“…His molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them; for He is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of His inheritance: the LORD of hosts is His name.” - Jeremiah 51:17b-19

This is the second time that these words are given in Jeremiah. (See also Jer. 10:14-16)

There are many gods that are worshipped in this world. There are several things in these verses that describe each of them.

“There is no breath in them.” In none of them can you find true life. “They are vanity.” They are empty, a vapor. They are “falsehood” and “the work of errors.” They are but a delusion and deception. And, “in the time of their visitation they shall perish.” They will not stand on the Judgment Day.

I love the next sentence. “The portion of Jacob is not like them.” I am so thankful for that. God, here called “The Portion of Jacob,” is so unlike any other.

Our God is the source of life; He created all things. He is a God who has power to accomplish His will. He is a God who cares. He is a holy and just God. In Him I can find all I need.

“The Lord of Hosts…saith; Behold, I will punish… even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:” - Jeremiah 46:25
“…Because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken…” - Jeremiah 48:7
“Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures… Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord God of hosts…” - Jeremiah 49:4, 5

It is dangerous to put your trust in anything besides God. Nothing else is worthy of trust and will fail.

Let’s back up a little to Jeremiah 17:5, 6. “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.”

On the other hand… let’s look at the verses just following these.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jer. 17:7, 8 )

Which will you choose to be like — a shrub in the desert or a tree planted by the waters?

Let us choose to trust only in God and so become fruitful.

“That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. — Titus 2:4-10

What we do and don’t do can have an effect. If the world, knowing that I am a Christian, sees me doing the same thing everybody else is doing, they may say that God is not a Master that is worth serving. The reproach I bring on myself by my actions can bring reproach to the gospel of Christ.

On the other hand, we can be ornaments adorning the “doctrine of God our Saviour.” I want to live a life that is above reproach, a life that cannot be condemned by any adversary, in order to show that God is able to change lives, to free His servants from the power of evil.

“Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.” — Jeremiah 9:23, 24

“For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” — Jeremiah 2:13

Sure sounds like a foolish thing to do, doesn’t it? Would a thirsty person leave a place of living waters for a place that has no water at all? You wouldn’t think so. People do essentially that very thing, though. They turn away from God, the Source of all blessing, and turn toward the emptiness of the world.

You do have to make sacrifices to follow God’s way, but they are far outweighed by the blessings received, whereas following the world’s way may bring temporal pleasure, but will eventually bring trouble.

In every area of our lives, let us choose to follow God. Rather than looking into the broken cisterns of the world, we can find the living waters.

“To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble… Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me…”– Isaiah 46:5-7, 9

Although perhaps the making of graven images to worship isn’t the problem in our culture, John’s warning in 1 John 5:21 is very applicable today. He says, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

Anything that takes the first place in our heart from God is an idol. Not money, possesions, people, or anything else, can save you when you are in trouble, can give you real, satisfying answers to your questions. True help comes only from God. He is the only One that deserves that first place. He is God, and there is none else. He is God, and there is none like Him.

“Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth bread unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: ‘I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house…’ ” — Isaiah 42:5-7

Here is another “chosen by God” passage. Isn’t it special to be called personally by the God Who created the universe? He has told us to be lights in the world, to help others see the truth, to show the way out of the bondage of sin, to point others to the Source of light. He will go beside us, hold our hand, and keep us.

“Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servent; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.” — Isaiah 41:9

God has chosen His people from all over the earth. I am one of His special people. He has chosen me to be one of His servants.

“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? …Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing … To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?… Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth… Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding?” — Isaiah 40:12, 13, 15, 18, 26, 28

Our God is so great! He is omnipotent — all-powerful. He is omniscient — all-knowing. “There is no searching of His understanding.” He is the great creator of the universe.

The question here is asked, “What likeness will ye compare unto Him?” The answer is that nothing can compare with God.

The chapter ends with those familiar verses: “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” This same all-knowing and all-powerful One is also a personal God who will give strength and help to those who wait on Him.

“For Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”

What beautiful pictures these are of part of what God is: a Refuge in the storms of life, a Shadow from the heat of the attacks of the enemy, and Strength to those who need it.

Our God is, among His many other attributes, a merciful and compassionate God.

“The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand… For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” — Isaiah 14:24, 27

God does fulfill His word. All His promises are sure. He is fully trustworthy.

“Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.” — Isaiah 10:15

Man should not boast in any accomplishment of his own. It is ultimately not “his own,” but is God’s doing. God gives the opportunities and abilities.

Does a tool have a right to boast about all that it has accomplished? No, of course not. Neither, then, does man. “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (2 Cor 10:17)

“The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” — Isaiah 1:3

Animals know who it is that takes care of them and who is the master, but does this nation know Who it is that should be the ultimate Authority, and Who it is that prospers and protects it?

Israel was truly God’s people. He had performed many miracles for them. It was only by His hand on them that they became a great people. But so many times, they rejected Him to follow other gods that could do nothing for them.

We may think how foolish it was for them to do that, but in many ways we have done the same thing in this country.

“I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, ‘Open to me, my sister, my love…’
“I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved… I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone…” — Song of Solomon 5:2-6

When Christ calls, let us be careful not to let some insignificant thing keep us from answering that call.

If I am more concerned with my personal comfort and other things that please my flesh, rather than with doing what God wants me to do, I may miss out on great opportunities that God had for me.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” — Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14

Our duty is to fear God and keep His commandments. All that we do in public and in private is known to God. He is a righteous judge. He will “render to every man according to his deeds.” (Rom. 2:6)

“Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? …God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof. …And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” — Job 28:20, 23, 28

Man cannot find wisdom though he search far and wide. Man cannot buy wisdom though he have all the wealth of the world. True wisdom can only come from the Lord.

“But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” — Job 23:10

I’d heard this verse before, but reading it in the context of the rest of the book made it mean even more to me. Job, going through a great test, made this statement.

He didn’t know why he was going through all the loss and pain. He wished that he could plead his cause before God. Earlier in the chapter, he said: “Oh that I knew where I might find Him!… I would order my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which He would answer me… I go forward…and backward…on the left hand…on the right hand…I cannot see Him.” This statement full of faith and trust in God follows. Though he could not see the reason for his suffering, he knew that God had not forgotten him but was testing him for a reason.

We may have hard times and have no clue why, but God knows. He is working in our lives. If I remain faithful through testing, it can be used to refine me, and I will “come forth as gold.” It is a comfort to know that God knows and plans my way.

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another…” — Job 19:27-29 (NKJV)

Christ is the Victor over all. He conquered death through His resurrection. We need not be afraid of death any more. What a comfort it is to know that my Redeemer lives! He is in control.

Someday, Christ will “stand at last on the earth.” He will reign over all. All things will be brought under His feet. Every knee shall bow, and everyone will acknowledge His lordship.

Job, here, makes the point that even though this flesh may be destroyed, we will see God Himself with new bodies someday. The God that we will see is the same One that we know now, “and not another.” He is the same. He never changes.

“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. — Job 1:20-22

Can you imagine being told that all you had, including your children, had been destroyed? Imagine what your response would be. Would it be anger, self-pity, etc.? Or, would your response be, like Job’s, full of worship to God?

I think one reason Job responded in the way he did was that he had faith in God — he trusted Him completely. The Bible says that Job did not charge God foolishly. Blaming or accusing God would indeed be foolish. He does all things well, but His ways are not our ways. We may never understand why God does what He does the way He does, but we can trust Him to do what is best.