Introduction
‘Hear what the LORD says to you, people of Israel. This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails, so it will not totter.’ Jeremiah 10:1-4
GOD AND IDOLS
This chapter contrasts God with idols and it shows the stupidity of idols. This whole chapter was written shortly before the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem for the first time, Jeremiah 10:1-2.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Chaldeans and Egyptians were notoriously addicted to astrology; and the Israelites here are cautioned against it. The signs of the heavens may mean either the sun, moon, planets, and particular stars or constellations or the figures or characters by which they represented these heavenly bodies.’
And at that time they were well into idolatry and one of the things they would do was to chop down a tree, carve it into some shape, and worship it as their god, Jeremiah 10:3. They needed to be told, over and over again, that this was ridiculous, Isaiah 40:19 / Isaiah 44:9, and so, this was another warning.
And because this chapter mentions the nearness of a Babylonian invasion, it was appropriate that Jeremiah should give the people another dramatic warning not only about their existing idolatry but especially of the idolatry that they were sure to face in Babylon.
Halley, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It seems that the threat of Babylonian invasion had spurred the people of Judah into great activity in manufacturing idols, as if idols could save them. This gave Jeremiah the occasion for these verses.’
Some people believe that Jeremiah took this description of idols, Jeremiah 10:3-4, almost word for word from Isaiah 40-44. I agree it’s similar but they were, after all, talking about the same thing that was happening amongst their people, so wouldn’t expect it to be much different!
I do like, in particular, one extract from Isaiah on the subject from Isaiah 44. Isaiah says that a man cuts down a tree and in Isaiah 44:16, ‘Half of the wood he burns in the fire, over he prepares his meal and warms himself. From the rest he makes his god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, ‘Save me, you? are my god.’
In other words, these idols know nothing and they understand nothing, Psalm 115:1-9. There is absolutely no way that Jeremiah could have made it any clearer. It was to help the Jews to reject the idol worship that they would encounter in Babylon.
‘Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.’ No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple—all made by skilled workers. But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. ‘Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’ Jeremiah 10:5-11
Jeremiah now describes the foolishness of idol making.
Harrison, in his commentary paraphrases Jeremiah 10:5, as follows.
‘The false gods are like a scarecrow in a patch of cucumbers!’
Idols cannot speak or go anywhere, Jeremiah 10:5, and they can do nothing, Jeremiah 10:5. They are stupid and foolish and the only power of an idol is in the minds of those who make them, Psalm 115:1-9. Idols are made in order to reinforce the misguided minds of those who make and honour them. They are physical representations of those who are ignorant of the true and living God.
God was not only the king of Israel but all nations of the world, Jeremiah 10:6-7. The god that is represented by every idol can be understood simply because the idol god is the product of the human mind, Jeremiah 10:8-9.
Since He is the king of the nations, then all nations should give honour to Him, Jeremiah 10:10. He is the source of wisdom and knowledge and the God who created all things is beyond our full comprehension, Jeremiah 10:11. Men make idol gods but the God of all things created the minds of men.
‘But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.’ Jeremiah 10:12-14
Jeremiah lists here the three things that God used in preparing a home for human creation.
1. The earth by His power, Jeremiah 10:12.
2. By His wisdom he founded the world as a dwelling place for humans, Jeremiah 10:12.
3. He stretched out the heavens by His understanding, Jeremiah 10:12, that is He provided an atmospheric shield to protect humans from radiation, etc.
In contrast to the false gods, God made the earth by His power, Jeremiah 10:12.
Keil, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Jeremiah 10:13.
‘Every thunderstorm is a witness to the might, power, and wisdom of God.’
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
This verse and the three following are the same in substance, and nearly in words, as Jeremiah 51:16, and following.’
‘Every goldsmith is ashamed by his idols’, Jeremiah 10:14, but there is no one like God, Jeremiah 10:6 / Isaiah 44:10-11.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Any person who can see the violence and strength of a thunderstorm, and then worship an idol made of wood or stone, a production of his own hands, as his god, has no intelligence whatsoever.’
‘They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the people of his inheritance—the LORD Almighty is his name.’ Jeremiah 10:15-16
God is mocking, that is having a good laugh at the idols, Jeremiah 10:15. These verses emphasise that man-made idols are only worthy of contempt, Jeremiah 10:15. The Almighty, living God, who created the heavens and the earth is contrasted here with the idols, Jeremiah 10:16.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Every nation had its tutelary god; this was its portion; in reference to this God says Deuteronomy 4:19, ‘He has divided the sun, moon, and stars, to all the nations under the heaven.’ And the Lord had taken the Israelites to be his portion; for ‘the Lord’s portion is his people,’ Deuteronomy 32:9, and David says, ‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance,’ Psalms 16:5 / Psalms 119:57. And hence Isaiah terms the smooth stones of the brook, to which Divine honours were paid, the portion of those idolaters, Isaiah 57:6. But in the text he says, ‘The PORTION, i.e., the God of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things,’ and they are formed by their foolish worshippers.’
COMING DESTRUCTION
‘Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege. For this is what the LORD says: ‘At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured.’ Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, ‘This is my sickness, and I must endure it.’ My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My children are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter. The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so, they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered. Listen! The report is coming—a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals.’ Jeremiah 10:17-22
In the very sad picture that is shown here, as God’s people are told to gather up their belongings and leave because of the siege, Jeremiah 10:17. In other words, they were to get ready to go into Babylonian captivity. God is going to hurl them out of the land because of their idolatry, 1 John 5:21, and He will bring trouble on them in order that they will be captured, Jeremiah 10:18. There is nothing they can do to help themselves, they are incurable and need to endure what is coming to them, Jeremiah 10:19.
Jerusalem is compared to tent-dwellers, Jeremiah 10:20. Here is a mother whose tent has been destroyed and her children taken from her, Jeremiah 10:20. Nobody is left to help her and the blame is put on the leaders who didn’t ask God for any help, Jeremiah 10:21.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Jeremiah 10:21.
‘The king and his counsellors, who, by refusing to pay the promised tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, had kindled a new war.’
Then the scene changes as we read of destruction approaching from the north, Jeremiah 10:22.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Jeremiah’s sorrow over the fate of the people is so great, in fact, he has identified himself with this so much that it seems as if the destruction is his own.’
JEREMIAH’S PRAYER
‘LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. Discipline me, LORD, but only in due measure—not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob, they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.’ Jeremiah 10:23-25
These verses are known as Jeremiah’s prayer. He says that it isn’t within man to direct our steps, Jeremiah 10:23 / John 14:6. He asks God to correct him not in anger but according to your justice, Jeremiah 10:24.
In other words, despite his people needing discipline Jeremiah’s prayer was for grace which would mean being sent into captivity. He asks that God’s wrath would rightly fall on wickedness, that is, on those who that don’t have a relationship with God nor call on His Name, Jeremiah 10:25.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning, Jeremiah 10:25.
‘How can that family expect the blessing of God, where the worship of God is not daily performed? No wonder their servants are wicked, their children profligate, and their goods cursed! What an awful reckoning shall such heads of families have with the Judge in the great day, who have refused to petition for that mercy which they might have had for the asking.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning, Jeremiah 10:25.
‘In the Jewish view, only the Gentiles deserved divine wrath and punishment. The Jews were God’s chosen people. Thus there found a way into Jeremiah’s prayer for a plea for God to pour out his wrath and indignation upon the Gentile instruments of Judah’s chastisement. This prayer was just, because the heathen were devouring Jacob, not as obedient ministers of divine chastisement, but as wild beasts, gratifying their lusts, and their hatred of true religion. In the eventual history of the Chosen People, Jeremiah’s prayer was answered. In mercy, God concluded their captivity and made it possible for all who wished to do so to return to Judah but Babylon was ruthlessly destroyed by the Medo-Persians.’