Jeremiah 8:1

Jeremiah 8:1 says, At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:  God said that the bones of the the kings, princes, priests and prophets of Judah would be removed from their graves.  These were both the past  governmental and religious leaders of Israel.  Matthew Henry says that death was no longer a resting place, but that even in death the people of Israel would find no peace.  Verse two adds, And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.  God also told Jeremiah that the bones of people of Judah would be spread before the sun, moon and host of heaven, whom they had served, walked after, sought and worshipped.  Again, these were the government and religious leaders of Judah.  Had they been faithful to God, this would not have been happening.  Not that it really matters what happens to our bodies after we die, but it would be a terrible thing if this were our fate after death, in the eyes of those left alive.  Verse three continues, And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.  God told Jeremiah that even with this horrible situation after death that the people of Judah would still prefer death over the life that they were forced to live under the Chaldeans.  Many people today choose spiritual death with all the horrors that it brings over spiritual life through faith in Jesus Christ with all the joys that it brings.  Verse four states, Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?  God asked Jeremiah if a person fell, would they not get back up, or if they got off track would they not return to it.  Verse five adds, Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.  God then asked Jeremiah why the people of Judah, who were spiritually peretually backslidden, would not return to Him.  If we find ourselves out of the will of God today, do we refuse to return to Him?  There is a difference between backsliding and being perpetually backslidden.  We are all going to at times fail to live up to our calling as Christians, but to have it become a way of life with no thoughts of returning to God is something else.  Verse six adds, I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.  God told Jeremiah that He listened for the people to call out to Him in repentance, but they did not.  The people of Judah continued to go their own way outside the leadership of God.  As followers of Christ, if we are outside of the will of God today, He will be listening for us to repent and return to Him.  God never just periodically abandons His people, but if we find that God no longer seems to be in our life, we need to see where we went astray and return to Him.  Verse seven says, Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.  God said that the animals knew the way of the world better than His people knew the way of God.  The people of Judah refused to hear God's word.  No matter how many times we may read God's word, the Bible, or hear it preached, until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord the words will have no meaning in our life.  Verse eight asks, How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.  God said that the people of Judah claimed to have the word of God, but it had no meaning to them.  Verse nine declares, The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?   God told Jeremiah that the wise men of Judah really had no wisdom, because they had rejected His word.  There are many people today who think themselves to be very wise, but they reject the word of God, so they have no real wisdom.  Wisdom comes from God, and not from the knowledge of the world.  Verse ten adds, Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.  God said because of the rebellion of the people of Judah that He was going to allow them to be destroyed.  When we fall out of the will of God,  we should not be surprised if we suffer defeat in this world.  Verse eleven declares, For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.  God said that the people of Judah were declaring peace when there was none.  If we today as Christians are out of God's will, there can be no peace.