Jeremiah 5:3 Study Bible: O LORD, do your eyes not look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.

◄ Jeremiah 5:3 ►

O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Study Bible

O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth?
This phrase emphasizes God's omniscience and His desire for truth and righteousness among His people. In the biblical context, God is portrayed as one who searches the hearts and minds of individuals (Jeremiah 17:10). The question implies that God is actively seeking truth, yet finding it lacking in Judah. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God's justice and His requirement for His people to live in truth (Psalm 51:6).

You struck them, but they felt no pain.
Here, the imagery of divine discipline is evident. Despite God's corrective actions, the people of Judah remain unresponsive. This can be compared to the plagues in Egypt, where Pharaoh's heart was hardened despite the clear signs of God's power (Exodus 7-11). The lack of pain signifies a spiritual numbness or insensitivity to God's chastisement, highlighting the depth of their rebellion.

You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline.
This phrase suggests that God has brought severe consequences upon the people, yet they remain obstinate. Historically, this could refer to the various calamities that befell Judah, such as invasions and famines, which were intended as calls to repentance. The refusal to accept discipline is a recurring theme in the prophets, where the people ignore God's warnings (Isaiah 1:5).

They have made their faces harder than stone
The metaphor of hardened faces indicates a stubborn and unyielding attitude. In biblical symbolism, a hard heart or face often represents resistance to God's will (Ezekiel 3:7-9). This imagery is used to convey the people's determination to persist in their sinful ways, despite the consequences.

and refused to repent.
Repentance is a central theme in the prophetic books, calling for a return to covenant faithfulness. The refusal to repent underscores the people's rebellion and the seriousness of their sin. This connects to the broader biblical narrative where repentance is necessary for restoration and forgiveness (2 Chronicles 7:14). The call to repentance is also a precursor to the message of John the Baptist and Jesus, who both preached repentance as essential for entering the Kingdom of God (Matthew 3:2, 4:17).

Persons / Places / Events

1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by his deep emotional connection to his people and his unwavering commitment to God's truth.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was facing imminent judgment due to its persistent sin and rebellion against God. Jeremiah's prophecies were directed primarily at this kingdom.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is portrayed as seeking truth and righteousness among His people. His actions of striking and consuming are expressions of His justice and desire for repentance.

4. The People of Judah
The recipients of God's discipline, who are described as having hardened their hearts and refused to repent despite God's corrective actions.

5. Repentance
A central theme in Jeremiah's message, highlighting the need for the people to turn back to God in humility and obedience.

Teaching Points

God's Pursuit of Truth
God actively seeks truth and righteousness among His people. Believers are called to live lives of integrity and honesty, aligning their actions with God's standards.

The Purpose of Discipline
God's discipline is meant to correct and guide His people back to Him. It is an expression of His love and desire for their spiritual growth and well-being.

The Danger of Hardness of Heart
A hardened heart resists God's correction and leads to spiritual stagnation. Believers must remain open and responsive to God's leading and correction.

The Call to Repentance
Repentance is a continual process of turning away from sin and turning towards God. It requires humility and a willingness to change.

The Consequences of Refusal
Ignoring God's discipline can lead to further spiritual decline and separation from His blessings. Believers are encouraged to heed God's warnings and embrace His guidance.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Jeremiah 5:3 challenge us to examine our own responsiveness to God's discipline in our lives?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our hearts remain soft and receptive to God's truth and correction?

3. How does the concept of God's discipline as an expression of love, as seen in Hebrews 12, change our perspective on the challenges we face?

4. What practical steps can we take to cultivate a lifestyle of repentance and alignment with God's will?

5. How can we support and encourage one another in our faith communities to remain open to God's truth and correction?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Isaiah 1:5-6
This passage similarly describes the spiritual stubbornness and unresponsiveness of God's people, using the metaphor of a body that is sick and wounded but refuses healing.

Ezekiel 3:7-9
Ezekiel is told that the house of Israel is hard-hearted and stubborn, paralleling Jeremiah's description of the people's refusal to repent.

Hebrews 12:5-11
This New Testament passage discusses God's discipline as an expression of His love, encouraging believers to endure hardship as a form of divine correction.

Sermons

An Unfailing Appeal	S. Conway	Jeremiah 5:3
The Sorrow of Sorrows	S. Conway	Jeremiah 5:3
What God Requires of Man	A.F. Muir	Jeremiah 5:3
A Hero is a Real Man	Great Thoughts	Jeremiah 5:1-9
A Man	J. R. Mitford Mitchell, D. D.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
A Man	J. S. Drummond.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
A Man; Or, the Divine Ideal Unrealised	Homilist	Jeremiah 5:1-9
Godly Men the Preservative of Society	James Hamilton, D. D.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
Make Yourself a Man		Jeremiah 5:1-9
Manliness	H. F. Henderson, M. A.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
Right Kind of Men	G. Brooks.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
The Courage of the True Prophet	Dean Farrar.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
The Sinfulness of Jerusalem	W. Reading, M. A.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
The Value of One True Man to the State	J. S. Drummond.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
True Manhood	H. Allon, D. D.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
Wanted -- a Man	M. C. Peters.	Jeremiah 5:1-9
The Rich and the Poor Meet Together	S. Conway	Jeremiah 5:3-5
Chastisement Thwarted by Universal Stubbornness	D. Young	Jeremiah 5:3-6
Decided Ungodliness		Jeremiah 5:3-8
Fruitless Chastisement	W. F. Adeney, M. A.	Jeremiah 5:3-8
God's Chastisements Designed for Man's Conversion	President Davies.	Jeremiah 5:3-8
Refusal to Return		Jeremiah 5:3-8
The Ignorance of the Poor and the Insolence of the Great	Job Orton, D. D.	Jeremiah 5:3-8
Truthfulness		Jeremiah 5:3-8
Unsanctified Affliction	G. Brooks.	Jeremiah 5:3-8
Unsanctified Affliction	D. Moore, M. A.	Jeremiah 5:3-8

People

Jacob, Jeremiah

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Affected, Anguish, Consumed, Correction, Crushed, Destruction, Faces, Faith, Felt, Fidelity, Grieved, Harder, Hast, Heart, Instruction, O, Pain, Punishment, Receive, Refused, Repent, Return, Rock, Smitten, Sore, Stedfastness, Stone, Stricken, Struck, Teaching, Troubled, Truth, Turn, Weaken

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Jeremiah 5:3

     1461   truth, nature of
     4306   minerals
     5777   admonition
     5885   indifference
     5946   sensitivity
     6194   impenitence, warnings
     6245   stubbornness
     6734   repentance, importance
     8616   prayerlessness

Library

A Question for the Beginning
'What will ye do in the end?'--JER. v. 31. I find that I preached to the young from this text just thirty years since--nearly a generation ago. How few of my then congregation are here to-night! how changed they and I are! and how much nearer the close we have drifted! How many of the young men and women of that evening have gone to meet the end, and how many of them have wrecked their lives because they would not face and answer this question! Ah, dear young friends, if I could bring some of the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Storming the Battlements
Jerusalem had sinned against God; she had rebelled against the most High, had set up for herself false gods, and bowed before them; and when God threatened her with chastisement, she built around herself strong battlements and bastions. She said "I am safe and secure. What though Jehovah hath gone away, I will trust in the gods of nations. Though the Temple is cast down, yet we will rely upon these bulwarks and strong fortifications that we have erected." "Ah!" says God, "Jerusalem, I will punish …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

God's Barriers against Man's Sin
I am slowly rallying. My great struggle now is with weakness. I feel as if my frail bark had weathered a heavy storm which has made every timber creak. Do not attribute this illness to my having laboured too hard for my Master. For his dear sake, I would that I may yet be able to labour more. Such toils as might be hardly noticed in the ramp for the service of one's country, would excite astonishment in the church for the service of our God. And now, I entreat you for love's sake to continue in prayer …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Tithing
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal. 3:10). Down deep in the heart of every Christian there is undoubtedly the conviction that he ought to tithe. There is an uneasy feeling that this is a duty which has been neglected, or, if you prefer it, a privilege that has not been …
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing

How those who Fear Scourges and those who Contemn them are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 14.) Differently to be admonished are those who fear scourges, and on that account live innocently, and those who have grown so hard in wickedness as not to be corrected even by scourges. For those who fear scourges are to be told by no means to desire temporal goods as being of great account, seeing that bad men also have them, and by no means to shun present evils as intolerable, seeing they are not ignorant how for the most part good men also are touched by them. They are to be admonished …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Purpose in the Coming of Jesus.
God Spelling Himself out in Jesus: change in the original language--bother in spelling Jesus out--sticklers for the old forms--Jesus' new spelling of old words. Jesus is God following us up: God heart-broken--man's native air--bad choice affected man's will--the wrong lane--God following us up. The Early Eden Picture, Genesis 1:26-31. 2:7-25: unfallen man--like God--the breath of God in man--a spirit, infinite, eternal--love--holy--wise--sovereign over creation, Psalm 8:5-8--in his own will--summary--God's …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

Purposes of God.
In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, I. What I understand by the purposes of God. Purposes, in this discussion, I shall use as synonymous with design, intention. The purposes of God must be ultimate and proximate. That is, God has and must have an ultimate end. He must purpose to accomplish something by his works and providence, which he regards as a good in itself, or as valuable to himself, and to being in general. This I call his ultimate end. That God has such an end or purpose, …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

"And Hereby we do Know that we Know Him, if we Keep his Commandments. "
1 John ii. 3.--"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." This age pretends to much knowledge beyond former ages, knowledge, I say, not only in other natural arts and sciences, but especially in religion. Whether there be any great advancement in other knowledge, and improvement of that which was, to a further extent and clearness, I cannot judge, but I believe there is not much of it in this nation, nor do we so much pretend to it. But, we talk of the enlargements of …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
To declare emphatically that the people of God are a covenant people, various signs were in sovereignty vouchsafed. The lights in the firmament of heaven were appointed to be for signs, affording direction to the mariner, the husbandman, and others. Miracles wrought on memorable occasions, were constituted signs or tokens of God's universal government. The gracious grant of covenant signs was made in order to proclaim the truth of the existence of God's covenant with his people, to urge the performance …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Of the Nature of Regeneration, and Particularly of the Change it Produces in Men's Apprehensions.
2 COR. v. 17. 2 COR. v. 17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. THE knowledge of our true state in religion, is at once a matter of so great importance, and so great difficulty that, in order to obtain it, it is necessary we should have line upon line and precept upon precept. The plain discourse, which you before heard, was intended to lead you into it; and I question not but I then said enough to convince many, that they were …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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