Jeremiah.…17:5-10 - The Two Sides of the Heart
17:5Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh
their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. 6They shall be like a shrub in the
desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the
wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose
trust is the Lord. 8They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the
stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of
drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. 9The heart is devious above all
else; it is perverse— who can understand it? 10I the Lord test the mind and search the
heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.
Who was the prophet Jeremiah? The prophet Jeremiah was the son of a priest named
Hilkiah from the town of Anathoth about three miles north of Jerusalem. He was called to
prophesy under King Josiah, around 627 B.C. He is often called the weeping prophet
because of his life long struggle with the rigors, sacrifices and consequences of his call. He
lived in a state of constant friction with religious and political authorities and institutions,
with his own family and kinsmen, with his call to prophecy and even with God. He was
accused of treason. His honesty and inspiration were constantly questioned. Yet he was
often consulted for advice by kings and nobles. His words show us a depth of faith, honesty
and struggle that run the gamut from bitter complaint and fierce judgement to renewed
hope and resounding praise.
What were the issues to which Jeremiah addressed his message? Jeremiah lived in
what may well have been the most disastrous moment in the history of Israel. It was a time
of national political and religious collapse. From the middle of the 8th century, the Northern
Kingdom (Israel) was under siege from internal corruption and political unrest and from
the ravenous Assyrian Empire. By the end of that century the Northern Kingdom collapsed
and in many ways never recovered its national identity. The Southern Kingdom (Judah)
while also under Assyrian control was still able to maintain some sense of national and
religious identity. Jeremiah lived in Judah through the time when Assyrian control over the
region began to falter and eventually collapse. There was a brief time of renewed hope
which was dashed by the conquest of the Babylonians in 605 resulting in the destruction of
the Temple and the mass deportations of the people of Israel into Exile. Jeremiah’s
prophecy provides commentary on the immense human, political and religious disaster of
these events.
What was Jeremiah’s basic purpose? Jeremiah’s basic purpose was to speak God’s truth
in the midst of the worst that humankind could accomplish and experience. In the midst of
national and personal disaster, Jeremiah calls us to search for the will of God, cling to
righteousness when all of the props of life have been discredited, to respond courageously
and to look for hope beyond the circumstances of the moment. Even if everything in the
world fails, God will not.
Issues in this morning’s passage: Scholars disagree about nearly everything to do with
this text. Did Jeremiah really write it? Most of the rest of the book contains prophecies and
sermons, largely in poetic form. Today’s passage comes to us more in the form of wisdom
sayings that have been collected to help people do some inner reflection. The whole of
chapter 17 doesn’t so much develop a cohesive theme as it gathers diverse thoughts and
expressions. Not all sound much like Jeremiah. Still the emphasis we find here on the wiles
of the human heart are certainly consistent with Jeremiah’s thought and other writings.
Remember that this is the prophet that tells us that God will write a new covenant on our
hearts.
Word Study
Vs. 5 - says - This is a multifaceted word in Hebrew that lets us know that this is no casual
statement. It is sometimes translated declare, designate, admonish, promise, to think, to
intend, to purpose. Remember that throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, what God says is
very powerful. As is what a prophet says. When a prophet speaks a reality, that reality
cannot be turned back.
cursed -There are six words in Hebrew that we translate as curse. This one generally
means to bind, as with a spell, to hem in with obstacles, or to render one powerless to
resist.
trusts - this word means to attach oneself to something, to feel safe, confident and
secure in that person or thing. It connotes a sense of well being and immunity from
surprise or harm.
flesh - This word refers to the physical being of someone. It is not used as Paul uses
the word flesh in the NT to refer to the broken world’s systems. Here Jeremiah is referring
to a physical human being.
heart - sometimes this word in Hebrew refers to the physical organ of the heart, but
rarely. Most often, and here I believe, it refers to the center of something, the core of
something. It most often refers to the totality of a person’s inner nature.
Vs. 6 - desert - a wilderness, a dry land that lacks what is needed to support both physical
life and spiritual life. It is often in scripture that the desert is the setting for revelation and
transformation because one must rely upon God alone. Still, the desert is so wily that it can
blind a person to where the truth lies. Think about the people of Israel in the desert when
their fear of abandonment led them to make idols of their gold.
relief - this word means good, pleasant, beautiful, excellent, lovely, delightful,
convenient, joyful, fruitful, precious, cheerful, kind, correct, happiness and virtuous. It is
often used to denote practical economic benefit, wisdom or happiness.
Live - to reside or stay permanently
parched places - this word only appears here in the scriptures. It seems to refer to
the parched lives of those who place their trust in the wrong things.
Vs. 7 - blessed - this word comes from the root for ‘to bend the knee’ as in gratitude and
praise.
trusts - this word means to rely upon for everything.
Vs. 8 - yield - This is a very important word in Hebrew. It means to work, to labor, to make,
to create, to build, to accomplish. It has many other nuances of meaning. It is basically used
to do or to make something within an ethical framework.
Vs. 9 - deceitful - this comes from the root for a knoll or a hill that sweeps up. It means
deceitful, fraudulent, crooked, polluted. Coming from the understanding of a hill as
impeding progress, this word is completely negative.
understand - This is another big word in Hebrew. It means to discern, to acquire
knowledge, to be known. This intimate coming to know from experience is why this word is
used of sexual relations.
Vs. 10 - test - to try, to prove, to examine, to purify, to watch.
fruit of their doing - This is the Hebrew word for walk and it refers to the sum total
of a person’s way of life, their journey and their path.
Questions for Personal Reflection
1. This passage invites us to consider where we place our energy, priorities and trust.
When you think about what you ‘trust’ what comes to mind? Have you ever had to deal
with pain from misplaced trust? What did you learn?
2. The passage reminds us that people will sometimes fail us. Only God will never fail us.
How do you practice trusting in God as your source? What specific things do you do?
What thought or prayer patterns do you use to deepen your trust in God?
3. The text also reminds us that sometimes we can’t even trust ourselves because our
hearts are so divided or deluded. Can you think of a time when you trusted your heart
of your pain and it led you astray? How have you learned to test your own heart?