Jeremiah 5 “Why Judgment Is Unavoidable”

Jeremiah 5 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Way Maker – Leeland
• Charity Gayle – I Speak Jesus (feat. Steven Musso)
• Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) – Hillsong Worship

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• Gizmo’s Daily Bible Byte – 173 – Matthew 5:6 – Hungry for Righteousness – Lesson for Kids
• High and Low – Hillsong Kids
• Whole Lotta Change | Roar VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Made For This | Maker Fun Factory VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

The Lord tells Jeremiah that if he can find even one righteous person in Jerusalem, He will withhold judgment (v. 1). This recalls the conversation between God and Abraham when Abraham pleaded for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16–33). The implication is that Jerusalem has become even more corrupt than those cities. The people claim to serve the Lord with their lips, but their actions tell a different story (v. 2). Jeremiah confesses that he looked for a person who lived righteously but could not find one (v. 3). He even searched among the rich, thinking they might live differently, but they too were guilty. Jeremiah himself acknowledges that the people of Judah have no way to escape God’s judgment (vv. 4–6).

The Lord again charges the people of Judah with their sins. They have fallen deeply into idolatry and moral corruption (vv. 7–9). Therefore, the Lord declares that He will bring mighty nations against Judah to carry out His judgment. Yet, He will not completely destroy them (vv. 10–11). The people of Judah are deceived by false prophets who assure them that nothing bad will happen (vv. 12–13). But the Lord says He will make Jeremiah’s words like fire, consuming the people of Judah (v. 14)—a sign that the prophecy of judgment will surely come true. God will raise up a nation, specifically Babylon, to attack Judah (vv. 15–17). Still, He will not utterly annihilate them (v. 18).

When Judah faces destruction, the people will question Jeremiah, asking why God has done such things to them (v. 19). The Lord tells Jeremiah that the answer they must hear is because they have become utterly corrupt through idolatry (v. 20). They have forgotten that the One they were supposed to serve is the almighty Creator and have denied His sovereignty. As a result, they have continued in sin, and the world around them has become irreparably broken. Their only remaining path is judgment (vv. 21–29). Even the priests and prophets—those who were meant to guide and awaken the people—have become completely corrupt (vv. 30–31).

Meditation:

When I read the news from both Korea and the United States these days, I am repeatedly reminded of how much people’s moral and ethical consciousness has decayed. On one hand, there are young people who have given up on life because they cannot escape poverty. On the other hand, some boast of having made hundreds of millions through loopholes in a broken economic system. Those who have used their entrusted power as a means of personal enrichment feel no shame. If this is what we can see on the surface, how much more corruption must be happening behind closed doors? Such thoughts stir righteous anger within me. History clearly teaches that when economic inequality deepens, it ultimately leads to violent unrest—yet no one seems to care. The society of Jeremiah’s time was not much different.

The Lord lamented those who had become rich through injustice, saying, “They have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not defend the case of the fatherless, they do not promote the justice of the poor” (v. 28). This reveals that economic and judicial justice had completely collapsed. Though these words were spoken 2,500 years ago, they sound as if they describe our own time. The phrase “the rich are never guilty; the poor are always guilty” has become an accepted reality. The despair of those who have little grows deeper, while the arrogance and oppression of those who have much grow stronger.

What makes this situation even more tragic is that even the religious leaders who should have rebuked injustice and awakened the people have fallen into corruption. The Lord laments, “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” (vv. 30–31). These words sound like an indictment of our own generation. Many of those at the center of massive corruption scandals are well-known Christians, and religious figures have become the ones sowing division and confusion in society.

Because of all this, the Lord’s words to Jeremiah feel even more urgent and personal today. As believers living in this age, we must bow our heads between our knees and ask ourselves what we are called to do and how we ought to live in times like these.

Prayer:

Lord, there is no hope left in this land. Yet we still hold on to hope because of You. We trust that You will carry out Your work according to Your will. So even as hope seems to crumble around us, we cling to it and continue to follow You today. Have mercy on us, Lord! Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Even when the world seems unfair or full of wrong things, God wants us to live rightly and keep trusting Him.

• For Preschool-Elementary
  • What do you think it means to do what is “right” even when others don’t?
  • How can you show kindness and fairness at school or at home?
  • When the world feels sad or unfair, what can we do to remember that God is still good?
    
• Youth
  • Jeremiah saw a world where people no longer cared about justice or truth. What are some examples of injustice you notice in our world or schools today?
  • When you see unfairness or corruption, how can your faith help you respond differently?
  • Why do you think it’s important for believers to live with integrity even when others do not? How can this give hope to others around you?