Jeremiah 12:16

16 "Suppose they learn to follow the practices of my people. And they take an oath and make a promise in my name. They say, 'You can be sure that the LORD is alive.' They do it just as they once taught my people to take oaths in Baal's name. Then I will give them a place among my people.

Jeremiah 12:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 12:16

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the
ways of my people
Not their evil ways of sin or superstition, they sometimes stray into; but the ways which God has prescribed to them, and has directed them to walk in, and in which they do walk; and which are to be learned of the Lord, by a diligent attendance with his people on his word and ordinances; see ( Isaiah 2:3 ) : to swear by my name, the Lord liveth;
that is, to worship and serve the living God, a self-existent Being, who has life in himself, and of himself, and not another; and is the fountain, author, and giver of natural life to all creatures, and spiritual and eternal life to his true worshippers: swearing is here put for the whole of religious worship, as in ( Deuteronomy 6:13 ) : (as they taught my people to swear by Baal;)
to worship him, and other idols: then shall they be built in the midst of my people;
become part of the spiritual building the church; being laid upon the same foundation of the apostles and prophets, and built up a holy temple; a spiritual house for the Lord to dwell in; partaking of the same privileges and ordinances as the people of God; being fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the Gospel, ( Ephesians 2:20 Ephesians 2:21 ) ( 3:6 ) , it denotes the settlement and establishment of the Gentiles with the Jews in a Gospel church state. So the Targum,

``and they shall be established in the midst of my people.''

Jeremiah 12:16 In-Context

14 The LORD continues, "All of my evil neighbors have taken over the land I gave my people Israel. So I will pull them up by their roots from the lands they live in. And I will pull up the roots of the people of Judah from among them.
15 "But after I pull those nations up, I will show my tender love to them again. I will bring all of them back to their own lands. I will take all of them back to their own countries.
16 "Suppose they learn to follow the practices of my people. And they take an oath and make a promise in my name. They say, 'You can be sure that the LORD is alive.' They do it just as they once taught my people to take oaths in Baal's name. Then I will give them a place among my people.
17 "But what if one of those nations does not listen? Then you can be sure I will pull it up by the roots and destroy it," announces the Lord.
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