Jeremiah 8:8-9,11,20

Jeremiah 8 continues Jeremiah’s prophecy at the temple gates to those who are passing in and out of God’s house. He tells them that all those buried in Judah will be brought up and placed under the sun and moon and stars ‘which they have loved’ (vs. 2), referring to their idolatrous nature worship. In fact, when the nation was invaded by the Babylonians, the invading nation would ransack the tombs of Judah in search for buried riches, leaving the bones scattered over the land.

Jeremiah continues, proclaiming that Judah was guilty of not knowing when to turn back to God – when even birds knew when to turn around and migrate, to turn back. All the animals knew their seasons, and yet the Jews did not know the time of God’s judgment, which had been made abundantly clear to them. And thus we reach the reasons for their deception, namely, those who lead them and teach them had been deceiving them!

‘How can you say, ‘We are wise,
And the law of the LORD is with us’?
Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
The wise men are ashamed,
They are dismayed and taken.
Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD;
So what wisdom do they have?’ (Jeremiah 8:8-9)

What dire words. Those who lead and teach God’s people are teaching falsely. They are leading their own people astray with what they teach. And they do it so well that the people don’t even notice. The people still say ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’. They think they are wise! No doubt the scribes used human wisdom in their writings and teachings. So why were they deceitful?

‘Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; so what wisdom do they have?’

If we do not trust the very words of God, what wisdom can we even think we have? If we don’t listen to the word God has given us directly, then how can we call ourselves wise? It doesn’t matter that we might be well versed in all the classic philosophers, know the entire works of Spurgeon, pastor a church of a thousand people, and have written books that have ‘helped’ people in every walk of life. It doesn’t matter that our techniques for worship or evangelism are the most well-researched and most ‘effective’ known. It doesn’t matter that we might have a doctorate and be able to write essays and books arguing certain theological points. It only depends on whether we accept forthright the word of God. For He is of infinite knowledge and wisdom. To accept His knowledge and study His word, led by the Holy Spirit is wisdom.

What do you do when faced with a tricky situation? Who do you turn to? Do you accept the human wisdom of a friend? Do you read a self-help book? Do you tackle the problem in your own mind, using previous circumstances as a guide? Or do you turn to the word of God?

Now I am not trying to say that your friends, books, and even you, don’t give advice based on the word of God in the first place. But to be sure, in most cases, they don’t.

Why do we not accept the word of the LORD? Why do we so often use our own flawed wisdom? For two reasons that I can think of right now:

1) The word of the LORD is hard to accept. It is often scathing and shocking. It is abrasive. It is challenging, and sometimes goes against our basic intuition.

2) Using our own wisdom satiates our desire for power and intellectual supremacy. In other words, using our own wisdom makes us feel good about ourselves. Human wisdom is often the source of a warm fuzzy feeling inside. It makes us feel good, but as verse 11 says:

‘For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly,
Saying ‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.’ (Jeremiah 8:11)

Now, if we are Christians, a habit of maintaining human wisdom and neglecting God’s word is unhealthy at best. In dealing with situations in life, it can only be harmful, and lead away from God’s will for us. But with respect to non-Christians, it is much, much more dangerous. For if we, as Christians, make a habit of using human wisdom, then we deceive non-Christians. We cannot save them with our own wisdom! It is impossible! God’s word is hard hitting, sharp as a double-edged sword, and His Spirit convicts. Taking that out of the equation, it is like throwing pillows at people and expecting them to be bowled over! And the dire result is recorded in Jeremiah:

‘ “The harvest is past,
The summer is ended,
And we are not saved!”’ (Jeremiah 8:20).