Should I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD. Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?" Should I not punish them for these things?This phrase begins with a rhetorical question posed by God, emphasizing His role as a just judge. The Hebrew word for "punish" is "פָּקַד" (paqad), which can mean to visit, attend to, or reckon with. In the context of divine justice, it implies a visitation of consequences for actions. Historically, Israel had repeatedly broken the covenant with God, engaging in idolatry and injustice. This phrase underscores the inevitability of divine justice when a nation turns away from God's statutes. It serves as a reminder of God's holiness and the moral order He upholds. declares the LORD
This phrase asserts the authority and certainty of the message. The Hebrew term for "declares" is "נְאֻם" (ne'um), often used in prophetic literature to signify a direct communication from God. The use of "the LORD" (YHWH) highlights the covenantal name of God, reminding the audience of His eternal and unchanging nature. This declaration is not merely a human opinion but a divine pronouncement, carrying the weight of God's sovereign will. Should I not avenge Myself
Here, the concept of vengeance is introduced with the Hebrew root "נָקַם" (naqam), which means to avenge or take retribution. In the biblical context, vengeance is not about petty retaliation but about restoring justice and order. God's vengeance is a response to the violation of His covenant and the moral law. It reflects His commitment to righteousness and His intolerance of sin. This phrase reassures believers that God is actively involved in the moral governance of the world. on such a nation as this?
The phrase "such a nation" refers specifically to Israel, but it also serves as a warning to any nation that turns away from God. The historical context is crucial here; Israel was chosen to be a light to the nations, yet they had fallen into practices that contradicted their calling. The Hebrew word for "nation" is "גּוֹי" (goy), which can refer to any people group but is often used in the Old Testament to distinguish Israel from other nations. This phrase challenges the reader to reflect on the collective responsibility of a nation to uphold God's standards and the consequences of failing to do so. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah. He is known for his lamentations over the spiritual state of the nation. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who is speaking through Jeremiah, expressing His righteous anger and intention to bring justice. 3. JudahThe southern kingdom of Israel, which is the primary audience of Jeremiah's prophecies. They are being warned of impending judgment due to their unfaithfulness. 4. The NationRefers to the people of Judah, who have turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and injustice, prompting divine retribution. 5. Divine PunishmentThe event of God's judgment that is being foretold as a consequence of the nation's sins. Teaching Points God's Righteous JudgmentGod is just and cannot overlook sin. His nature demands that He addresses wrongdoing, which serves as a warning to all nations and individuals. The Call to RepentanceThe message of impending judgment is also a call to repentance. God desires that His people turn back to Him and avoid the consequences of their actions. The Consequences of SinSin has real consequences, both spiritually and physically. Understanding this should lead us to live in obedience to God's commands. Trust in God's JusticeBelievers are encouraged to trust in God's perfect justice rather than taking matters into their own hands. God will avenge and bring about justice in His timing. Reflecting on National and Personal SinThis passage invites reflection on both national and personal levels of sin. It challenges us to consider how we, as individuals and communities, may be straying from God's ways. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding God's nature as just and righteous influence your view of His actions in Jeremiah 9:9? 2. In what ways can we see parallels between the nation of Judah and our own society today? How should this influence our prayers and actions? 3. How does the concept of divine vengeance in Jeremiah 9:9 relate to the New Testament teachings on forgiveness and leaving room for God's wrath? 4. What steps can you take to ensure that you are living in a way that aligns with God's commands, avoiding the consequences of sin? 5. How can we, as a community of believers, encourage one another to remain faithful to God in a world that often turns away from Him? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 32:35This verse speaks of God's vengeance and recompense, highlighting His role as a just judge who will repay wrongdoing. Romans 12:19Paul echoes the theme of divine vengeance, urging believers to leave room for God's wrath rather than seeking personal revenge. Isaiah 1:4Isaiah also addresses the sinful state of the nation, calling them a "sinful nation" and emphasizing their rebellion against God. Ezekiel 18:30God calls His people to repentance, warning them of the consequences of their actions, similar to the message in Jeremiah. People JeremiahPlaces Ammon, Edom, Egypt, Gilead, Jerusalem, Moab, ZionTopics Affirmation, Avenge, Avenged, Declares, Itself, Myself, Nation, Payment, Punish, Punishment, Says, Soul, VisitDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 9:1-9 5550 speech, negative Jeremiah 9:4-9 8715 dishonesty, and God Jeremiah 9:6-9 5920 pretence Jeremiah 9:7-9 4351 refining Jeremiah 9:8-9 6147 deceit, practice 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 Links Jeremiah 9:9 NIVJeremiah 9:9 NLTJeremiah 9:9 ESVJeremiah 9:9 NASBJeremiah 9:9 KJV
Jeremiah 9:9 Commentaries
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