Peace, Peace, where there is None

Jeremiah 6:1-15 

1 "O you children of Benjamin,
Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
And set up a signal-fire in Beth Haccerem;
For disaster appears out of the north,
And great destruction.

2 I have likened the daughter of Zion
To a lovely and delicate woman.
3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her.
They shall pitch their tents against her all around.
Each one shall pasture in his own place."

4 "Prepare war against her;
Arise, and let us go up at noon.
Woe to us, for the day goes away,
For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.
5 Arise, and let us go by night,
And let us destroy her palaces."

6 For thus has the LORD of hosts said:
"Cut down trees,
And build a mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished.
She is full of oppression in her midst.

7 As a fountain wells up with water,
So she wells up with her wickedness.
Violence and plundering are heard in her.
Before Me continually are grief and wounds.

8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem,
Lest My soul depart from you;
Lest I make you desolate,
A land not inhabited."

9 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
"They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel;
As a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches."

10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
That they may hear?
Indeed their ear is uncircumcised,
And they cannot give heed.
Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.

11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD.
I am weary of holding it in.
"I will pour it out on the children outside,
And on the assembly of young men together;
For even the husband shall be taken with the wife,
The aged with him who is full of days.

12 And their houses shall be turned over to others,
Fields and wives together;
For I will stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD.

13 "Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is given to covetousness;
And from the prophet even to the priest,
Everyone deals falsely.

14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly,
Saying, 'Peace, peace!'
When there is no peace.

15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down," says the LORD.

God’s people had no shame in their sin and no regard any longer for Him.  They devolved into living to only gain for themselves, coveting what others possessed and dealing falsely in deceit with lies and thievery to accumulate passing pleasures and wealth instead of serving Him and gaining great peace and eternal blessings beginning in this life.  They were warned to flee from the impending destruction of judgment coming from God’s hand in the form of foreign armies coming for them.  The LORD envisioned Israel as a satisfyingly lovely and dainty woman whom everyone gathered around, yet He called down destruction by war against her in proportion to her unrepentant sins and not according to her beauty and outward desirability as His own because she abandoned Him for others.  The picture of her wickedness was as a well full of overflowing water and grief with violence ruled her city instead of righteousness, love, and peace.  He therefore called a remnant out as the last gleaning of leftover grapes still holding fast to the vine of Him and His word.  He wanted to call out warnings through prophets like Jeremiah but they had uncircumcised ears which were unable to hear and heed His voice.  They actually hated God’s word and took no pleasure anymore in what He offered them, so how could they hear and repent?  This earned God’s wrath on them and forfeiture of the promised land given them to the ungodly they had gained it from when entering the land.  Their devious dealings and unrighteous priests promising false peace led them astray and brought down the consequences of their sin on their own heads.  Their lack of shame and confession of sin sealed their fate with punishment instead of blessings.  There are parallels in the world today with false prophets and fake gospels of peace (1 Thessalonians 5:3) and prosperity (Jude 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:5) instead of suffering (Philippians 1:29, 1 Peter 3:14) for the Lord Jesus Christ as He suffered for us.  The only peace is with God for those in Christ (Romans 5:1), not in world circumstances or governments or health or possessions.  He is all we need through repentance and faith.