It seems crazy to imagine a world where people worship something made of wood. They use a tree to make a bowl to eat from, and then make an idol and bow down and worship it. But as hard as that may be for some to conceive, just look at how much we have changed as a world in the last couple of years.
People in many nations though still worship idols. And they will say that the powers of the deities inhabit them. There is great fear of them. But God says this:
“Do not fear them for they can do no harm–and they cannot do any good” (v. 5).
“They are worthless, a work to be mocked” (v. 15).
As an aside note on mockery. I do think there are some things we can mock, but we do so as Christians and among Christians. We sometimes have to wake each other up this way. But with non-Christians, I think the rule applies, we must speak to them with “gentleness and respect” as the Scripture says (1 Pet 3:16). It’s not that we respect their gods, but that we speak to the people with tact about their gods and about the Christian faith.
But for the people of God? Sometimes some of the severity of the ungodliness is wroth being mocked to wake people up.
God will say to these people that he is the one who makes the heavens and the earth.
“You [Jeremiah] are to say this to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
He made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and spread out the heavens by His understanding” (v. 11-12).
Jeremiah is once again in grief for his people.
Then he says this:
“My tent is destroyed; all my tent cords are snapped. My sons have departed from me and are no more. I have no one to pitch my tent again or to hang my curtains” (v. 20).
We know that Jeremiah was not married. So we see this as Jerusalem who is portrayed as a mother who has lost her sons. This is further verified by the following verse that speaks of her shepherds. That they stupid and don’t seek the Lord.
In contrast to the rebellion of Israel, Jeremiah prays this. And see if it’s something you could pray.
“Discipline me, LORD, but with justice–not in Your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing” (v. 24).
Can you pray for the Lord to discipline you?
At this moment in my life, I cannot. Other seasons, perhaps so. But that’s quite a prayer.
This chapter is simple. The gods made of wood and clay are not god. The LORD God maker of heaven and earth is God. God will bring judgment soon. And what is to come will be horrible. Again, we may not be worshiping gods made of wood and stone, but we are worshiping ourselves and our own understanding. What is to come is far beyond what we will ever know and understand.