A Merciful Father

September 22, 2016

Jeremiah 3:11-14

“And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 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.  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.  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.”

God is telling Jeremiah to go to the North Kingdom with this message, you are a bunch of whores, but I’ve seen more righteousness in you than in that two-faced and deceitful Judah. Yes, the Lord has given Israel a divorce and allowed the Assyrians to overrun and take them captive, but it is not Kings or Presidents that have the final say, but our great and mighty God.  We in the U.S.A. would be very wise to believe that God is in total control and that both political parties are tools in His hand to bring blessing or curses. 

So this is the message to Israel, return home to me, and I will not show anger, but I will show mercy.  Yes, there always seems to be a “but God,” and it’s not all that simple, for one must check his pride at the door.  Acknowledge your guilt that you have as a person, and a nation rebelled against the Lord your God, chased after little gods, who can’t hear or see.  God is telling Jeremiah to remind Israel of the covenants He had made with them, and how they had disregarded His commandments.  How we in the West need to do this, and this was God’s promise to them; “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.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice