The Worthless Abomination

INTRO:

This week my girls were watching an animated movie called Abominable.

About the Abominable snowman.

Abominable is from the word abomination which means repugnant or detestable.

What is something you would consider to be abominable or an abomination?

For God, an abomination is a level 20 sin. Anyone who commits an abomination is cast out of God’s sight and distanced from the community of Israel.

KEY VERSE: Something to keep in mind as we study prophetic books like Jeremiah.

Exodus 34:6 ESV

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

This verse, from Exodus, is found throughout the O.T. We see it in Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers, Nehemiah, Psalms, Proverbs, and the prophets. It is central to understanding the character of God.

BIG IDEA: God is jealous for the affection of His people.

Jeremiah 2:1–13 ESV

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the Lord.” Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’ And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. “Therefore I still contend with you, declares the Lord, and with your children’s children I will contend. For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

God’s Indictment against Israel.

You’ve lost your first love.

Keep in mind, God is jealous for the affection of His people.

V2 “I remember the devotion of your youth.”

Marriage language // covenant language

Moses: Deut 4, 5, 6, 11 READ: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Joshua: Joshua 24:19-24

Israel entered a covenant relationship with God.

God said here in Jeremiah: “Followed me in the wilderness”

Devoted // Holy to the Lord // We were in agreement.

Vs 5 - God asks, “What wrong did I do?”

You went far from me.

You broke covenant faithfulness.

5b “went after worthlessness, and became worthless.

PRINCIPLE TO UNDERSTAND

Key Principle: Worshippers become like the things they worship.

Worship the world and become more like the world.

Whatever that is.

Remember what James said, “to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.”

You can tell what you worship by the things you think about.

Worship God and become more like God.

Israel had a problem: chased after worthless gods and their worship became worthless.

In fact when things got bad they would cry out to YHWH. VS 27C

>>ON SCREEN>>

Arise and save us!’ But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble; ” (Jeremiah 2:27–28, ESV)

Be careful what you worship! If your life of worship is focused on something other than God, it won’t be able to rescue you in your time of need.

How is your love for God? Devotion? Affection?

When your affection and devotion are out of tune you might need an adjustment.

Pic of violin and shepherd.

Ted Malone, whose radio show came on early in the morning, told of the Idaho shepherd who wrote: “Will you, on your broadcast, strike the note ‘A’? I’m a sheepherder way out here on a ranch, far away from a piano. The only comfort I have is my old violin. It’s all out of tune. Would you strike ‘A’ so that I might get in tune?”

Malone honored the request. Later he received a “thank-you” note from the distant shepherd saying, “Now I’m in tune.”

One of the purposes and responsibilities of personal and public worship is to enable us to keep tuned to the Great Shepherd.

Remember: God is jealous for the affection of His people.

How did Israel get here?

They stopped seeking the Lord.

Another principle is at work

Seek the Lord or idolatry will rule your life.

After God brought them into the land, vs 7 says they defiled it and “made my heritage an abomination”.

Here’s that word we started with.

Abomination was their participation in idol worship. Remember what Joshua said, “Choose this day who you will serve.”

Ezekiel’s Vision, Chp 8, of abomination.

Idols in the Temple. Bowing down to the sun and turned their backs to God.

Idolatry slips in.

It rarely starts out as an idol, it just becomes one in time.

Ministry. Education. Family (noble).

When we put it first...

What do we learn? “Don’t have a cow.”

Don’t have a cow!

Search your heart. Look at your life. What has your devotion?

With Israel we observe another problem… Their leaders were not helping. They participated in idol worship and made it acceptable to the people.

Make sure your leaders point you to the Lord.

God brings an indictment against the leaders of Israel.

vs 8

Priests didn’t know YHWH // Shepherds sinned against God // Prophets prophesied in the name of Baal

Don’t put your faith in the wrong leader.

Be careful not to put your faith in political leaders.

In an election year… It’s easy to become caught up in the politics of the day. The president is not the messiah. We only need one, he already came.

Don’t look to them for deliverance.

The right leader is the one who points you to the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of man.

For the Christian, God is your leader. // Remember...

God is jealous for the affection of His people.

Don’t trade life for death.

VS 11-13 (Summation)

Two evils // sins

Forsaking God

Fountain of living water.

Two options for water: 1) Springs 2) Rain water.

Judah’s source of life was the springs. Reliable and refreshing.

Pic of Spring

Dug broken cisterns

Cisterns are dug in the rock and plastered over to collect rainwater.

Pic of cistern

Water was brackish and cisterns could crack open.

To turn from a dependable, pure stream of running water to a broken, brackish cistern was idiotic. Yet that is what Judah did when she turned from God to idols.

We are in danger of doing the same.

Don’t trade life for death.

Jesus is life!

Jesus offers living water - Woman at the well.

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”” (John 4:10, ESV)

“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”” (Revelation 7:17, ESV)

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”” (John 7:38, ESV)

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

“Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” (John 11:25, ESV)

If you don’t know Jesus today, turn from your self and turn to God. Put your faith in Jesus Christ.

If you are a believer but you are not actively engaged in the life he gives.