Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Jeremiah
Book: Jeremiah
Chapter: 8
Overview:
The remains of the dead exposed.
(1-3) The stupidity of the
people, compared with the instinct of the brute
Creation.
(4-13)
The
Alarm of the invasion, and
Lamentation.
(14-22)
1-3 Though
No real hurt can be done to a dead body, yet
disgrace to the remains of wicked persons may
Alarm those yet
alive; and this reminds us that the Divine
Justice and
punishments extend
Beyond the
Grave. Whatever befalls us here,
let us humble ourselves before
God, and seek his
Mercy.
4-13 What brought this ruin? 1. The people would not attend to
reason; they would not act in the affairs of their souls with
common prudence.
Sin is backsliding; it is going back from the
way that leads to
Life, to that which leads to
Destruction. 2.
They would not attend to the warning of
Conscience. They did not
take the first step towards
Repentance: true
Repentance begins
in serious inquiry as to what we have done, from conviction that
we have done amiss. 3. They would not attend to the ways of
Providence, nor understand the voice of
God in them, ver. 7.
They know not how to improve the
Seasons of
Grace, which
God
affords. Many boast of their religious knowledge, yet, unless
taught
By the
Spirit of
God, the instinct of brutes is a more
sure guide than their supposed
Wisdom. 4. They would not attend
to the written
Word. Many enjoy abundance of the
Means of Grace,
have Bibles and ministers, but they have them in vain. They will
soon be ashamed of their devices. The pretenders to
Wisdom were
the priests and the false prophets. They flattered people in
Sin, and
So flattered them into
Destruction, silencing their
fears and complaints with, All is
Well. Selfish teachers may
promise peace when there is
No peace; and thus men encourage
each other in committing evil; but in the
Day of visitation they
will have
No Refuge to flee unto.
14-22 At length they begin to see the
Hand of
God lifted up.
And when
God appears against us, every thing that is against us
appears formidable. As
Salvation only can be found in the
Lord,
So the present moment should be seized. Is there
No medicine
proper for a sick and dying kingdom? Is there
No skilful,
Faithful Hand to apply the medicine? Yes,
God is able to help
and to heal them. If sinners die of their wounds, their
Blood is
upon their own heads. The
Blood of
Christ is
Balm in
Gilead, his
Spirit is the
Physician there, all-sufficient;
So that the
people may be healed, but will not. Thus men die unpardoned and
unchanged, for they will not come to
Christ to be saved.