Jeremiah – Page 19 – Be Still…

Jeremiah 3:1-5 – Is It Too Late?

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?

Jeremiah 2:4-13 – Where is the Lord?

Read Jeremiah 2:4-13

I hear such desperation in God’s tone, lamenting over how his children have abandoned him. Jeremiah is going to teach us how intimately God knows us and cares for us. We started this trek down memory lane in our last reading, and now God remembers how his people have responded to him. We’ve got the Bible history to see for ourselves how these people drifted away.

But it isn’t just “those people,” God’s chosen ones. When we look around our own communities, we see similar apathy toward God. There are those who deny God’s existence and there are those who acknowledge there’s a higher power but don’t have any interest in having a relationship with an invisible deity. What about you? Where is God for you?

Jeremiah 2:1-3 – Memory Lane

Read Jeremiah 2:1-3

gate with brick columns with road on other side

Taking a stroll down memory lane can be refreshing. Especially when we tap into our family of faith memories. Scripture passages abound where you’ll find characters quoting another Scripture verse. Jesus was particularly good at that and would often update or fulfill that very Scripture.

Jeremiah shows us how God used that very recollection of happier times to remind people of his great achievement and provision for their loved ones. That’s a great strategy for us today, especially if we’re about to deliver some unwanted or unexpected news.