17:1 The sin of Judah is engraved with an iron chisel on their stone-hard hearts. It is inscribed with a diamond point on the horns of their altars.
Judah’s sin was so deep, that it was engraved with a chisel of iron on on her heart (intellect). Her sin was so terrible, that she had engraved her sin on the altar of God with a diamond point chisel.
17:2 Their children are always thinking about their altars and their sacred poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, set up beside the green trees on the high hills
The Jewish educational system was infusing their children into idolatry. The Asherah poles were dedicated to Astarte, the Queen of heaven. She was a goddess of temple prostitution in many different pagan nations. These poles were enshrined on every green hill and next to every tree. Judah was a nation full of Asherah poles.
It is important to note that if one could go back in time and walk through ancient Israel, then one would not see much of the worship of Jehovah. Instead, one would see pagan shrines and Asherah poles on the top of every hill and on the block of every street corner.
17:3 and on the mountains and in the fields. I will give your wealth and all your treasures away as plunder. I will give it away as the price for the sins you have committed throughout your land.
The Asherah poles were also placed on every mountain and every field in Judah. Since Judah placed Asherah poles on all of the land which Jehovah had given to Israel, then Jehovah will give all all of this polluted land as plunder to the enemy.
17:4 You will lose your hold on the land which I gave to you as a permanent possession. I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you know nothing about. For you have made my anger burn like a fire that will never be put out.”
Jehovah will give Israel’s inheritance to a foreign nation.
17:5 The Lord says, “I will put a curse on people who trust in mere human beings (הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙), who depend on mere flesh and blood (בָּֽאָדָ֔ם) for their strength, and whose hearts have turned away from the Lord.
The Hebrew word for “mere human beings” is הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ (ha-gibbor), meaning strong men or strong warriors. Those who trust in these strong warriors or strong leaders will be cursed by God.
The Hebrew word for “mere flesh and blood” is אָדָ֔ם (adam), meaning mankind in general. The plans and schemes of humans will not be able to save Judah from the foreign enemy who is to come upon her.
17:6 They will be like a shrub in the desert. They will not experience good things even when they happen. It will be as though they were growing in the desert, in a salt land where no one can live.
The Jews were warned not to trust in humans to save them from the invading nation to come. These human beings will be like a small shrub in the desert. The shrub will provide them no fruit or no shade. The shrub is only good for burning a fire of short duration.
17:7 My blessing is on those people who trust in me, who put their confidence in me.
God will bless those who trust in Him. For example, Daniel and his three friends were blessed during the Babylonian Captivity.
17:8 They will be like a tree planted near a stream whose roots spread out toward the water. It has nothing to fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought.
Those who trust in God rather than in men will be like a tree planted by a stream. When drought comes, the roots will be so deeply ingrained into the ground that the tree will receive water from the stream. This type of tree will always produce fruit.
Those who place their faith in the speculations of atheists, agnostics, evolutionists, charismatic prophets, popes, cults, and isms are trusting in shrubs which will die in the desert. This trust needs to be transferred from the speculations of men to the written Word of God.
17:9 The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it?
This is the doctrine of total depravity. The heart (or human mind) is incurably sick. Who can understand it?
17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.
The answer is that only God can understand the evil heart of man. If man could see the heart as God does, then it would be a frightful horror show. God looks at the heart of each individual and then gives everyone judicially what they deserve.
17:11 The person who gathers wealth by unjust means is like the partridge that broods over eggs but does not hatch them. Before his life is half over he will lose his ill-gotten gains. At the end of his life it will be clear he was a fool.”
When a partridge lays on eggs which are not her own, then eventually the chicks will grow up, mature, and recognize that this partridge is not their mother. Then, the partridge will look like a fool. Like the partridge, the person who gains wealth in an unjust way will lose his wealth and end up looking foolish. This is the predicament of the drug dealer, the mobster, the thief, the robber, the prostitute, the kidnapper, the unrighteous judge, and the crooked politician.
17:12 Then I said, “Lord, from the very beginning you have been seated on your glorious throne on high. You are the place where we can find refuge.
Jehovah has been sitting on His throne for eternity. He is sovereign over all things. He is the only refuge of Israel.
17:13 You are the one in whom Israel may find hope. All who leave you will suffer shame. Those who turn away from you will be consigned to the nether world. For they have rejected you, the Lord, the fountain of life.
Jehovah is the only hope of Israel. Anyone who does not trust in Jehovah will reject the spring of living water. They will forsake their only source of salvation.
17:14 Lord, grant me relief from my suffering so that I may have some relief. Rescue me from those who persecute me so that I may be rescued.
In verses 14-18, Jeremiah prayed to Jehovah and asked Him for three things. First, he asked for protection from his enemies.
17:15 Listen to what they are saying to me. They are saying, “Where are the things the Lord threatens us with? Come on! Let’s see them happen!”
Jeremiah had been prophesying for 40 years, but none of his prophecies had yet been fulfilled. Therefore, the false prophets were accusing Jeremiah of being a false prophet. The penalty for a false prophet under the Mosaic Law was death by stoning. Jeremiah was telling the people the truth of God’s Word, but they wanted to stone him in order to shut him up.
17:16 But I have not pestered you to bring disaster. I have not desired the time of irreparable devastation. You know that. You are fully aware of every word that I have spoken.
Jeremiah has not refused to follow God’s will. He has told the people everything that Jehovah has commanded him to do. He has not been vindictive in uttering his prophecies.
17:17 Do not cause me dismay! You are my source of safety in times of trouble.
Jeremiah’s second request was for personal protection. Jeremiah did not want to live in terror of what may happen to him.
17:18 May those who persecute me be disgraced. Do not let me be disgraced. May they be dismayed. Do not let me be dismayed. Bring days of disaster on them. Bring on them the destruction they deserve.”
Jeremiah’s third request was to disgrace the false prophets by showing their prophecies to be false. Jeremiah wanted Jehovah to bring disaster and destruction upon them.
Satan has infiltrated the churches and taught the carnal Christians to be too soft when dealing with sin. Jeremiah prayed for the destruction of evil men. The modern church prays for their safety.
17:19 The Lord told me, “Go and stand in the People’s Gate through which the kings of Judah enter and leave the city. Then go and stand in all the other gates of the city of Jerusalem.
Jehovah told Jeremiah to go stand at the king’s gate and deliver a message to the royals and nobles. He also asked Jeremiah to proclaim this same message to the common people who entered into the other gates of Jerusalem.
17:20 As you stand in those places announce, ‘Listen, all you people who pass through these gates. Listen, all you kings of Judah, all you people of Judah and all you citizens of Jerusalem. Listen to what the Lord says.
This new message was for all social classes of Jerusalem.
17:21 The Lord says, ‘Be very careful if you value your lives!Do not carry any loads in through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.
Jeremiah’s message was that the Sabbath day was still in effect. Under the Mosaic law, breaking the Sabbath was a capital offense.
17:22 Do not carry any loads out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath day. But observe the Sabbath day as a day set apart to the Lord, as I commanded your ancestors.
All kings and commoners must observe the Sabbath. They were not to work or carry loads out of their houses.
17:23 Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or to respond to any discipline.’
Their ancestors refused to keep the Sabbath, so they were punished.
17:24 The Lord says, ‘You must make sure to obey me. You must not bring any loads through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day. You must set the Sabbath day apart to me. You must not do any work on that day.
This present generation must keep the Sabbath as well, or they will be punished like their ancestors.
17:25 If you do this, then the kings and princes who follow in David’s succession and ride in chariots or on horses will continue to enter through these gates, as well as their officials and the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. This city will always be filled with people.
If this present Jewish generation will keep the Sabbath, then they will be blessed. A king from the line of David will continue to sit upon the throne in Jerusalem. Jewish chariots and horses (as well as Gentile vendors) will still ride inside of the gates. Jerusalem will always be heavily populated, meaning security in numbers.
17:26 Then people will come here from the towns in Judah, from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the western foothills, from the southern hill country, and from the southern part of Judah. They will come bringing offerings to the temple of the Lord: burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and incense along with their thank offerings.
Sacrifices will continue at the temple. Temple worship will continue. Jews from all over Israel and Judah will pilgrimage to the Jewish Temple during the feast days.
17:27 But you must obey me and set the Sabbath day apart to me. You must not carry any loads in through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. If you disobey, I will set the gates of Jerusalem on fire. It will burn down all the fortified dwellings in Jerusalem and no one will be able to put it out.’ ”
If Judah refuses to keep the Sabbath, then Jerusalem will be burned to the ground. No one will be able to stop the city from burning to the ground. No one will worship at the temple, because there will be no temple.
In conclusion, Judah can escape the Babylonian Captivity if they keep the Mosaic Law.