Tuesday: Two Evils
It was against this background that the young Jeremiah began his prophetic ministry.
The word of the Lordcame to him, and he spoke it in hopes that the people, if they would heed these words, would be spared the ruin that otherwise was sure to come.Read Jeremiah 2:1-28 and answer the following questions:
- What promises had God made to the nation when they were faithful? (See Jer. 2:2-3.)
- What were some of the priests, pastors, and prophets doing that was sinful? (See Jer. 2:8.)
- In what terrible ways were the people self-deceived in regard to their true spiritual condition? (See Jer. 2:23-24.)
Image © Kevin Carden from GoodSalt.com
Even though the nation had experienced some spiritual reform under the leadership of Hezekiah and Josiah, the people reverted to their old ways and fell into worse apostasy. As he did all through his ministry, Jeremiah here spoke in no uncertain terms about what was going on.
Particularly interesting are his words in Jeremiah 2:13. The people had committed two evils: they forsook the Lord, the fountain of living waters and, as a result, hewed out for themselves broken cisterns that, of course, could not hold any water at all. In other words, having abandoned the Lord, they had lost everything. These words become even more meaningful in light of what Jesus said in John 4:10.
In Jeremiah 2:5, the Lord said that the people had gone after
worthlessness,and as a result they had becomeworthless(ESV). The Hebrew words for both terms come from the same Hebrew word (hbl) that is used in Ecclesiastes often translatedvanity.It also meansa vapororbreath.How does going after worthless things make usworthless? What does that mean? How does this concept help us to understand those who, at times, feel as if their lives are meaningless or worthless? What is the answer for them?
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It's easy to be distracted or seduced by temporary gains or desires. We've probably all found ourselves consumed by the "latest thing". Looking back, we see how unimportant and superficial it was. Did we really need to sacrifice sleep to see that episode of ----, or go over budget to buy the newest --- or binge on our cravings for ---? How many times have we tried to handle our problems "my way" and just make a bigger mess? We look back and feel foolish, weak, and shallow. One becomes defined by what s/he beholds, values, embraces. A pattern of life that primarily seeks the superficial, will end up feeling worthless. Thank God, He does not count us worthless. Even in Israel's and Judah's miserable states, He extended His offer of reconciliation. His love is greater than our sin.
How does going after worthless things make us worthless? What does that mean?Since they will be burnt up in the end thus it shows that we are worthless for chasing after these worthless things.
How does this concept help us to understand those who, at times, feel as if their lives are meaningless or worthless? What is the answer for them?
Once their aspirations and effort come to naught they realize the waste of a lifetime. We however, should be like Christ on the cross lead these people to submit wholly to the Lord for the soon coming Kingdom.
The two evils identified by the Lord in Jeremiah 2:13 are equivalent to independence or self-sufficiency and covetousness or worldliness. Thinking they were rich and spiritually elevated the people forsook God by acting without counsel from Jehovah or His prophets. Their intellectual proficiency and common feelings were their guide.
They then chased the ‘fun life,’ as it appeared to them, the path of ease, luxury and self-indulgence (Jeremiah 2:18), not recognizing this was the perilous snare of Sodom (Ezekiel 16:48-50), and effectively pouring into broken cisterns.
At this point sin does not appear so ugly after all and friends in the world encourage alternatives and substitutes which amount to idolatry and immorality (Jeremiah 2:23-25). The children of the Holy One soon lend their support to abominations under the guise that they love the people. Jehovah likens such to prostitutes (Jeremiah 2:20)
The condition of Israel in Jeremiah’s time was in fact a Laodicean one. God’s present day people may take note that soothing messages with the theme, “there is nothing wrong with this or that” and bewitching materialism promoted as progressiveness may present a glittering appearance for a season but ultimately end in ruin.
The idols of fashion, material and wealth will be of no use in a little while, in a time of trouble and judgment (Jeremiah 2:26-28). The time to wake up is now, before it is too late, when there will be a famine for the truth (Amos 8:10-12).
Yet shortly the Redeemer has something better for the faithful. In a little while the redeemed may go home.
The redeemed will go home.
5 Thus says the Lord:
g“What injustice have your fathers found in Me,
That they have gone far from Me,
Have followed `idols,
And have become idolaters?
If we read this verse again and again Jeremiah 2:5 we see a special case case is Putting up against us and the people then why are we going away from the Lord What injustice have we find in Him. IF God knows the thoughts He thinks towards us thoughts of good and not evil...then what injustice have we found in the Lord. Let us seek Him and live.
Proverbs 23:7 (AMP) says, “For as [man] thinks in his heart, so is he.”
2 Cor 10:5 (NLV)
"We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ."
Colossians 3:2 (AMP)
"Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]."
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
1 Peter 1:13 (AMP)
"So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed."
Knowing that there is so many things that can take our attention from God, let us seek the lord with are whole heart and to know the will of him.
If ever we need the Lord we show do need him now.
Hear my prayer Heavenly Father in Jesus name Amen.
Prayer is the breath of the soul. Prayer and reading, memorizing, digesting the Bible, are equally important to our relationship with our Saviour. We seek Him in prayer, and in meditation, here by receiving Him into our hearts. For by Grace through faith in prayer and meditation on the Bible, a daily thoughtful hour on the life of Christ, who is also the Lord of Abraham,Joseph, David, and Jeremiah,do we avoid the apostasy that Israel fell into many times.
Let's read paragraph 10, from Letter 53 June 1896 for those of you who are millennium babies thats a long long time ago, but apropos.
"Christ is love, not hatred and variance, but love. Life and truth dwell in this atmosphere. Think the thoughts and do the acts of Christ. Express the feelings of Christ, which will be a communication of Himself. It is the working of His Holy Spirit, and the innermost soul is drawn out after Christ, and lays hold, and becomes possessed of the Spirit of Christ. Then we work in Christ."