Jeremiah 5:14
Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: "Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.
Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says
This phrase introduces a divine proclamation, emphasizing the authority and power of God. The title "LORD God of Hosts" (Yahweh Elohim Tseva'ot in Hebrew) underscores God's sovereignty over the heavenly armies and all creation. Historically, this title reassures the Israelites of God's supreme power and His ability to execute judgment or deliverance. It is a reminder of His covenant relationship with Israel, where He acts as both protector and judge.

Because you have spoken this word
Here, God addresses the people's words, which likely refer to their rebellious and unfaithful speech against Him. In the Hebrew context, "word" (dabar) signifies more than just spoken language; it encompasses intentions and actions. This highlights the seriousness with which God views the words and actions of His people, as they reflect their hearts and faithfulness to Him.

I will make My words in your mouth a fire
God promises to empower Jeremiah's prophetic words with divine potency. The imagery of "fire" (esh in Hebrew) symbolizes purification, judgment, and the consuming power of God's truth. In the biblical context, fire often represents God's presence and His ability to refine and purify His people, as seen in other scriptures like Malachi 3:2-3.

and this people the wood it consumes
The people are likened to "wood," which is combustible and easily consumed by fire. This metaphor indicates the impending judgment upon the Israelites due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry. Historically, this reflects the dire consequences faced by Judah, as they were eventually conquered and exiled. The imagery serves as a stark warning of the destructive power of God's judgment against sin.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah. Known for his lamentations and warnings of impending judgment due to the people's unfaithfulness.

2. The LORD God of Hosts
A title emphasizing God's supreme authority and power over all heavenly armies, underscoring His ability to execute judgment.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which had turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and injustice, prompting God's warnings through Jeremiah.

4. The Word of God
The divine message delivered by Jeremiah, described metaphorically as fire, indicating its power to purify and judge.

5. The People of Judah
The recipients of Jeremiah's prophecy, likened to wood, symbolizing their susceptibility to the consuming power of God's word.
Teaching Points
The Power of God's Word
God's word is not just informative but transformative and powerful, capable of bringing about change and judgment.

The Responsibility of the Messenger
Like Jeremiah, believers are called to faithfully deliver God's message, regardless of the reception it may receive.

The Consequences of Disobedience
Ignoring God's word leads to judgment, as seen in the metaphor of the people being consumed like wood by fire.

The Call to Repentance
God's warnings are an invitation to repentance, offering a chance to turn back to Him before judgment falls.

The Role of Purification
God's word acts as a purifying fire, refining those who heed it and removing impurities from their lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of fire in Jeremiah 5:14 enhance our understanding of the power of God's word?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are not like the "wood" that is consumed by God's judgment?

3. How does the role of Jeremiah as a prophet challenge us in our own responsibility to share God's truth today?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to allow God's word to purify and refine us in our daily lives?

5. How do the connections to other scriptures, such as Hebrews 4:12 and Malachi 3:2-3, deepen our understanding of the nature and purpose of God's word?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Hebrews 4:12
This verse describes the word of God as living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, which connects to the idea of God's word as a powerful force capable of judgment and transformation.

Isaiah 6:6-7
Isaiah's lips are touched with a burning coal, symbolizing purification and empowerment to speak God's word, similar to the fire imagery in Jeremiah 5:14.

Malachi 3:2-3
Describes God as a refiner's fire, purifying His people, which parallels the consuming and purifying nature of God's word in Jeremiah.
God's Word as FireH. Macmillan.Jeremiah 5:14
The Potential WordW. H. Van Doren, D. D.Jeremiah 5:14
Those Who Call the Word of Jehovah a LieD. Young Jeremiah 5:14
People
Jacob, Jeremiah
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Armies, Behold, Burned, Consume, Consumes, Devour, Devoured, Fire, Hosts, Making, Mouth, Reason, Says, Speak, Speaking, Spoken, Thus, Wherefore, Wood
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 5:14

     1205   God, titles of
     4826   fire
     5208   armies
     5544   soldiers

Jeremiah 5:12-14

     4552   wood

Jeremiah 5:13-14

     1690   word of God

Jeremiah 5:14-17

     4534   vine
     7773   prophets, role

Library
A Question for the Beginning
'What will ye do in the end?'--JER. v. 31. I find that I preached to the young from this text just thirty years since--nearly a generation ago. How few of my then congregation are here to-night! how changed they and I are! and how much nearer the close we have drifted! How many of the young men and women of that evening have gone to meet the end, and how many of them have wrecked their lives because they would not face and answer this question! Ah, dear young friends, if I could bring some of the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Storming the Battlements
Jerusalem had sinned against God; she had rebelled against the most High, had set up for herself false gods, and bowed before them; and when God threatened her with chastisement, she built around herself strong battlements and bastions. She said "I am safe and secure. What though Jehovah hath gone away, I will trust in the gods of nations. Though the Temple is cast down, yet we will rely upon these bulwarks and strong fortifications that we have erected." "Ah!" says God, "Jerusalem, I will punish
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

God's Barriers against Man's Sin
I am slowly rallying. My great struggle now is with weakness. I feel as if my frail bark had weathered a heavy storm which has made every timber creak. Do not attribute this illness to my having laboured too hard for my Master. For his dear sake, I would that I may yet be able to labour more. Such toils as might be hardly noticed in the ramp for the service of one's country, would excite astonishment in the church for the service of our God. And now, I entreat you for love's sake to continue in prayer
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Tithing
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:10). Down deep in the heart of every Christian there is undoubtedly the conviction that he ought to tithe. There is an uneasy feeling that this is a duty which has been neglected, or, if you prefer it, a privilege that has not been
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing

How those who Fear Scourges and those who Contemn them are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 14.) Differently to be admonished are those who fear scourges, and on that account live innocently, and those who have grown so hard in wickedness as not to be corrected even by scourges. For those who fear scourges are to be told by no means to desire temporal goods as being of great account, seeing that bad men also have them, and by no means to shun present evils as intolerable, seeing they are not ignorant how for the most part good men also are touched by them. They are to be admonished
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Purpose in the Coming of Jesus.
God Spelling Himself out in Jesus: change in the original language--bother in spelling Jesus out--sticklers for the old forms--Jesus' new spelling of old words. Jesus is God following us up: God heart-broken--man's native air--bad choice affected man's will--the wrong lane--God following us up. The Early Eden Picture, Genesis 1:26-31. 2:7-25: unfallen man--like God--the breath of God in man--a spirit, infinite, eternal--love--holy--wise--sovereign over creation, Psalm 8:5-8--in his own will--summary--God's
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

Purposes of God.
In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, I. What I understand by the purposes of God. Purposes, in this discussion, I shall use as synonymous with design, intention. The purposes of God must be ultimate and proximate. That is, God has and must have an ultimate end. He must purpose to accomplish something by his works and providence, which he regards as a good in itself, or as valuable to himself, and to being in general. This I call his ultimate end. That God has such an end or purpose,
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

"And Hereby we do Know that we Know Him, if we Keep his Commandments. "
1 John ii. 3.--"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." This age pretends to much knowledge beyond former ages, knowledge, I say, not only in other natural arts and sciences, but especially in religion. Whether there be any great advancement in other knowledge, and improvement of that which was, to a further extent and clearness, I cannot judge, but I believe there is not much of it in this nation, nor do we so much pretend to it. But, we talk of the enlargements of
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
To declare emphatically that the people of God are a covenant people, various signs were in sovereignty vouchsafed. The lights in the firmament of heaven were appointed to be for signs, affording direction to the mariner, the husbandman, and others. Miracles wrought on memorable occasions, were constituted signs or tokens of God's universal government. The gracious grant of covenant signs was made in order to proclaim the truth of the existence of God's covenant with his people, to urge the performance
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Of the Nature of Regeneration, and Particularly of the Change it Produces in Men's Apprehensions.
2 COR. v. 17. 2 COR. v. 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. THE knowledge of our true state in religion, is at once a matter of so great importance, and so great difficulty that, in order to obtain it, it is necessary we should have line upon line and precept upon precept. The plain discourse, which you before heard, was intended to lead you into it; and I question not but I then said enough to convince many, that they were
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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