So she wells up with her wickedness.
bViolence and plundering are heard in her.
Before Me continually are1 grief and wounds.
Lest aMy soul depart from you;
Lest I make you desolate,
A land not inhabited.”
“They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel;
As a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches.”
That they may hear?
Indeed their aear is uncircumcised,
And they cannot give heed.
Behold, bthe word of the Lord is a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.
aI am weary of holding it in.
“I will pour it out bon the children outside,
And on the assembly of young men together;
For even the husband shall be taken with the wife,
The aged with him who is full of days.
Fields and wives together;
For I will stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord.
Everyone is given to acovetousness;
And from the prophet even to the bpriest,
Everyone deals falsely.
bSaying, ‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.
No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.
| << Jeremiah 6:8 | Jeremiah 6:10 >> |
What Does Jeremiah 6:9 Mean?
Jeremiah 6:9-13
Do these two prophecies describe America? "Everyone is given to covetousness," "greedy dogs which never have enough." A Protestant saying is that "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." An anonymous wit paralleled this, saying the U.S. motto should be, "The chief end of man is to glorify prosperity and enjoy it forever." A European observer wrote that "desire is enthroned in the mind of the American consumer." We are immersed in a constant barrage of advertisement. Our whole economy works to stimulate our desire for food, clothing, automobiles, furniture, jewelry, and travel, filling our minds with the "gimmies." It is difficult to resist unless our focus is disciplined toward going in the right direction.
Because of these sins, God calls upon the nations to devour His people. The leaders are just as blind to the nation's real needs because, instead of speaking out and acting upon moral issues, they are embroiled in their own lusts. While America sinks into the quicksand of that way of life, they proclaim an even better and brighter tomorrow!
Another reason why coveting has the power to destroy the coveter is revealed in the credit purchasing system that dominates the American economy. Buying on credit is based upon the idea of possessing something before one can afford it. Advertising usually accompanies credit, and the two of them together seductively lure the unwary and weak. Yet because of the charges collected by the lender, credit actually makes things even more expensive, causing greater debt!
But, God asks in Jeremiah 6:9-13, who will listen? People will not listen to such simple wisdom as delaying a purchase to pay in cash to save money. They will not listen even when told they will be able to make more purchases because they will have more money to spend. They do not listen because their minds are on their sin. The cycle of sin continues onto other sins their covetousness motivates.
This is why tithing comes as such a shock to many new brethren. As a nation, we are living way over our heads. When we learn of tithing, the penalty for our prior stealing from God really hurts. We then have to learn to pay in adversity. Covetousness has boomeranged and caught us in a way we never dreamed.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Tenth Commandment (1998)
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Jeremiah 6:9:
| << Jeremiah 6:8 | Jeremiah 6:10 >> |
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