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"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron"

Text: Jeremiah 17:1

THE STRUGGLES OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH

Jeremiah found it very hard to get through to the hearts of the children of Judah. It seemed easier to reach Gentiles with the word of God than his own people. God explained to Jeremiah what the problem was!

“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron;
With the point of a diamond it is engraved
On the tablet of their heart,
And on the horns of your altars,
While their children remember
Their altars and their wooden images
By the green trees on the high hills.”
Jeremiah 17:1-2

1. “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with the point of a diamond it is engraved”

a) “A pen of iron”

i) This was the tool of an engraver.

ii) This pen of iron is used on hard stones.

b) “The point of a diamond”

i) They did not have industrial diamonds in the days of Jeremiah.

ii) This was like the sharp point of hard adamantine stone.

2. “On the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars”

a) The hearts of the people were as hard as stone.

b) Four horns were placed at the Altar of Burnt offering (Exodus 27:1-2).

i) The altar itself was made of acacia wood.

ii) The altar was to be overlaid with bronze.

c) The altar must be strong and sturdy to be able to receive burnt offerings.

d) Unfortunately, the hearts of the people were not laid on the altar.

3. The offerings had great symbolic meaning:

a) They reminded the people of the problem of sin.

b) Sins must be confessed.

c) Forgiveness must be sought.

d) Sins are to be forsaken.

e) But this was not how the children of Judah understood the altar of God.

4. “While their children remember their altars and their wooden images by the green trees on the high hills”

a) The people had their own ideas about “altars”.

b) Their altars were created to worship “wooden images”.

c) Their altars were erected on the high hills.

d) Their sins were written:

i) On their hard hearts.

ii) Reflecting in particular their idolatrous ways.