Boasting in the Lord

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 8:18-9:26

 

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

(ESV)

 

The Bible is God’s word and a source of Godly wisdom, but our study of the Bible can become a ritual in our life as we form the habit of daily reading of Scripture.  While it is important to form the habit or spiritual discipline of bible study, this discipline must involve a process of observation, interpretation, and application to bring about life transformation in one’s life.  Sadly, for Judah, worship of the Lord had become a ritual with their hearts going after the Baals (Jeremiah 9:14).  This has caused Jeremiah to grieve as he knows the consequences of this continued rebellion against God.  Let us apply this process of observation, interpretation, and application to Jeremiah 8:18-9:26 and experience heart transformation and godly application to our lives.

 

1)      Observation – Jeremiah is commonly called the weeping prophet.  In this passage, he makes the case for why he weeps as he grieves the sins of God’s people and the coming consequences.  Jeremiah 8:18-9:16 is Jeremiah speaking his heart and how he grieves what is happening in Israel and Judah, presenting the reason for his weeping.  Even Jesus looked over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, knowing they would reject Him and call for His crucifixion (Luke 19:41-44).  Jeremiah then shares a word from the Lord instructing them to call upon the mourning women (Jeremiah 9:17-22).  These women were professional mourners present in this culture and hired by those experiencing grief to help them with their mourning.  Jesus confronted these mourners when he entered the house of a ruler whose daughter had died, asking them to leave for he understood their mourning was not genuine (Matthew 9:18-26).  Our observations conclude with a Word from the Lord reminding the people not to boast in selfish wisdom, might, or riches but to boast in knowing the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23-24).  The Lord then ends the passage by saying the days were coming that He will punish those circumcised in the flesh who have uncircumcised hearts (Jeremiah 9:25-26)

2)      Interpretation – The Holy Spirit is referred to in Scripture as the counselor who reveals the truth to us (John 14:26).  The good news for all who have accepted Jesus as their savior is that this counselor is available to all who have received Jesus as their Savior.  It is also beneficial for each of us to have a spiritually mature mentor in our lives that we can run by any interpretation of Scripture to ensure the interpretation aligns with biblical doctrine.  After reading and studying this passage I have arrived at the following interpretations. 

a.       Judah no longer boasts of being God’s chosen people to whom God gave the Law that they promised to keep.  Instead of keeping the law and making God the object of their devotion and worship, Israel and Judah have gone after other gods (Exodus 20:1-6; Jeremiah 9:13-14). 

b.       The Lord tells them to hire professional mourners for He sees no genuine mourning or heartfelt repentance in His people (Jeremiah 9:17-18). 

c.       Circumcision has become a ritual in Israel and Judah with the people losing the symbolism of the ritual as being the removal of one’s fleshly heart of sin to dedication to the Lord (Jeremiah 9:25-26). 

3)      Application - Obedience to God must become more than checking off the box or something we ritually do like attending Church, reading the Bible just to get it done, or praying as a ritual.  Serving the Lord must be a heartfelt way of life as we lose conformity to the world and it's way of life and experience heart transformation through the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2).  The church must not seek to attract people through conformity to the world but instead lift up Christ and let Him draw people in (John 12:32) through belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that transforms one’s life (Romans 10:9-10). 

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed to accept Jesus as your personal savior, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I encourage everyone reading this to take some alone time with the Lord this week to assess their application of the Word of God in their daily lives.  A world in chaos needs to see the benefits of a life lived in obedience to God and His Word and can only see that as we live lives of obedience.  May God bless everyone reading this post.