Jeremiah 5:7-11 - Why should I forgive you?

5:7-9

So often the human response for our trouble is to blame God. Even if we admit that we have some responsibility we think that God ought to forgive us. These verse give a rather different perspective! God had provided Israel with all that she needed, yet she rebelled against Him, going to worship other gods. “Why should I forgive you?” They were also sexually immoral, v8 giving a graphic description of this sin. There are many who say we are too obsessed with sexual immorality, well God is concerned about sexual immorality, it is a serious sin. God would be unjust if He did not punish sin.

5:10,11

These are instructions that God would give to Babylon. She would rampage through Israel’s vineyards, causing much damage. Yet she would not destroy them completely. The judgement of God is most severe, but it is not final. In John’s gospel we find the Jews claiming to be descendants of Abraham, being proud of their Jewish heritage. Here we see it says “these people do not belong to the Lord”, referring to those who rebelled against God. The blunt truth was that the “people of Israel and Judah have been utterly unfaithful”. This is the truth that they needed to face up to. The truth of our sin is the truth that all of us need to face up to.