Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Jeremiah 3: Faithlessness

As Jeremiah expounds God's case against His people, one particular comparison surfaces repeatedly: Israel and Judah have been like unfaithful spouses.  "As a faithless wife leaves her husband, so you have been faithless to me, O house of Israel, says the Lord" (vs. 20).

God begins building His argument with the first verse.  "You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? says the Lord" (vs. 1).  God is appalled at the way the Israelites have abandoned Him to pursue other gods.  Like a jilted husband, the Lord charges His people with rank infidelity.

The prophet describes what it is like, from God's perspective.  You can hear His anger and hurt come through in such statements as "Look up to the bare heights and see!  Where have you not been lain with?  By the waysides you have sat waiting for lovers, like a nomad in the wilderness.  You have polluted the land with your whoring and wickedness" (vs. 2).

Both Israel and Judah have acted faithlessly with God.  First the prophet recalls the northern kingdom's history of infidelity.  "The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: 'Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and played the whore there?" (vs. 6).  Then, even though she had seen how Israel was judged by God through the Assyrians, Judah went and committed the very same crimes!  Because she should have been warned through the example of her "sister", God maintains that Judah is even more culpable.  "Then the Lord said to me: Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah" (vs. 11).

Even here, however, the Lord stands and holds His arms open to His faithless people.  He pleads for their return and reconciliation.  "Return, faithless Israel, says the Lord, I will not look on you in anger, for I merciful, says the Lord, I will not be angry forever" (vs. 12).  Again, He urges, "Return, O faithless children, I will heal your faithlessness" (vs. 22).  Amazingly, God still holds open the door for the return of those who have been so faithless.  That's grace!

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