Why do people find "no delight" in God's word, according to Jeremiah 6:10? Situating Jeremiah 6:10 “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no delight in it.” (Jeremiah 6:10) What “no delight” looks like • Hearing without listening • Feeling offended rather than instructed • Treating God’s voice as bothersome background noise • Preferring human opinion over divine revelation Four reasons drawn directly from the verse 1. Closed ears – “their ears are closed so they cannot hear” – A willful barrier: not a lack of volume from God, but a lack of openness in the hearer (cf. Matthew 13:15). 2. Inability to listen – “Who will listen to me?” – Spiritual deafness results when sin dulls sensitivity; the conscience is seared (1 Timothy 4:2). 3. Offense at the message – “the word of the LORD has become offensive to them” – God’s truth confronts cherished sins, so the heart lashes out rather than repents (John 3:19-20). 4. Absence of delight – “they find no delight in it” – When flesh rules, appetite for holiness fades (Romans 8:7). Delight in Scripture is a by-product of loving the Author (Psalm 1:2). Confirming voices from the rest of Scripture • 1 Corinthians 2:14 – the natural man “cannot understand” spiritual things. • 2 Timothy 4:3 – people “to suit their own desires…gather around them teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” • Isaiah 30:9-11 – Judah begged the prophets, “Speak to us pleasant words.” • Psalm 119:16, 24, 103 – contrast: the righteous “delight” in the law; delight is a mark of a surrendered heart. Contemporary implications • Cultural noise and personal sin still close ears. • God’s Word exposes idols, so offense often precedes repentance. • Delight returns when the heart is cleansed (James 1:21) and the Spirit illumines truth (John 16:13). Key takeaway People find no delight in God’s Word when their hearts are closed, their sin is unchallenged, and the message feels offensive. Openness, repentance, and the Spirit’s work transform that offense into delight. |
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