Jeremiah 4-5 God Tells Us What We Won't Admit To Ourselves

“If you will return, Israel, then return to Me.  If you will throw away your idols that I hate, then don’t wander away from Me,” says the Lord.  He’s telling them to get rid of that which separates us from Him and remain close to Him.  God also tells them they must decide to obey Him.  “Clean the evil from your hearts so that you can be saved.  Don’t continue making evil plans … The way you have lived and acted has brought this trouble to you.  This is your punishment.”

I think we all hope that God’s goodness and love will cause Him to change His mind and not punish us for our sins, but this time God plainly says, “I have spoken and will not change my mind.  I have made a decision, and I will not change it.”  The line has finally been reached and they stepped over it once too often.

So how did the people react to God’s message?  “They refused to learn what is right.  They became more stubborn than a rock; they refused to turn back to God … even the leaders had all joined together to break away from the Lord.”

My commentary said it well:  “The animal (man) had gotten loose from the yoke (God’s law) and run away from the master (God), only to be met by a lion, a wolf, and a leopard.  What kind of freedom was THAT? … They were stubborn and rebellious, having turned away from serving the Lord.  The mighty seas obeyed God’s rule [“I am the One who made the beaches to be a border for the sea, a border the water can never go past.  The waves may pound the beach, but they can’t win over it.  They may roar, but they cannot go beyond it.”] but His own people rejected Him.”

“The sinners thought they were getting away with their crimes, but God asked them, ‘What will you DO in the end?’” “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Father, thanks for the warning that we must throw away whatever separates us from You, and that we then must remain close to You.  We cannot trust our hearts to tell us the truth about ourselves.  We can only trust You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford