Jeremiah 9

Jeremiah 9
1-16 The Prophet Mourns for the People (cont'd)

1-3 Jeremiah has two wishes: 1) That his head would be full of enough water to be able to shed tears night and day for his people; 2) That he could have a place in the desert where he could get escape his people, for they are traitors, adulterers and liars. A dichotomy here: He mourns because he loves his nation, but he needs to get away from them because they cause him so much grief.
4-6 Beware of your neighbors and your family; trust no one. "They are too weary to repent." An indication of Jeremiah's low opinion of his people and a reminder that repentance is hard work.
7-9 From God: I have no choice but to refine my people, for they are deceitful and hypocritical (speaking friendly words to neighbors while inwardly planning an ambush).
10-11 Weep and wail even for the mountains and animals, for as I make Jerusalem "a heap of ruins," they will also be laid waste.
12-16 When they ask why the land has been ruined, let the wise know it's because they left me to follow their own hearts and false gods. Therefore I will scatter them among the nations.

17-25 The People Mourn in Judgment
17-19 Send for the "mourning women," for we are ruined and utterly shamed.
20-22 Hear, O women, receive the Lord's word, teach your neighbors and daughters to lament, because death is upon us. "Human corpses shall fall like...sheaves behind the reaper, and no one shall gather them." They have not clung to dignity in life; there will be no dignity in death, either.
23-24 Worth quoting in full:

Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom,
Do not let the mighty boast in their might,
Do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth:
But let those who boast boast in this,
That they understand and know me,
That I am the LORD;
I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth,
For in these things I delight,
says the LORD.

Note: We like the concept of love; that's the way God should be. But we don't like the way he metes out his "justice," which may be because we don't understand – much less appreciate – his level of righteousness. The love of God does not mean overlooking the faults with which we destroy ourselves and saying "That's okay," just as that would not describe any father's love for his children. We trust our fathers best not only when they love us unconditionally, but when we recognize that their sense of justice and righteousness is consistent.

25-26 The day will come, when I will "attend to" ("punish" in other translations) those who are uncircumcised in the flesh (surrounding Gentile nations), along with those who are circumcised in the flesh but uncircumcised in the heart (Israel).