Advent 2 - Meditations from Jeremiah
Read Jeremiah 11:1-8; 16:10-15
Consider
The
indictments against the chosen people only intensify after chapter Jeremiah
chapter two. Their evil has long enough been a stain not only on the earth, but
against God whose name they bear. God will be faithful to his word, and there
will be no escaping the promised judgments.
In today’s
world, the word ‘faith’ has become a harmless word, stripped strength and substance.
When something goes wrong, we ‘have faith’ that things will turn out right. But
why? What basis is there for such a claim? Faith is a word that demands
a foundation. If my wife tells me she will buy milk at the store on her way
home, I can have faith that she will – because she has proven herself
trustworthy and has given me something in which to trust (the words she spoke).
If she did not say anything about buying milk, I would have no grounds
to trust that she will buy anything whatsoever, regardless of how trustworthy
she is – because she has not given me a proposition in which to trust.
Faith is a
conviction of things not seen (Heb 11:1). Faith is the confidence that what God
says is true. And in Jeremiah 11, God will stay true to what he
said in his covenant.
The covenant
mentioned in Jeremiah 11 was the agreement, the contract made at Mt. Sinai
after God freed his people from slavery in Egypt. Covenants were common
agreements in the ancient world, often made between a powerful entity (or ‘overlord’)
and a party of weaker entities, (or ‘vassals’). Among other things, covenants
contained stipulations (laws) as well as blessings and curses. If the
stipulations were followed, blessings would follow (see Deut. 28:1-14). And if
the stipulations were broken, curses would come. This may sound like a
legalistic, works-based relationship but consider this – Israel was rescued by
God from Egypt having done nothing to deserve or earn His grace and salvation.
Obedience came after grace – not to earn grace, but in response to the God who
extended it.
Of special
interest to us are the covenant curses mentioned in Deut. 28:47-63. These curses
describe the people being removed from their country, scattered among the
nations, and serving their enemies:
Because you did not
serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of
the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom
the Lord will send against you. (Deut. 28:47-48)
And
the Lord will scatter you from one end of the earth to the other… (Deut 28:64)
This exile is
the promise referred to in Jeremiah 11:8. But the people did not believe it.
Where faith should have been found, there was only a hollow echo. God would
keep his promise, and as much as Jeremiah’s voice clamored from the people to
hear and be warned, it fell only on deaf ears.
For I
solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt,
warning them persistently even to this day saying, ‘Obey my voice.’ Yet they
did not obey… (Jer 11:7)
Our passage
in chapter 16 parallels the same curse. Verse 13, for example: “Therefore, I
will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers
have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show
you no favor.”
At this
point, it is worth stopping to ponder, how much faith do we really put in
Jesus’ words. Are his promises of blessing and curse (and yes – there are
both!) a fact to be reckoned with? Or will these too fall on deaf ears? His
warnings are to be heeded as closely the promises which we remember so well.
In his depth
of wisdom, even as the Lord promises to fulfill the covenant curses, he makes
another promise of salvation. Read again 16:14-15. Yes, he will hurl his people
out of the land – but he will also bring them back. The promise of return helped
give Daniel and other God-fearing exiles strength to be faithful to God even in
a foreign rule and opposition, much like we trust in the promise of Jesus to
return. Today we remember and celebrate how true faith characterizes those who
truly belong to God. God greatly honored Joseph and Mary’s faith – God himself
was brought up in their family.
When Mary was visited by Gabriel, her she responded in faith: “Behold, I am
the servant of the Lord” (Lk 1:38).
Joseph’s response to the angel of the Lord also contrasts Israel’s historic
unbelief: “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him” (Mt 1:24)
And Jesus himself demonstrated his faith and trust in the Father, though
he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied
himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to
the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:6-8)
Pray
Oh Father, keeper of covenants, both old and new, loyal to your people;
Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love –
Have mercy on me and my lack of faith.
For flesh is weak, and I need your Spirit to renew my heart and my mind.
Make me ever more aware of what draws my mind and affections,
That would compete in any way with allegiance to your word,
And love for your ways.
When you see me, see only the righteousness of Christ which he has given
me.
Lord I believe, help my unbelief.
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