. There would be no healing.
©2018 Doug Ford
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