Jer 17:3 | KingComments | STEP | Jeremiah uses strong language to put before the people their iniquity ( ). “The sin of Judah” is in the singular. It is the sin of idolatry. All those idols and all the tributes to them are summed up in this singular designation. That “the sin of Judah” is engraved in their hearts means that they love sin and that it is completely integrated into their lives, is completely intertwined with it. Sin is more than a wrong action, it is the condition of the heart. What is engraved is written indelibly ( ), in this case as an everlasting indictment, a monument of sin. It is engraved like the inscription on a tombstone. It was done with an iron stylus, with a diamond point. With a diamond point, the hardest stone can be worked. Their sin is engraved in their hearts, where the law should be written ( ; cf. ; ; ). Their sin is also written on the horns of their altars. These are their idol altars. A horn speaks of strength and here means that they are powerful in committing sin. These altars have nothing to do with the altar of burnt offering in the temple, on which the blood of atonement is put ( ). The LORD does not see the blood that speaks of the sacrifice of His beloved Son, but He sees the sin of guilty Israel engraved on their hearts and on the horns of their idol altars. God’s judgment on their sin is therefore as inevitable and inescapable as their sin is indelible. The people of Judah think of their idols as often and with as much love as they do of their children ( ). Children and altars are the objects of their love and they link them together. They train their children to commit idolatry and bring them “by green trees on the high hills” which are mentioned here as the usual places of idolatry ( ). Many Christian parents are intent on telling their children a lot about great names in the world, sports heroes or thinkers honored in the world, while teaching them nothing about great names in Scripture. They bask in the knowledge of those impressive names like sitting in the shade of a leafy tree. They also revere those names by praising them, which is like taking a seat on a high hill. “Mountain of Mine in the countryside” ( ) represents Zion or Jerusalem or the temple ( ). It is a picture of Israel in the world as the people who have strayed from God. Therefore, He will abandon His people and carry them away into exile where they will serve their enemies. The idolaters think that Jerusalem or the temple is theirs, but the LORD never gives up His ownership. It is because it is His property and they have misused it that He gives it for booty to the enemy whom He sends against them. He will also give over for booty all their wealth and treasures, for which they worship their idols as if they had received it from them. The people will be forced to let go of the land, which had been given to them as an inheritance, but which they have so defiled with their idolatry ( ). This speaks of the rest of the sabbath years that the people have not given the land, against the LORD’s command ( ; ). This will happen when the LORD brings enemies upon them who will subdue them, remove them from their land, and whom they will have to serve. The land they do not know is Babylon. That they will be there, they have themselves to blame. They have taunted the LORD to the extreme with their idolatry. Now His anger has been kindled in all its intensity, with no way to extinguish it. His anger has been kindled by them because they persist in sin. His anger will burn for all eternity, like the fire in hell. God’s anger against sin is always for eternity. His anger only comes to an end when sin is confessed and hands are laid in faith on the atoning work of Christ.

‏ Jeremiah 17:3

Israel’s Indelible Sin

Jeremiah uses strong language to put before the people their iniquity (Jer 17:1). “The sin of Judah” is in the singular. It is the sin of idolatry. All those idols and all the tributes to them are summed up in this singular designation. That “the sin of Judah” is engraved in their hearts means that they love sin and that it is completely integrated into their lives, is completely intertwined with it. Sin is more than a wrong action, it is the condition of the heart.

What is engraved is written indelibly (Job 19:24), in this case as an everlasting indictment, a monument of sin. It is engraved like the inscription on a tombstone. It was done with an iron stylus, with a diamond point. With a diamond point, the hardest stone can be worked. Their sin is engraved in their hearts, where the law should be written (Jer 31:33; cf. Heb 8:10; 2Cor 3:3; Pro 3:3 ; Pro 7:3).

Their sin is also written on the horns of their altars. These are their idol altars. A horn speaks of strength and here means that they are powerful in committing sin. These altars have nothing to do with the altar of burnt offering in the temple, on which the blood of atonement is put (Lev 4:7 ; 18). The LORD does not see the blood that speaks of the sacrifice of His beloved Son, but He sees the sin of guilty Israel engraved on their hearts and on the horns of their idol altars. God’s judgment on their sin is therefore as inevitable and inescapable as their sin is indelible.

The people of Judah think of their idols as often and with as much love as they do of their children (Jer 17:2). Children and altars are the objects of their love and they link them together. They train their children to commit idolatry and bring them “by green trees on the high hills” which are mentioned here as the usual places of idolatry (Eze 6:13).

Many Christian parents are intent on telling their children a lot about great names in the world, sports heroes or thinkers honored in the world, while teaching them nothing about great names in Scripture. They bask in the knowledge of those impressive names like sitting in the shade of a leafy tree. They also revere those names by praising them, which is like taking a seat on a high hill.

“Mountain of Mine in the countryside” (Jer 17:3) represents Zion or Jerusalem or the temple (Mic 3:12). It is a picture of Israel in the world as the people who have strayed from God. Therefore, He will abandon His people and carry them away into exile where they will serve their enemies. The idolaters think that Jerusalem or the temple is theirs, but the LORD never gives up His ownership. It is because it is His property and they have misused it that He gives it for booty to the enemy whom He sends against them. He will also give over for booty all their wealth and treasures, for which they worship their idols as if they had received it from them.

The people will be forced to let go of the land, which had been given to them as an inheritance, but which they have so defiled with their idolatry (Jer 17:4). This speaks of the rest of the sabbath years that the people have not given the land, against the LORD’s command (Exo 23:10-11; Lev 25:4-5). This will happen when the LORD brings enemies upon them who will subdue them, remove them from their land, and whom they will have to serve.

The land they do not know is Babylon. That they will be there, they have themselves to blame. They have taunted the LORD to the extreme with their idolatry. Now His anger has been kindled in all its intensity, with no way to extinguish it. His anger has been kindled by them because they persist in sin. His anger will burn for all eternity, like the fire in hell. God’s anger against sin is always for eternity. His anger only comes to an end when sin is confessed and hands are laid in faith on the atoning work of Christ.