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As we read Jeremiah Chapters 2,3 - the whole Hebrew nation is in view. Prophets tend to ignore the divided kingdom. They speak to the whole people of God. There had been a degree of prosperity and then there crept in the rot of compromise and complacency.

There were too many other things to do - so they no longer said - “Where is the Lord?” The people - the professional prophets - the priests - forgot to ask - “Where is the Lord?” How easy it can be to have a service and forget the Lord !! And you can get away from The Lord - just by forgetting. The ingratitude of the people – verses 6 to 8. It is so easy to be distracted by secondary things.

When you are distracted - you are defrauded. Baal may not place the same demands upon you but in reality you lose - you are robbed - you become desolate - you can be destroyed - and false gods have nothing to give you because they do not exist.

Verse 10. Search East or West – go on look elsewhere, if you must – but you will never find what I have offered you and promised you.

For example – verse 13 - Israel - take your water supply - and water is crucial and fundamental and basic in Israel. They left the spring of Living Water - and they dug cisterns - and the cisterns have cracked.

Jesus says - Come to Me and drink - all you who are thirsty - John 7.

A cistern can crack and leak. A spring fills up as soon as you take out - and as you draw what you require. “Israel, you have traded a Spring for a broken cracked cistern.” It produces nothing - it is not only sinful - but surprisingly silly. You have left God and gone after worthless things - and therefore have become worthless.

What we go after - that is what we become. The sense of the Hebrew is - you have gone after ‘bubbles’ and have become ‘hollow’. You have become hollow and empty. You have turned from the truth to idols. Israel had become a national nonentity.

Verse 14 . Were you born a slave? Why then has he become plunder? You have been so near the lion’s mouth. Syria had already come and devastated the ten tribes in the north - and Israel had now become a second rate nation - and why - the answer lies in verse 17 .

If you do not let God lead you - other nations will soon lead you.

Memphis = Egypt. Tahpanhes = city in Egypt. Shihor = Egypt.

This is why we are concerned that politicians apply the Word of God to their politics. This is why we need to base our theology - our beliefs - upon the Word of God – or, we will bring things upon ourselves.

Verse 21 . I planted you like a choice vine - a sorec vine used for the best and finest wine. Israel is likened to a choice vine – but you have run wild. You have become degenerate and defiled. You try to wash yourselves, but you just cannot get yourself clean. I wanted you to be cultivated and fruitful.

You will run any place - like a she-camel or donkey in heat - you will run after anyone - you are becoming hopeless. Here the female pursues the male. You are motivated by passion - and you wear out your shoes seeking SIN. Apply all this to what is happening around us today.

Verse 25 . You keep saying - I must - I must go after them. That is addiction - bondage - slavery - imprisonment.

Why? What has gone wrong with you? Israel, you will not get away with it. Some in our land today think we will pull through. We live in a moral universe - and we will not get away with anything - this is the madness of sin - you pay all the time and end up destroying yourself!

Verse 26 . When the crisis comes, you will be disgraced and deserted - disgraced like a professional thief who is caught by the police. There is no way out - no dignity - nothing to say for yourself.

Verse 28 . You have as many gods as you have towns. Why do you want to speak to trees and stones? Will they support you when trouble comes? This passage is full of questions to these people – questions which are highly relevant to today!

Verse 34 . The blood of innocent people is upon you. God never overlooks injustice. They wanted to be so free from God - to do this and that - whatever their desire.

If you run here and there, you will be disappointed.

Chapter 3 . Israel had become a hardened harlot. When trouble comes do you think you can just come trotting back to me? Are you coming back just because there has been no rain?

You call me Father and Friend - and yet, you are My divorced wife! STRONG!

Verse 4 . There was no sense of shame for the way they had treated God. They were almost saying - “Well Lord, there is no need to be angry with us for ever! Why are YOU still angry?”

God takes SIN seriously - when He calls people - He looks for love and faithfulness and loyalty from them. He was their HUSBAND - and they thought they could just walk back in whenever they liked. And the message is - You come back as a holy wife or not at all!

Yes, God is Father and Friend - but He is also Saviour and Lord and King. God was weary of this people - His People. –

Verse 5 – I hear your prayers, but you go out and do the opposite.

Jeremiah knows that they could not come back as they were - and he has no real note of hope in this message. It would need more than a Jeremiah - it would need more than a prophet.

It was going to need the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It required a new Covenant - a new family - a new relationship - a new bride, THE CHURCH - through Jesus Christ - God ultimately did a new thing.

Did many listen? I don’t think so – but Jeremiah had to go to Jerusalem and proclaim this message.

The word of God in all its truth – in all its fullness – has to be proclaimed and preached and spread abroad – that those today who have ears to hear may hear – may hear and heed what God is saying to those whom He has chosen.

“Holy Father – thank You for this passage – thank You for the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah – and for all who have gone before us proclaiming and preaching and teaching Your Word. Enable us to live lovingly and faithfully and obediently – passing on the truth revealed in the Scriptures, to those who come after us – we pray in Jesus’ Name.”

"Point of Reference" from Fred Price

Called To Brokenness