1 “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
If you can find a man,
If there is anyone who executes judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
And I will pardon her.
2 Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’
Surely they swear falsely.”
3 O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth?
You have stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For they have known the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God.”
But these have altogether broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
6 Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them,
A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.
7 “How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
And sworn by those that are not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8 They were like well-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the LORD.
“And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10 “Go up on her walls and destroy,
But do not make a complete end.
Take away her branches,
For they are not the LORD’s.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the LORD.
12 They have lied about the LORD,
And said, “It is not He.
Neither will evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 And the prophets become wind,
For the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them.”
Jeremiah 5:1-13 NKJV

The Lord telling Jeremiah to seek out a man that executes judgment and who seeks the truth reminds us of Abraham's negotiations with God to save Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord says he will pardon Judah if one can be found there who is righteous. While I know that this is not literal since Jeremiah was righteous and there were other true followers of God, it was indicative of how few people in Judah had an honest heart to obey God. Many would say "As the LORD lives", but they swore falsely since they did not truly trust in the Lord or even believe that He would save them. When they were punished for their evil ways they did not grieve the wrongs they had done, they continued in their wickedness. They became more obstinate and hard hearted to pursue evil. No matter what happened, they determined to do things their own way and ignore the word of the Lord.
Jeremiah searches but cannot find honesty while searching for God among the common people. He says that these are poor and foolish people who have not the advantage of education and culture. No one had taught them and in their limited experiences they had not had the opportunity to know God. So Jeremiah determined to go to the great men and speak to them. The educated and traveled and cultured with all of their opportunities in life had seen the workings of the Lord and knew of the ways He had saved Israel in the past. Surely among them Jeremiah could find many who were righteous and who followed the will of God. However, among the princes and priest and rulers, Jeremiah found no more who followed God than he found among the poor and uneducated. Jesus calls all and gives to each of us light so we can see the path He knows is best for us. Some have greater light and thus more responsibility, but all must choose to follow the light they are given. Whether rich and great or humble and poor, all must decide whether to do as they see God has commanded or whether they will walk in the way that seems best to themselves.
Because of the wickedness and refusal of Judah to trust and follow God, the Lord said that punishment was coming upon the land. The people had piled up their iniquities and by their actions put greater and greater distance between God and themselves. They ran after every false god and were led to increase their wickedness through the worship of these idols. Though God detailed the punishments that were to come upon the nation, even now He promised that there would not be a complete end to His people. They lied to each other and themselves about the Lord, saying "It is not He". They denied that the words spoken by God through His true prophets were really God's words. They choose to believe the lie that was more pleasant than the truth. The false prophets told them what they wanted to hear, the things that sounded good to them. False prophets told them they were OK and they didn't need to worry about enemies or the results of their turning away from following God's requirements. Though they believed these lies, it did not change the reality. The false prophets were like the wind blowing, speaking words that moved men to complacency. But God said the word was not in them, so their fate would be the punishment of Judah. Had they listened to the true prophets of God and turned their hearts to follow Him, the Lord promised to take away the fire that was descending upon them. Honest hearts had the evidence all around them to see the truth. The choose to believe a lie.

Lord,
Help me today to see and believe and obey the truth You give me. I often would rather believe a lie that is more pleasant. I want to think that I am misjudged and that I should be accorded respect for my wondrous ideas and thoughts. Help me to recognize the truth you have given me and accept the path You desire me to walk. Please take away my stubborn selfishness and willful disobedience. Make me as a little child who puts my hand in Yours and trusts You to lead me in the best way for me.