Jeremiah 9:12-16: a reflection

12Who is wise enough to understand this? Who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why has the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? 13The LORD says, “Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways, 14but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them.” 15Therefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. 16I will scatter them also among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”

When the prophet asks why the land has been ruined, the answer God gives is sobering: it is because the people forsook his law and followed instead the stubbornness of their own hearts. Because they have forsaken my law, God says, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways, but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart. The ruin came not arbitrarily, but as the consequence of the people's choice to follow their own stubborn hearts rather than God's way. They had a choice between God's way and their own stubborn path, and chose their own, and the consequences followed. This is a sobering reminder of the consequences of following our own stubborn heart instead of God's way. Following our own stubborn heart brings its consequences. The people chose their own path over God's way, and ruin followed. Our own stubborn heart is not a safe guide. Following our stubbornness instead of God's way has consequences.

Notice the diagnosis God gives of the people's ruin: they walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, rather than obeying God's voice and walking in his ways. There was a choice: God's way, revealed in his law, or their own stubborn path, following their own hearts. They chose their own stubbornness, forsaking God's way; and the ruin that came was the consequence. This is instructive and sobering. We can be tempted to follow the stubbornness of our own hearts, to insist on our own way, our own path, our own desires, over against God's way and voice. We can treat our own heart as a safe and sufficient guide. But the stubborn heart is not a safe guide; following it, over against God's way, leads to consequences, to ruin. God's way, though it may cross our stubborn desires, is the way of good; and to forsake it for our own stubbornness is to choose harm, even when we do not see it at the time. We do well to follow God's way rather than the stubbornness of our own hearts, mindful that our own stubbornness leads not to good but to harm. Our own stubborn heart is not a safe guide; God's way is. Following our stubbornness over God's way leads to harm. Do not treat your own heart as a sufficient guide against God's way. God's way, though it crosses our desires, is the way of good.

That is worth taking to heart, for following the stubbornness of our own hearts instead of God's way leads to harm, and we do well to follow God's way rather than our own stubbornness, as the people's ruin came from following their stubborn hearts. We can insist on our own way, treating our own heart as a safe guide over against God's way; but the people forsook God's way for the stubbornness of their own hearts, and ruin followed. Our stubborn heart is not a safe guide. Do not follow the stubbornness of your own heart against God's way; follow his way, which is the way of good. Follow God's way rather than the stubbornness of your own heart, mindful that following our own stubbornness instead of God's way leads not to good but to harm, as God diagnosed the ruin of his people as coming because they forsook his law and did not obey his voice or walk in his ways, but walked after the stubbornness of their own heart; for there is a choice between God's way, revealed in his word, and our own stubborn path following our own hearts and desires, and we can be tempted to treat our own heart as a safe and sufficient guide, insisting on our own way over against God's, but the stubborn heart is not a safe guide, and following it against God's way leads to consequences and ruin, while God's way, though it may cross our stubborn desires, is the way of good, so that to forsake it for our own stubbornness is to choose harm, and we do well to follow God's way rather than our own stubbornness.

Lord, when the prophet asks why the land has been ruined, the answer you give is sobering: it is because the people forsook your law and followed instead the stubbornness of their own hearts. Because they have forsaken my law, you say, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my ways, but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart. The ruin came not arbitrarily, but as the consequence of the people's choice to follow their own stubborn hearts rather than your way. They had a choice between your way and their own stubborn path, and chose their own, and the consequences followed. This is a sobering reminder of the consequences of following my own stubborn heart instead of your way. Show me the diagnosis you give of the people's ruin: they walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, rather than obeying your voice and walking in your ways. There was a choice: your way, revealed in your law, or their own stubborn path. They chose their own stubbornness, and the ruin that came was the consequence. This is instructive and sobering. I can be tempted to follow the stubbornness of my own heart, to insist on my own way, my own desires, over against your way and voice. I can treat my own heart as a safe and sufficient guide. But the stubborn heart is not a safe guide; following it, over against your way, leads to consequences. Your way, though it may cross my stubborn desires, is the way of good. Take that to my heart, for following the stubbornness of my own heart instead of your way leads to harm. Keep me from treating my own heart as a sufficient guide against your way; help me follow your way, Lord, which is the way of good, rather than the stubbornness of my own heart, mindful that following my own stubbornness leads not to good but to harm.