The Grief of Sin

Transcript

GR 457
9-19-82
The Grief of Sin
Jeremiah 9:1-26
Gil Rugh

By now in our study of Jeremiah, you should have a grasp of the necessity for an unrelenting emphasis on judgment. This emphasis becomes wearing and wearying as we repeatedly consider this aspect of the character of God.

Last week I attended a seminar on the Old Testament at a seminary. Early in the lecture the professor lamented the lack of Old Testament preaching today. He said this lack of preaching from the Old Testament has resulted in a distorted picture of God and His character. The result is a view of God that is bland, that emphasizes His love and goodness but is not balanced by that aspect of His character that reveals His justice and wrath. He spoke of the God of the Old Testament as the warring God. That lack of emphasis on the Old Testament may well be a cause of our distorted view of God today.

As I reflect on the books of the Old Testament, book after book and chapter after chapter stresses the wrath of God revealed in judgment against sin. And yet today because of the lack of emphasis on the Old Testament, I believe we have a picture of God that is not a true picture. As believers, if we are not careful, we can become guilty of the very thing for which we accuse the unbeliever. We have our own mental picture of God’s character and do not want anyone to tamper with it. We like to think of God in a particular way. So we prefer that you not talk about those aspects of His character that we do not like very well.

It almost sounds like blasphemy to say there are aspects of God’s character we do not like. We would much rather talk about God’s love than of His wrath. Yet we do not really comprehend God’s character if we do not see His wrath as well as His love.

You may question the lack of emphasis on Christology in this study--the Person of Christ. We ought to keep in mind that the entire Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ. When I am studying Jeremiah 9, I am studying the person and character of Jesus Christ Himself. It is true that I am studying an aspect of His character that the New Testament does not develop with the same intensity and degree-His righteous judgment on sin. The Book of Revelation comes closest to that continuous emphasis on the wrath of God. But we might expect that from Revelation, because Revelation is the least original book of the New Testament. Revelation simply draws from the Old Testament and unfolds it.

In Acts 24 Paul is presenting the finished work of Jesus Christ to Felix. “But some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus” (v. 24). Paul is addressing Felix and his wife about the issue of faith in Christ. “And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, ‘Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you’” (v. 25). It is important to note that Paul had presented the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had a strong emphasis on righteousness, self-control and judgment, so much so that Felix was unnerved. He was frightened and did not want the conversation to go on.

It is important to remind ourselves of who God really is. I ask myself, Why am I uncomfortable in Jeremiah? Why would I rather be studying another book? Am I uncomfortable with this aspect of God’s character? Do I really appreciate the seriousness of sin and the holy righteousness of God that necessitates His wrath on sin?

Through chapter 8 Jeremiah has spoken intensely about the character of the people of Israel, about the necessity of judgment for sin and of the superficial way the situation was being dealt with in Israel. Israel did not want to hear about judgment and sin any more than we do. So they turned their ears to those who would talk about the positive--all is well, peace, peace--in verse 11 of chapter 8. But God condemns that strongly because there is no peace. It is blasphemy to imply that sinful human beings have peace with God apart from His personal redemption. Jeremiah speaks strongly, but his heart is broken by the situation because of the judgment that is coming on his people. In verse 18 he said, “My sorrow is beyond healing, My heart is faint within me! Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land.” Jeremiah speaks of the tragedy of the situation.

In verse 22 Jeremiah asked, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?” The expression “the daughter of my people” is a little strange to our ears. Daughter and people are in apposition, so they are synonymous. We would say, “The daughter who is my people.” It is a way of expressing the warmth of love for these people, just as you would have warmth for your own daughter. With the trouble that Israel is in, God views them like His own daughter compared to the compassion that He still has in the situation.

Verse 1 of chapter 9 goes with the end of chapter 8, “Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” Jeremiah has an intense burden for these people, but there is a balance here. Jeremiah is moved with compassion for the tragedy of these people. If there is a balm in Gilead, and there is, if there is a physician there, and there is, why is not the spiritual illness of Israel healed? There is no excuse or reason. It compounds the tragedy. It is just as tragic as people going to hell. What a tragedy because hell is not a necessity; redemption and forgiveness are provided. Oh the tragedy, people will not accept redemption. They hold on to their sin.


The fact that Jeremiah has such an intense burden for the people does not mean he identifies with them in their sin or that he excuses their sin. He can weep for them even though he realizes judgment is just and needed. From the other side, he wants nothing to do with them. “O that I had in the desert a wayfarers’ lodging place; that I might leave my people, and go from them!” (v. 2). Here Jeremiah is identifying himself with God in not wanting to be part of these people. Why? “For all of them are adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. ‘And they bend their tongue like their bow; lies and not truth prevail in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me,’ declares the Lord” (vv. 2,3).

You ought to underline that expression, “‘They do not know Me,’ declares the Lord.” The tragedy in this is that these are the people who profess to belong to God, and yet they are living their lives in sin. Jeremiah says, “I do not want to have anything to do with them. I would like to live apart like a hermit, by myself.” Note, he does not do that because that is not an option. I can identify with Jeremiah. Did you ever want to run away and hide. I would like to go into my own little world, just the Lord and me. I will read the Bible and pray and wait for the Lord to come, but hiding is not one of my options. The monastic life has its appeal, but it is not God’s plan. Jeremiah would like to retreat but he cannot. What is the problem? The people of God are adulterers, treacherous, liars; the truth is absent. They go from evil to evil. The problem is, “they do not know Me” (v. 3). Now wait, they claim they do. Yes, but their lives indicate that they do not.

God continues His indictment in verses 4 and 5: “Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor, and do not trust any brother; because every brother deals craftily, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. And everyone deceives his neighbor, and does not speak the truth, they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.” These people are expending a lot of energy, but it is in deeds of iniquity.

Note that last statement of verse 6: “‘Through deceit they refuse to know Me,’ declares the Lord.” Compare that statement with the end of verse 3, “‘They do not know Me,’ declares the Lord.” The statement in verse 6, “Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” is not a passive lack of knowledge, it is active. They do not want to know Him; they refuse to know Him. They would rather pursue deceit and the false teaching of false religious leaders. They are more comfortable with that. It fits more to their liking.

We have a God who is absolutely holy, absolutely righteous and just; and we have a people living according to the description of the first six verses. What should this holy and righteous God do? God answers that question in verses 7-9: “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I will refine them and assay them; for what else can I do because of the daughter of My people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceit; with his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, but inwardly he sets an ambush for him. Shall I not punish them for these things?’ declares the Lord. ‘On a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?’”

People today have a problem when Scripture speaks about the wrath and judgment of God in eternal hell. That is because they have no concept of the holiness and the righteousness of God. They think that God could just overlook these things and accept people as they are. Such an approach does not answer the question of verse 9--”Shall I not punish them for these things?” What alternative does God have?

As God builds His case, we are shown that He has no alternative. His people refuse to know Him, and there can be salvation in no other. What shall He do with them? What kind of heaven would it be if it were populated with people who refuse to know God, who weary themselves in the pursuit of sin? It would not be heaven at all, would it? Even the unbeliever does not have that kind of conception of heaven, yet he is unwilling to know the God who can bring about the cleansing and transformation of character that enables him to be a person who manifests the characteristics of God Himself.

The judgment that is coming is described in verses 10 and 11: “For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a dirge, because they are laid waste, so that no one passes through, and the lowing of the cattle is not heard; both the birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone. And I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

Verse 12 asks a question, “Who is the wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why . . . ?” In my Bible, I underlined that word “why.” Israel is always asking it. We think of our children asking “Why?” They are constantly questioning us, and we answer because of this reason,” and they say, “Why?” Sometimes we think that way with God too, although often we do not verbalize it.

The question continues in verse 12: “Why is the land ruined, laid waste like a desert, so that no one passes through?” Why would God deal with such awful wrath and judgment so that men, women and children would undergo such awful destruction? “And the Lord said, ‘Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it’” (v. 13). The foundational reason is because they have ignored the Word of God. Why this judgment? Because they have forsaken God’s Word.

I believe that answer spans all of time. Why does God judge? Because sinful human beings ignore His Word and refuse to live according to it. It has nothing to do with your own efforts or merits but only your relationship to the eternal Word of God. How do you relate to the Word of God? That is the standard. Those who forsake the Word of God must be judged by God.

Verse 14 says they “have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.” They are following the pattern, “like fathers, like children.” What are they communicating? Stubbornness, arrogance and a refusal to submit to the Word of God. The problem is not a lack of religious activity! They have followed after the Baals. They have been religious. We saw this in chapter 8. But they have not walked after God. “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink’” (v. 15). This is judgment. If you reject the Word of God and follow after your own stubborn way, the culmination is judgment. That pattern is always the same. Reject the Word of God, pursue your own stubborn way: judgment. That principle does not change down to our day.

The Book of First Peter shows that God’s standards are changeless. “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:22,23). Then Peter quotes from Isaiah 40, “For, all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord abides forever” (1 Peter 1:24,25). The Word of God is eternal and unchanging because it is the revelation and unfolding of the righteous character of God Himself. The Word of God does not change. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31). Why? Because the Word of God is a revelation of the character of God, and the character of God is unchanging.

So what was the problem in Jeremiah’s day? People refused the Word of God. In doing so they refused God’s salvation. What does Peter say from the positive side? How were you born again? How do you have purified souls? Through faith in the living and abiding Word of God. Nothing has changed down to today.

As believers, our lives are founded upon something which is permanent. The world goes up and down. Its attitudes and philosophies change. But the Word of God is unchanging. Our eternal destiny hinges upon our response to the revealed Word of God. Scripture tells me that I am a sinner under wrath, and God alone can bring me salvation. He has provided salvation in the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. If I will believe that His Son, Jesus Christ, died for me personally, I will have forgiveness of sin, purification of my soul that I might live in obedience to His truth. Apart from that, there is no salvation. Anyone who rejects these revealed truths is rejecting God, refusing His Word and following after the stubbornness of his heart. It has nothing to do with how religious you are. It has everything to do with a personal relationship with God who is revealing Himself in the Scriptures.

God’s description of judgment on Israel continues in Jeremiah 9:16: “And I will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them.”

In verses 17 through 22 there is a call for the professional mourners. Women of the time who were professional mourners led the way in showing emotions. In effect they pumped the emotions of others. At a time of tragedy such as a funeral, you ought to be sad, so these wailing women were there to help draw out the tears and express the sadness. That practice continued for centuries. Jerome, who lived four centuries after Christ, wrote of the practice of the professional mourning women.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the wailing women, that they may come! And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may shed tears, and our eyelids flow with water.’” (vv. 17,18). Maybe they needed help to realize the tragedy of the situation. They ought to be in tears, so call for the leaders of mourning.

The call for mourning continues, “‘For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion, “How are we ruined! We are put to great shame, for we have left the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.”’ Now hear the word of the Lord, O you women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; teach your daughters wailing, and everyone her neighbor a dirge” (vv. 19,20). The wailing women ought to become teachers of mourning to other women so they can lead in the sadness because the tragedy is overwhelming. They will not have enough wailing women to go around, not enough mourners to lead in the sadness.

In verses 21 and 22 death is personified. Just like a thief, he climbs in through the window. “For death has come up through our windows; it has entered our palaces to cut off the children from the streets, the young men from the town squares. Speak, ‘Thus declares the Lord, “The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field, and like the sheaf after the reaper, but no one will gather them”’” (vv. 21,22). No one realizes the awful tragedy of judgment on sin as much as God does. We say, “How could a loving God judge that way?” No one but God realizes how terrible His judgment will be. Why does He speak so much about it, chapter after chapter, until we are wearied of His speaking about judgment on sin? Why? Because God knows how awful it is.

Verse 21 is a sad verse. It cuts off the children from the streets and the young men from the town squares. They are destroyed in the judgment. That is tragic, but the people will not accept the truth until after it has happened.

In verse 22, “Thus declares the Lord,” This is God speaking! This is the picture God draws. “The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field.” That is blunt, almost repulsive to us as cultured people. God says they will be just like dung in the open field. That is an awful way to talk, but God is getting our attention. Do we understand how awful judgment really is? No, we do not. We read it and say, “My, my, my, is that not something? I wonder what time lunch will be today.” It goes right by us just like it did Israel. Jeremiah is preaching judgment and nobody is listening.

What really drives you on? What is the motivation of your life? What makes you go? We all need a reason to be, something that moves us on, that enables us to face tomorrow. In verse 23 God touches on three prime motivations among men. “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches.’”

In the first part of verse 23, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom,” We are so proud, so confident in our intelligence and wisdom. This is abundantly evident with our emphasis on education today. Men are proud; they are arrogant in their wisdom, rejecting what God says. They set themselves up as the standard of wisdom.

I was reading a sermon someone gave me from a local preacher. This preacher was talking about the issue of sin and what Paul said about it. He said Paul made certain statements about sin, and Augustine and Calvin agreed with him. This preacher indicated that he would accept the verdict of the scholars of today against Paul, Augustine and Calvin.

I have no problem accepting the verdict of scholars of today against Calvin, even though I respect Calvin--or if they reject Augustine. But when the scholars of today reject what Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has said in Scripture, I must draw the line. This preacher said we have many more tools available to us today than Paul had, therefore, we can reject what Paul says about sin. What is this? It is man boasting in his own wisdom.

Do men today, with all of their studying and learning, come to the Word of God for their answers? Or has their pursuit of knowledge given them an arrogance that causes them to look down on those who come to the Word of God for answers? Is this something new? What did God say through Jeremiah 2500 years ago? Do not boast about your wisdom. Do not devote yourself to it. There is nothing wrong with pursuing knowledge, but do not let that be the driving force in your life. Do not let that be what you glory in. That is temporal.

The second motivation for men which God warns against is power. “Let not the mighty man boast of his might” (v. 23). Ah, the pursuit of power, the desire to be a mighty or influential man. Many men are driven by the desire to be somebody, to have influence, to be respected, to have people look up to them and say, “My, he is so and so. He has great influence or wields great power.” The world sits in awe of those kinds of people. But what does that power do? What do you have when it is all said and done? It is temporal at best.

The third warning against improper motivation says, “Let not a rich man boast of his riches” (v. 23). Many people are driven by the desire to acquire wealth. The world admires that quality. We look up to those who have been successful with riches. There is nothing wrong with being wise. God places no premium on stupidity. He does not say the less you know the better you are. That is not the issue. The issue is what you are boasting about or glorying in, the driving force of your life. There is nothing wrong with might or power. God places some Christians in positions of influence, some in positions of great power. It is wrong when that is the driving force of your life, when that is what you glory in, when that is what makes you tick, so to speak. There is nothing wrong with riches. God has blessed some Christians with great wealth. What makes it wrong is if that is what makes you go, if that is what drives you on, what gives you significance. What would your life be like without your money, without your power, without your wisdom? That evaluation will tell you something. What if you were a pauper tomorrow? What if you lost your power or influence? What if your mind were gone? Then what? None of those things are worth glorying in or boasting about.

I could not help but be impressed when I watched a funeral of a well-known person recently. All the pomp and ceremony that went on with the funeral was amazing. Do you know what it all boils down to? There was a dead body in that coffin. There was no difference in that service, even though it was broadcast all over the world, than in a service for the poorest person on earth. It is still a dead body in a coffin. They can put all the flowers, music and splendor into it they want, but you cannot change the fact that all you have is a dead body in a coffin. It does not matter how much money, power or wisdom they had while alive. When it comes down to the final line, they had nothing apart from the Lord!

So why boast in those things? You are not taking your wisdom, power or riches with you. They are not going along, so why boast in them? If you do, what do you have left when you die? Nothing. What a tragedy it is when believers get caught up in the pursuit of these things. Paul had to write to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 to warn him about those who have pursued riches and brought ruin to themselves as believers. What a tragedy.

What do you boast in then? “But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me” (Jeremiah 9:24). Think about it. What greater boast could I have than to say I understand and know the true and living God? Only a perverted mind would elevate riches, power or wisdom above the knowledge of God. I as a mortal human being can tell you that I know and understand God! That is something to boast about in a good sense. I boast in that because that is where I find my glory. That is what makes me tick, what brings the excitement into my life. If I want to brag about something, to use that word without its negative connotation, that is what I want to brag about. Paul wrote to the Galatians about what he wants to glory in--the cross of Christ--because it is not his glory, it is God’s.

God tells us in Jeremiah 9:24, what we are to boast about: “But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth.” The three areas that the Lord centers on are lovingkindness, justice and righteousness. We have talked about the word for lovingkindness on other occasions--checed. We often use the phrase “covenant love” to describe it. Covenant love describes the lovingkindness of the Lord. He delights in that right relationship of lovingkindness. The idea of justice provides the balance needed. There is the lovingkindness of God; there is also the justice of God; then there is righteousness. “‘For I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord.”

How much like the Lord am I? Do I boast in the fact that I know Him? Does my life center around what delights Him? Do the things that delight Him, delight me? Are lovingkindness, justice and righteousness the things that drive me on?

We so easily forget this. The Corinthians had also forgotten this so Paul had to remind them. He wrote, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). No man can stand and boast in the presence of God. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written [in Jeremiah 9], ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD’” (1 Corinthians 1:30,31). He quotes from that again later when he writes to the Corinthians in his second letter. “BUT HE WHO BOASTS, LET HIM BOAST IN THE LORD” (2 Corinthians 10:17).

What drives you on? What makes you go? We are glad you come to church on Sunday, but really, what motivates you during the week? What is Monday all about for you, and Tuesday? What is at the center of your life? You might as well be honest with yourself and before God, because He knows. He searches the heart and the mind. He knows what is going on inside. He knows whether it is wisdom, power or riches at the center of your life. You do not know what is at the center of my life; I do not know what the center of your life is. God knows the true condition of your heart.

Do not overlook the last phrase of Jeremiah 9:24: “‘For I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord.” We get too easily sidetracked with these unimportant goals the world sets up. I am convinced that Christians do not dwell enough on the glorious privilege of knowing and understanding God. We need to contemplate that. At times this is almost overwhelming to me. I may be out at a restaurant, or somewhere else, and I suddenly realize that I am one who walks in a personal relationship with the eternal God. He is the One who holds this universe all together, and I know Him. I can be walking down the sidewalk talking with the God who is in charge of it all! That is awesome! Knowing no one in the city or in the world can compare with the privilege and honor of knowing God. How tragic to think that Christians can be diverted into pursuing the temporal little trinkets of wisdom, power and riches that the world has to offer.

God has declared what His people ought to be boasting in. What a glorious opportunity we have. This is what God held out for Israel! But they refuse to know Him. Verses 25 and 26, the concluding verses of Jeremiah 9, direct our thoughts to judgment again. “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised--Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the sons of Ammon, and Moab, and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.’”

The point being driven home here is the same that is made in the Book of Galatians--circumcision or lack of circumcision has nothing to do with eternal salvation. The emphasis of Israel is on externals. They are reminded that they are not the only nation that practices physical circumcision. Egypt practiced it along with the other nations listed here. Yet the Jews would have been the first to say these other nations are going to be judged by God. Why did Israel believe that because they had experienced physical circumcision they would be saved, but the Egyptians who also practiced physical circumcision would not be saved? There is no logic in sinful thinking. So the nations that have been circumcised and the nations that have not been circumcised all come under His righteous judgment because physical, external, religious activity does nothing to bring salvation and forgiveness.

God says He will judge the uncircumcised nations, “and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart” (v. 26). We have seen this concept repeated before in Jeremiah. God always has a purpose when he repeats Himself.

God says In Jeremiah 4:4: “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskins of your heart.” This is a circumcision of the heart, a right relationship with Him. The same concept is mentioned in Deuteronomy 30:6: “Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.” Again, the issue is circumcision of the heart. Physical circumcision had significance only as it was a reflection of a heart relationship with God. Without that heart relationship with God, physical circumcision is nothing. Paul dealt bluntly with that very thing in writing to the Galatians.

One New Testament passage gives great clarity to this concept. “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:28,29). In other words, it is not by keeping the Law but by the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life. Note the stress; it is not the external rite that is important. God is going to judge all whether they have been involved in the external rites of religion or not.

The overwhelming tragedy of Jeremiah 9:23-26 is that God holds out the same promises today--the privilege of knowing Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet there are people who would rather entrust their eternal destiny to physical rites and religious activity. We talk about circumcision saying it is not a big issue. But how many thousands of people in this city think they are going to be accepted by God because they have been baptized? Baptism is nothing but a physical rite, just like circumcision. You could insert in this verse that God will bring judgment on the baptized and the unbaptized alike. Baptism is not the same as circumcision, but the issue is the same. Or you could say God will bring judgment on the church member and the nonchurch member alike. Or the Lord will bring judgment on the Sunday school teacher and the nonteacher alike; on the preacher and the non-preacher alike. You could substitute any of these words in this passage.

What is the issue? External, physical activity does nothing to bring you into a right relationship with God. Those external things have nothing to do with our eternal destiny except to deceive and fool us. So we are like those in Jeremiah 9:6 who, “Through deceit they refused to know Me.” They are people who have determined to place their trust in these things, and thus they refuse to know God.

What is the significance of your life? If we could project on a screen what really is at the heart and center of your life, what would we see? Wisdom? Power? Riches? What are you relying upon? Would it be certain religious activities? What is at the center of your life? Do you know what it is to have a personal relationship with God?

As I read the verse, “Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me” (Jeremiah 9:24), that sounds arrogant. For me to say, “I understand and know God,” some people would say that is the height of arrogance. What does God say? He says this is what you are to boast about. It is the height of arrogance to boast about anything else.

Can you boast of that? Do you know what we are talking about when we say we understand and know God? Would that drive you on even if you did not have a dime to your name? If you did not have an ounce of influence? If you were at the bottom of the IQ scale? Would it be enough that you understand and know God? Would that drive you on? Would that be all you needed to boast in? How you answer these questions will tell you something of your attitude and where you place your trust.

The glorious message is that you can have that same relationship with Him by believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died to pay the penalty for your sins and has been raised from the dead. He serves at the right hand of God the Father right now, and He brings salvation by His Spirit to anyone who believes that message of His Word.