Jeremiah 9:13
And the LORD answered, "It is because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them; they have not walked in it or obeyed My voice.
The LORD answered
This phrase emphasizes the direct communication from God, highlighting His active role in addressing the issues of His people. In Hebrew, "Yahweh" is the covenant name of God, signifying His eternal presence and faithfulness. The use of "answered" suggests a response to a preceding inquiry or situation, indicating that God is engaged and responsive to the actions and attitudes of His people.

It is because they have forsaken My law
The term "forsaken" in Hebrew is "azab," which means to leave, abandon, or neglect. This indicates a deliberate turning away from God's instructions. "My law" refers to the Torah, the divine instructions given to guide the Israelites in righteousness. The forsaking of God's law is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, often leading to judgment and exile. This phrase underscores the seriousness of abandoning divine guidance and the consequences that follow.

that I set before them
This phrase highlights God's proactive role in providing His law to the people. The Hebrew word "natan" means to give or set, indicating that God's law was a gift meant to guide and bless. The law was not hidden or obscure; it was clearly presented to the Israelites, making their neglect of it even more grievous. This reflects the covenant relationship where God provides guidance, and the people are expected to follow.

they have not obeyed My voice
"Obeyed" in Hebrew is "shama," which means to hear or listen with the intent to act. This phrase indicates a failure to heed God's direct communication. "My voice" suggests a personal and relational aspect of God's guidance, as opposed to impersonal rules. The Israelites' failure to obey signifies a breakdown in their relationship with God, as they ignored His direct and loving guidance.

or walked according to it
The word "walked" in Hebrew is "halak," which implies a way of life or conduct. This phrase suggests that obedience to God's law is not merely about hearing but involves living it out daily. The imagery of walking indicates a continuous, active engagement with God's commandments. The failure to walk according to God's law reflects a lifestyle that is inconsistent with His will, leading to spiritual and moral decline.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah.

2. Jeremiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which is the primary audience of Jeremiah's prophecies.

4. The Law
Refers to the Torah, the divine instructions given to Israel, which the people have forsaken.

5. The People of Judah
The recipients of God's message through Jeremiah, who have turned away from God's commandments.
Teaching Points
The Importance of God's Law
God's law is not just a set of rules but a guide for living in a way that honors Him. Forsaking it leads to spiritual and societal decay.

Obedience to God's Voice
Listening to and obeying God's voice is crucial for maintaining a relationship with Him. Disobedience leads to separation and judgment.

Consequences of Forsaking God
Turning away from God's commandments results in negative consequences, both individually and collectively.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets like Jeremiah are sent by God to call His people back to obedience and faithfulness.

Repentance and Restoration
Even when we stray, God offers a path back through repentance and a return to His ways.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day examples of forsaking God's law, and how can we guard against them in our lives?

2. How does the message in Jeremiah 9:13 relate to the blessings and curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28?

3. In what ways can we ensure that we are listening to and obeying God's voice in our daily lives?

4. How can the account of King Josiah's reforms in 2 Kings 22-23 inspire us to return to God's ways?

5. What steps can we take to repent and restore our relationship with God when we realize we have strayed from His commandments?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience to God's law, providing a backdrop for understanding the consequences mentioned in Jeremiah.

Psalm 119
This psalm emphasizes the beauty and importance of God's law, contrasting the attitude of the people in Jeremiah's time.

Hosea 4:6
This verse speaks about the destruction that comes from a lack of knowledge of God, similar to the forsaking of God's law in Jeremiah.

2 Kings 22-23
The account of King Josiah's reforms, which included a return to the law, highlighting the importance of obedience to God's commands.

Romans 1:21-25
Paul discusses the consequences of turning away from God, paralleling the forsaking of God's law in Jeremiah.
The Terrible Threatenings of LoveS. Conway Jeremiah 9:10-22
The Inquest on the Slain of Judah and JerusalemS. Conway Jeremiah 9:12-15
The Affliction of God's Professed People an Enigma to be ExplainedA.F. Muir Jeremiah 9:12-16
The Wages of SinJeremiah 9:13-16
People
Jeremiah
Places
Ammon, Edom, Egypt, Gilead, Jerusalem, Moab, Zion
Topics
Accord, Attention, Followed, Forsaken, Forsaking, Giving, Guided, Hearkened, Law, Obeyed, Says, Therein, Voice, Walked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 9:12-13

     8355   understanding

Jeremiah 9:12-14

     5770   abandonment

Library
India's Ills and England's Sorrows
It would seem as if some men had been sent into this world for the very purpose of being the world's weepers. God's great house is thoroughly furnished with everything, everything that can express the thoughts and the emotions of the inhabitant, God hath made. I find in nature, plants to be everlasting weepers. There by the lonely brook, where the maiden cast away her life, the willow weeps for ever; and there in the grave yard where men lie slumbering till the trumpet of the archangel shall awaken
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

"Boast not Thyself of To-Morrow, for Thou Knowest not what a Day May Bring Forth. "
Prov. xxvii. 1.--"Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." There are some peculiar gifts that God hath given to man in his first creation, and endued his nature with, beyond other living creatures, which being rightly ordered and improved towards the right objects, do advance the soul of man to a wonderful height of happiness, that no other sublunary creature is capable of. But by reason of man's fall into sin, these are quite disordered and turned out of
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Characters and Names of Messiah
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. S uch was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

How the Simple and the Crafty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 12.) Differently to be admonished are the simple and the insincere. The simple are to be praised for studying never to say what is false, but to be admonished to know how sometimes to be silent about what is true. For, as falsehood has always harmed him that speaks it, so sometimes the hearing of truth has done harm to some. Wherefore the Lord before His disciples, tempering His speech with silence, says, I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now (Joh. xvi. 12).
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life

The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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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