Jeremiah (1-31) 2:29 Commentary and Bible Study

Israel had not completely abandoned all outward worship, and all formal efforts to approach God, but they were worthless and were not going to be answered by the Lord. Did they think he was so blind and that he did not know what they were doing? Men deceive one another constantly, and they think it is an easy matter to deceive the Lord also. They think he is like one of them and sees no further than the skin. They come to him and they plead earnestly for his help, and all the time they know they are hiding their sin under their cloak. Do they really think he cannot see what they are doing? Do they really think he is going to answer them? Of course not!The plain fact is that they have transgressed against him. He is not going to ignore that and somehow be flattered that they deign to approach him. Yes, they realise there are things that they need from him, but they do not understand the terms on which he will agree to answer them. They think they can give him just a little of their attention, just a small portion of their hearts, and he will be satisfied. No, we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength (Mark 12:30), and with nothing less. There is no negotiating with God; we must accept his terms or nothing. God cannot take seriously the prayers of those who ask for his help, but who make zero effort to obey his commandments.‘In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.’ They had been corrected. God had withdrawn his favour and his protection. Their rains had been withdrawn, their crops had failed, their enemies had prevailed over them. But they had taken no notice. They had not connected these things with their behaviour, and so they had not profited from their correction. They had persisted in doing the very same things, and made it clear that no further correction was going to make any difference. God’s correction had come to them in part through the words of their prophets. But what had they done? They had silenced the prophets, by in some cases, putting them to death, rather than go on listening to them. They had been ferocious against their own prophets, who were sent to deliver them from their wanderings and bring them back to God.