Understanding Jeremiah 17:12: Questions and Answers Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon

What does "A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary" mean according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this verse from Jeremiah 17:12 refers to God Himself as our sanctuary. He explains that the prophet is using figurative language, not talking about a literal throne but about God who occupies the throne. The verse shows that God has always been ("from the beginning") the true sanctuary or place of refuge for His people. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this is where we should turn for protection, safety, and peace rather than to human-made alternatives.

What was Israel's primary sin that Jeremiah was addressing?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Israel's primary sin was not merely committing individual wrongful acts, but rather forgetting their privileged position and relationship with God. They failed to realize their own greatness and the special relationship God had established with them. As Lloyd-Jones puts it, "the sin of all sins" was that "these foolish people had failed to realize their own greatness, their own privileged position, their relationship to God, this high privilege that God had given them out of all the nations in the world." Instead of worshipping the true God, they turned to idols made of wood and stone, imitating the pagan nations around them.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect modern society's problems with Israel's ancient failures?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws a direct parallel between ancient Israel's failures and modern society's condition. He states, "There is no more perfect representation of the case and the condition of the world this very night than just this thing that we're looking at here together." Like Israel, modern people are seeking glory, happiness, safety, and protection through their own means while turning their backs on God. They create metaphorical "sanctuaries" (even "making a sanctuary of an atomic bomb") while ignoring the true sanctuary God offers. This ignorance of God and refusal to acknowledge Him is the root cause of our societal problems, including international tensions and labor disputes.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the essence of sin?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the essence of sin is not merely committing particular wrongful acts but failing to give God the glory due to His name. He explains, "There is no sin which is in any way as great as this refusal to give to God the glory that is due to his holy name." He points out that even highly respectable, moral people who never do anything conventionally wrong are great sinners if they live self-sufficiently without acknowledging God. The preacher notes that "your self-sufficient person" who lives a perfectly ordered life but never prays, reads God's word, or acknowledges Him is manifesting the essence of sin by ignoring "the glory of the eternal and the almighty God."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe God as King in relation to the throne metaphor?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God as King on His throne represents several important aspects of divine sovereignty:

1. God is the lawgiver - "The king gives all the law. The king is the head of the law."
2. God is the judge eternal - "The king dispenses judgment. The king is the final court of appeal."
3. God is the dispenser of blessings - "It's the place where the monarch also dispenses blessings and gives gifts."
4. God demonstrates power and majesty - "A glorious throne on high" representing "his eternal power and godhead."

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that understanding God's kingship is crucial to recognizing both His authority and His benevolence toward His people.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect the cross of Christ with the "glorious high throne" concept?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a powerful connection between Jeremiah's "glorious high throne" and the cross of Christ, calling it "the cross on Calvary's hill." He explains that this seeming paradox—that the place of ultimate humiliation is actually the place of glory—is the heart of Christian truth. At the cross, we see:

1. The glory of God - "When I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died"
2. God's holiness, righteousness, and justice - where "God's law asserting itself"
3. God's love, mercy and compassion - "Sorrow and love flow, mingling down"
4. Our sanctuary from sin, conscience, the devil, and doubt

Lloyd-Jones concludes that the cross is "the sanctuary that will never fail in life, in death, even in eternity."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as humanity's great folly in seeking glory?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies humanity's great folly as seeking glory in all the wrong places while rejecting the true glory offered by God. He observes that people seek glory through money, learning, physical prowess, social connections, pleasure, and power, "but it never seems to find it." He quotes Jesus who asked, "How can ye believe, which seek honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God?" Lloyd-Jones points out the tragic irony that mankind is "robbing himself of the very thing that he says he desires above all else, seeking glory, and yet denying himself eternal and godly glory" by turning away from God who is the true source of all glory.