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"They proceed from evil to evil"

Text: Jeremiah 9:3

THE LORD’S WORD OF EXPLANATION

Jeremiah was deeply grieved and yet felt anger and disgust. The Lord came alongside and explained to the prophet how he may understand the children of Judah.

“‘And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies.
They are not valiant for the truth on the earth.
For they proceed from evil to evil,
And they do not know Me,’ says the LORD.
‘Everyone take heed to his neighbour,
And do not trust any brother;
For every brother will utterly supplant,
And every neighbour will walk with slanderers.'”
Jeremiah 9:3-4

1. “And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies”

a) A bow was a weapon of war.

b) Arrows were used to wound and kill.

c) The tongues of the children were compared to bows that were bent to let arrows fly to bring harm and death.

2. “They are not valiant for the truth on the earth”

a) In war, one should be valiant.

b) In a spiritual war, one should be valiant for truth.

c) But the children of Judah were not valiant for truth on the earth.

d) Thus, lies continued to win the war against truth.

3. “For they proceed from evil to evil”

a) Not only was there a dearth of truth.

b) There was progress of evil.

c) Evil seemed to grow worse and worse.

4. “‘And they do not know Me,’ says the LORD”

a) Their evil deeds demonstrate a jarring truth.

b) They did not know the LORD.

c) No one who truly knows the LORD would engage in evil activities so wantonly.

5. “Everyone take heed to his neighbour, and do not trust any brother”

a) The word “brother” and the word “neighbour” are used in very close relationship.

b) A neighbour

i) Ideally, it is good to be able to trust a neighbour.

ii) But because of the presence of evil, a neighbour must not be trusted easily.

6. “For every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanderers”

a) Utterly supplant

i) This hints at Jacob attempting to supplant Esau.

ii) One sibling will become a rival to his brother.

b) Slanderers

i) A neighbour is supposed to be kind and helpful.

ii) In this instance, every neighbour was capable of slandering people easily.