August 4, 2025
A Faithful Coming King and the False Prophets
Jeremiah 22-24
Shelby Carnefix
Big Book Idea
Being a messenger of truth in a dark place can be challenging, but it is worth it.
Key Verse | Jeremiah 23:5
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land."
Jeremiah 22-24
Chapter 22
1 Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah:
‘You are like Gilead to me,
like the summit of Lebanon,
yet surely I will make you a desert,
an uninhabited city.
1
22:6
Hebrew cities
7
I will prepare destroyers against you,
each with his weapons,
and they shall cut down your choicest cedars
and cast them into the fire.
8 ‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the LORD dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”’”
10
Weep not for him who is dead,
nor grieve for him,
but weep bitterly for him who goes away,
for he shall return no more
to see his native land.
Message to the Sons of Josiah
11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.”
13
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
and his upper rooms by injustice,
who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing
and does not give him his wages,
14
who says, ‘I will build myself a great house
with spacious upper rooms,’
who cuts out windows for it,
paneling it with cedar
and painting it with vermilion.
15
Do you think you are a king
because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
16
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
declares the LORD.
17
But you have eyes and heart
only for your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
and for practicing oppression and violence.”
18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
“They shall not lament for him, saying,
‘Ah, my brother!’ or ‘Ah, sister!’
They shall not lament for him, saying,
‘Ah, lord!’ or ‘Ah, his majesty!’
19
With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried,
dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”
20
“Go up to Lebanon, and cry out,
and lift up your voice in Bashan;
cry out from Abarim,
for all your lovers are destroyed.
21
I spoke to you in your prosperity,
but you said, ‘I will not listen.’
This has been your way from your youth,
that you have not obeyed my voice.
22
The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,
and your lovers shall go into captivity;
then you will be ashamed and confounded
because of all your evil.
23
O inhabitant of Lebanon,
nested among the cedars,
how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you,
pain as of a woman in labor!”
24 “As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”
28
Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot,
a vessel no one cares for?
Why are he and his children hurled and cast
into a land that they do not know?
29
O land, land, land,
hear the word of the LORD!
30
Thus says the LORD:
“Write this man down as childless,
a man who shall not succeed in his days,
for none of his offspring shall succeed
in sitting on the throne of David
and ruling again in Judah.”
Chapter 23
The Righteous Branch
1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD.
5 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
7 Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he 2 23:8 Septuagint; Hebrew I had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”
Lying Prophets
9 Concerning the prophets:
My heart is broken within me;
all my bones shake;
I am like a drunken man,
like a man overcome by wine,
because of the LORD
and because of his holy words.
10
For the land is full of adulterers;
because of the curse the land mourns,
and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.
Their course is evil,
and their might is not right.
11
“Both prophet and priest are ungodly;
even in my house I have found their evil,
declares the LORD.
12
Therefore their way shall be to them
like slippery paths in the darkness,
into which they shall be driven and fall,
for I will bring disaster upon them
in the year of their punishment,
declares the LORD.
13
In the prophets of Samaria
I saw an unsavory thing:
they prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.
14
But in the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen a horrible thing:
they commit adultery and walk in lies;
they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from his evil;
all of them have become like Sodom to me,
and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
15
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets:
“Behold, I will feed them with bitter food
and give them poisoned water to drink,
for from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”
16 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. 17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”
18
For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD
to see and to hear his word,
or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
19
Behold, the storm of the LORD!
Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
20
The anger of the LORD will not turn back
until he has executed and accomplished
the intents of his heart.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
21
“I did not send the prophets,
yet they ran;
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22
But if they had stood in my council,
then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds.
23 Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. 25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, 27 who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. 29 Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the LORD.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.
33 When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, 3 23:33 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew What burden? and I will cast you off, declares the LORD.’ 34 And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, ‘The burden of the LORD,’ I will punish that man and his household. 35 Thus shall you say, every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36 But ‘the burden of the LORD’ you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man's own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. 37 Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 38 But if you say, ‘The burden of the LORD,’ thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have said these words, “The burden of the LORD,” when I sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The burden of the LORD,’” 39 therefore, behold, I will surely lift you up 4 23:39 Or surely forget you and cast you away from my presence, you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. 40 And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’”
Chapter 24
The Good Figs and the Bad Figs
1 After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the LORD. 2 One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. 3 And the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
8 But thus says the LORD: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them a horror 5 24:9 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew horror for evil to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. 10 And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”
Table of Contents
Introduction to Jeremiah
Timeline
Author and Date
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet c. 627 B.C., when he was young (1:6). He served for more than 40 years (1:2–3). Jeremiah had a difficult life. His messages of repentance delivered at the temple were not well received (7:1–8:3; 26:1–11). His hometown plotted against him (11:18–23), and he endured much persecution (20:1–6; 37:11–38:13; 43:1–7). At God’s command, he never married (16:1–4). Although he preached God’s word faithfully, he apparently had only two converts: Baruch, his scribe (32:12; 36:1–4; 45:1–5); and Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch who served the king (38:7–13; 39:15–18). Though the book does not reveal the time or place of Jeremiah’s death, he probably died in Egypt, where he had been taken by his countrymen against his will after the fall of Jerusalem (43:1–7). He most likely did not live to see the devastation he mentions in chs. 46–51.
Purpose
Jeremiah and Baruch left a record of the difficult times in which they lived, God’s message for those times, and God’s message for the future of Israel and the nations.
Key Themes
- God and humanity. God alone is a living God. God alone made the world. All other so-called gods are mere idols (10:1–16). This Creator God called Israel to a special relationship (chs. 2–6), gave her his holy word, and promised to bless her temple with his name and presence (7:1–8:3). God rules both the present and the future (1:4–16; 29:1–10), protects his chosen ones (1:17–19; 29:11–14; 39:15–18; 45:1–5), and saves those who turn to him (12:14–17). Because God is absolutely trustworthy and always keeps his promises, his grace triumphs over sin and judgment when people repent and turn to him.
The human heart is sick, and no one except God can cure it (17:9–10). The nations worship idols instead of their Creator (10:1–16). Israel, God’s covenant people, went after other gods (chs. 2–6), defiled the temple by their unwillingness to repent (7:1–8:3; 26:1–11), and oppressed one another (34:8–16). Since Israel and the nations have sinned against God (25:1–26), God the Creator is also the Judge of every nation on the earth he created (chs. 46–51).
- Old covenant, Messiah, and new covenant. God made a covenant with Israel, based on his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12–50). As time passed, God’s covenant with Israel included his promise to David of an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17). God used Jeremiah to deliver the good news that, sometime in the future, God would “make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jer. 31:31). This covenant would be different in one major way. The new covenant partners will not break the covenant, as most of the old partners did even though God was completely faithful (31:32). Instead, the new covenant partners will have the word of God so ingrained in their hearts through God’s power that they will know and follow God all their lives (31:33–34).
Thus, all the new covenant partners will be believers who are forgiven and empowered by God; he will “remember their sin no more” (31:34). Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jer. 31:31–34 as evidence that the new covenant has come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus the Messiah fulfills God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets.
Outline
- Introduction (1:1–19)
- Israel’s Covenantal Adultery (2:1–6:30)
- False Religion and an Idolatrous People (7:1–10:25)
- Jeremiah’s Struggles with God and Judah (11:1–20:18)
- Jeremiah’s Confrontations (21:1–29:32)
- Restoration for Judah and Israel (30:1–33:26)
- God Judges Judah (34:1–45:5)
- God’s Judgment on the Nations (46:1–51:64)
- Conclusion: The Fall of Jerusalem (52:1–34)
Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah
c. 597 B.C.
The book of Jeremiah is set during the politically tumultuous times following the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Babylonians. During Jeremiah’s life, several groups of Judeans were deported to Babylon and the temple was destroyed. Though the precise boundaries of Judea and the surrounding regions during this period are difficult to determine, they likely resembled those that previously existed under Assyrian rule, with the exception that Edom (Idumea) was now the area formerly belonging to southern Judah.
Fact: The right hand
The right hand is often a symbol of authority and power. Kings wore their signet rings on their right hand (Jer. 22:24), and a father blessed his oldest son with his right hand (Gen. 48:14, 17). In Psalm 110, the right hand describes a place of honor and distinction. The Bible often refers to God’s right hand in his acts of blessing and deliverance (Ex. 15:6; Ps. 16:11).
Fact: Forgetting the name of God
Forgetting the name of God (44:20). Many of the pagan religions of OT times taught that a god’s power was tied directly to its name. The false prophets of Jeremiah’s time believed that, if they could erase God’s name from the people’s memory, they would follow Baal instead (Jer. 23:26–27). However, God does not forget his people, even when they have forgotten him (Deut. 4:31).
Fact: The faithful remnant
The faithful remnant. In many places, the Bible speaks of a “remnant,” that is, a relatively small group of people, who will remain faithful to the Lord (23:3; compare Ezra 9:8; Isa. 10:20; Rom. 11:5).
The Babylonian Empire
c. 597, 586, 582 B.C.
Jeremiah witnessed multiple deportations of many of his fellow Judeans to Babylon (see 52:28–30), which he and other prophets had foretold would happen if the people did not repent of their wickedness. Jeremiah specifically foretold that the exiles would remain in Babylon for 70 years, after which time the Lord would punish the Babylonians themselves for their wickedness (25:11–12).
Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah
c. 597 B.C.
The book of Jeremiah is set during the politically tumultuous times following the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Babylonians. During Jeremiah’s life, several groups of Judeans were deported to Babylon and the temple was destroyed. Though the precise boundaries of Judea and the surrounding regions during this period are difficult to determine, they likely resembled those that previously existed under Assyrian rule, with the exception that Edom (Idumea) was now the area formerly belonging to southern Judah.
Parallels between Jeremiah and Lamentations
| Jeremiah | Lamentations |
|---|---|
| I will make this house like Shiloh (chs. 7, 26) | The Lord has scorned . . . his sanctuary (2:7) |
| Let my eyes run down with tears (14:17–22) | my eyes flow with rivers of tears (3:48–51) |
| can I not do with you as this potter has done? (18:6) | regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! (4:2) |
| eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters (19:9) | Should women eat the fruit of their womb? (2:20) |
| vain hopes (23:16) | Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions (2:14) |
Jer. 22:3 The king and those with him are not to use their power for personal advantage, but are to rule in justice and righteousness. “Justice” means making right decisions according to God’s commands and case laws. “Righteousness” means doing what is correct according to God’s moral standards (see 4:2; 9:24). deliver. Rescue from harm. This passage spells out the responsibilities of the ideal king over God’s people (see 7:6; contrast 22:13, 15). The messianic King will carry this out (23:5; 33:15).
Jer. 22:7 destroyers . . . shall cut down your choicest cedars. Like the temple (Ps. 74:4–8), David’s lineage will be cut down (Ps. 89:38–45).
Jer. 22:11 Shallum. Another name for Jehoahaz, who reigned for just three months in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:31–33). He followed Josiah (640–609).
Jer. 22:13–14 Jehoiakim (609–598 B.C.) built a palace for himself while his people suffered. He required his subjects to work on the project without compensation. Contrast this with v. 3.
Jer. 22:24 Coniah. Another name for Jehoiachin, who ruled three months (598–597 B.C.); also called Jeconiah (24:1). Babylon removed him and put Zedekiah (597–587 B.C.) in power. Jehoiachin was later treated well in exile (52:31–34; 2 Kings 24:8–9; 25:27–30). signet ring. Used to imprint a person’s signature and thus represent his authority (Hag. 2:23).
Fact: The right hand
The right hand is often a symbol of authority and power. Kings wore their signet rings on their right hand (Jer. 22:24), and a father blessed his oldest son with his right hand (Gen. 48:14, 17). In Psalm 110, the right hand describes a place of honor and distinction. The Bible often refers to God’s right hand in his acts of blessing and deliverance (Ex. 15:6; Ps. 16:11).
Jer. 22:29–30 Judah (the land) must understand that David’s descendants will cease to rule Judah. none of his offspring. This raises a severe problem: Will God keep his promise made in 2 Sam. 7:16? If so, how? See Jer. 23:5–6.
Jer. 23:1–2 shepherds. See note on 3:15. Rather than bind up, heal, protect, and feed their sheep, Judah’s leaders have destroyed and scattered them (10:21; Ezek. 34:2; Zech. 11:15–17). attend to you. Judge them because they have not judged God’s people well.
Jer. 23:3 gather. Bring back to Judah from exile. This process began in 538 B.C. (Ezra 1–2). For the expectation, see Jer. 29:14; 31:8, 10; Ezek. 11:17; 28:25.
Fact: The faithful remnant
The faithful remnant. In many places, the Bible speaks of a “remnant,” that is, a relatively small group of people, who will remain faithful to the Lord (23:3; compare Ezra 9:8; Isa. 10:20; Rom. 11:5).
Jer. 23:5 God will honor his covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:1–25). a righteous Branch (see notes on Zech. 3:8–9; 6:12) . . . shall reign as king. This Davidic king, a “branch” from the tree of David, will embody all good kingly characteristics: making good decisions, ruling fairly, and correctly dispensing justice (see Isa. 11:1–10). The NT authors saw that these and other messianic promises were fulfilled in Jesus (Matt. 2:2; Luke 1:32; 19:38; John 1:49).
Jer. 23:6 Judah will be saved. For the whole people being “saved,” see Ex. 14:30. God rescues his people from danger—including the danger to which their own sin has subjected them—and provides for them the conditions in which faithful life can flourish. dwell securely. Free from enemies. The LORD is our righteousness. A play on the new king’s name, Zedekiah, which means “the LORD is my righteousness.” Even though Zedekiah fails, a new king will come. See Isaiah 40–66, which foretells the return from exile, which leads to the raising up of David’s heir, the Messiah.
Jer. 23:7–8 they shall no longer say. The people’s return and the Messiah’s subsequent reign will be so great as to overshadow the exodus (see 16:14–15).
Jer. 23:11–12 Spiritual adultery begins with ungodly spiritual leaders. Such “guides” will be like slippery paths in the darkness. The people need spiritual leaders—specifically prophet and priest—who will be godly examples (a recurring theme in Jeremiah; 2:8; 5:31; 6:13; 8:10; 14:18).
Jer. 23:15 Compare 9:15. Judah’s ungodliness begins with those who teach God’s ways falsely (see Ex. 20:7).
Parallels between Jeremiah and Lamentations
| Jeremiah | Lamentations |
|---|---|
| I will make this house like Shiloh (chs. 7, 26) | The Lord has scorned . . . his sanctuary (2:7) |
| Let my eyes run down with tears (14:17–22) | my eyes flow with rivers of tears (3:48–51) |
| can I not do with you as this potter has done? (18:6) | regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! (4:2) |
| eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters (19:9) | Should women eat the fruit of their womb? (2:20) |
| vain hopes (23:16) | Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions (2:14) |
Jer. 23:21–22 “I did not send the prophets.” True prophets would have asked the people to repent of their unfaithfulness.
Fact: Forgetting the name of God
Forgetting the name of God (44:20). Many of the pagan religions of OT times taught that a god’s power was tied directly to its name. The false prophets of Jeremiah’s time believed that, if they could erase God’s name from the people’s memory, they would follow Baal instead (Jer. 23:26–27). However, God does not forget his people, even when they have forgotten him (Deut. 4:31).
Jer. 23:29 like fire. God’s word, in contrast to that of the false prophets, burns the straw of falsehood (v. 28). like a hammer. God’s word shatters the sinful heart.
Jer. 23:31–32 God opposes those who falsely claim to speak his words through their lying dreams and harmful lies.
Jer. 24:3 The good figs are the exiles.
Jer. 24:6 build . . . plant. God will restore the exiles (1:10; 12:2; 18:9).
Jer. 24:7 I will give them a heart to know. Saving knowledge of God (see 4:4; 31:31–34; see note on 9:3) based on God’s sovereign grace. be my people. Special covenantal relationship (31:31–34). They shall return by repenting (Deut. 30:1–10).
Jer. 24:8 The disgustingly bad figs are (1) the king, (2) the remaining people in Judah, and (3) the people who fled to Egypt to escape the invasion.
The Babylonian Empire
c. 597, 586, 582 B.C.
Jeremiah witnessed multiple deportations of many of his fellow Judeans to Babylon (see 52:28–30), which he and other prophets had foretold would happen if the people did not repent of their wickedness. Jeremiah specifically foretold that the exiles would remain in Babylon for 70 years, after which time the Lord would punish the Babylonians themselves for their wickedness (25:11–12).
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Jeremiah 22-24
Jeremiah 22 opens with instructions from the Lord to the House of David: "Do justice and righteousness." Throughout this book, we've seen God's people turn again and again from his commandments and choose their ways above his.
Selfish ambition and idolatry are emphasized here—in chapter 22, we see a perfect example of how God's people allowed their selfish desires to manifest: taking advantage of the wage earners and practicing injustice (Jeremiah 22:13), indulging in luxury (Jeremiah 22:14), refusing to follow the example of their ancestors (Jeremiah 22:15), and practicing oppression and violence (Jeremiah 22:17).
We see in chapter 23 that the consequences of these sins caused many to be scattered and destroyed (Jeremiah 23:1). God grieves the mistreatment of his children and promises to execute justice on any who would harm his sheep, especially those in leadership over his people.
These chapters can be read as a strict warning against falling into the sins of selfishness and idolatry, but that's not the only takeaway. God makes a beautiful promise to his people who have been scattered and cast out (spoiler alert!): He is going to provide a righteous leader (Jeremiah 23:5) and bring his people back into the Promised Land. He even promises that not a single sheep will be missing (Jeremiah 23:4)!
He is a good God who executes justice. He is also a God who fulfills his promises, dearly loves his sheep, and gives graciously and abundantly to his children. It is impossible for us to live a perfectly righteous life out of our own strength—I am thankful that we can confidently proclaim: "The Lord is our righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6)!
I love that in Jeremiah 24:7, the Lord proclaims that he will "give them a heart to know that I am the LORD." We serve a loving Father who chooses to pursue us despite our sin and disobedience. If God can give Judah a heart to know him again, and if he fulfilled his good promises to them, how much more will he do that for us?
This month's memory verse
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
– Lamentations 3:21-23
Discussion Questions
1. Where might you be submitting to a lesser god/idol in your life?
2. How does God's promise to give the House of David a heart for him remind you of the gift of your salvation today?
3. Which of God's promises do you need to be reminded of today?
4. Where might you need to lay down your own desires to walk in righteousness today?