JEREMIAH 3
Notes
Transcript
BACKSLIDING
BACKSLIDING
A sound is heard on the barren heights:
the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy,
for they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God.
Return, you faithless children.
I will heal your unfaithfulness.
“Here we are, coming to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
unfaithfulness = Backsliding
I think this is a better tranlation to use backsliding.
Backsliding: the action of relapsing into bad ways or error.
backsliding isn’t you forgot to read you bible this week.
We see Israel weeping and begging for mery, we must ask how did they get to this point?
If a man divorces his wife
and she leaves him to marry another,
can he ever return to her?
Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled?
But you!
You have prostituted yourself with many partners—
can you return to me?
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Look to the barren heights and see.
Where have you not been immoral?
You sat waiting for them beside the highways
like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land
with your prostitution and wickedness.
This is why the showers haven’t come—
why there has been no spring rain.
You have the brazen look of a prostitute
and refuse to be ashamed.
Haven’t you recently called to me, “My Father!
You were my friend in my youth.
Will he bear a grudge forever?
Will he be endlessly infuriated?”
This is what you have said,
but you have done the evil things
you are capable of.
What was taking place on the barren heights?
The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
Israel was worshing false gods on the barren hights.
The same Israel that was brought out of Egypt being taken care of daily.
Now in the land filled with milk and honey they turn away.
They didn’t need the LORD.
A sound is heard on the barren heights:
the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy,
for they have perverted their way;
they have forgotten the Lord their God.
Return, you faithless children.
I will heal your unfaithfulness.
“Here we are, coming to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
So Israel are on the barren heights weeping and begging for mercy.
the place where the worshiped false gods is the very place where they are begging for mercy.
Why is this important? They cried out right where they were.
So where should a backsliding person cry out? Right where they are at.
V.22 RETURN This is true repentance that the LORD is asking for from Israel.
“They have forgotten the LORD their GOD.” They must remember the LORD.
The LORD gives a promise. “I will heal your unfaithfulness”
Did they change? “Here we are, coming to you, for you are the LORD our GOD.”
The LORD never moved Israel slid away from Him so they need to come back to HIM.
Application
Why was it that Israel thought they didn’t need the LORD?
Things were going good in the promise land.
Does this sound like any other place or time. (USA)
We as a nation don’t think we need the LORD, because everything is going well.
Do you think the LORD will allow thing to go bad to bring His people back? YES
Let use make sure we don’t backslide away from the LORD when times are good.
