Jeremiah was called by God to warn the people of Judah. One of the words he uses to describe their lifestyle is the word “deceit.” Deceit in today’s culture is described as “the practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating.” In 5:27 the prophet accuses the wicked of living in houses “full of deceit.” “The wicked lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit” (Jer. 5:26-7).
These wicked men were compared to hunters luring unsuspecting birds into a trap. The poor were helpless in resisting their schemes. “Like cages filled with small birds used for sacrifices their houses were filled with the possessions acquired by their deceitful practices” (Huey). The Message describes it well, “My people are infiltrated by wicked men, unscrupulous men on the hunt. They set traps for the unsuspecting. Their victims are innocent men and women. Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain, like a hunter’s beg full of birds.” (Jer. 5:26-7).
It seems that deceit was all pervasive in the culture. “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophet and priest alike, all practice deceit” (Jer. 6:13). The amplified says, “Everyone deals deceitfully.” The prophet laments their attitude, “They cling to deceit; they refuse to return” (Jer 8:5). The ESV says they are in “perpetual backsliding.” The prophets and priests alike, “all practice deceit” (Jer. 8:10). But they refused to change. The Lord declares, “You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me (Jer. 9:6).
It has begun to cause conflict in relationships. God warns them of social disorder due to their deceitful practices. “Friend deceive friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me” (Jer. 9:4). Their tongue were like, ” a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them” (Jer 9:8).
Above all, in Chapter 7, Jeremiah points out the deception of their worship. “Do not trust in deceptive words and say, ‘This is the temple of the Lord.'” (Jer. 7:5). In their worship, they were, “trusting in deceptive words that are worthless” (Jer. 7:8). The people felt they were safe, “safe to do all these detestable things” (Jer. 7:10) The Lord was watching as his house became “a den of robbers.”
God told Jeremiah not to pray for them any longer. For the people, “did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts” (Jer. 7:24). They were going, “backward and not forward” (Jer. 7:24). God warned Jeremiah, “When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you, when you call to them, they will not listen” (Jer. 7:27). Their worship was deceptive: false and only going through the motion. Why!! Because, “Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips” (Jer. 7:28)
With all the deception in our culture, we need vigilance in our worship of God. It can become rote and filled with worthless word, where we, “only pretend to be sorry” (Jer. 3:10). We have nothing to boast about. “But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things” (Jer. 9:24)
Recent Comments