Jer 44:17 | KingComments | STEP | After Jeremiah has spoken the words of judgment from the LORD, comes the reaction of the people ( ). This is quite a large company, “a large assembly”. The Spirit of God introduces to us the people who respond. They are first “all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods”. Such men do not behave as the head of their wives. It is written of Jacob that he does not know that Rachel has stolen the idols ( ). These men simply allow their wives to do so. Such men are will-less straw men who bow to the will of their wives. In doing so, they throw overboard the will of God. Then all the women, also as a group, are mentioned. The women’s movement is well represented. Those men and women form a large crowd. Then there is also “all the people”, the influenceable, compliant crowd. The response is truly mind-boggling ( ). They acknowledge that Jeremiah spoke the word to them in the Name of the LORD and in the same breath it follows that they will not listen to it. This is defiantly, willful sinning, punishable by death ( ). Jeremiah also denounced this sin earlier ( ). It is falling away from the living God, with no possibility of repentance (cf. ). It seems that the women are the spokesmen. They are not doing what “the mouth of the LORD” has spoken, but they will, they say, “certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths” ( ). That means, they go on to say, that they will continue to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her. They did the same in Judah and Jerusalem, just like their fathers, kings and princes. Then they had bread and things went well and they saw no evil. That changed when they stopped doing that ( ). That must have happened under pressure from Josiah. Then there was a lack of everything and the sword and famine stroke them. By the way, their men know about it, but say nothing of it ( ). So what will Jeremiah tell them? This kind of ‘theological gymnastics’, as someone called it, is something we also encounter today. It is hidden in the view that ceasing to sin brings unhappiness. People who practice one sin or another with commitment and devotion become unhappy when they stop. From this they conclude that sin makes them happy. In such people, sin is so deeply ingrained that they are no longer open to the truth and believe the lie as truth. The first argument for continuing with their idolatry is: we do as we have always done. The second argument is that it went well for them when they offered the queen of heaven and it went badly for them when they stopped doing so. There is no sense of the discipline of God as the real cause of their misery. The third argument is that they did not do it without their men. They shift the blame. They overlook the fact that each has his or her own responsibility, which is not inconsistent with the woman’s submission to the man. This is how the LORD is pushed aside. It is even worse. All blessing is attributed to the idols and all plagues to the LORD. Those who want to be faithful to Christ may find themselves in difficult circumstances. The devil will use that to point out to someone that when he did not know the Lord, he did not have all those problems. Those who do not live from a living relationship with the Lord Jesus will fall back into the hands of the devil in a time of need. We are told “that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” ( ). Therefore, the fiery ordeal of tribulation should not surprise us ( ). These women when they practiced idolatry, had plenty to eat and an easy life, they say. They attribute the lack of prosperity to the displeasure of the idols when they ceased to sacrifice to them. They believe the lie and have been blinded by the devil. They are responsible for this themselves. Their husbands as heads of the family are even more responsible. They allow their wives to do so (cf. ). The wife is given to help the man, but here the women take the initiative and the men follow submissively. It is like with the fall in sin, where Eve also takes the lead and Adam follows.

‏ Jeremiah 44:17

Stubborn Persistence in Idolatry

After Jeremiah has spoken the words of judgment from the LORD, comes the reaction of the people (Jer 44:15). This is quite a large company, “a large assembly”. The Spirit of God introduces to us the people who respond. They are first “all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods”.

Such men do not behave as the head of their wives. It is written of Jacob that he does not know that Rachel has stolen the idols (Gen 31:32). These men simply allow their wives to do so. Such men are will-less straw men who bow to the will of their wives. In doing so, they throw overboard the will of God.

Then all the women, also as a group, are mentioned. The women’s movement is well represented. Those men and women form a large crowd. Then there is also “all the people”, the influenceable, compliant crowd.

The response is truly mind-boggling (Jer 44:16). They acknowledge that Jeremiah spoke the word to them in the Name of the LORD and in the same breath it follows that they will not listen to it. This is defiantly, willful sinning, punishable by death (Num 15:30-31). Jeremiah also denounced this sin earlier (Jer 7:17-18). It is falling away from the living God, with no possibility of repentance (cf. Heb 6:4-6 ; Heb 10:29).

It seems that the women are the spokesmen. They are not doing what “the mouth of the LORD” has spoken, but they will, they say, “certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths” (Jer 44:17). That means, they go on to say, that they will continue to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.

They did the same in Judah and Jerusalem, just like their fathers, kings and princes. Then they had bread and things went well and they saw no evil. That changed when they stopped doing that (Jer 44:18). That must have happened under pressure from Josiah. Then there was a lack of everything and the sword and famine stroke them. By the way, their men know about it, but say nothing of it (Jer 44:19). So what will Jeremiah tell them?

This kind of ‘theological gymnastics’, as someone called it, is something we also encounter today. It is hidden in the view that ceasing to sin brings unhappiness. People who practice one sin or another with commitment and devotion become unhappy when they stop. From this they conclude that sin makes them happy. In such people, sin is so deeply ingrained that they are no longer open to the truth and believe the lie as truth.

The first argument for continuing with their idolatry is: we do as we have always done. The second argument is that it went well for them when they offered the queen of heaven and it went badly for them when they stopped doing so. There is no sense of the discipline of God as the real cause of their misery. The third argument is that they did not do it without their men. They shift the blame. They overlook the fact that each has his or her own responsibility, which is not inconsistent with the woman’s submission to the man.

This is how the LORD is pushed aside. It is even worse. All blessing is attributed to the idols and all plagues to the LORD.

Those who want to be faithful to Christ may find themselves in difficult circumstances. The devil will use that to point out to someone that when he did not know the Lord, he did not have all those problems. Those who do not live from a living relationship with the Lord Jesus will fall back into the hands of the devil in a time of need. We are told “that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Therefore, the fiery ordeal of tribulation should not surprise us (1Pet 4:12).

These women when they practiced idolatry, had plenty to eat and an easy life, they say. They attribute the lack of prosperity to the displeasure of the idols when they ceased to sacrifice to them. They believe the lie and have been blinded by the devil. They are responsible for this themselves.

Their husbands as heads of the family are even more responsible. They allow their wives to do so (cf. Num 30:3 ; 6-7 ; 12). The wife is given to help the man, but here the women take the initiative and the men follow submissively. It is like with the fall in sin, where Eve also takes the lead and Adam follows.