Jeremiah needed to find one person who judged rightly and sought the truth. If he could find just one, God promised to forgive his city.
Abraham asked the Lord to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of ten righteous people. The Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” David declared, “God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God.” Solomon wrote, “Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man?” The Seer Hanani told King Asa, “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” [1]
The Lord is looking for co-laborers, “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” [2]
King David asked the Lord for help because godly men were so hard to find. “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.” [3]
Before Jeremiah set out to find the man that God was looking for, God warned him, “Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ surely they swear falsely.” Jeremiah 5:2
They had the right words but not the right hearts. They drew near to the Lord with their mouth and honored Him with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him. [4]
Nowadays, people may say they grew up in Church. They may say they have a grandmother who believes in Jesus, but do THEY judge rightly and speak the truth?
“They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” With the tree [Christ], comes His fruit. [5]
“Oh Lord, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to return.” Jeremiah 5:3
What is God looking for? “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being...” [6]
“Lord Jesus, You who said to Pontius Pilate that You came into the world to bear witness to the truth. Please help us know the truth and bear witness to it as well.”
Jeremiah had an outreach strategy. He targeted the poor first. Jesus preached the Gospel to the poor. But the poor in Jeremiah’s day could not relate with him.
“Therefore I said, ‘Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God.’” Jeremiah 5:4
Next, Jeremiah approached great people to speak with them. “I will go to the great men and speak to them, for they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. But these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds.” Jeremiah 5:5
Jesus also experienced rejection from so-called great men.” He told a parable of a nobleman whose citizens did not want him to reign over them. “His citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’” [7]
“Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; a leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many; their backslidings have increased.” Jeremiah 5:6
The great men broke their yokes. Yokes are worn by service animals. The great men rejected the Lord’s yoke. They traded the farm for the wild side. They exposed themselves to predators.
The lion is an instrument of God’s judgment. In 1 King 13, a young prophet delivered God’s Word to King Jeroboam. But afterwards, disobeyed God’s Word to him. A lion killed him. This man serves as a warning to preachers. Preachers must also obey the Word of the Lord.
When they turned from God, He became like a lion to them. “For I will be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver. I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction they will seek Me early.” [8]
Betrayers of God suffer dearly. “When they had pasture, they were filled… their heart was exalted… they forgot Me. So, I will be to them like a lion. I will lurk like a leopard by the road. I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs. I will tear open their rib cage. I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them. O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me.” [9]
The day of judgment is terrifying. “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him! Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?” [10]
The Lord compares Judah’s attackers to leopards, wolves and eagles. “Their horses are swifter than leopards and keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.” [11]
The Lord said of Assyria’s capital Ninevah, “Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone till morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.” [12]
Wild beasts symbolize evil empires. “And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.” [13]
The Lord gave Isaiah, Ezekiel and John visions of four cherubim. Some with animal like features! These visions proceed God’s judgment on evil and His restoration of fellowship with people.
Isaiah: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, highly exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’” [14]
Ezekiel: “I looked, and behold, a whirlwind… a great cloud… brightness... from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. …They had the likeness of a man.” Each with four faces, and four wings. “As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.” [15]
John: “In the midst of and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” [16]
If the beasts characterize God’s wrath on sin, did Christ experience such wrath for our sins?
Yes, bulls, lions and dogs... “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion.” “Dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O, My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen!” [17]
Praise God! We have a high priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [18]
Ravenous lions are overcome by relying on the Lord. Samson overcame a lion by the Spirit of the Lord. Daniel testified to his king, “My God sent His angel, and He shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight.” [19]
Paul was saved from the lion’s mouth. “The Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.” [20]
Peter warned us, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.” Lions tend to pounce on prey that are not sober-minded or watchful. Their guard is down. [21]
The Lord’s goal is to bring whosoever’s into His eternal kingdom. New Jerusalem! A place of no tears, pain or death!
“How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses. They were like well-fed lusty stallions, every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.” Jeremiah 5:7-8
Jesus opposes adultery and the lust from which it begins. He said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” [22]
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” God’s faithfulness to us is the standard. [23]
When unclean thoughts come to you, ask the Lord to drive foolishness from you. “The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; he who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” [24]
The shepherd’s rod was used to fight wild animals, count sheep, direct sheep and inspect for parasites. Ask the Good Shepherd to drive predatory spirits from you with His rod.
Adultery is friendship with the world. “Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” [25]
“Shall I not punish them for these things? says the Lord. And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?” Jeremiah 5:9
The Lord says, “He who despises the Word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” [26]
Judah’s exile to Babylon occurred in three phases. Jeremiah is among the remnant left after all three.
“Go up on her walls and destroy, but do not make a complete end. Take away her branches, for they are not the Lord’s. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with Me, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 5:10-11
“Do not make a complete end.” “The eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom to destroy it from the face of the earth, but the Lord will not totally destroy the house of Jacob.” Descendants from Jacob to Jesus were necessary because Jesus is the Seed promised to Jacob’s father Abraham. In Hm all nations will be blessed. God glorious plan must come to pass. [27]
“Take away her branches, for they are not the Lord’s.” Jesus taught, “If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” They trashed Christ in this life and ended up trashed in the next life. Jesus said, “Unless you believe in Me, you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” [28]
“They have lied about the Lord, and said, ‘It is not He. Neither will evil come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.’” Jeremiah 5:12
“Like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously against Me.” [29]
“Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests instruct for a price and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord saying, ‘Is not the Lord in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.’” [30]
“And the prophets become wind, for the Word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.” Jeremiah 5:13
“Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.” Ungodly men turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the Lord… they serve themselves... Clouds without water ...trees without fruit....” [31]
“Thus says the Lord God of hosts: because you speak this word, behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.” Jeremiah 5:14
The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Is not My Word like fire? declares the Lord, and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” “Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.’ Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” Fire proceeds from the mouths of the two witnesses in the lasts days. “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.” [32]
“A fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 [rebellious] men who were offering incense.” These 250 men joined with Korah and rebelled against the Lord and His servant Moses. [33]
“Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, says the Lord. It is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say. Their quiver is like an open tomb; they are all mighty men. And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds; they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees; they shall destroy your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.” Jeremiah 5:15-17
The Lord promised to bring judgments against His people if they broke covenant with Him. “I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up.” [34]
“Nevertheless in those days, says the Lord, I will not make a complete end of you.” Jeremiah 5:18
Hundreds of years later, Paul testified that the Lord had not make a complete end of the descendants of Abraham. He was one of them. “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” [35]
“And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’” Jeremiah 5:19
WHY does the Lord do these things? He promised, “All these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever. Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything.” [36]
“Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah, saying, ‘Hear this now, O foolish people, without understanding, who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not.” Jeremiah 5:20-21
Jesus speaks of spiritually impaired eyes and ears in Matthew 13:13 and in John 12:40. Paul speaks of these in Acts 28:26 and Romans 11:8.
“Do you not fear Me? says the Lord. Will you not tremble at My presence, who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.” Jeremiah 5:22
They should have welcomed God’s attempts to keep them from harming themselves. They perceived His commandments falsely as prison fences instead of the guardrails for their protection.
“But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; they have revolted and departed. They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the Lord our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’” Jeremiah 5:23-24
God imposed sanctions on Judah’s water supplies to lead them to repent of defiance and rebellion towards Him.
“I withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city and on another city I would not send rain; one part would be rained on, while the part not rained on would dry up.” [37]
“Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good from you.” Jeremiah 5:25
SIN WITHHOLDS GOOD THINGS from us. “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” [38]
“For among My people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore, they have become great and grown rich.” Jeremiah 5:26-27
The end-times Babylon will be “a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.” Babylon trafficked “the bodies and souls of men.” “They sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals.” [39]
“They have grown fat, they are sleek; yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; they do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless; yet they prosper, and the right of the needy they do not defend. 29 Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the Lord. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’” Jeremiah 5:28-29
Jesus told of the death of a beggar and a rich man. Angels carried the poor man to Abraham’s side. The rich man ended up in Hades and was in torment.” [40]
“An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” Jeremiah 5:30-31
The people preferred impersonators over genuine prophets. Their counterfeit leaders allowed them to be counterfeit people. They could wear God’s Name without knowing God. Paul wrote, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” [41]
Jeremiah needed to find that missing person. The one who judged rightly and sought truth. When he did, God would pardon the city. We need to find Him too. Then, God will forgive us.
While in Jerusalem, Jesus Christ spoke the truth to Pontius Pilate. He judged rightly that the human race needed a sinless Savior. He stood in the gap between God’s holiness and our sinfulness. “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” He drank the cup of God’s wrath on sin so we need not drink it. In Him, we have the Heavenly Father’s favor and approval. Blessed be His holy Name! [42]
[2] Ezekiel 22:30
[3] Psalm 12:1
[4] Isaiah 29:13
[5] Titus 1:16
[6] Psalms 51:6
[7] Luke 19:14
[8] Hosea 5:14-15
[9] Hosea 13:6-9
[10] Amos 5:18-20
[11] Habakkuk 1:8
[12] Zephaniah 3:3-4
[13] Revelation 13:2
[14] Isaiah 6:1-3
[15] Ezekiel 1:4-6, 10
[16] Revelation 4:6-8
[17] Psalm22:11-13, 16-21
[18] Hebrew 4:15
[19] Judges 14:5-6 ; Daniel 6:22
[20] 2 Timothy 4:17
[21] 1 Peter 5:8
[22] Matthew 5:27-28
[23] Hebrews 13:4
[24] Proverbs 22:14-15
[25] James 4:4
[25] Proverbs 13:13
[27] Amos 9:8; Galatians 3:16
[28] John 15:6; 8:24
[29] Hosea 6:7
[30] Micah 3:11
[31] Proverbs 25:14; Jude 1:4, 12
[32] Jeremiah 23:29; 2 Kings 1:10; Revelation 11:5
[33] Numbers 16:35
[34] Leviticus 26:16
[35] Romans 11:1
[36] Deuteronomy 28:45-47
[37] Amos 4:7
[38] Isaiah 59:2
[39] Revelation 18:2, 11, 13; Amos 2:6
[40] Luke 16:22-23
[41] Matthew 7:15
[42] 2 Timothy 4:3
[43] 1 Peter 3:18
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