Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Contemporary Problem

The problem in the world today is that the church itself has begun to fall from its roots.

Our country has fallen from her roots of biblical truth.

Christians are slowly compromising and being weaned away from the one and true God.

It is amazing the amount of people in our country that have no clue who the one true God is.

Israel knew who God was but fell away from that belief.

We tonight can learn from Israel’s example on how not to live.

Context:

The context surrounding Jeremiah 2 and the book of Jeremiah as a whole takes place during the time in Israel’s history when Israel had been taken captive.

Judah though was still standing but even though they had many more revivals than the northern kingdom, they were waxing worse spiritually.

In chapter 1 Jeremiah records his call and commitment to be a spokesperson to the Israelites for the LORD.

The main issue discussed in chapter 2 is the apostasy of Israel.

The rest of chapter 2 deals with more specifically the depraved nature and punishment of Israel’s apostasy.

Key textual principle: Jeremiah is commanded to proclaim to Israel her departure from Yahweh and the ensuing judgment.

Primary Take Home Truth: God’s justice and hatred for sin demands God’s punishment of sin.

Primary Application: God must be your life’s priority or you will become like what you idolize.

I.

The LORD reminds His children of their once youthful vibrancy spiritually (vv 1-3).

Explanation

The prophet Jeremiah is told of the Lord to proclaim to Israel a reminder of her once vibrant life spiritually.

Jeremiah speaks of several ways Israel lived in obedience to Yahweh by stating what the Lord remembers.

Devotion to Yahweh in their youth, 2:2

Jeremiah is reminding them of the time in their history when they were delivered from Egypt.

God is letting Israel know that He still loves them!

This is speaking of when Israel first entered into covenant with God.

The covenant that God made with Israel was that as they obeyed him they as a nation would be blessed but as they disobeyed him God promised that judgment would be delivered.

Here in Jeremiah 2 we see the manifestation of the Israel’s failure to keep her end of the covenant.

Unfailing Devotion, 2:2

1. God remembers when Israel followed him with a dedication and devotion that was loyal and unfailing.

The manifestation of this loyalty came from their trust in being led into the wilderness and following Him through to the Promised Land.(As we look at their history we do see their complaining but they still faithfully followed God in the wilderness.)

Warmth, love, and purity marked her first relationship with her covenant God.

Apart from the golden-calf incident (Exod 32:1–29), Israel’s failures in the wilderness came from lack of faith rather than outright apostasy.

Devoted Love, 2:2

The LORD compares the early love of Israel for Him as a bride’s love to her groom.

Israel was God’s bride.

They had a love that was deep.

This love then was later divided with other nations and gods.

The contrast of this loving and loyal relationship is seen in verses 4-13.

Yahweh’s Firstfruits

Israel was holy/set apart for the sole enjoyment and pleasure of God himself.

The prophet describes this as Israel being God’s firstfruits.

“In those early favored days, Israel was set apart as sacred to God, his very firstfruits, because she was the first nation to worship the true God (cf.

Exod 19:5–6; Amos 6:1).

The firstfruits were the portion of the harvest that belonged to God, and this could not be eaten by the people.”

(Charles L. Feinberg, “Jeremiah,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, ed.

Frank E. Gaebelein, vol.

6 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 388.)

The biblical law that was established was that every man had to give the firstfruits or first reaping of his harvest to the Lord.

This revealed or acknowledged that Israel saw that everything they had came from the LORD.

A punishment was given to those who did not give of their firstfruits.

Israel was Yahweh’s firstfruits therefore they were under His protection.

Anyone therefore who touched Israel was dealt with, punished of God.

This possibly had appeared to Israel/Judah that God had forsaken them and fallen back on his promise to them.

Quite the contrary, it was Israel who had failed to keep her end of the covenant and fallen and forgotten God.

Illustration: Universities that left their spiritual roots; Harvard and Yale (originally Puritan) and Princeton (originally Presbyterian) once had rich Christian histories.

Refutation:

As these Ivy League schools have left their roots and forgotten how they started so did Israel before them.

Look at Israel today and they are still suffering from their unfaithfulness.

They neglected the devotion that once was thriving among them.

The Christian today has created a rationalized devotion to God.

They have combined society and scripture and created a type of Christianity that has pulled them from their roots.

The Christian neglects to walk worthy of the vocation he has been called.

Where is the loyalty of the Christian today?[The average Christian today has lost loyalty to God.

It seems that many Christians live a convenient loyalty rather than true loyalty.

A loyalty that is a complete trust and following of God.

NO HOLES BARRED!

Complete Devotion!]

They have forgotten that as children of God they are His firstfruits (James 1:18).

We are Christ’s firstfruit of His creation.

Application:

Where does your loyalty reside tonight?

The Lord called Jeremiah to proclaim judgment to Israel and he was loyal and obeyed.

What have you neglected to obey God in today?

Where do your loyalties reside?

Do they reside in your own personal comforts?

Where is your level of devotion?

Is your devotion misplaced?

Husband and Wife, do you love God as you love your spouse?

God’s Word is the source of our power to sustain complete loyalty to God.

Replace your loyalty and devotion of things other than Christ to a complete loyalty to Christ.

A sacrificial loyalty that thrives on serving and knowing God should become a habit in our lives each day!

Transition: Jeremiah speaks to Israel the mind of God then proceeds to reveal to them their apostasy.

II.

The LORD spells out to Israel the details of their unfaithfulness.

(Jeremiah 2:4-19).

They became like worthless like the worthless idols they worshipped!

Explanation:

Jeremiah begins by telling the entire nation of Israel to listen to what the LORD has to say.

The next nine verses the LORD delivers a line of rhetorical questions followed by evidence of Israel’s falling away from Him.

The phrase “the house of Israel” was probably used of Jeremiah when the northern 10 tribes were existent but by now they had been taken into captivity.

Therefore Jeremiah is using this phrase as he speaks to the house of Judah as encompassing all of Israel everywhere.

Judah in this sense was used as a representation of Israel as a complete nation.

In Jeremiah 2:4-9 the Lord compares Israel with the conduct of Jehovah to Israel.

In these verses the LORD asks questions while stating questions that Israel’s fathers had not asked.

In these questions the Lord is showing Israel that their fathers and now them do not even ask or think about God He says in verse 7 that they turned His fruitful land into a defilement.

They made an abomination of His inheritance.

Israel had simply forgot what God had done for them (vv.

6-7).

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (a.

Israel’s Ingratitude (2:1–8))