2
Jeremiah Chapter 3
The Divine Commission:
Like Jeremiah, we are called and set apart to serve God’s kingdom: God stewards
3
The Call to True Repentance.
Does our relationship to God matter?
What is the most important ingredient in a relationship?
4
Jeremiah 3:1-5 NKJV
1 They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the Lord.
2 Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them Like an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have polluted the land With your harlotries and your wickedness.
5
Jeremiah 3:1-5 NKJV
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; You refuse to be ashamed.
4 Will you not from this time cry to Me, ‘My Father, You are the guide of my youth?
5 Will He remain angry forever? Will He keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and done evil things, As you were able.
6
The Divine Revelation:
The Lord revealed the true state of Israel's heart to Jeremiah.
The Root Cause:
Israel’s suffering stemmed from forsaking God's law and pursuing misplaced loves (idolatry).
The Calling:
Faithful stewardship requires righteous character.
7
The Heartbreak of Betrayal:
Just as marital infidelity breaks a spouse's heart, Israel’s unfaithfulness grieved the heart of God.
8
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 NKJV
1 When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,
2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife,
9
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 NKJV
3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,
4 “then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.”
10
A steward cannot serve His master faithfully without love.
Love is the main ingredient of who we serve and who we become.
11
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or energy into the natural environment, causing adverse changes to ecosystems, human health, and biological diversity.
Types of pollution can include air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, and spiritual pollution.
12
Spiritual Pollution:
Spiritual pollution corrupts your consciousness. Consequently, it affects your moral, ideological, and psychological views, leading to a lack of inner peace, ethical integrity, and love for God.
Spiritual pollution affects our stewardship in the kingdom of God because we become contaminated.
13
Spiritual Pollution:
Spiritual pollution includes worldly influences, evil thoughts, and behaviors.
Pollution slowly dilutes the key ingredient: love.
The Danger of This Dilution
It destroys the relationship between us and God.
14
Question:
Do you think God is pleased when the world is full of greedy people, deceitful people, and immoral people?
15
God knows exactly what is polluting your heart.
He knows and can diagnose you, and He has a plan for your treatment.
Like in Jeremiah's time, are we going to listen to Him, or will we question Him?
16
If you will not surrender and submit to His authority, there will be an judgement at the end of the day.
Jeremiah urged the people to surrender to Babylon or face death.
17
Jeremiah urged the people to surrender to Babylon or face death.
He believed God’s judgment on Judah for generations of idolatry and social injustice was at hand. Therefore, fighting Babylon was like fighting a prophecy from God that Judah could not win.
Therefore, he was viewed as a traitor and was punished with imprisonment, beatings, and mockery.
18
Jeremiah endured because he knew God, and the question is:
Do you know God?
19
Matthew 22:29 NKJV
Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
20
Jesus acknowledges this key ingredient by answering to the Pharisees Lawyer
Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV
21
Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””
22
Versus 6-12
Do we learn from others?
Although the Northern Kingdom was taken by Assyria, Judah, the Southern Kingdom, failed to learn; they continued to reject God, and Babylon eventually took them captive.
23
Versus 6-12
6 The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.
7 And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
24
Versus 6-12
8 Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.
9 So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
25
Versus 6-12
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD.
11 Then the LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say:
26
Versus 6-12
‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD;
‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you.
For I am merciful,’ says the LORD;
‘I will not remain angry forever.
27
Versus 6-12
13 Only acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the LORD your God,
And have scattered your charms
To alien deities under every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the LORD.
28
Versus 6-12
14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
29
God is deeply committed to our relationship with Him.
He knows who is pretending to love Him.
God examines our hearts and knows who is wicked, even more so than non-believers.
30
One thing we should know is that our God is merciful and ready to accept us as we are, as long as we acknowledge our sin, ask for forgiveness, and He is going to restore us cleanse our land.
II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
31
II Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
32
Versus 15
And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
33
God cry to us: Please come back to me and I will have a shepherd for you
Shepherd has to seek God heart: God heart is for His children
34
The Role of the shepherd
Knowledge
Understanding
The love of God
Honest confession
35
I John 1:5-10 NKJV
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
36
I John 1:5-10 NKJV
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,
9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
37
I John 2:9-11 NKJV
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the lights, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going,
38
God has appointed watchmen to sound the alarm but the question is will the people be stubborn and refuse to listen or will they walk in it?
Please follow the light
Redirect the lost
39
Start the journey, He will go with you.
God is waiting and will continue to do things in you and through you
40
Amen