Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"To burn incense to the queen of heaven"
Text: Jeremiah 44:17
REASONS FOR IDOLATRY
Both men and women defended their idolatrous worship. In particular, they declared their reasons for the worship of the queen of heaven.
“‘But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth,
to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her,
as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes,
in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.
For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.
But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven
and pouring out drink offerings to her,
we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.’
The women also said,
‘And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven
and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her,
and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?'”
Jeremiah 44:17-19
1. “But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth,
to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done,
we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets
of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble”
a) The men declared openly that they would continue to do the following:
i) To burn incense to the queen of heaven.
ii) To pour out drink offerings to her.
b) This had been practised for a long time by:
i) Their fathers.
ii) Their kings and princes.
c) Where these idolatrous practices were found:
i) In the cities of Judah.
ii) In the streets of Jerusalem.
d) Reasons for this idolatrous practice:
i) There was plenty of food.
ii) They were well-of.
iii) There was no trouble.
2. “But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven
and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything
and have been consumed by the sword and by famine”
a) King Josiah forbade idolatrous worship.
b) The people experienced:
i) Lack of everything.
ii) Consumed by the sword and famine.
3. “The women also said, ‘And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven
and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her,
and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?'”
a) The womenfolk joined in.
b) They argued that they had their husbands’ permission to:
i) Pour out drink offerings to the queen of heaven.
ii) Make cakes for her.
iii) Worship her.
c) If their husbands had forbidden them:
i) They might not have continued.
ii) But they were not forbidden to worship the queen of heaven.