God called Jeremiah to look for one righteous person in the streets of Jerusalem. If there was one who lived by the truth, God was willing to revoke his judgment upon them (1). Jeremiah looked all over high and low. But people were stubborn and proud. The leaders deceived people by their own authority (31). They claimed to know God (2), yet did not fear God nor care about justice and mercy (22,28).

They turned away from God while they lived in the promised land, enjoying seasonal blessings (23,24). Since they served foreign gods in the land they inherited from God, they would be punished as slaves in a foreign land (19). The people of Judah saw Israel being seized by Assyrians and tried to save themselves by having a wise foreign policy with Egypt and Assyria. However, God would raise a distant nation, Babylon (15), who spoke a language unknown to them and devoured them completely. Sin deceives us into thinking we can live without God if we are wise to control our environment. Even the spiritual leaders lived in such deception (31). As a result, every single one of them was guilty and deserved judgment.


Application: Father, all I have is yours; your glory is my joy. Please guide me to honor you in my everyday living and glorify your name.
One Word: Stubborn hearts call for judgment.