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Jeremiah 3 (ESV)
11 And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
“‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
for I am merciful,
declares the Lord;
I will not be angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree,
and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord.
14 Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
and I will bring you to Zion.
15 “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. 17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.
REFLECTION:
The Israelites of the Northern Kingdom were punished by God for their crimes, and finally their country was destroyed, and they became captives of other countries. The people of Judah saw the rampant paganism in Israel and their moral decay and suffered this judgment. They undoubtedly believed that the Israelites deserved their sins and sneered at them. Jeremiah told the remnants of Israel that Jehovah still blesses those who are willing to return to Him and confess their sins and repent, and warned those Judahites who thought they were innocent and smug to learn from the history of Israel’s fall and repent and return to Jehovah. Since the people of Judah refused to repent, Jeremiah taught them with God’s promise to the remnants of Israel. When King Solomon ruled the entire nation of Israel, the people worshipped God in the magnificent temple. The ark of God was placed in the temple. Inside, there was a tablet engraved with the “Ten Commandments”, which was a symbol of God’s presence with the people. God’s love is fully manifested in this passage. Although the people are “faithless,” God still calls them “children” and eagerly calls them back to their homes. The voice of God calling His people to turn back across time and space and is echoing in our ears today. The question is whether our ears are open to listen, and our hearts are willing to repent?
PRAYER:
Pray for God to enable you to open your eyes, open your ears, and open your heart all the time, so that you can see, hear, and understand God’s good intentions for you in everything you experience. Ask God to help you desire for Him more and build an intimate relationship with Him, because He is your heavenly father and you are His beloved son or daughter.
HYMN:
His Mercy Is More – youtu.be/I1GiZL60c80
