Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Jeremiah
Book: Jeremiah
Chapter: 23
Overview:
The restoration of the Jews to their own land.
(1-8) The
wickedness of the priests and prophets of
Judah, The people
exhorted not to listen to false promises.
(9-22) The pretenders
to
Inspiration threatened.
(23-32) Also the scoffers at true
Prophecy.
(33-40)
1-8 Woe be to those who are set to feed
God's people, but take
No concern to do them good! Here is a
Word of comfort to the
neglected
Sheep. Though only a remnant of
God's flock is left,
he will find them out, and they shall be brought to their former
habitations.
Christ is spoken of as a
Branch from
David's
family. He is righteous himself, and through him all his people
are made righteous.
Christ shall break the usurped power of
Satan. All the spiritual seed of believing
Abraham and praying
Jacob shall be protected, and shall be saved from the guilt and
dominion of
Sin. In the days of
Christ's government in the soul,
the soul dwells at ease. He is here spoken of as "the
Lord our
Righteousness." He is
So our
Righteousness as
No Creature could
be. His obedience unto
Death is the justifying
Righteousness of
believers, and their title to heavenly happiness. And their
Sanctification, as the source of all their personal obedience is
the effect of their union with him, and of the supply of this
Spirit.
By this name every true believer shall
Call him, and
Call upon him. We have nothing to plead but this,
Christ has
died, yea, rather is risen again; and we have taken him for our
Lord. This
Righteousness which he has wrought out to the
satisfaction of
Law and
Justice, becomes ours; being a free
Gift
given to us, through the
Spirit of
God, who puts it upon us,
clothes us with it, enables us to lay
Hold upon it, and claim an
interest in it. "The
Lord our
Righteousness" is a sweet name to
a convinced sinner; to one that has felt the guilt of
Sin in his
Conscience; seen his need of that
Righteousness, and the worth
of it. This great
Salvation is far more glorious than all former
deliverances of his
Church. May our souls be gathered to Him,
and be found in him.
9-22 The false prophets of
Samaria had deluded the Israelites
into idolatries; yet the
Lord considered the false prophets of
Jerusalem as guilty of more horrible wickedness,
By which the
people were made bold in
Sin. These false teachers would be
compelled to suffer the most
Bitter part of the
Lord's
indignation. They made themselves believe that there was
No harm
in
Sin, and practised accordingly; then they made others believe
So. Those who are resolved to go
On in evil ways, will justly be
given up to believe strong delusions. But which of them had
received any
Revelation of
God, or understood any thing of his
Word? There was a time coming when they would reflect
On their
folly and unbelief with remorse. The teaching and
Example of the
true prophets led men to
Repentance,
Faith, and
Righteousness.
The false prophets led men to
Rest in forms and notions, and to
be quiet in their sins. Let us take heed that we do not follow
unrighteousness.
23-32 Men cannot be hidden from
God's all-seeing
Eye. Will they
never see what judgments they prepare for themselves? Let them
consider what a vast difference there is between these
prophecies and those delivered
By the true prophets of the
Lord.
Let them not
Call their foolish dreams Divine oracles. The
promises of peace these prophets make are
No more to be compared
to
God's promises than
Chaff to
Wheat. The unhumbled
Heart of
Man is like a
Rock; if not melted
By the
Word of God as a
Fire,
it will be broken to
Pieces By it as a
Hammer. How can they be
long safe, or at all easy, who have a
God of almighty power
against them? The
Word of God is
No smooth, lulling, deceitful
message. And
By its faithfulness it may certainly be
distinguished from false doctrines.
33-40 Those are miserable indeed who are forsaken and forgotten
of
God; and men's jesting at
God's judgments will not baffle
them.
God had taken
Israel to be a people near to him, but they
shall now be cast out of his presence. It is a
Mark of great and
daring impiety for men to jest with the words of
God. Every idle
and profane
Word will add to the sinner's
Burden in the
Day of
Judgment, when
Everlasting shame will be his portion.