Jeremiah

Scripture: Mark 4:30

C.I.: God's Photo-Album of Apostasy

Last week… – “A picture is worth a 1,000 words.” – Maybe that's why scrap-booking today is a big fad.
Israel in Jeremiah's day, like the U.S. today, had left it's moorings. – God wants them (us) to get the picture!
So lets watch as God opens His scrapbook to show them their fall from grace (and see if He is speaking to us!).

•  10 Pictures of a Backsliding People, (Chapter 2)

•  An Unfaithful Wife, (vs. 1-8)

•  “I remember the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals, your following after Me in the wilderness,” ( v. 2 )

•  There is no pain quite like that of an unfaithful spouse! – But God remembers how it was!

•  God entered into a covenant relationship with Israel at Sinai – He became their “husband.”

•  Yet God's people did not remain faithful to that covenant – but pursued other gods/lovers.

•  ( Jer. 31:32 ), “…My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them.”

•  Today, God's people are still His bride, ( Eph. 5:31-32 ). – We must be faithful to our relationship

•  “Now as we turn the page…”

•  Broken Cisterns, (vs. 9-13)

•  “My people have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water,” ( v. 13 ).

•  Who in their right mind would abandon lush, flowing fountains – for a leaky old wash tub?!!

•  Sadly, God's people did abandon Him – to follow after gods of stone – which didn't provide.

•  ( v. 11 ), “Has a nation changed gods, when they were not gods? – But My people have changed their glory – for that which does not profit.” – Have they improved their position?!

•  Jesus would ask His people today – “What does it profit a man to gain the whole…,” ( Mk. 8:36 )

•  A Beaten Slave, (vs. 14-19)

•  “Is Israel a slave? Or is he a home-born servant? – Why has he become a prey?” ( vs. 14 ).

•  God's people, His servants – had spiritually sold themselves back into slavery to the Egyptians.

•  But instead of returning to God – “What are you doing on the road to Egypt/Assyria,” v. 18.

•  Where do we turn when we need help (or do we wait until God is our last resort??!)

•  Thus, God allows the people (us) to face the consequences of their own decisions!

•  I.e., “Your own wickedness will correct you, - and your apostasies will reprove you,” ( v. 19 ).

•  But God desire – is for His people to Him, ( cf. Acts 3:19 )! “Now as we turn the page…”

•  A Promiscuous Hooker, (v. 20)

•  “On every high hill, and under every green tree – you have lain down as a harlot,” ( v. 20 ).

•  Friendship with this world… is harlotry!!! ( Jms. 4:4 ), “You adulteresses! Do you not know….”

•  A Degenerate Weed, (v. 21)

•  “I planted you a choice vine, a completely faithful seed.” [God's people = Vine, – “Israel is a luxuriant vine,” ( Hos. 10:1 ); - “I am the vine, you are the branches,” Jn. 15:5 ] – “How then have you turned yourself before Me – into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?” ( v. 21 ).

•  Their fruit was “foreign” – for they became idolatrous like their foreign neighbors.

•  What God desires is for us – “…to yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness,” ( Heb. 12:11 ).

•  A Filthy Body, (v. 22)

•  “Though you wash yourself with lye – and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me.”

•  Israel went through the motions of cleansing itself (sacrifices, rituals, etc.) – all external.

•  Jeremiah uses the world heart over 60x. – That is what God desires is a clean heart.

•  ( Jms. 4:8 ), “Draw near to God and He… Cleanse your hands you sinners & purify….”

•  ( II Pt. 2:22 ), “A sow after washing will return to wallowing in the mire.”

•  A Donkey in Heat, (vs. 23-25)

•  “You are …a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,- that sniffs the wind in her passion, - in the time of her heat who can turn her away?” ( v. 24 ).

•  Israel would not be deprived of her lovers (idols) – she went everywhere looking for a new one!

•  When confronted w/her sin – she says, “It is hopeless! I have loved strangers!” ( v. 25a ).

•  God deals in hopeless cases! – Lk. 15:24 , “This son of mine was dead, and has come to….”

•  Yet Israel would not turn back to God – “And after them I will walk,” ( v. 25b ).

•  A Captured Thief, (vs. 26-28)

•  “As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, so the house of Israel is shamed,” ( v. 26 ).

•  “America's Dumbest Criminals” – always think they are smart … - until they get caught!!!

•  So God asks them, “If your idols are so great, why not call on them when times are tough?”

•  ( v. 28 ), “Where are your gods which you have made for yourself? – Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of trouble.”

•  Yet God sent His Son to set us free – ( Quote Lk. 4:18; Gal. 5:1 ), “He sent Me to proclaim release to the captives” – “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

•  Rebellious Children, (vs. 29-35)

•  “In vain I have struck your sons; yet you accepted no chastening,” ( v. 30 ).

•  The reason for this…: They rebelled ( v. 29 ), - forgot ( v. 32 ), - lied to Him ( v. 33-34 ).

•  Yet they proclaim innocence when confronted, “Yet you said, ‘I am innocent,” ( v. 35 ).

•  Yet in spite of this – ( Heb . 12:6 ), “Those whom the Lord loves He disciples, and He….”

•  P.O.W.s, (vs. 36-37)

•  “From this place you shall also go out – with your hands on your head; - for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust.” – ( II Pt. 2:19b ), “…by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”

•  Alliances with the world – will not do people any good when we one day stand before Jesus!

•  The pictures God shows of those who turn away from Him are not very flattering!

•  If any of the family here are impacted - by God's pictures of how HE sees them…!

•  But there are other pictures – ( Lk. 15:11-14; Gal. 3:26-27 ). - How does God picture you?!