Jeremiah 9

Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,”

Right after Jeremiah get through talking about the sin and coming judgment on the people he reminds the people that they have nothing to boast about. The smart guy, the jock, and the rich kid have nothing to boast about.

From a very early age people will boast about how smart they are. In kindergarten they kids will boast about how many stars or smiley faces they got. And when people get older and think they know everything, they will never say “I don’t know.” They think they have all the answers. For the Apostle Paul’s response to the “wise people” see 1 Corinthians 1:20, 23-25. The people with the highest grades have nothing to boast about!

The same is true for athletic people. It’s all about how much you can lift, how far you can throw, or how big your biceps are. Here is the apostle Paul’s response to those who boast like this in 1 Corinthians 1:25 “…the weakness of God is stronger than men.” The most athletic people you know have nothing to boast about.

What about all the rich people? It seems like they don’t have a care in the world and they can do whatever they want. They boast just as much as the wise guy and the athlete but do they have a reason too? riches do not last and you can not take it with you when you die. So what do the rich have to boast about? A nice coffin for their body to be buried in? The rich have nothing to boast about.

Jeremiah 9:24 “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

You as a human being will boast at some point. You were created to boast but we were created not to boast of ourselves but to boast in the Lord. Boast about the understanding and knowledge of God. Not the knowledge that you have gained but what God has revealed to you in His Word and His world.

Philippians 2:9-11 says “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. That is something to boast about! The Lordship of Jesus Christ is the Christians best boast.

Have you ever boasted about Christ and His love and what He accomplished on the cross? Here is my challenge for you; go one day without boasting about yourself at all and boast to as many people as you can about Christ! It’s a tough challenge but this is what we are here for!