The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 226

Ver. 2.-Befooled i1ideed. This is what we say when we see men giving heed to the plausible st9:tements of gross impostors, and, in consequence, lavishing their time, energy, and wealth m the hope of large recompense; but who, when the time comes that the hoped-for _gain should be theirs, find themselves deceived, defrauded, helpless, and utterly rumed men. These are they who are the prey of bubble companies, lyina- advertisements, and the other ten thousand frauds into which unwary persons ar~ beguiled. But is not this what we may say when we read of those told of in our text? Was there ever more flagrant, piteous, and awful instance of men being made fools of indeed? For- I. Loox AT THESE UTTERLY DECEIVED ONES. 1. They were worshippers of the gods r/ the heathen. The sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven : these were the objects of their worship. Reference is continually made-to them and to their worship (2 Kings xxiii. 5; xxi. 3, etc.). 2. And they were most earnest worshippers. Note the piling up of expressions to indicate this. (1) They" have loved" them. Here is the root of all real worship. The object must be loved, and these people were drawn to and attracted by these false gods. (2) They " served" them. This follows as a sure consequence. It is not said they believed in them; but that matters not: if there be that in the object of our worship which makes us like it-love is almost too sacred a word as applied to false gods-we shall serve it readily enough. (3) .A.nd then they II walked after" them. That which lured them at the first drew them more and more, and so it became the habit of their lives. (4) .A.nd they" sought" them. When they found the worship of some of these gods was pleasant, they sought out more of them; or it may mean that they got at last to have a real faith in them, and hence "consulted them as oracles, appealed to them as judges, implored their favour, aud prayed to them as benefactors." ( 5) .A.nd they " worshipped" them. See them at their worship on Mount Carmel, on the day when Elijah challenged their priests to put to the test his God and theirs. \' one could doubt the sincerity of their worship or the earn<lstness with which they ciied all that morning long," 0 Baal, hear us!" And those to whom Jeremiah wrote were such thorough worshippers of these gods. They withheld no proof of their devoted- ness. 3. But yet they were utterly deceived and disappointed. See in text and in immediate context how these gods dealt with them. Ardent votaries as they had been, ihose whom they worshipped let all the hideous woes come upon them which are told of here: death, desolation, degradation, and despair. That was what their gods did for them. 'l'hey had spent their all on these pretended physicians, and were nothing bettered, but made worse indeed. II. ENDEAVOUR TO EX.PLAIN BOTH THEIR INFATUATION AND THEIR DIBAPPOINTIIIENT, I. As to their infatuation. It can hardly be possible for any reader of the history of these people to avoid asking the question, "Wherefore was it that they were so given to idolatry?" Their whole national history showed that nothing but sorrow and shame had come from idolatry, and yet here they were for ever, not merely falling into it, but deliberately and persistently going after it. What could be the reason? (1) Partly, no doubt, the example of the great and mighty nations around th<lm, We m1;1st remem her what an infinitesimally small' kingdom that of Judah was-about the size 0f an ordinary English county, and how insignificant they were; how the influence, therefore, of the great empires which pressed them on either side could not but be felt, And this was all on the side of idolatry. Idolatry had done them no harm; the gods they worshipped had, so it would seem, lifted them up to greatness and power surpassed by none. All seemed to say to the poor, weak, little kingdom of Judah, 11 You hnd far  C!l. vm. 1-22.J '!'HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 225