God's Judgment and Jeremiah's Lament

Jeremiah 9:7-9: "'Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: "Behold, I will refine them and test them; for how shall I deal with the daughter of My people? Their tongue is an arrow shot out; it speaks deceit." One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in wait. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? For devastation and destruction I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains and for the dwelling places of the desert a lamentation, because they are all burned up, so that no one can pass through, nor can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled; they are gone. I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals; I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without inhabitant.'"

Jeremiah 9:12-16: "'Who is the wise man who may understand this?' and 'Who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a desert, so that no one can pass through?' Then the Lord said, 'Because they have forsaken My Torah, which I set before them, and they have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, but have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts—and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them.' Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.'"

Jeremiah 9:17-22: "'Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider and call for the mourning women that they may come; send for skillful wailing women that they may come. Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run with tears, and our eyelids gush with water. For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: 'How we are plundered! We are greatly ashamed because we have forsaken the land, because we have been cast out of our dwellings.' Yet hear the word of the Lord, O women, and let your ear receive the word of His mouth; teach your daughters wailing, and everyone her neighbor a lamentation. For death has come through our windows; has entered our palaces to kill off the children from the streets and the young men from the fields." Thus says the Lord: "Even the carcasses of men shall fall as refuse on the open field, like cuttings after the harvester, and no one shall gather them."'"

Jeremiah 9:23-26: "'Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord. "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "that I will punish all who are circumcised—with the uncircumcised—Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon and Moab, and all who dwell in the farthest corners who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart."'"

This is what I'm talking about: the biblical world of Genesis 10. You don't see Russia, China, or other nations. You see Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Tyre—those names. This will be the Antichrist kingdom that comes against the Jewish people. You'll find this in Jeremiah 25. It's about the Middle Eastern nations who hate Israel, Genesis 10, who will come against the people because of the land.

Summary of Jeremiah 9: Jeremiah grieves over a deceitful nation. "Oh, that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears." The people are full of lying, deceit, and covenant-breaking. God says, "The true boasting is not wisdom, might, or riches, but knowing Him." Key scriptures: "Find one who seeks truth." They have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear. Then an astonishing and horrible thing will come to Israel. Jeremiah's tears show that true prophecy is not cold prediction; it carries the burden of God's heart.