Bible Lessons

Jeremiah 11
The case of Judah was now equal to that of the ten tribes which had been carried off by the Assyrians a hundred years earlier; it was beyond remedy. God had protected Judah from enemies mint about, but to no avail; they would not walk in His ways. Now they must suffer the fruit of their own ways. They would not be able to escape from the powerful young nation of Babylonia whose king would shortly send his army against Judah and Jerusalem. Then would the cry to Jehovah for help as of old, He promises that He will not hearken to them (verse 11).
They would then go and cry unto the gods unto whom they had burned incense, but there would be no help there. That their gods were as numerous as their cities was said in chapter 2:28; now it is added (verse 13) that altars for burning incense to Baal were as many as the streets in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah is no longer to pray for Judah; forbearance is impossible now (verse 14). Yet were they loved by God, "My beloved" is still His name for them, We marvel at the love and mercy of God as we read so much in the prophets of the hard hearted unbelief of His earthly people, and their wicked ways, and at. His unwillingness to give them up.
Yet His dealings with the Gentiles during the present day of grace are equally marvelous. Why, we may ask, does God forbear to execute summary judgment upon a world that daily shows it has little regard for His Son? that after nineteen centuries remains indifferent to the offer of salvation through the atoning death of Christ? Who can measure the depth of His love to man, His patience, His reluctance to take vengeance upon His creatures? Yet there is a limit; once He said, "The end of all flesh is come before Me!", and shortly destroyed the world that then was with a flood. Again, there came a day When Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, not one escaping except Lot and his two daughters. And the day is Fixed when the present world of the ungodly shall meet their Judge (Acts 17:30, 3130And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:30‑31)).
Israel was Jehovah's olive tree of promise, green, fair and of goodly fruit, but its branches were broken because of unbelief and sin (verse 16, 17). See 'Romans 11:16-36,16For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:16‑36) where the subject is connected with the present place of the Gentiles, soon to be given back to Israel.
Jeremiah's grief over the state of his people was great, but now he had to add to his sorrows the threat of the men of Anathoth, his home town, to kill him if he persisted in prophesying in Jehovah's name. He looks, and not in vain, to God to deal with them (verses 18-23).
Messages of God’s Love 9/9/1934