SCRIPTURE: JEREMIAH 3
UNFAITHFUL ISRAEL (vs. 6-23)
Judah was backsliding. They were gradually distancing from the Lord and ignoring His loving pleas. So God warned her and begged her to return but she refused. The people were faithless and they had perverted their ways, so God was calling them to return for he will cured them of backsliding.
PROMISES OF GOD IF THE PEOPLE WILL RETURN TO HIM:
- I will choose you and bring you to Zion. (v. 14)
- I will give you shepherds after my own heart , who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. (v. 15)
- I will increase your numbers in the land. (v. 16)
- I will gather all nations in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. (v. 17)
- The house of Judah will join the house of Israel together. (v. 18)
- I will give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. (v. 19)
- I will cure you of backsliding. (v. 22)
The Northern kingdom – Israel had fallen to Assyrian and its people had been taken into captivity. The tragic lesson of the fall should have taught the Southern kingdom-Judah to return to God. Jeremiah urged Judah to repent and return to God to avoid similar disaster. But Judah maintained the appearance of faith without a true heart.
Jeremiah predicted a day when the nations would be reunited, true worship would be reinstated, and sin would be seen for what it is.
THOUGHTS:
Backsliding means “disloyalty and faithlessness”. It is the first step for Christian to get away from God and jump into sin. People often leave their first love from God and gradually decline spiritually. They start living from the flesh and find themselves in trouble. The only way to avoid backsliding is to watch and pray.
Believing in the right doctrine without heartfelt commitment is like offering sacrifices without true repentance. To live without faith is hopeless and to express sorrow without change is hypocritical. Being sorry to sin is not enough. Repentance demands a change of mind and heart that results in a change behavior.