Jer 8:6 | KingComments | STEP | Jeremiah is to present to the people two examples from everyday life ( ). These are two situations that the people must recognize, because that is how it works. These examples are presented to the people as questions. The answer is also given directly, because it is too obvious to make anyone think about it. The first example is that of someone who falls. What does he do? Of course he does not stay down, but gets up again. The second example is about someone who has turned away, who has lost his way. Will he continue on that road when he becomes aware of his mistake? Of course not, he will want to return to the right path. Why then – and now a question follows that should make the people think – has Jerusalem turned away from the LORD, but does not return to Him ( )? This is an unnatural behavior. They have apostatized from the LORD and fallen into idolatry, but will not get up and return to Him; they persist in turning away from the LORD and will not return. They persist in deception because they believe in themselves, trust in themselves and not in God. They refuse to return because they believe that the way they are going is the right way and that the way the LORD is presenting to them is not the right way. The LORD has seen it and listened to them ( ). He has heard that their speaking is not virtuous. There is no repentance to be noticed in them, nothing indicating a return. There is no one questioning what they have done, an attitude characteristic of an unrepentant person. God asks that question of people to make them reflect on their actions, so that they may repent ( ; ). Every one of His people turns away from Him and runs in the wrong direction, heading for destruction. Like runaway horses, they run on ( ), with total disregard for the danger they are in, because they are blind to it. When the connection with God is given up, man loses all sense of what is right. The animals are an example to him, but he himself does not realize it ( ; cf. ). The migratory birds, of which Jeremiah mentions a few, know where they are headed. When they have arrived there, they also know when to depart from there again. They respond to the natural laws established by God, they know the way they must go to survive and they go that way. Man proves that he is dumber than the animals by not taking God’s laws into account for him. Similarly, the Lord Jesus reproaches the Pharisees and Sadducees for not knowing the signs of the times ( ). Jeremiah has many parables from nature. Nature is full of the laws of God. Not only is man subject to the law of God, but so are the animals. Man has, what animals do not have, reason and a will and the ability to consciously resist. The animals instinctively obey God’s natural laws. Man has been set by God as the head of creation. All other creatures are lower than him, but he sinks to a behavior below that of the animals when disobeying God.

‏ Jeremiah 8:6

Hardening of Israel in Idolatry

Jeremiah is to present to the people two examples from everyday life (Jer 8:4). These are two situations that the people must recognize, because that is how it works. These examples are presented to the people as questions. The answer is also given directly, because it is too obvious to make anyone think about it. The first example is that of someone who falls. What does he do? Of course he does not stay down, but gets up again. The second example is about someone who has turned away, who has lost his way. Will he continue on that road when he becomes aware of his mistake? Of course not, he will want to return to the right path.

Why then – and now a question follows that should make the people think – has Jerusalem turned away from the LORD, but does not return to Him (Jer 8:5)? This is an unnatural behavior. They have apostatized from the LORD and fallen into idolatry, but will not get up and return to Him; they persist in turning away from the LORD and will not return. They persist in deception because they believe in themselves, trust in themselves and not in God. They refuse to return because they believe that the way they are going is the right way and that the way the LORD is presenting to them is not the right way.

The LORD has seen it and listened to them (Jer 8:6). He has heard that their speaking is not virtuous. There is no repentance to be noticed in them, nothing indicating a return. There is no one questioning what they have done, an attitude characteristic of an unrepentant person. God asks that question of people to make them reflect on their actions, so that they may repent (Gen 4:10; 1Sam 13:11). Every one of His people turns away from Him and runs in the wrong direction, heading for destruction. Like runaway horses, they run on (Job 39:19-25), with total disregard for the danger they are in, because they are blind to it.

When the connection with God is given up, man loses all sense of what is right. The animals are an example to him, but he himself does not realize it (Jer 8:7; cf. Isa 1:3). The migratory birds, of which Jeremiah mentions a few, know where they are headed. When they have arrived there, they also know when to depart from there again. They respond to the natural laws established by God, they know the way they must go to survive and they go that way. Man proves that he is dumber than the animals by not taking God’s laws into account for him. Similarly, the Lord Jesus reproaches the Pharisees and Sadducees for not knowing the signs of the times (Mt 16:1-3).

Jeremiah has many parables from nature. Nature is full of the laws of God. Not only is man subject to the law of God, but so are the animals. Man has, what animals do not have, reason and a will and the ability to consciously resist. The animals instinctively obey God’s natural laws. Man has been set by God as the head of creation. All other creatures are lower than him, but he sinks to a behavior below that of the animals when disobeying God.