# Jeremiah 10 š: The True God and Idols
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#š Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#š Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#š§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#āļø Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#š Key Principles / š Life Application]]
> [[#š¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#āļø Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#š Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#š Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#š Internal Notes]]
## š Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### The Lord, not Idols, is the Only Worthy Object of Worship
[[#Verse 01.]]Ā You people of Israel,Ā listen to what theĀ LordĀ has to say to you.
[[#Verse 02.]]Ā TheĀ LordĀ says:
āDo not start following pagan religious practices.
Do not be in awe of signs that occurĀ in the sky
even though the nations hold them in awe.
[[#Verse 03.]]Ā For the religionĀ of these people is worthless.
They cut down a tree in the forest,
and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools.
[[#Verse 04.]]Ā He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold.
He uses hammer and nails to fasten itĀ together
so that it will not fall over.
[[#Verse 05.]]Ā Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field.
They cannot talk.
They must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them
because they cannot hurt you.
And they do not have any power to help you.ā
[[#Verse 06.]]Ā I said,
āThere is no one like you,Ā Lord.
You are great,
and you are renowned for your power.
[[#Verse 07.]]Ā Everyone should revere you, O King of all nations,
because you deserve to be revered.
For there is no one like you
among any of the wise people of the nations nor among any of their kings.
[[#Verse 08.]]Ā The people of those nationsĀ are both stupid and foolish.
Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless!
[[#Verse 09.]]Ā Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshish
and gold is brought from UfazĀ to cover those idols.
They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths.
They are clothed in blue and purple clothes.
They are all made by skillful workers.
[[#Verse 10.]]Ā TheĀ LordĀ is the only true God.
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
When he shows his anger the earth shakes.
None of the nations can stand up to his fury.
[[#Verse 11.]]Ā You people of Israel should tell those nations this:
āThese gods did not make heaven and earth.
They will disappearĀ from the earth and from under the heavens.ā
[[#Verse 12.]]Ā TheĀ LordĀ is the one whoĀ by his power made the earth.
He is the one who by his wisdom established the world.
And by his understanding he spread out the skies.
[[#Verse 13.]]Ā When his voice thunders,Ā the heavenly ocean roars.
He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.
He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.
He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.
[[#Verse 14.]]Ā All these idolatersĀ will prove to be stupid and ignorant.
Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made.
For the image he forges is merely a sham.
There is no breath in any of those idols.
[[#Verse 15.]]Ā They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked.
When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.
[[#Verse 16.]]Ā TheĀ Lord, who is the inheritanceĀ of Jacobās descendants,Ā is not like them. He is the one who created everything. And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own. His name is theĀ LordĀ of Heavenās Armies.ā
### Jeremiah Laments for and Prays for the People Soon to be Judged
[[#Verse 17.]]Ā āGather your belongings together and prepare to leave the land,
you people of Jerusalem who are being besieged.
[[#Verse 18.]]Ā For theĀ LordĀ says, āI will now throw out
those who live in this land.
I will bring so much trouble on them
that they will actually feel it.ā
[[#Verse 19.]] And I cried out,Ā āWe are doomed! Our wound is severe!ā We once thought, āThis is only an illness. And we will be able to bear it.ā
[[#Verse 20.]]Ā But our tents have been destroyed.
The ropes that held them in place have been ripped apart.
Our children are gone and are not coming back.
There is no survivor to put our tents back up,
no one left to hang their tent curtains in place.
[[#Verse 21.]]Ā For our leadersĀ are stupid.
They have not sought theĀ Lordās advice.
So they do not act wisely,
and the people they are responsible forĀ have all been scattered.
[[#Verse 22.]]Ā Listen! News is coming even now.
The rumble of a great army is heard approachingĀ from a land in the north.
It is coming to turn the towns of Judah into rubble,
places where only jackals live.
[[#Verse 23.]]Ā Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny.
It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them.
[[#Verse 24.]]Ā Correct us,Ā Lord, but only in due measure.
Do not punish us in anger or you will reduce us to nothing.
[[#Verse 25.]]Ā Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you.
Vent it on the peoplesĀ who do not worship you.
For they have destroyed the people of Jacob.
They have completely destroyed them
and left their homeland in utter ruin.ā
## š Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
## š¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Jeremiah 10:11 is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. It is the only Aramaic verse in Jeremiah, likely so the nations could understand the message against their gods.
2. Idols are compared to a scarecrow in a cucumber field (10:5), something that looks threatening but is powerless.
3. Idols were made of wood, covered with silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz (10:9).
4. Idols had to be fastened down with nails so they would not fall over (10:4).
5. Babylonians read the stars and signs in the sky to predict the future. God says not to be terrified by signs in the heavens (10:2).
6. Verses 12-16 are repeated almost word for word in 51:15-19.
7. Idols were often dressed in blue and purple clothing (10:9), colors made from expensive dyes.
8. Jeremiah calls the Lord "the Portion of Jacob" (10:16), meaning God Himself is His people's inheritance.
9. Judah is pictured as a tent whose cords are snapped and whose children are gone (10:20).
10. The prayer in 10:25 closely matches Psalm 79:6-7.
## š§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## āļø Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the living God made known. Idols are lifeless and must be carried (10:5), but the Lord is the true and living God and everlasting King (10:10).
## š Key Principles / š Life Application
> [!note] š± Still growing. This section is on its way.
## š¬ Discussion Questions
1. Jeremiah describes idols as scarecrows in a cucumber field that cannot speak or walk (10:5). What modern idols promise much but cannot deliver?
2. The Lord is the true God, the living God, and the everlasting King (10:10). How does knowing who God is free us from fear?
3. Jeremiah admits that a person's way is not in himself (10:23). Where do you need to stop directing your own steps and seek God's guidance?
## āļø Key Verses to Remember
- š verse 6: There is no one like You, Lord. You are great, and Your name is great in power.
- š verse 10: The Lord is the true God, the living God, and the everlasting King.
- š verse 23: A person's way is not in his own control; no one can direct his own steps.
## š Related Passages/Cross Reference
- š [[Colossians 01#Verse 15.|Colossians 1:15]] - Christ is the image of the invisible God.
- š [[Psalm 115#Verse 04.|Psalm 115:4-8]] - Idols have mouths but cannot speak.
- š [[Isaiah 44#Verse 09.|Isaiah 44:9-20]] - The foolishness of carving an idol.
- š [[Acts 14#Verse 15.|Acts 14:15]] - Turn from worthless things to the living God.
- š [[Proverbs 16#Verse 09.|Proverbs 16:9]] - A person plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
## š Devotional Reflection
š SOAP: [[Jeremiah 10 - SOAP|Donāt be Afraid of Evil Prophecies]]
## š Internal Notes