Thus saith Jehovah Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might; let not the rich glory in his riches
Jeremiah has spent the chapter announcing judgment on Jerusalem and the nations around it. In the middle of that sentencing, God names the three things people lean on and forbids boasting in all three.
This command does not stand alone. One writer traces the judgment that leads up to it:
From verse 3 of Jeremiah 9 he proclaims judgment — a judgment which will also visit the nations around. And in view of these judgments he urges every man not to glory in man, but in the knowledge of Jehovah (vv. 23, 24).
Wisdom, might and riches cover most of what a person builds a life on: brains, strength, money.
They had good reason to call for mourning women, and quickly. Men will fall like the handful left behind the reaper, with no one to gather them. Human achievements and resources would never do for man to glory in. The right thing to glory in is understanding and knowing Jehovah, who is righteous in all His ways here below and delights in goodness.
There is a reason these boasts survive at all:
Flesh may boast outside God's presence. It may put forward its pretensions, glory in its resources, and be proud of its undertakings, as long as God is not thought of. But bring Him in, and in a moment it all withers: the bragging, the boasting, the empty glorying, the lofty pretensions, the self-satisfaction and the self-conceit.
Read quickly, the verse sounds like a ban on all boasting. It is not:
No flesh can glory in His presence. Then would He have men not glory at all? Not so. "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." And this is perfect in strength, wisdom and holiness. He will never have to be ashamed of what is perfect and never passes away, while everything else fades. What a glorious thing for the saint! It seems wonderful for a poor sinner to be able to say that he may glory in the Lord. What a tendency there is in our nature to glory in anything else! Man must glory in something. He may even glory in his sins, his wretchedness — anything that belongs to self. When God comes in, that soon ends. He will hide himself quickly enough then, and be ashamed of everything he has gloried in before.
The heart is not built to run empty:
Grace brought God's people to glory in the Lord — to boast in Him! They had nothing in themselves to boast in. The heart needs something — or rather someone, a worthy object. So He is the One provided for this purpose. The one who glories in men is not wise, and the one who boasts in himself is a fool.
What God puts in place of the three is not a fourth achievement. It is knowing a person:
To know Him is the greatest wealth and wisdom we can have.
The same rule runs through the whole Bible:
How consistent and effective the witness of Scripture is: no one may boast in God's presence. It is very remarkable to find this very principle in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
The three boasts are not ancient categories. One writer applies them to a nation returning to its land:
Why must this sorrow come upon them? Because they will go into the land proud and unbroken. They will glory in the WISDOM of the professors installed at their university and the legislators who will frame their constitution. They will glory in the RICHES of the great financiers of their race, poured out freely to make Palestine great. And they will glory in the MIGHT of whatever power or powers support and protect them. God will not build up His kingdom out of material like this.
- Boast — in context. God speaks these words over a city about to fall. Judgment is what exposes wisdom, might and riches as things too weak to boast in.
- Boast — three targets. God names brains, strength and money because they cover what people trust. Each one holds up only while God stays out of the picture.
- Boast — not cancelled. God does not tell people to stop boasting. He moves the boast to an object that is perfect and will never fade.
- Boast — in knowing Him. The replacement is not a fourth achievement. Knowing God is the greatest wealth and wisdom anyone can hold.
- Boast — one rule, two Testaments. The rule that no one may boast before God did not start in the New Testament. Jeremiah said it centuries earlier.
but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] Jehovah, who exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah.
Jeremiah wrote in a season of tears, with judgment hanging over his nation. In the middle of that darkness God names the one thing worth boasting about: knowing Him.
The chapter moves from the prophet's grief to judgment on Israel and the nations around it. Verses 23 and 24 are the one door left open.
From verse 18 of the previous chapter to verse 2 of chapter 9 the prophet opens up the depth of his grief. From verse 3 of Jeremiah 9 he announces judgment — a judgment that will also fall on the nations around. In view of these judgments he urges every person not to boast in man, but in the knowledge of the LORD (v. 23, 24).
Another writer notes that the surrounding verses expose people who boasted about having God's law while living far from Him, and that the appeal to glory in the Lord alone is aimed at anyone with ears to hear.
He nevertheless calls to any that may have ears to hear, to glory alone in the Lord, who exercises loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things He delights (Jer. 9:24). It is His exaltation which is always before the mind of the Spirit.
Wisdom, strength and wealth are the usual human trophies. The verse before this one takes all three away. One writer notes they only keep their value while we compare ourselves with each other.
Human nature must boast in something: family background, riches or intelligence. But in the presence of God neither believer nor unbeliever can boast in these things. Sadly, in front of one another we try to lift ourselves up by birth, riches, wisdom or achievements. In the presence of Christ we feel shame over the very things we boast about to each other. We dare not mention them to Him, except to condemn ourselves for boasting in them. Boasting in them only shows how little we are in His presence.
God does not tell us to stop boasting. He gives us a different object.
No human being can boast in His presence. Does He then want us not to boast at all? No. "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." And this object is perfect in strength, wisdom and holiness. He will never have to be ashamed of what is perfect, and what is perfect will never pass away, even when everything else fades. What a wonderful thing for the believer! It seems amazing that a poor sinner can say he may "boast in the Lord."
The verse asks for knowledge of God Himself, not knowledge about Him.
He has God Himself as his priceless portion. This lies at the very foundation of personal Christianity and true religion. It is above and beyond everything. It is not, we repeat, mere theology or religion; it is God Himself, known, trusted and enjoyed. A person must feel it to know it. It is acquaintance with God, confidence in Him and enjoyment of Him.
So what is there to know? One writer points to God's ways here on earth.
What a person gains or owns is never something to boast in. The boast is in understanding and knowing the LORD, who is righteous in all His ways here on earth and delights in goodness.
The verse closes with what God delights in. One writer contrasts that with creation.
We are not told that He delighted in creation, though He called it very good. When He laid the foundations of the earth, "the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). But the work of redemption — meeting the need of poor sinners — is the great work He delights in.
One writer traces the same call into the New Testament.
God's way is to choose the despised of this world and set them in Christ, who is their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. He has acted this way so that no human being should boast in His presence. As it is written: "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
The verse also looks forward. A day is coming when the nation Jeremiah wept over will say these words itself.
He will own them again when their national pride has given way to a broken spirit and humble repentance… Then they will lift up their heads and boast. They will not boast in the wisdom of their thinkers, or the riches of their financiers, or the might of any powers that have been on their side. They will boast in this: that they understand and know Me.
- Boast — The verse does not ban boasting. It moves it. Wisdom, might and riches fade, but the Lord never does. No one who boasts in Him will ever be ashamed.
- Boast collapses — Those three trophies only work when we compare ourselves with each other. In God's presence we would be ashamed to name them.
- Boast in knowing — What replaces them is not information about God. It is acquaintance with Him: God Himself known, trusted and enjoyed.
- Boast in His character — He is righteous in all His ways here on earth and delights in goodness. Redemption, not creation, is the work He delights in.
- Boast fulfilled — Scripture repeats the call so that no one boasts before God. And a day is coming when a humbled Israel will make this boast its own.