Return to the Lord

Jeremiah was God’s prophet commissioned to preach to Judah in the years leading up to their destruction. In delivering God’s message, he encouraged the people to return to the Lord as the source of healing and spiritual stability, pleading, “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove” (Jeremiah 4:1). God threatened Judah with punishment and called for them to blow the trumpet, to sound the alarm so that people would be gathered in the city to seek protection (Jeremiah 4:5-6). God would send disaster from the north by allowing Babylon to destroy Judah if they continued in their sinful ways (Jeremiah 1:13-14; 20:4-6). Dan, the northern-most city, would be the first to see the threat and cry out, the news spreading south to mount Ephraim, who would in turn issue a call of distress (Jeremiah 4:15). The people needed to wake up and repent or they would be destroyed. But instead of seeking the Lord and returning to the old paths wherein they would find the good way, they obstinately refused to walk in it (Jeremiah 6:16). God’s grace was extended to them; He wanted to heal them, but repentance was absolutely required.

There were false prophets who comforted the people of Judah in their sin by preaching that God would not destroy them, “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). The people of Judah should have known better. God had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC because of their sins. God’s track record indicated that though he was merciful and patient, He would not tolerate high-handed sin forever. God will eventually punish sin. They could appease themselves by heaping up false teachers to tell them what they wanted to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). However, in the end Babylon still came. This pointed question was put to these people, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:31).

All the false prophets did was make the people unashamed and comfortable in their sin. “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 6:15). Today there are many influences that make us comfortable in our sins. We live in an age where it seems that people cannot blush. Everything is proudly put on display for the world to see. Sins are broadcast in a brazen act of defiance against God.

The reality is that every sin, whether seen by all or none, is seen by God; “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). God does not want to destroy us; He wants to heal us from our sins and their consequences. The Lord warns us of the impending punishment and pleads with us to come to Him to escape it (Matthew 10:28; 11:28).

–Mark Day