[Faithwalker012]

Jeremiah 9:1 "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"

This is Jeremiah and he's weeping for his people. Again kind of a continuation here of the end of Chapter 8. When a person who is a Christian sees his or her people hurting, whether it's literal physical death and abuse, or being deceived and spiritually slain, it hurts. When one who is a Christian looks even at what goes on in this nation of America today and sees not only the physical and literal criminal acts but the moral degradation, it almost would cause one to weep day and night if they were unaware that it will be corrected by God. But even with that, it's still hurtful.

Jeremiah 9:2 "Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men."
What Jeremiah is saying here actually is if I could just find some far off place to escape to, I would leave. I would leave my own people. That's pretty strong, but for some they can get to that point. When one looks around at the wickedness around them and feels that no one cares or no one can or will do anything, they can get pretty upset. Sometimes, and maybe more the case in Jeremiah's case, they feel like they have to leave to keep from losing their mind.

Jeremiah 9:3 "And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD."

I look at this almost like they practice or train themselves to do evil and to lie and become quite skilled in it. This is just a personal observation obviously so it should be taken as such. But, when an archer, whether in sport and competition or at this time in military combat, to become skilled it takes effort and practice. The word bend of course can be translated as prepare, because an archer does bend his bow to kind of load it with an arrow. Then when he lets go, that arrow is moving at pretty good speed toward its target. That's the comparison here with these people and their lies.
Jeremiah 9:4 "Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders."

Boy can we see this today or what? Whether it's in the workplace, in the community, sometimes unfortunately maybe even in some families there is just not much trust. People are concerned about me, me,me, and they will say whatever they can for their own benefit. If it's a lie, they really don't care as long as people believe it. There will come a time as foretold by Jesus Himself in which certainly some will not be able to trust their brother.

Mark 13:12 "Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death."

I agree with the teaching that this is spiritual. This is at the time when Satan is here operating as Antichrist. This is a time that Satan is going to have most of the world believing he is Jesus. So, when a deceived brother, father, or child takes their loved one to Satan because they are concerned for their soul and salvation, then in essence they're delivering them up to death, which is to say Satan. Documentation for that is Hebrews 2:14. But certainly at that time we can expect it and today we can expect to be betrayed for more malicious reasons.

Jeremiah 9:5 "And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity."
This kind of almost documents my observation. What does that say? They have TAUGHT their tongue to speak lies. They've practiced it to almost you might say make it an art form in some cases. They work at it day and night almost wearing themselves out to do that which is wrong. To spread falsehoods and tear people down. Is it any wonder why Jeremiah would want to get away from this crowd? We still have them today without a doubt.
Jeremiah 9:6 "Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD."

Your habitation is getting right there in your back yard where you live. Notice God is speaking to Jeremiah here and these people would rather deceive and be deceived than to know God. They would rather listen to and pass along a lie than actually study God's truth for themselves. Now we kind of get back to churches a little bit. Again, not coming down on churches, but how many of them simply pass down what was taught to them, and then the next person passes it down and the next one passes it down and on and on? "Well, my pastor or teacher at seminary taught me that I wanted to be the first one taken from the field because I'm going to fly away. So, they've been doing this longer than me so I guess I'm going to fly away like a little bird." I mean unfortunately it's an easy trap to fall into. But unfortunately as well it is a trap. A trap in many cases set out of ignorance, but one that is deadly and shameful to get caught in.

Jeremiah 9:7 "Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?"

This is the second time in this book that God says he will do something like this. Now, He's not saying He's going to melt them in hell necessarily. He also mentions this at the end of the 6th Chapter of Jeremiah. But this is an analogy like the process of smelting gold and silver. When gold or silver is refined it is put through a furnace basically or melted down to remove any impurities that may be present from when it was pulled from the earth. When God says He's going to do this He's basically saying He's going to test them out and refine them to see if there's anything good there. If there is, then there just may be some hope for them. If there isn't then they're not in too good of shape.

Jeremiah 9:8 "Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait."

Now when you see the phrase lying in wait or layeth his wait, this is one of God's prerequisites if you will for determining a murder. If there's an accidental killing or even a "crime of passion" in which tempers flare all of a sudden or emotions become such that someone lashes out and kills someone, that's not a murder. A murder involves lying in wait. In other words to plan something out in advance. So we're talking about murder here. Now, in as much as the subject matter is deceit, we're kind of talking about a spiritual murder here. Although certainly it can apply to in the literal sense where a person acts pleasant toward his neighbor and is plotting inwardly to do him in. But whichever way you wish to look at it, we're not dealing with too nice of a crowd here.

Jeremiah 9:9 "Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"

Naturally the answer to both of these questions is yes. Again the phrase the daughter of my people has been used by both Jeremiah and by God Himself in this chapter. God does not like when someone murders one of His children. He especially doesn't like when through deception they actually participate in the murder of that child's soul. Now, don't get too skittish over the phrase the murder of a soul, because what man kills spiritually God can restore to life with the actual truth. But He certainly does not like to see His children deceived... especially by those who claim, "well I come in the name of Jesus". He does not like it at all, and they will answer for it UNLESS they repent themselves. But I certainly would not want to be in their shoes.

Jason