Jeremiah 11 reminds me of my son’s inability to avoid bouncing checks. The bank is very clear about their rule; you cannot spend more money than you have in your account. They put it in writing and I remind him regularly, yet, somehow the pattern is still repeated. When they charge him, the bank is simply keeping their promise. Today’s chapter begins with God speaking to Jeremiah, “Listen to the terms of this covenant“. It seems like He is saying this for the zillionth time, “Tell them to the people… Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant“. God explains that this is the promise I made to “your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt“. Like every good contract, it is simple to read, “Obey Me… and you will be My people, and I will be your God“. He even reminds them of the end result, “I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’ the land you possess today“. Jeremiah replies, with a weary, “Amen, Lord” because he knows how stubborn we are. God adds, “I warned them again and again… But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts“. Are you tossing the warning notices in the trash?
The people stopped trying; they weren’t even going through the motions to reconcile their account. “There is a conspiracy among the people… They have returned to the sins of their ancestors“. Instead they kept writing checks without depositing anything. “They have followed other gods… Therefore… I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them“. God will close their account to prevent them from getting into eternal debt. God gave important instruction to Jeremiah, “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to Me in the time of their distress“. Do you know this feeling?
The people reacted by taking up their relics and imitating the rituals of their ancestors with no real understanding. God observed, “What is My beloved doing in My temple as she… works out her evil schemes?” They were not returning to God, they just want to “avert your punishment” while continuing to “engage in your wickedness“. This is what we do when we try “living right” for a few days, hoping God will forget about all of our sin. Jeremiah tells them, “The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form“, but now, “its branches will be broken“. The people do not see their error. Their solution was to kill the Jeremiah! “Let us cut him off from the land of the living“. Jeremiah now understood how far the people had fallen. Realizing he can no longer enable them to live beyond their means, Jeremiah yields, “You, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance on them“. Do you want to see your heavenly ledger? Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God“. Hebrews 9:22 adds, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness“. We are in deep debt with no way to pay. Friend, here is the good news, the Lamb of God willingly paid the penalty required by the law. “He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15). According to Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s gracethat He lavished on us“. Friend, have you been borrowing and spending God’s patience and mercy? Today you can be debt free, by faith in the work of Jesus Christ. “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9).