750_The true knowledge of God (Jeremiah 8:4 – 9:26)
Jeremiah 8: 4-7 “You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord:
When men fall, do they not rise again?
If one turns away, does he not return?
5 Why then has this people turned away
in perpetual backsliding?
They hold fast to deceit;
they refuse to return.
6 I have paid attention and listened,
but they have not spoken rightly;
no man relents of his evil,
saying, ‘What have I done?’
Everyone turns to his own course,
like a horse plunging headlong into battle.
7 Even the stork in the heavens
knows her times,
and the turtledove, swallow, and crane
keep the time of their coming,
but my people know not
the rules of the Lord.
A certain young man was known to carry a photograph of his father everywhere he went. He described his father’s appearance in detail, often referred to stories about his father from family lore, and even quoted his father’s words often. One day someone asked him, “When did you last visit your father?” He replied, “I’ve never actually met him.”
That simple story captures one of the greatest spiritual tragedies recorded in Scripture. Jeremiah 8:4–9:26 warns of coming judgment on Judah. But it is also God’s answer to a much deeper question: What does it really mean to know God? Judah possessed the temple, the Scriptures, the priesthood and the religious rituals, and the covenant sign of circumcision. Yet God declared: “They refuse to know me,” (Jeremiah 9:6, ESV). They were God’s covenant people and still did not know the God whose name they bore.
Jeremiah depicts Judah’s situation from three different perspectives. First, we see God’s perspective. Then we hear the people’s own voice. Finally, we see them as Jeremiah sees them.
“When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?” (Jeremiah 8:4). This question shows how unnatural Judah had become. Falling is part of human experience. When we stumble, our natural instinct is to get up again. When we lose our way, we try to find the road home. Yet Judah chose to continue walking away from God. Their backsliding was no longer an occasional failure but a settled direction.
How different the lesson that nature taught! “Even the stork in the heavens knows her times… but my people know not the rules of the LORD” (Jeremiah 8:7). Every year, without maps or technology, the migratory birds travel incredible distances with remarkable precision. But God’s people, to whom he gave his word, the scriptures, did not know the season for repentance. Their problem was not lack of intelligence but a rebellious heart.
The people proudly claimed to be wise because they possessed the Law. But God asks, “They have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?” (Jeremiah 8:9). Wisdom is never measured by how much we know but by how faithfully we obey what we know. Thus the Lord said, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God” (John 7:17). Obedience is the key to knowing God.
Sadly, the spiritual leaders only made matters worse. Instead of calling people to repentance so that they might escape God’s judgment, they offered empty reassurance. “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:11).
Eventually, Judah confessed her sin and its connection with their suffering. “We have sinned against the LORD” (Jeremiah 8:14). Yet judgment is already unfolding. They long for peace, but hear the advancing army. They lament: “We looked for peace, but no good came” (Jeremiah 8:15). They had not yet learned to abhor their sin though they feared its consequences. Their sorrow was driven by circumstances and not true repentance.
Therefore the cry goes up: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20). The seasons of opportunity had come and gone. God’s invitations had been ignored until they could no longer expect their day of grace. As Hebrews urges us, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).
Unlike the false prophets, Jeremiah is not detached. He weeps over the people he must confront. “My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me” (Jeremiah 8:18). He wishes his eyes would be “a fountain of tears” so that he might express his overwhelming sorrow more freely (Jeremiah 9:1). His sorrow reflects God’s own heart. Those who truly know God know that he never delights in the downfall of sinners.
Jeremiah asks the rhetorical question: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah 8:22). Gilead was famous for its healing balm. Yet here, the Lord’s table could be met only through sacrifices that atoned for the people’s sin. God had sent His prophets with His Word but they were mocked and rejected.
Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, came full of grace and truth. He offered forgiveness and new life. Yet many still rejected Him. The deepest disease of humanity has never been lack of information but resistance to God’s invitation.
At this point, God reveals the root of Judah’s problem. “They refuse to know me, declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:6). They knew biblical history. They knew the covenant traditions. But they did not love, trust, and obey God personally. In Scripture, knowing God is never merely intellectual.
God explains that they abandoned His law, ignored His voice, followed their own hearts, and eventually turned to idols. Whenever God’s Word loses its authority in our lives, something else inevitably takes His place.
Finally, after exposing every false foundation, God gives Jeremiah an epigram on true knowledge of God:. “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
Our world still celebrates wisdom, power, and wealth, though all of these are temporary. But there is one treasure that endures forever: knowing the Lord.
God says about Himself. He is the Lord “who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 9:24). These are not merely qualities He commands; they are qualities He delights to display. His steadfast love never abandons His people. His justice is always perfect. His righteousness is flawless.
And this is exactly what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, demonstrated. He is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). At the cross we see God’s steadfast love for sinners, His justice vindicated, and the power of his forgiveness revealed through the perfect obedience of His Son. No wonder Paul concludes, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
The chapter warns against valuing outward devotion for itself. Circumcision, the outward sign of the covenant, had become an empty ritual. Their bodies were marked but their hearts remained unbowed. Moses and the prophets called for the circumcision of the heart. This requires nothing less than our willing identification with the death of our Master on the cross for our sin. For only so do we experience the gift of new life in him. (Romans 2:28–29; Colossians 2:11).
Let us ensure that what we call our faith is not merely a matter of religious observances. Let us not be content with our church, our doctrine, our good works, or our scriptural study. Let us know the God who is Love. Let us tremble at his word and be quick to hear and obey him. The Lord delights in such, and they are changed from glory to glory as by his spirit. They will increasingly reflect his loyal love, justice, and mercy, to the praise of his glory.
Let us boast, not of our devotion to God, but of his steadfast everlasting love for us. Let us praise the Lord who leads us step by step by his Spirit through his word. For this is what it means to know Him. God bless.
Reflection Questions
What differences do you see between knowing facts about God and truly knowing Him through a personal relationship?
Why do you think Judah repeatedly refused to return to God even after receiving so many warnings, and what similar tendencies can you identify in your own heart?
How can God’s steadfast love, justice, and righteousness become more visible in your daily relationships, decisions, and priorities?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself through Your Son Jesus Christ, and in your word. Open my eyes to know You in repentance and returning to you, refusing my own ways and joyfully submitting to yours. Teach me to see how you have loved me with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness so that I may live the same way. Help me to recognize my pride in my wisdom, strength, or riches. You are the glory of my life. Let your good Spirit lead me in your paths, Lord. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
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