It is discovered in God’s call on Jeremiah’s life that he was called to be the mouthpiece of God. He had a responsibility to preach not whatever comes to his mind or whatever is dear to him; rather, to preach the exact words that God gives him. Verse 1 of Jeremiah 2 declares again that the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. This time it is a little more explicit. Verse 2 follows with, “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord…”[1] I think the CSB captures the essence of what God wanted Jeremiah to do as it reads: “The word of the Lord came to me: “Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says…”[2] The word ‘directly’ is much more emphatic. God sent Jeremiah to speak word for word exactly what He tells him. This should be the expectation of the preacher. The man whom God calls to preach the Word to the church should have such a closeness with the Lord that comes through long hours of prayer and study that when he gets to the pulpit, the congregation is assured that what they hear is coming from the Lord. It does well for a church to respect their pastor’s time in the study. As a matter of fact, they should expect and require that the pastor spends adequate time in the study. This expectation of the pastor should then lead to trust. A church who has a pastor that is in the Word and in prayer and has a history of preaching the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit, should be trusted that when he preaches, it is truly the Word of the Lord. Knowing and trusting it is the Word of the Lord should then lead to repentance and obedience.
In the first 13 verses of chapter 2, the Lord gives Jeremiah the exact words that he wants the people to hear. It is these words that we today should also hear knowing that all of God’s Word is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for us today.
Remember the good days? There are three basic questions that are being asked by the Lord. The first question we find in verses 2-4. Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holiness to the Lord, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the Lord.[3]Do you remember the good days of the past? Often, we will reminiscence of times past and the joy we shared with family and friends. We like to talk about the good ole’ days. Here, it is God remembering the past when Judah was in right fellowship with Him. There are three things that God remembers. (1) Remember the days when you followed Me. There was a time when all of Judah followed after the Lord. They sought after Him. They longed for Him. Too often we lose the fervor we had when we first believed. It really should be the other way around. One would think that the longer you are a believer the greater your fervor for the Lord would be. However, too often it seems that our fervor fades and grows dim the further away we get from the day we first believed. Perhaps the Lord is calling out to us today. He is asking us, “do we remember the days when we followed Him?” Perhaps He is telling us that He misses us. He misses those early morning talks. He misses those times of pouring into us as we search the scriptures. He misses those intimate times in the prayer closet. What about you? Do you miss those days when you followed after God? Do you miss those days when you pursued God? Do you long for the day when your walk with Him would once again be precious to you? (2) Remember the days when you obeyed me. The Lord also says through Jeremiah how He remembers the days when His people not only followed after Him but also, obeyed Him. I am afraid that we have become way too worldly today. We are so wrapped up in ourselves and worldly pleasures that we have forgotten God. We have become too comfortable in the world that we have lost sight of who He is. Like the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation, we have left our first love. Oh that we would return to a life of obedience! (3) Remember the days when you loved me. One of the saddest words we see in scripture is when God says, “I remember the love of your betrothal.” Basically, He is asking, “Do you remember the days when you loved me?” I pray that such a question would never be asked of me. I pray that my love for the Lord would always have the same passion as when I first believed. I pray that my love for the Lord would grow deeper and stronger. May it never be said that I no longer love the Lord!
Why have you forgotten me? The final two questions are revealed in verses 5-13. Thus says the Lord: What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, through a land of drought and the shadow of death, through a land that no one crossed and where no one dwelt?’ I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My Land and made My heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. “Therefore I will yet bring charges against you,” says the Lord, “And against your children’s children I will bring charges. For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, send to Kadar and consider diligently, and see if there has been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the Lord. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.[4]In these verses we see the brokenness of God. His heart is broken over the sins of His people. He has provided so much for them. He has protected them and blessed them; and yet, they turn their backs on them. Have you ever been stabbed in the back? I know I have, many times. As a pastor, I know all too well what it is like to be betrayed. Yet, have we not betrayed God? How have we betrayed God? What does God say? (1) You have stopped seeking me. Perhaps there was a time when you could not wait to get up early in the morning to spend time with the Lord. Perhaps there was a time when you could not wait to get to church on Sunday. Now, it does not excite you. You have lost your fervor. You have lost your passion. You no longer seek after God. (2) You have stopped worshipping me. You once lived a life of worship. Every day you lived to bring Him glory. Now you live for self. You live for what you can gain. Oh, that we would return to the Lord! May the fire that once burned in us be rekindled. May we once again seek after God and live a life of worship.
What have you done? I can almost see and feel the hurt in God’s voice. Like a loving mother with tears in her eyes says, “Child, what have you done? Why?” There are three things that God says to Judah. (1) You follow useless idols. He says that they pursued things that do not profit. How often do we do the same? We pursue everything in our lives except the Lord. We pursue wealth, health, and fame. But, do we pursue God? (2) You have abandoned Me. Can you imagine God saying that to you? Is it true? Have you abandoned God to follow after what pleases your flesh? We abandon Him when we stop reading His Word. We abandon Him when we stop praying. We abandon Him when we stop worshipping. We abandon Him when we forsake church attendance. We abandon Him when we do not give our tithes and offerings. May God forgive us! (3) You have gone your own way. It is important for us to understand that God’s way is always the best way. Yet, too often we go our own way. We do what we think is best. We think that our way is the best way. Let me tell you something I have learned with age: Most of the time our way is not God’s way. We cannot trust ourselves. Therefore, we must pray and seek Him. We must listen to His voice. We must get rid of our preconceived notions and ideas. We must simply follow Jesus one day at a time. Stop taking matters in your own hands. Trust in the Lord. Understand that His way is always the best way.
This study in the book of Jeremiah can be very depressing. In reading God’s Word to Jeremiah to be preached to the people of Judah, we can sense and feel the sadness in God’s heart. He is disappointed as His people whom He loves so dearly turn their backs on Him. Many of us can relate. We know how it feels to be let done by others. We know the hurt of betrayal. We know the pain of someone turning against us. Yet, how many times have we done the same to God? How many times have we broken His heart? Search within yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you and to reveal to you your sin. Repent of your sin. Turn to Jesus. Live a life that brings Him joy.
[1] The New King James Version (Je 2:2). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (Je 2:1–2). (2009). Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] The New King James Version (Je 2:2–3). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[4] The New King James Version (Je 2:5–13). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
Pastor Chris Noland 