The Unfaithful Bride

Jeremiah 2:32

“A young woman can’t forget her jewelry or a bride her veils.

    Yet, my people have forgotten me for countless days.” NOG

Read Jeremiah 2

Remember how you used to be?

Anybody ever said those words, or something similar? Sometimes that can be the most painful thing about a tough relationship; looking back on days when it was better, easier. When there was more love.

(Why is it we all want love so badly anyway? Perhaps because our souls are pre-wired to be incomplete without God, and God is love (I Jn 4:8). Just a thought.)

Is this ringing familiar to anyone? It hits especially close to home for me.

Now let’s take a closer look at our text. Jeremiah 2. Who is speaking here? And who is being addressed? It is God speaking to His beloved people.

Read Jeremiah 2:1-2

Jeremiah 2:2b “I remember how eager you were to please me    as a young bride long ago,how you loved me and followed me    even through the barren wilderness.” NLT

Even through the barren wilderness. No matter what.

Then, as only God can, He asks a rhetorical question- see verse 5.

“What did you find wrong with me?”

Something caused them to stray, and God is asking them to identify what it is. So often we find ourselves in a place we don’t like, full of hurt or disappointment and we look and ask God “why?” and wonder why He let us down. Conciously or not, we often blame God when we feel separated from Him.

Are you feeling me?

“What did you find wrong with me?”

Let’s read this next segment replacing ‘they’ with ‘you’. See if it hits your heart a little deeper like it did mine.

Jeremiah 2:3-13

 You worshipped idols and thus made yourselves worthless.You did not recognize My Hand that delivered you.You trashed what good things I gave you.You ignored me even in your Bible study.

Is this breaking your heart? It is mine.

Because we’ve all done it.

The unfaithful bride has no excuse.

Romans 1:20-2520 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” NLT

Be appalled.

Read Jeremiah 2:23-25

God wants us to look square-on at what we’ve done: You’ve made yourself cheap.

God cries out to His beloved,

“When will you stop running?”

He has not given up on you. He IS still waiting, even when you have given up on yourself.

Do not fool yourself, sister. God IS hurt when we act this way.

Read 27-28

He recognizes the way we turn our back on Him until things get bad. Do you see it? The hurt in His Holy voice in verse 28?
“Why not call on these gods you have made?”

Because, dear sisters, in our heart of hearts, no matter now deeply we have given up on God, we know He is the only real answer.

When we have given up on God it is exactly that- (verse 29) we are the ones who are quitting. God never failed- we did.

Read verses 29-36

God says even an experienced prostitute could learn from this behavior.

This is serious.

And there are serious consequenses. (verse 37)

Always.

Because whether or not we realize it, God is faithful.

I think of no better way to close than with God’s own question:

“How long will you keep running?”

Gift to the Bridegroom

Isaiah 62:5 “Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

Read Isaiah 62:1-5

Imagine: You are engaged to be married! Every waking hour, you are daydreaming about your fiancé. Anybody? Can you relate?

The closer the wedding gets, the more you yearn to be with him. And he yearns to be with you.

Christ yearns for that day too – that day when He shall be united with His Bride and live forever. Happily ever after.

There will be no “till death do us part” and only “for as long as we both shall live”; for, sisters, that will be eternity, amen?

Being that He is Royalty, the Son of the Almighty, All-Sufficient God. What on earth are we to offer as a gift to our Groom?

He only wants one thing.

You.

Beautiful, precious, redeemed you.

Isaiah 62:1a “Because I love Zion,    I will not keep still.Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,    I cannot remain silent.”

He can’t even hold still He wants you so badly. He loves you, Dear One.

2 “The nations will see your righteousness.    World leaders will be blinded by your glory.And you will be given a new name    by the Lord’s own mouth.3 The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—    a splendid crown in the hand of God.”

He yearns for you to take His name and wear His diamond ring of His glory, the one He fitted just for you so all the world will know we belong to Him and no one else.

4b “Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”    and “The Bride of God,”for the Lord delights in you    and will claim you as his bride.”

Your new name will be the Bride of God. You bring Him such delight!

He claims you.

Bask in that sweet acceptance for a moment. It is wonderful!

Now, I do have an exhortation for you: Act like it. You are spoken for. You are wearing His ring. Be a faithful Bride.

Read Romans 7:1-4.

Now hone in on verse 4 where it says

"And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead."

We are bound to Him (and thank Goodness, for (Romans 6:21) without Him we could only be united with eternal doom), and so to let our allegiance stray, or to desire another is adultery. We are married to Christ for life. Eternal life.

Stay with me here. The gift He asks of us

is us.

He wants our heart, and doesn’t want us to give that heart to anything else – sin, greed, pride, selfishness.

Let’s bring it even closer to home: job, money, friendships, clothes, hobbies, family relationships… [fill in the blank]. He doesn’t forbid these things, but He does want our whole heart. As a faithful Bride, love Him with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”

Luke 10:27 “The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

You are His greatest gift.

Isaiah 62:11-12 “The Lord has sent this message to every land:    “Tell the people of Israel,[a]‘Look, your Savior is coming.    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”12 They will be called “The Holy People”    and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”    and “The City No Longer Forsaken.””

He is committed to you

Isaiah 62:5 “Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,    just as a young man commits himself to his bride.Then God will rejoice over you    as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

Commit yourself to Him, that he may rejoice over His faithful Bride.