Jeremiah 10a. Man-made or God-made?

10: 1-2.   Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.

              Thus says the LORD:

Do not learn the way of the nations   

or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens,   

for the nations are dismayed at them.

 Here is a thought that needs some careful discernment as, in fact, they all do. If we let the phrase, “Do not learn the way of the nations,” stand as a general command, then we undermine other thoughts in the Bible. The miracle of tongues at Pentecost shows that a great variety of people heard the gospel in their own heart language. Now, at that point, the apostles did learn that language beforehand, it was a gift of the Holy Spirit. But, from that time on, it has been incumbent on evangelists and missionaries to learn the language of the people in order to communicate as well as possible the Good News of God’s love in Jesus Christ. 

 Like the example that we have in Jesus, evangelists and missionaries have to empty themselves of their sense of privilege and take some time to learn the culture of the people in order to reach them. It does little good to speak English and use idioms and memes from one’s own culture. Telling people to ‘straighten up and fly right’ has no meaning if the people do not know that saying. Instead, missionaries must take time to discover the proverbs and sayings that the people already have and use those to preach the Gospel. That is the heart of mission work. 

 So, what does the phrase “Do not learn the way of the nations” mean and how are we to apply it? We must first look at the co-text (sentences around this phrase). God is talking specifically about the emptiness of idol worship, not their culture as a whole. Other nations don’t get much from their gods, and that is a reason not to learn about and adopt idol worship. 

 What are the issues? First, Jeremiah notes that idol worship creates anxiety and offers only disappointment in the end. You can beg the idols, even make yourself bleed to show your sincerity, as the prophets of Ba’al and Asherah did in Elijah’s day, but no help will be coming from your idols. In fact, they speak no language at all; they are mute. 

 Remember that an idol includes not only the classic piece of wood covered with gold. Jesus made it clear that the love of money is an idol, the desire for power leads to a worship-like commitment that warps the soul, and the wish for instant gratification is captivating, whether it is the addiction is slavery to alcohol, drugs, or sex.    

10: 3-5.  For the customs of the peoples are false:

a tree from the forest is cut down   

and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan;

they deck it with silver and gold;   

they fasten it with hammers and nails   

so that it cannot move.

Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,   

and they cannot speak;

they have to be carried,   

for they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,   

for they cannot do evil,   

nor is it in them to do good.

 Here are two reasons not to give your full allegiance to idols, ideals, or ideologies. Full allegiance is reserved for God alone. First, look closely at an idol or ideology; at bottom it is marked ‘Made on Earth’; that is, made somewhere in the world by some human being like you. Idols are not self-generating.

 Second, these idols, ideals, and ideologies are not alive; they don’t move, they don’t speak, and they cannot actually do anything, either evil or good. They have no spirit. They have to be carried around by hand and then nailed down so that they do not topple over. It is a very bad thing to have your god fall flat on his face; ask the Philistines about it (I Samuel 5: 1-7).

10: 6-7.  There is none like you, O LORD;   

you are great, and your name is great in might.

Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?   

For that is your due;

among all the wise ones of the nations   

and in all their kingdoms   

there is no one like you.

 It is all that Jeremiah can do to hold himself back while he describes how false it is to make an idol from an empty block of wood and then worship what you made. So, periodically, Jeremiah praises the Lord. Jeremiah begins a regular pattern of speaking here.  

 First, Jeremiah shows how idol-worship is false. Then, he breaks out in song over the greatness of YHWH, the one and only true God. Then Jeremiah repeats the couplet. He shows how foolish it is to make an idol from known resources, wood, silver, and gold, and then spend a lot of time and money to have an artisan make it look godly. Next, he follows with another paean of praise for YHWH. 

10: 8-10.  They are both stupid and foolish;   

the instruction given by idols   

is no better than wood!

Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish   

and gold from Uphaz.

They are the work of the artisan

and of the hands of the goldsmith;   

their clothing is blue and purple;   

they are all the product of skilled workers.

But the LORD is the true God;   

he is the living God and the everlasting King.

At his wrath the earth quakes,   

and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

 We will pick up the pattern again next week. It is right to be critical of any idol, ideal, or ideology that people go crazy over and offer their full allegiance to. We have several such ideas in America that people in authority insist we must make a priority over our commitment to God. One way they do that is to confuse us with the claim that making that commitment to an ideology is a commitment to God. It is not. 

 Remind yourself, every day, that there is one Creator God. The Creator has demonstrated his steadfast love to us, and he is worth following because he is full of mercy, justice, and righteousness. His covenant love and prophetic promises come to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, not in any nation or any people (like America or Israel or Russia or Iran). It is God and God alone who offers mercy and brings justice; freedom does not come from any government, alliance, or military. Salvation and release from captivity come from God Almighty.