Jeremiah 3

The people of Judah, who were the audience for Jeremiah’s preaching, had turned away from God.  The exchanged their Glory for what does not profit.  You might want to excuse them by saying they did not know any better.  But today’s reading makes it clear that such was not the case.

In the days of King Hezekiah they had seen their sister nation, Israel, carried off by the Assyrians, removed from the land and deposited elsewhere.  It was made clear that this was God’s judgment on an adulterous people.  They also had exchanged their Glory for what did not profit.  Furthermore, when Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem turned to the Lord for help, they were delivered from the powerful Assyrian war machine.

Now it was approximately 75 years later.  Having endured the terribly wicked times under King Manasseh, Judah is now blessed with another godly King in Josiah.  In his time idols were removed from the land and there was a great celebration of the Passover (2 Chr. 34-35).  It was during this time of revival that Jeremiah began to preach.

You may wonder, if it was a time of spiritual revival, why Jeremiah was sent with this message of impending judgment.  The answer is, “’And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,’ says the Lord” (3:10).  The destruction of the idols in the high places had not removed them from the hearts of the people.  Their worship was pretend.  And the amazing thing about all this, as 3:11-4:2 indicates, is that Judah had seen all that happened to Israel and yet did not take warning.

How do we know when our worship of God is only in pretense and not real?  Here are a few of the indicators: fear, worry, bitterness, ingratitude, self-centeredness, impatience, marital dissatisfaction, prayerlessness and a neglected Bible.  These indicate that, whatever our outward actions and words, we have in fact forsaken the fountain of living waters.

There is a strong word in this passage for “religious” people.  Religious activity is not only wrong but is useless in honoring God if it does not come from the heart.  Thus Jeremiah pleads with the people to “break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns” (4:3-4).  The soil in a field must be cultivated first to prepare for the planting of the seed.  So our hearts must be humbled when we come to God.  There must be a confession (acknowledgment) of our sin, a heart-felt recognition of our need.  Without this, our religion is pretend.  We are hypocrites.

This day come to God, but not in pride.  Break up the hard soil of your heart!