Jeremiah – Page 18 – Be Still…

Jeremiah 3:11-4:2 – Hope If We Rebel

hands making heart shape with sun shining behind and through

What a beautiful scene between God and his favorite child. He loves us all, but God does have special affection for Israel. There is so much hope oozing from this passage. I have to wonder if such a plea fell on deaf ears because Israel couldn’t begin to fathom what suffering was soon to come. God’s heart cries out for his people to repent and get things right again.

There is even a section that speaks for the people of Israel as if it were their response. Was Jeremiah putting words in the Israel’s mouth? Is this truly how they felt? It would have been music to God’s ears to hear them admit that their allegiance to idols was indeed a “delusion.”

Jeremiah 3:6-10 – Who Else Is Guilty?

Read Jeremiah 3:6-10

There might be some hidden gems in today’s reading, or at the very least a skillful use of human analogies. We see that Jeremiah is recalling a conversation with God and confirms it was during the reign of King Josiah. God was lamenting that both Israel and Judah had left him for other gods.

Did you find it interesting, too, that God used the word “adultery” to describe what Israel and Judah were doing? That’s just one of those “human analogies” used as a way of helping the people understand the significance of betrayal with a recognizable situation. There will be a price for this disloyalty.

Jeremiah 3:1-5 – Is It Too Late?

Read Jeremiah 3:1-5

pocket watch on the ground surrounded by white flowers

I don’t mean to belabor the point here about Israel’s disrespect for God. However, Jeremiah is clearly establishing God’s serious conviction about religious loyalty. It’s something we really need to hear, too. What messages are you taking away from Jeremiah’s words?

We see that because of Israel’s betrayal, reconciliation God is not possible. It’s too late. The Israelites fate has been set. Jeremiah is simply giving them a glimpse into why their future is doomed. It seems the time to repent and return to God has expired.

Jeremiah 2:23-37 – Harsh Yet True

Read Jeremiah 2:23-37

Can you imagine the abuse Jeremiah would have taken for being the messenger of this recitation from God. This is not a popular message. Nobody likes to be spoken about in a negative light. Certainly, what Jeremiah said about God’s people was true. Sometimes the truth can be brutal.

What emotions stirred for you when you read this passage? Right off the bat, I felt a bit defensive for God. The persons he described had abandoned him and hurt him deeply. The words may be harsh, but we can’t say they aren’t true.

Jeremiah 2:14-22 – Consequence of Sin

Read Jeremiah 2:14-22

The Lord’s rage continues as Jeremiah tells us what will happen because of the sinfulness. It’s not a pretty picture. Did the people not think about the consequences to their actions? It’s hard to know what motivated the people to choose idols, mere images of foreign gods, over the one true God. We can look at people making similar choices today and wonder why, for instance, they chose to sleep in versus getting up for church.

That’s a simplistic example. I used to feel extremely guilty when I found myself too busy to spend quality time with God. I’m not sure I thought about what the consequences might be. Would God stop loving me? Would he let bad things happen to me? Would he stop fighting my battles?