Jeremiah 34 reminds me of a very real phenomenon called Buyer’s Remorse. That is the fear that hits after a major purchase, causing you to doubt the decision’s wisdom afterwards. Many contracts have specific language to prevent the urge to undo things until the uneasiness passes. In today’s chapter, we see an example of Repenter’s Remorse. Very often, under stress, we make a deal with God, and then change our mind when the urgency passes. We simply break our promise and revert to our old ways as if the promise was never made. Some of us are serial promise breakers that have accepted guilt and shame as normal. The chapter begins, “While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army… were fighting against Jerusalem… word came to Jeremiah from the Lord… Go to Zedekiah king of Judah”. God’s message is simple, “I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. You will not escape from his grasp… you will go to Babylon”. But God added a promise, “You will not die by the sword;you will die peacefully”. Notice this is not a conditional promise that depended on Zedekiah’s trustworthiness. “I Myself make this promise, declares the Lord”. God does not need anyone else in order to create something new. Are you in need of something new?
At the same time, apparently Zedekiah had made a deal with the people in Jerusalem to “proclaim freedom for the slaves”. Maybe this was Zedekiah’s response to the goodness God showed him. “Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female”. The law declared that all Hebrew slaves were to be set free of their oath in the seventh year. This was God’s plan to make sure the people never lost permanent possession of the land assigned to them by tribe. The people had not been keeping the law. Like we too often do, “They agreed, and set them free. But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves”. Maybe they were expecting perfect peace to follow, or maybe it was just hard, but they slide right back to their old ways in a hurry. Do you find yourself slipping back too easily?
God noticed, “Recently you repented and did what is right in My sight…But now you have turned around and profaned My Name”. The thing that angered God was misrepresenting Him. God allowed them to suffer the consequences of disobedience, “You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people… Those who… have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me… I will deliver into the hands of their enemies”. God put the brakes on the enemy’s retreat, “the army… which has withdrawn from you… I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down”. We blame God for our weakness, but never invite Him to participate with us. Even Jesus’ Disciples struggled with this, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). We will continue to struggle when we rely on our own strength alone. Jesus made a promise before His ascension, “wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized withwater, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). Are you tired of breaking promises to yourself or God? Maybe it is time to call on the Holy Spirit of God to remove your remorse and enter His peace.