Jeremiah 3:6-4:4

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning, we're going to be going through the rest of Jeremiah chapter three on this call to repentance. But as we go through, there's two things I want to say. Number one is that I was hoping to get far further ahead with recording devotions before I go out to Golden Bell to teach at the conference in Colorado. That didn't happen. So we're probably going to be taking just about a week off or so. So I'll check back in when we get back from Synod and then Colorado. But also, things are going to look a little bit different in devotions as we go through Jeremiah. Let's have some coffee though, we'll pray, and then I'll tell you about what devotions will look like through Jeremiah.
Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for the blessing it is to get to read your Word. We thank you for the joy of your salvation and the love that you have shown us in the work of your Holy Spirit in our lives. God, we pray that you would please teach us to follow after you. Please teach us to heed these words in our own lives, not just to apply them to people in the past, but that your Spirit would apply them to us. Humble us, Lord, and teach us your ways. In Jesus' name, amen.
So how will we be doing this? Well, we'll still be doing A, what's this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize? And C, what are we called to do? But instead of the about being kind of like the whole thing and read the whole thing and then talk, it's going to be section by section because that's really how Jeremiah often moves is he'll speak almost in paragraphs of illustrative prophetic material. And so we'll read that, we'll talk about it, we'll read it, we'll talk about it, read it, talk about it, and then we'll talk about all of it at once, how it all ties together. So I just think that's the best way to go through Jeremiah, and so that's what we'll do. All right, so here we go. Jeremiah chapter 3, beginning at verse 6. The Lord also said to me in the days of Josiah the king, have you seen what backsliding Israel has done?
She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree and played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, return to me. She did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass through her casual harlotry that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, had not turned to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says the Lord.
So God, the Lord's saying here, Israel's been broken up into two nations. This is the prophecy to Jeremiah during the days of Josiah the king. There's a reformation that's going on in the country. There's a revival of the spirit in people's lives happening. But in the North, Assyria's already taken. The people, right, they're gone. Because they had committed adultery, going to the high places and worshiping stone and wood, and the Lord says, I saw all that, and I gave them the certificate of divorce. But the country in the south, Judah, they wouldn't listen. They didn't heed that warning. They'll say that they're following me, but it's just words. It's just words, but they're not following me with their heart. Then the Lord said to me, backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these words towards the north and say, return backsliding Israel, says the Lord.
I will not cause my anger to fall on you, for I am merciful, says the Lord. I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God. You have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree. And you have not obeyed my voice, says the Lord. Return, O backsliding children, says the Lord, for I am married to you.
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. This is him calling Israel back to repentance. Those people, he had said he issued them a divorce decree. Did you pick up how hard that was in verse eight? I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, and yet he's saying, return to me, return to me, come. And he shows that I'll give you love. I will give you shepherds, we'll feed you and care for you.
That's the mercy of God, but that's also his judgment on Judah. He's saying Israel might listen, but you won't. Then it shall come to pass, verse 16, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, that they will say no more. The ark of the covenant of the Lord.
It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. They're going to forget the Ark of the Covenant. They're going to forget God's throne there. They're going to forget the law. They're going to forget His glory. They're going to forget their King. Verse 17, At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it. The name of the Lord to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem, no more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts."
And here he's showing they will repent. Right here, they're going to call on the throne of the Lord. They're going to remember their king, and the nations are going to come together. They're going to come together at the name of Yehovah. They're going to go to his capital city. They're going to go to Jerusalem.
They're not going to follow, interesting, the dictates of their evil hearts at their own natural inclinations. In those days, the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers. This restoration is this vision that Jeremiah is telling them from the Lord. But verse 19, this is where it goes into kind of paragraphs again. How can I put you among the children and give you a pleasant land, a beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?" How's he able to do this? How's it fair that he does this?
And I said, you shall call me my father and not turn away from me. Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, says the Lord. A voice was heard on the desolate heights, weeping and supplication of the children of Israel, for they have perverted their way.
They had forgotten Jehovah, their God. Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. God knows that they have backslidden. God knows that they have turned away from Him. God knows that they've chased their evil idols and they're saying, come back to me though. I'll heal you of that. Indeed, we do come to you. For you are Yehovah, our God.
Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills. and from the multitude of mountains. Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God." And here we see them confessing their sins.
If you will return, O Israel, says Jehovah, return to me. And if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear the Lord lives in truth and judgment and in righteousness. The nation shall bless themselves in him, and in him they shall glory. He says, if you'll really return to me, if you'll really return to me, then you'll swear Jehovah lives. The nations will bless themselves in God, and God will glory in them. There will be a restoration from their sin when they repent.
Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskin of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my fury come forth like a fire, and burn so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings. So in this final section, break up your fallow grounds. The Lord's telling them, circumcise your hearts.
It's not good enough that you just have the sign of the covenant on you, but do you actually love me with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? Are you devoted to me in your soul? You men of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, last what? Fire will come. Judgment will come and burn so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings. God's not playing around here. You repent, you turn to him, you love him, or there's death. So what's this section about? God is issuing a call to repentance. God is calling them to turn away from their idolatry and he's standing at the door telling them, now is your opportunity to repent. I don't care for you, I love you. What's the best verse to summarize this section?
Well, in my Bible I have verse 22 underlined. Return you backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings. I also have verse 15 underlined. I have verse 13 underlined. So maybe you can underline something else in your Bible. But I think that whole point of return from your backslidings and I will heal you from your backslidings.
So seek calling. What are we called to do? Maybe you've found yourself backsliding. Maybe you've gone back to your old idol of sexual immorality. Will you repent? Will you return to Him so He might heal you? Maybe you've gone back to your idol of drunkenness. Will you turn from that? Will you return from your backsliding and turn unto the Lord?
Maybe you've given into the idol of your own pride and your anger. You've been treating your family and your friends or your co-workers with arrogance and with quarrelsomeness and disdain. And you've not put on love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Will you repent from your anger? Maybe your covetous heart has gotten in front of you and you've been stealing from your boss or from your workplace. Will you turn away from backslidings? Will you turn to the Lord and love Him? Will you love others as yourself?
The grace is standing there, right there for you. Remember Jeremiah's writing to the people of God. They know the gospel. They've been circumcised in their flesh. Now he's telling them, you need to circumcise your heart. Will you be utterly devoted to the Lord? Maybe today's the day that you need to remember, I need to remember, that God stands at the door knocking.
Will we turn from our sin? The gospel's here in Jeremiah. The gospel is true in your life. God knows your sin, He knows your treachery, and yet He says, still I'll love you. Just turn from your sin and turn towards me. Repent and believe. God's made the way for you to be healed in his son. Will you turn from death and turn into life? Let's pray.
God, we pray, knowing you know how easy it is for us to backslide to turn. But You are a good God. You are wonderful in all Your ways and merciful in Your deeds. God, please work in our hearts by Your Holy Spirit in such a way that You would indeed let us turn from our treachery. Heal our backslidings, Lord.
Turn us to Yourself. Father, please let us see how You have judged, because someday fire will return. Lord, we know that it is appointed for every man to die once, and then after that, the judgment. So God, please, turn us towards life. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Well, may the Lord bless you. May you know that He stands there as a loving Father, as a husband ready to forgive. And may you enjoy Him forever. I'll see you next time. Bye.