July 14: Jeremiah 10
Joshua 20–21; Acts 1; Jeremiah 10; Matthew 24
Jeremiah first recounts the stupidity of idolatry. Humans create, just like our Creator. But nothing we make even begins to rival Him, be it an actual gold idol, an iPhone, or a career (10). Our idols have no power to create life. In comparison to Him, they are stupid (8).
But the stupidity of the idol only reflects the stupidity of its maker (14). The idol doesn’t know any better - garbage in, garbage out, as programmers say. But its maker should know better. Yet he lives by lies, and crafts those lies into physical form (15).
But while idols reflect their makers’ “delusions,” the reverse is also true. Mark this: we become like whatever we worship. Thus the “shepherds” - the leaders of Israel - are stupid (21), because they’ve turned from God to stupid idols. Thus they stupidly refuse to do the one simple thing that would lead them and their nation to “prosperity”: to “inquire of the Lord.” As a result, the “flock” - the nation - is scattered.
The “way of man” - the way to true prosperity - is not found within us (23), no matter what Disney preaches. Only God can direct that way.
But the nation of Israel stubbornly refuses to let God direct their way. So when Jeremiah prays that God only pour out His wrath on the nations that “know you not” (25), Israel is sadly included. God must let the nation die, before He later resurrects it, through another “Jeremiah.”