19 My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent,
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war. 20 Crash follows hard on crash;
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are laid waste,
my curtains in a moment. 21 How long must I see the standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For my people are foolish;
they know me not;
they are stupid children;
they have no understanding.
They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not.”
REFLECTION:
The people of Judah don’t know God, they only know how to indulge in pleasure, and they don’t want to live a life of integrity and kindness, so God calls them “foolish” (v22). Jeremiah saw that the coming judgment would lead people to an abyss of misery, so that he felt heart-piercing and mourned. This judgment will not end until the people repent and obey God’s commands. Although this prophecy originally pointed to the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah by Babylon, it was not unreasonable to also announce the judgment of the end times. “Not knowing God” is not just being ignorant of God, it is knowingly committing a crime, deliberately rebelling against Him and resisting Him. We should understand that not knowing God is the greatest foolishness, and this foolishness will manifest itself in every aspect of our daily lives. Today, the righteous God also pays great attention to our daily behaviour. The judgment that God imposed on the stupid Israelites will also come to those who “don’t know” Him today. Reflect whether I am a wise person or a foolish person? Or is it stubbornness mixed with wisdom? We should be vigilant, learn how to live a life of obedience to God, and strive to bear witness for God, learn more about God and please Him, so that we can stand fearlessly before God’s judgment.
PRAYER:
Pray to God, ask Him to enlighten and guide you in your daily life, so that you can know Him more deeply and experience His grace more fully. Ask God to make you more vigilant, so that you can be free from the influence and temptation of the unrighteous people around you and follow their way.
11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
“‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
I will not be angry forever. 13 Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree,
and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord. 14 Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
and I will bring you to Zion.
15 “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. 17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.
REFLECTION:
The Israelites of the Northern Kingdom were punished by God for their sins, and finally their country was destroyed, and they became captives of other countries. The people of Judah saw the judgment of Israel for their rampant paganism and moral decay; they undoubtedly believed that the Israelites deserved the punishment and sneered at them. Jeremiah told the remnants of Israel that Jehovah still blesses those who are willing to return to Him and confess their sins and repent, and warned those Judahites who thought they were innocent and smug to learn from the history of Israel’s fall and repent and return to Jehovah.
Since the people of Judah refused to repent, Jeremiah taught them with God’s promise to the remnants of Israel. When King Solomon ruled the entire nation of Israel, the people worshipped God in the magnificent temple. The ark of God was placed in the temple. Inside, there was a tablet engraved with the Ten Commandments, which was a symbol of God’s presence with the people. God’s love is fully manifested in this passage. Although the people are “faithless,” God still calls them “children” and eagerly calls them back to their homes. The voice of God calling His people to turn back across time and space and is echoing in our ears today. The question is whether our ears are open to listen, and our hearts are willing to repent?
PRAYER:
Pray for God to enable you to open your eyes, open your ears, and open your heart all the time, so that you can see, hear, and understand God’s good intentions for you in everything you experience. Ask God to help you desire for Him more and build an intimate relationship with Him, because He is your heavenly father and you are His beloved son or daughter.
1The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord,
“I remember the devotion of your youth,
your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown. 3 Israel was holy to the Lord,
the firstfruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it incurred guilt;
disaster came upon them,
declares the Lord.”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord:
“What wrong did your fathers find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? 6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that none passes through,
where no man dwells?’ 7 And I brought you into a plentiful land
to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, you defiled my land
and made my heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the shepherds transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal
and went after things that do not profit.
9 “Therefore I still contend with you,
declares the Lord,
and with your children’s children I will contend. 10 For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see,
or send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for that which does not profit. 12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.
REFLECTION:
This passage uses a marriage relationship as a metaphor for God’s love for His people and His people’s attachment for idols. The contrast between the two is sharp and strong, highlighting the sin of Judah (often referred to by the people of Jerusalem, the capital of the South Kingdom) of being unfaithful to God. Jeremiah rebuked Judah for always seeking safety and security in things that are vain and ever-changing, but not relying on the eternal and unchanging God. The various firstfruits are sacrifices to God, and the people of Judah have adhered to this law of offering throughout the ages. In the past, Judah was like the bride of God, a holy and loyal people, eager to please God. But in Jeremiah’s time, their behaviour was completely corrupted, in sharp contrast with the past.
Who would rather hew out cisterns to hold rainwater and abandon the endless stream of living water? God told the people of Judah that their behaviour of abandoning God and worshipping idols was just so stupid. To make matters worse, they chose broken cisterns that could not hold water in an attempt to carry the truth with a set of vain and foolish secular laws. Since God Himself is the source of living water, why should we abandon Him and attach to the “benefits” brought by the “cisterns” (money, power, or other things of the world)? We may obey God at first and please Him, but then we may be tempted to gradually turn away from Him and seek security in our possessions, abilities, or other things. Think about how you dedicated yourself to obey God at first, and then ask yourself whether you are still so sincere and enthusiastic now.
PRAYER:
Thank God for the abundant providence in your life physically and spiritually. Ask God to work in your heart so that you will be focused and fervent, and continue to serve and desire God in the years to come, without being distracted by the sounds of the world. Ask God to be the source of strength for all your activities and give you a more abundant life.
