Obedience and Covenants - Jeremiah 9

Read Jeremiah 9

God’s words ring throughout this chapter. In history past, He made a covenant with the people of Israel and now His people have gone astray. Verse 3 shows that the Lord is speaking in this chapter. The people are unfaithful and liars. (Vv 2-8) This is the opposite of the covenant that God had made with them. They were supposed to be a people of integrity and honesty but that has failed. In verse 9, God speaks of cutting the covenant. The destruction of the people will be complete. (Vv 10-11).

Jeremiah sets up the second section with a rhetorical question. He asks if there is someone who can understand what God is doing. God answers the question. He tells the people that even though He gave them the law, they did not follow or obey it. (Vv 12-13) The people continue to worship other gods, so God will exile His people. (Vv 13-16)

In verses 17-21, the wailing women are professional wailers who are part of Israel and the surround kingdoms’ culture. Their job is to wail, cry, and lament. There is no artificiality here even though they are professionals. What God is going to do to the people will give the mourners lots to cry about.

Verses 23-24 point to God. The Lord says that the people should not boast in their wisdom or strength but in their relationship with God, their covenant relationship with God. The second part of verse 24 talks about justice and righteousness and that God delights in those things. God delights in those things so He wants the people, who are in covenant with Him, to also exhibit those qualities in their lives.

Finally, in verses 25-26, God is calling all the nations to punishment. Circumcision was not only an Israelite custom but it can be found in other cultures too. Circumcision though had significance in Israelite culture, a sign of the covenant with God. In these verses, God is saying that the most important thing is not circumcision of the flesh but of the heart. In terms of a circumcised heart, the Israelites are the same as all the other kingdoms.

This leads us to ask the question, what does this passage say to us? Two thoughts for us to reflect on: First, how are we living our lives, in obedience to God or for ourselves? Secondly, we are in covenant with God, the new covenant (Jeremiah 34) brought on by Christ. As we examine ourselves, is the circumcision of our hearts bearing fruit the fruit of justice and righteousness in our lives as these things God delights in (V 24).