Loveable or Leavable?
October 4 Jeremiah 2:31-4:18
Object Lessons That Demand Obedience
LOVEABLE OR LEAVABLE
“Does a young woman forget her jewelry, or a bride her wedding dress?” (Jer. 2:32)
Today’s object lesson focuses on a wedding dress. What a vision of elegance!
What would you say if I told you that I actually won a free wedding dress?
It’s true! Absolutely true!
I went to a bridal show with my friend as we were each getting married. The bridal show was put on by Penneys. I went with my friend as she was doing some planning, but I was the person that won a free dress when they drew my name in a drawing.
Not only did I win a wedding dress, I actually lost my wedding dress… for a while!
I got married in a very large church with many floors (three stories) and many classrooms. They didn’t have a set “Bridal changing room”. They just marked off a section for the bridal group. A variety of people helped carry things in, and someone hung my dress in a classroom. The only problem was that no one was certain where they put it! There was a lot of last-minute hunting!
Some you WIN, and some you LOSE. Easy come. Easy go!
That was actually the attitude of the nation of Judah in God’s eyes…
In fact, He compared them with the nation of Israel in the area of faithfulness and Judah lost.
So, that should tell you a LOT! In fact, the term that God uses for the nation of Judah is not “Bride”; it is “Prostitute”. He said, “But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?” (3:1)
His words were, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah!” (3:11) OUCH!
The visual He gives is of idol shrines on every hilltop and He asks this question, “Is there any place you have not been defiled?” (3:2)
Every good country song goes something like this, “Baby you ‘done’ me wrong…”
But, can you imagine being the God of the universe who constantly rescues your bride, and instead of loving you back or being thankful, she runs towards evil with every breath in her body?
The story of Gomar and Hosea found in the book of Hosea is a parallel passage to what is being discussed in these chapters of Jeremiah. Talk about an object lesson when it comes to “Brides”... Hosea is the object lesson and “Gomer is the Roamer”!
Why would God ask a devout covenant man to marry a prostitute?
The word used in most translations is actually “whore”. Whoa!
Hosea had a ministry before their exile to Babylon and God used Hosea’s own life as a symbol for Israel’s sin. The book covers two thematic sections, Hosea, Gomer, and their children, and God and Israel. Both are stories of covenant relationships that get violated and then restored.
Listen to Hosea’s instructions, “Go, take yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” (Hosea 1:2)
By setting this example, God wanted Israel to understand the extent of their sins.
Jeremiah writes, “Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah!” They took depravity to such an extent that God is sending judgment. It is imminent.
Sometimes, we think the judgment of God sounds harsh. Can’t he just love everybody?
How well would we do if our spouse not only cheated with everyone imaginable but also brought evil into our home and complete depravity? Not only that, but they cheated publicly on hillsides for all to see. Add to that, that they offered their children to be used for sexual perversion, orgies, and sacrifice…
That was exactly what was going on with idol worship of that day!
Listen to God’s heart, “I thought to myself, ‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’ … ‘I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me. But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the LORD, have spoken.” (3:19-20)
You may remember the movie “Runaway Bride” with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. It was a classic. This beautiful bride left THREE men at the altar and was getting ready for her Fourth Dash when Richard Gere came as a newspaper reporter to catch her running a fourth time. Men just couldn’t help falling for this heartbreaker!
She was so LOVEABLE and LEAVEABLE!
They all just wanted her to return to them. The movie was so cute and humorous.
However, I wonder how many times we “RUN” from God and “CLING” to unhealthy substitutions!
What kind of bride are we…LOVEABLE or LEAVEABLE?
