Jeremiah 3.1-18 “Hope for Messy Relationships”

“Hope for Messy Relationships”

The Christian relates to God in the covenant community called the Church. Christ’s Church is the bride of Christ and intimately related to the Savior. We seein this passage God’s Word to the Old Testament covenant community of Israel.

I. Divorce –

A. God threatened to divorce His bride – the covenant community of Israel

1. Because His bride had committed adultery by trusting in idols instead of her husband

2. What is idolatry? Believing that if I could succeed in something then I could prove my existence is worthwhile

B. Now the adulterous wife calls home, “will you take me back?” Yet you turn to Me –

1. You ask, “can I return to You?”

2. God had taught NO in

“This law, which forbade a divorced couple to reunite, was aimed against what would amount to virtually lending one’s partner to another – for if an authoritarian husband could dismiss his wife and have her back when the next man had finished with her, it would degrade not only her but marriage itself and the society that accepted such a practice.” Derek Kidner

II. Pretend Repentance –

A. Israel wants it both ways

1. To be God’s bride

2. And to worship other gods – commit spiritual adultery

3. They are limping between two opinions – (This is the manner in which unbelief functions)

B. The northern Kingdom of Israel

1. God divorced and judged the Northern Kingdom of Israel

2. Judah’s repentance was in pretense –

III. God’s Invitation –

A. Return –

1. Only acknowledge your iniquity –

2. The iniquity of not obeying God’s voice –

3. Because God is merciful – ; ,

B. Motivation

1. You are married to God –

2. You are His

3. He will take you back in spite of your adulteries. Adultery does not have to end the marriage.

marriage.

“Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage. yet, nothing but adultery, or such willful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church, or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage. wherein, a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills, and discretion, in their own case.” Westminster Confession of Faith 24.6

C. God provides pastors after His own heart – – to call you to Himself –

IV. God’s Promises –

A. God causes repentance

1. He changes the heart –

2. God Himself will dwell among you –

B. Unity –

1. Christ will govern His people

2. He will unify Israel and Judah as a testimony to the nations –

Sin doesn’t have the last word; God does! He will exalt Himself among His people.