Jeremiah
2 reminds me how young teens will try something taboo once, with no
apparent harm, and then conclude it makes them cool. Too often,
years later they begin to experience the consequences. These
decisions influence our friendships, our associations and our loves.
Mild rebellion can lead to major problems over time. This
happens with individuals and with cultures. Jeremiah speaks on
behalf of God, “I remember the
devotion of your youth… you loved Me and followed Me“.
He adds that “Israel was holy
to the Lord“. Speaking
to the “descendants of Jacob“,
with the pain of a parent seeing their own in handcuffs, he adds,
“They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves“.
There is no joy in God’s observation, “I
brought you into a fertile
land… and
rich produce… But you… made
My inheritance detestable“.
God denounced the priests, the leaders and the prophets because no
one asked, “Where is the
Lord?” Youths have
always snuck a beer back behind the church building, but now, no one
chastised them. Listen to the result, “I
will bring charges against your children’s children“.
Friend, are you dealing with generational stains? Do not take
it lightly, “Be appalled…
and
shudder with great horror“.
God
continues the history lesson with our two core problems, “They
have forsaken Me… and have
dug their own cisterns“.
When we reject God, we generally replace Him with something
inferior. The philosophies of man may be clever, but they tend
to make us self-centered. He asks, “Why…
drink water from the Nile?”
implying that we will keep sipping new things in search of what is
missing. God notes, “Your
backsliding will rebuke you“.
He describes His observations, “You…
have no awe of Me… broke off
your yoke… I will not serve You… you turn against Me… consider
what you have done“.
Have you experienced the misery of life without God at the center?
The
chapter closes with a time of reevaluation. Jeremiah observes,
“A
thief is disgraced when he is caught”
casting blame on anyone else.
He says, “Yet
when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’“.
God asks, “Where
then are the gods you made for yourselves?
…You
have all rebelled… Why do you bring charges against Me?”
With tears, God adds, “they
did not
respond
to correction“.
Here is an offer to those of us still teens inside, “You
of this generation, consider the Word of the Lord“.
All young people think they have to deal with all new problems.
Here is the truth, “There
is nothing new under the sun”
(Ecclesiastes 1:9). Since the fall, mankind has faced
temptation, fear, sickness and death. Our society says, “Kids
can’t help it”, but the Bible says, “Flee
the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and
peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart”
(2 Tim 2:22). How should we respond when the youth say to God,
“We
are free to roam;
we
will come to You no more“?
The Hebrew nation on decline drove God to conclude, “My
people have forgotten Me“.
Without the guidance or wisdom of God’s Word, the people are
deceived, “I
am innocent; He is not angry with me… I have not sinned“.
But God does not change. We can keep trying to fill the void
with every kind of new experience, but, nothing will work, “You
will be disappointed by Egypt as you were by Assyria“.
Have you had your fill of adolescent fun? Maybe it is time to
seek peace? Acts 2:38, “Repent
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit. The
promise is for you and your children… for all whom the Lord our God
will call“.
Jeremiah concludes, “The
Lord
has rejected those you trust“.
Are you still too cool to listen?