QUICK! Name a verse from the Old Testament that is mentioned more than once in the New Testament and is the subject of an old Irish song! Please give this song a listen, then come back for the answer.

Boast … yes and no

Jeremiah 9:23-24 is such a wonderfully instructive verse. No wonder it also shows up in the New Testament and in a song with roots more than a thousand years old.

This is what the LORD says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
But let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.

This exhortation in Jeremiah opens with three “BOAST NOTS”.
Boast not in:
— the wise’s wisdom
— the strong’s strength
— the rich’s riches

Prayer set to music

Our song — “Be Thou My Vision” — is a prayer with five verses.

Verse one opens and verse five closes praying that God may be front and center in our purpose, heart and understanding.

It is the three verses in the song’s middle — verses two, three, and four — that respond to Jeremiah 9’s instruction. These verses begin:
— Be Thou my Wisdom
— Be Thou my breast-plate
— Riches I heed not

You will find versions of this song in recordings and hymnals that don’t include all five verses. We miss a lot of understanding when any of the verses are left out. If a person simply prayed the ideas from this song’s five verses, it might go something like this:

Lord, give me a heart to see You in all things.
I know that without You I have no reason to live.
Lord, help me know truth.
I know You are always present.
I know You are my loving Father, and I am your dear son.
I know Your spirit lives in me.
Lord, strengthen me and protect me with your unmatched power.
I know You alone are my wealth, my inheritance and my treasure.
I know you reign forever and bring the victory.
May I live in Your presence and honor you forever.

What part of this prayer, praise and thanksgiving would you want to leave out? I’d rather just sing the whole song and enjoy it.

Paul put Jeremiah to work in Corinth

Read Paul talking to the Corinthians in light of Jeremiah 9, and the picture he paints gets bigger and brighter. Grab a Bible and read the verses leading up to I Corinthians 1:31 and 2 Corinthians 10:17.

The Corinthians were a tough crowd. They would probably have felt right at home in our modern, western, secular culture. They were impressed with their own wisdom and dazzled by their own light. Paul showed them Jeremiah chapter 9 to help them get smarter about God and to know Him better.

Jeremiah 9 helped Paul teach the “smart” Corinthians about God.
Jeremiah 9 can still help us “moderns” the same way.

“Know Me!” – God

We get to know God through His works and His Word.

Look around. Look up. We see the beauty of his handiwork everywhere. He works in us to will and do of His good pleasure. As we embrace His thoughts and do what He asks we prove what is His good and acceptable and perfect will. God is not far from any of us. He is not hiding. 🙂

Read Jeremiah 9:24 — what a great verse to help us know God better!

Have the understanding to know me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD.

Sing this song — what a great tune to help us think about God’s goodness to us all.

God bless you lots,
-Dale R.

---

Download this music page

LYRICS: Be Thou My Vision
Ancient hymn
English Lyrics Eleanor Hull 1912

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my breast-plate, my sword for the fight,
Be Thou my armor, and be Thou my might;
Thou my soul’s shelter, and Thou my high tower,
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of Power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Subscribe and be in the know!

May I drop you a note when new songs are posted here?
May I send you the key to print-ready song sheets and MP3 audio files you can download FREE?
Click the “Get The Music Box” button below and tell me where to send happy notes & key to related resources.

Get The Music Box

Your thoughts?

Do you think Jeremiah 9 (boast/don’t boast) still works today? Please share your thoughts about any part of the post in the “Leave a reply” spot below. Thanks!