Jer 4:3-4 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD desires His people to return and to do so to Him ( ). Someone can repent of certain sins because he sees that they are harmful for his (spiritual) life or that certain sins do not bring the expected benefit. Then those sins are given up, but there is no real repentance. There is only true conversion when those sins are confessed to God and there is a return to Him. The LORD holds up to His people what He expects of them when they return to Him. He can only accept their conversion as genuine if they put away the abominable idols from before Him and stop wandering restlessly from one idol to another. This means a thorough cleansing of the city and the land, so that not one idol and not one idolatrous place of sacrifice will be found anymore. It is not possible to walk with God and at the same time continue to sin or even allow a reason to sin to exist. ‘Waver’ means not finding rest anywhere. Cain, after the murder of his brother, went to “be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth” ( ). In this he is a picture of the Jewish people, who are “a wanderer on the earth” after the murder of the Lord Jesus. There is no stability, but they are, as it were, “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” ( ). Idolatry, which finds its culmination in the worship of the beast, to which they are brought by the demonic temptation of the antichrist, is therefore an extremely debilitating service. If it turns out that their conversion is sincere, a matter of their heart, and they keep the oath they have sworn by His Name, it will be a testimony to the nations around them ( ). To swear by the name LORD means that they acknowledge Him as LORD, the God with Whom they are in a covenant relationship. That alone brings them to do truth, justice and righteousness. They will then be sincere, honest and trustworthy. As a result, the nations will also long to be connected to the LORD. From this they will experience the blessing and give Him the glory. They will then no longer glory in themselves, but in Him. Jeremiah demonstrates the need for spiritual renewal of the people. The men of Judah and especially those of Jerusalem are held accountable ( ). He exhorts them to work their fallow ground or unplowed hearts. The plow of repentance and obedience must go through the conscience to receive the seed of the Word. No farmer sows in unplowed land. Thus God does not sow the seed of His blessing in unconverted hearts. Unplowed land is fallow ground. It is land where nothing is happening. The land lies dormant, but nothing grows there either. That land must be worked, effort must be made to make it fruitful land (cf. ). So it is also with gifts that every believer has received from the Lord. They must not remain unused, but must be used so that there may be fruit (cf. ). Anything that prevents that, the “thorns”, must be removed, or it must be prevented that which produces fruit ends up there. If it ends up among the thorns, it does not bring forth fruit ( ). Thorns are closely tied to sin, they are the result of it ( ). Sin in the life of a believer prevents him from bearing fruit for God. Once plowed and the land is no longer fallow, it is suitable for sowing. But then the thorns can also start to grow. They usually grow faster than the good seed. Therefore, “do not sow among thorns”, but out of reach of them. This is what the people are called to do. It holds the lesson for us that we must stay away from the cares of the world and the temptations of wealth ( ). To achieve the result of , the condition of must be met. Now Jeremiah uses the picture of circumcision. Before we can work in a way that fruit comes out of our lives, something must happen in our hearts. Outward appearances must be replaced by inward reality (cf. ; ). This means self-judgment, of which circumcision is a picture. If that is not there, God will have to judge, because if there is no self-judgment, there will only be “the evil of your deeds” on which God’s judgment will come.

‏ Jeremiah 4:3-4

Call for True Repentance

The LORD desires His people to return and to do so to Him (Jer 4:1). Someone can repent of certain sins because he sees that they are harmful for his (spiritual) life or that certain sins do not bring the expected benefit. Then those sins are given up, but there is no real repentance. There is only true conversion when those sins are confessed to God and there is a return to Him.

The LORD holds up to His people what He expects of them when they return to Him. He can only accept their conversion as genuine if they put away the abominable idols from before Him and stop wandering restlessly from one idol to another. This means a thorough cleansing of the city and the land, so that not one idol and not one idolatrous place of sacrifice will be found anymore. It is not possible to walk with God and at the same time continue to sin or even allow a reason to sin to exist.

‘Waver’ means not finding rest anywhere. Cain, after the murder of his brother, went to “be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth” (Gen 4:14). In this he is a picture of the Jewish people, who are “a wanderer on the earth” after the murder of the Lord Jesus. There is no stability, but they are, as it were, “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14). Idolatry, which finds its culmination in the worship of the beast, to which they are brought by the demonic temptation of the antichrist, is therefore an extremely debilitating service.

If it turns out that their conversion is sincere, a matter of their heart, and they keep the oath they have sworn by His Name, it will be a testimony to the nations around them (Jer 4:2). To swear by the name LORD means that they acknowledge Him as LORD, the God with Whom they are in a covenant relationship. That alone brings them to do truth, justice and righteousness. They will then be sincere, honest and trustworthy. As a result, the nations will also long to be connected to the LORD. From this they will experience the blessing and give Him the glory. They will then no longer glory in themselves, but in Him.

Jeremiah demonstrates the need for spiritual renewal of the people. The men of Judah and especially those of Jerusalem are held accountable (Jer 4:3). He exhorts them to work their fallow ground or unplowed hearts. The plow of repentance and obedience must go through the conscience to receive the seed of the Word. No farmer sows in unplowed land. Thus God does not sow the seed of His blessing in unconverted hearts.

Unplowed land is fallow ground. It is land where nothing is happening. The land lies dormant, but nothing grows there either. That land must be worked, effort must be made to make it fruitful land (cf. Hos 10:12). So it is also with gifts that every believer has received from the Lord. They must not remain unused, but must be used so that there may be fruit (cf. Col 4:17).

Anything that prevents that, the “thorns”, must be removed, or it must be prevented that which produces fruit ends up there. If it ends up among the thorns, it does not bring forth fruit (Mt 13:7 ; 22). Thorns are closely tied to sin, they are the result of it (Gen 3:18a). Sin in the life of a believer prevents him from bearing fruit for God.

Once plowed and the land is no longer fallow, it is suitable for sowing. But then the thorns can also start to grow. They usually grow faster than the good seed. Therefore, “do not sow among thorns”, but out of reach of them. This is what the people are called to do. It holds the lesson for us that we must stay away from the cares of the world and the temptations of wealth (Mt 13:22).

To achieve the result of Jer 4:3, the condition of Jer 4:4 must be met. Now Jeremiah uses the picture of circumcision. Before we can work in a way that fruit comes out of our lives, something must happen in our hearts. Outward appearances must be replaced by inward reality (cf. Deu 10:16; Rom 2:28-29). This means self-judgment, of which circumcision is a picture. If that is not there, God will have to judge, because if there is no self-judgment, there will only be “the evil of your deeds” on which God’s judgment will come.