Jeremiah 13

Thus far in Jeremiah we have seen God’s indictment of the nation for their sin.  They have forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters, and built for themselves broken cisterns (2:13).  They have practiced covetousness (5:7-9) and deceit (5:26-29), all the while rejecting God’s word for the words of entertaining false prophets (5:30-31).  They are backslidden (5:6).

To emphasize and boldly proclaim Judah’s hopeless position Jeremiah is told by God to engage in two object lessons.  The illustration of the sash (v1-11) makes clear that the people are ruined; they are in no way glorifying to God.  The illustration of the full bottles of wine (v12-14) makes clear that God’s judgment will be full and complete.

The preaching that accompanies these illustrations gets to the root of the problem: pride.  “Do not be proud” Jeremiah proclaims (v15).  There is a special call to the royalty to “humble yourselves” (v18-19).  Perhaps the essence of this pride is that the people “follow the dictates of their hearts” (v10; and a central theme of Jeremiah’s message: 3:17; 7:24; 9:14; 11:8; 16:12; 18:12; 23:17).

Let us think about “pride”.  In our world this word is losing the sting of sin and gaining a sense of respectability.  We are to have a healthy pride in ourselves and our accomplishments.  Our children need to know how proud we are of them.  We have patriotic pride, athletic pride and maybe even an ecclesiastical pride.

This word, gaboah (proud) in 13:15 means to be “high”.  It might be used of a high hill, a high wall, or the high flight of a bird.  It is on a few occasions used of God and once of the Messiah (Suffering Servant, Isa. 52:13).  But when it comes to the use of this term for us to describe ourselves one looks in vain.  Once it says that Jehoshaphat lifted up his heart, but only “in the ways of the Lord” (2 Chron. 17:6).  Both Kings Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:16) and Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:25) were judged for lifting up their hearts in honor of their accomplishments.

This “highness” belongs to God and to those on whom He grants the privilege.  There is a consistent and frequent principle in Scripture that says, God will humble the one who exalts himself and He will exalt the one who humbles himself (Ps. 147:6; Luke 14:11 and many other places).  It is God who does this; the person does not take it to himself.  This haughtiness is at the root of all sin.  In the case of Judah, it is because they think so much of themselves that they “follow the dictates of their own hearts.”

Hear the wisdom of Scripture.  “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished (16:5).”  “Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility (18:12).”  “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (3:34).”  “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).