THE LORD HAS REJECTED THOSE YOU TRUST

Passage: Jeremiah 2:20-3:5

Key verse: 2:37

NIV

20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke(A)
    and tore off your bonds;(B)
    you said, ‘I will not serve you!’(C)
Indeed, on every high hill(D)
    and under every spreading tree(E)
    you lay down as a prostitute.(F)
21 I had planted(G) you like a choice vine(H)
    of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
    into a corrupt,(I) wild vine?
22 Although you wash(J) yourself with soap(K)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.(L)
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(M)
    I have not run after the Baals’?(N)
See how you behaved in the valley;(O)
    consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
    running(P) here and there,
24 a wild donkey(Q) accustomed to the desert,(R)
    sniffing the wind in her craving—
    in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
    at mating time they will find her.
25 Do not run until your feet are bare
    and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!(S)
    I love foreign gods,(T)
    and I must go after them.’(U)

26 “As a thief is disgraced(V) when he is caught,
    so the people of Israel are disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
    their priests(W) and their prophets.(X)
27 They say to wood,(Y) ‘You are my father,’
    and to stone,(Z) ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs(AA) to me
    and not their faces;(AB)
yet when they are in trouble,(AC) they say,
    ‘Come and save(AD) us!’
28 Where then are the gods(AE) you made for yourselves?
    Let them come if they can save you
    when you are in trouble!(AF)
For you, Judah, have as many gods
    as you have towns.(AG)

29 “Why do you bring charges against me?
    You have all(AH) rebelled against me,”
declares the Lord.
30 “In vain I punished your people;
    they did not respond to correction.(AI)
Your sword has devoured your prophets(AJ)
    like a ravenous lion.

31 “You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:

“Have I been a desert to Israel
    or a land of great darkness?(AK)
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
    we will come to you no more’?(AL)
32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
    a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten(AM) me,
    days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing(AN) love!
    Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34 On your clothes is found
    the lifeblood(AO) of the innocent poor,
    though you did not catch them breaking in.(AP)
Yet in spite of all this
35     you say, ‘I am innocent;(AQ)
    he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment(AR) on you
    because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’(AS)
36 Why do you go about so much,
    changing(AT) your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt(AU)
    as you were by Assyria.
37 You will also leave that place
    with your hands on your head,(AV)
for the Lord has rejected those you trust;
    you will not be helped(AW) by them.

3 “If a man divorces(AX) his wife
    and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
    Would not the land be completely defiled?(AY)
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers(AZ)—
    would you now return to me?”(BA)
declares the Lord.
2 “Look up to the barren heights(BB) and see.
    Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside(BC) you sat waiting for lovers,
    sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land(BD)
    with your prostitution(BE) and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,(BF)
    and no spring rains(BG) have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen(BH) look of a prostitute;
    you refuse to blush with shame.(BI)
4 Have you not just called to me:
    ‘My Father,(BJ) my friend from my youth,(BK)
5 will you always be angry?(BL)
    Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
    but you do all the evil you can.”

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

20 “For long ago I (A)broke your yoke
    and burst your bonds;
    but you said, (B)‘I will not serve.’
Yes, (C)on every high hill
    and under every green tree
    you bowed down (D)like a whore.
21 (E)Yet I planted you a choice vine,
    wholly of pure seed.
(F)How then have you turned degenerate
    and become a wild vine?
22 Though you wash yourself with lye
    and use much soap,
    (G)the stain of your guilt is still before me,
declares the Lord God.
23 (H)How can you say, ‘I am not unclean,
    I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way (I)in the valley;
    know what you have done—
a restless young camel running here and there,
24     (J)a wild donkey used to the wilderness,
in her heat sniffing the wind!
    Who can restrain her lust?
None who seek her need weary themselves;
    in her month they will find her.
25 Keep (K)your feet from going unshod
    and (L)your throat from thirst.
But you said, ‘It is hopeless,
    (M)for I have loved foreigners,
    and after them I will go.’

26 “As a thief is shamed when caught,
    so the house of Israel shall be shamed:
(N)they, their kings, their officials,
    their priests, and their prophets,
27 who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
    and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their back to me,
    and not their face.
But (O)in the time of their trouble they say,
    ‘Arise and save us!’
28 But (P)where are your gods
    that you made for yourself?
Let them arise, (Q)if they can save you,
    in your time of trouble;
for (R)as many as your cities
    are your gods, O Judah.

29 “Why do you contend with me?
    You have all transgressed against me,
declares the Lord.
30 In vain have I (S)struck your children;
    they took no correction;
(T)your own sword devoured your prophets
    like a ravening lion.
31 And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
    or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
    we will come no more to you’?
32 (U)Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
    or a bride her attire?
Yet (V)my people have forgotten me
    days without number.

33 “How well you direct your course
    to seek love!
So that even to wicked women
    you have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
    (W)the lifeblood of the guiltless poor;
you did not find them (X)breaking in.
    Yet in spite of all these things
35 you say, ‘I am innocent;
    surely his anger has turned from me.’
(Y)Behold, I will bring you to judgment
    for (Z)saying, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 (AA)How much you go about,
    changing your way!
You shall be (AB)put to shame by Egypt
    as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37 From it too you will come away
    with (AC)your hands on your head,
for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
    and you will not prosper by them.

3 (AD)“If[a] a man divorces his wife
    and she goes from him
and becomes another man's wife,
    will he return to her?
(AE)Would not that land be greatly polluted?
(AF)You have played the whore with many lovers;
    and would you return to me?
declares the Lord.
2 Lift up your eyes to (AG)the bare heights, and see!
    Where have you not been ravished?
(AH)By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers
    like an Arab in the wilderness.
(AI)You have polluted the land
    with your vile whoredom.
3 (AJ)Therefore the showers have been withheld,
    and the spring rain has not come;
yet you have (AK)the forehead of a whore;
    you refuse to be ashamed.
4 Have you not just now (AL)called to me,
    ‘My father, you are the friend of my youth—
5 (AM)will he be angry forever,
    will he be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken,
    but you have done all the evil that you could.”

Footnotes
  1. Jeremiah 3:1 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Saying, “If
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

The people of Judah committed spiritual adultery as they turned away from God. They acted like a prostitute giving themselves to foreign gods (20). They were like unfruitful useless vines (21), stained clothes that could not be washed with soap (22), and animals in heat running after mates (23).

The people of Israel were disgraced as she tried to save herself by turning to Assyria and Egypt (26). As they turned to their gods made of stone and wood, they also thought other kings would help them out of trouble. They turned away from God’s grace and ignored his punishment (30). Then what was the result? They were disappointed by Egypt and Assyria. Salvation could not be found in those places where God did not dwell (37).

By the Mosaic Law, a woman who had left her husband and married another man could not return to her first husband later (3:1). The people of Judah took God’s grace for granted (4). But it was not something they could demand. They had to humbly repent and turn away from their way of evil (5).

Prayer: Father, please forgive me for my sins for turning away from you and seeking comfort elsewhere. Please accept my humble prayer as I come to you with a broken heart. I want to find comfort and peace as I live in your will.

One Word: Trust none other than the Lord.