Faithful-vs-Unfaithful
Notes
Transcript
Jeremiah 2:1-8
Jeremiah 2:1-8
How many of us remember our honeymoon? For those who are not married, the honeymoon period is a time when neither can do anything wrong. Some honeymoons last for only a short period. Other honeymoons last forever. During this time, the couple starts to learn about each other in a deeper, intimate way. What can happen is that the longer the marriage goes on, the more it can become mundane, and we lose our sense of devotion.
The classified advertising section of the Tribune newspaper in Kokomo, Indiana, featured personal messages, including birthday greetings, Valentine's notes, and love letters. “Thank you, Shirley Slusser, for 18 years of wedding bliss.” One item read. “You are the most wonderful, beautiful wife in the world, and I love you more than ever. If it were not for the fact that I promised Dan, Larry, and George that I’d play pool tonight, I’d certainly be with you on the anniversary of the most important day of my life.”
Now I am not sure if he made it to 19 years after that. But, is that not how Israel and Judah treated YHWH? I read the accounts of how the Lord rescued them time and time again, and think, how could they ever turn their backs on Him? How did they go from being faithful brides to unfaithful brides? The Lord even asks them this in the verses we read. The structure of these verses from chapters 2 to 6 is a court transcript of the trial of Judah.
Faith is the belief in something or trust in some person. For Israel and the House of Jacob (Judah), their trust should have been in God. For us, our trust is in what Christ did for us that we could not do for ourselves. How can we have more confidence in a government, country, marriage, or friendship than we do in Christ? How did the Israelites and Judahites lose trust in YHWH?
YHWH gives three truths: first, He recalls their Honeymoon Delights. Second, their Sacred Holiness. Lastly, Rediscover Covenant Faithfulness.
Honeymoon Delights:
Honeymoon Delights:
The word “devotion” that is used here (he-sed) means loyalty, joint obligations, or faithfulness. The Lord is bringing forth their devotion to the covenant that they made with Him on Mt. Sinai, comparing it to that of a bride’s devotion (faithfulness) to her husband. Exodus 19:3-8. When the bride trusts the groom, there is an unwavering trust and devotion to them. They saw what God had done for them, how He delivered them out of bondage, and was leading them. Their love for Him was pure, and it led them to follow Him. The word ‘follow’ means to behave with obedience. They did what the Lord commanded them to do. The New Testament develops the image of marriage between Christ and the bride (Church), Ephesians 5:25.
while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.
All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Jeremiah’s lead oracle should revolve around delight, as in a marriage, emphasizing God’s intent to lead His people into Joy (Jeremiah 32:40-41). Though not elaborated, the positive aspects of the wilderness honeymoon era might be (1) Israel’s commitment to observe God’s ways (Exodus 24:7) fully; (2) the absence of idolatry, except for the sort-lived golden calf incident; (3) sharing God’s will and purpose at Sinai; (4) the absence of interference by neighboring peoples with their temptations to reach for substitute deities; (5) the people’s loyalty in constructing the tabernacle; and (6) progress toward the land of promise.
I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.
I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”
YHWH leads them from Honeymoon Delight truth to Sacred Holiness truth.
Sacred Holiness:
Sacred Holiness:
The Lord called them “the firstfruits of His harvest.” They were the choice possession of the Lord, just as the first yield from the harvest belonged to God (Leviticus 22:10-16). This also implied that there would be future gatherings of other people, just as the first fruits of a tree anticipate additional fruit to follow (John 1:11-12).
“A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing,
but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food.
If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things.
But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no lay person shall eat of it.
And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest.
They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the Lord,
and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt, by eating their holy things: for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
They were “holy to the Lord,” meaning they were set apart. The Hebrew word is (go-des(h)), meaning apartness, sacredness, or holiness. They were not only His firstfruits, but they were also set apart for Him to be priests for Him. Any nation that attempted to devour Israel was destroyed, and guilt and calamity fell upon them. Zechariah 2:8; 2 Peter 3:3-11
For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye:
knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
Rediscover Covenant Faithfulness:
Rediscover Covenant Faithfulness:
Verses 5-8 are like a court hearing. YHWH is asking what wrong He did for their fathers to abandon them? Why would they leave their refreshing fruit for rotten fruit? Jesus (YHWH) talks about His love for His people in Luke 11:11-13. They had zero gratitude for what God had done for them. He took them from the land of darkness to the land of fruit and goodness. His only expectation was one of thankfulness and obedience (Colossians 1:12–13 ).
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
The leaders whom He placed even ignored Him and chased after worthless idols. Can I say we are living in those times? Leaders that God has placed in authority have chased after man’s approval and stopped doing what God called them to do! These leaders, in Jeremiah,’s time were more concerned about their popularity with men than standing with God and His truth. Listen to what Paul said: 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Galatians 1:10
but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
John writes about the Pharisees’ concern being more with the approval of men than with that of God (John 12:43).
for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Truth in Reconciliation:
Truth in Reconciliation:
So, how do we examine our own life and heart? Very simple!
Return to your first True Love, YHWH!
Returning to God from our wayward paths leads us back to the source of true life and fulfillment found in Christ.
Just as Israel was called back to its first love, we are called back seeking Christ, who embodies the love that God desires in His people.
