Jeremiah 5:1-9 — When God commissioned Jeremiah to proclaim His Word, Judah was in a terrible spiritual condition. Community life was characterised by just about every form of sin. The prophets, who were supposed to speak for God, were telling lies and giving people false comfort. Why had things gotten so bad? Ultimately, it was because the people were steeped in unbelief.
What we see in God’s dealings with Judah serves as a vital warning to us. A hard heart always leads to moral degradation. We must “take heed, lest there be in any of [us] an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12)