Jeremiah 5:25 Commentary: When Our Sins Turn Away God's Good

Jeremiah prophesied in the final decades of the kingdom of Judah (roughly 627, 580 BC). Chapter 5 is part of a long indictment: the people have broken the covenant through idolatry, false oaths, and social injustice (Jer 5:1, 9, 26, 28). The immediate literary context (vv. 21, 24) sets up a stark contrast. God has power over the sea and provides rain “both the former and the latter, in its season” and “the appointed weeks of the harvest.” Yet the people do not fear Him. Then verse 25 lays out the consequence: their sins have turned away these blessings.

Historically, the covenant curse for disobedience included drought and crop failure (Deut 28:23, 24). Jeremiah 3:3 confirms that “the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain” in response to Israel’s prostitution. The people in Jeremiah 5 were likely experiencing just such a period of drought or agricultural downturn. They may have complained that God was unfaithful or that the seasons were simply chaotic. The prophet corrects that by naming the real cause: their own iniquities. In the ancient Near Eastern worldview, fertility was tied to the favor of the deity. Jeremiah turns that idea on its head: Israel’s God has been faithful, but the people’s rebellion has obstructed the channel of blessing. The passage is a call to self-examination, not a theological novelty but a direct application of the covenant stipulations found in Deuteronomy.

The supplied translations show only minor English wording differences (e.g., “withholden” vs. “withheld,” “diverted these from you” vs. “turned away these things”). The Hebrew text is stable, and the consulted commentaries note no textual variants. The verse is straightforward and well preserved.

Throughout church history, Jeremiah 5:25 has served as a key text for diagnosing the cause of adversity. In the Reformation era, Calvin used it to argue that all human hardship flows from sin, not from a deficiency in God’s goodness. The Puritan tradition (e.g., Matthew Henry) preached it to call congregations to national repentance; Henry writes that sin “stops the current of God’s favour.” The Wesleyan revival, represented here by Adam Clarke, urged personal examination when harvests fail. Preachers in evangelical awakenings have often cited this verse to help believers see drought, whether of rain, joy, or provision, as a prompt to confess sin rather than to complaint.

Three-point outline

1. Sin turns away God’s good. The Hebrew verbs are active and causative: iniquities cause good things to leave; sins withhold the good. We often look outward for why life is hard, but the prophet points inward.
2. Withheld blessing is a wake-up call, not a coincidence. Gill says God kept back the mercies “to humble them, and bring them to a sense of their sins.” The stopped rain can become a mirror.
3. The path back is not excuses but confession. The verse is a diagnostic, not a final verdict. Acknowledging that our sins have caused the drought is the first step back to the Lord.

Five-point outline

1. The source of trouble is within: “your iniquities … your sins.”
2. Sin has a concrete effect: it holds back the good God intends.
3. The good in view is physical and daily: rain, harvest, food on the table.
4. We are quick to blame circumstances or question God; the prophet calls us to look at ourselves.
5. Repentance restores the flow. The verse does not end with judgment but with an implied invitation to turn back.

Illustration hooks

• Farmer blaming the weather. A farmer complains about a poor crop, but he never checks whether he planted clean seed. The problem is not the sky; it’s what went into the ground.
• Child ignoring a broken relationship. A teenager feels their parents have become stingy, but overlooks that their own lies and defiance broke trust. The withheld allowance is the consequence of a severed relationship.
• Doctor and symptoms. We treat symptoms when the real cause is infection. The drought is a symptom; the sin is the infection.

Questions your congregation is asking

• “If God is good, why do we struggle to make ends meet?”
• “Is this hard season a punishment, or just life?”
• “What good might I be missing because of unconfessed sin in my life?”

This verse cuts through the excuses we make when life gets hard. The people of Judah had been blaming the weather, the timing, even God. Jeremiah says bluntly: look at your own iniquities. Before you blame God, check your own heart. This session invites your group to do the same, not to pile on guilt, but to open the door to honest repentance.

Discussion questions

1. Observation: What does the phrase “these things” refer back to in verses 21, 24? Be specific.
2. Observation: The two verbs in verse 25 are “turned away” and “withheld.” In the Hebrew, both are active verbs with “iniquities” and “sins” as subjects. How does that shape your understanding of the cause?
3. Interpretation: Why does the prophet connect the lack of rain (v.24) directly to the people’s sin, rather than to God’s sovereign will or to chance?
4. Interpretation: How does this verse help us understand the relationship between human behavior and divine blessing under the Old Covenant?
5. Application: What “good” might be withheld in your life or your community because of sin that is not being addressed?
6. Application: How can we talk about sin and suffering in a way that avoids both harsh judgment and shallow comfort?
7. Application: If you realized that a specific sin was blocking God’s good, what would your next step be? (Use the cross-reference of Isaiah 59:2 as a help.)