Their Sin Wounded God

Jeremiah 2:4 Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: 5 Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

1. God remembered their first love Jeremiah 2:1 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

2. When they first came to know their Lord they had been loyal and faithful to God kindness of thy youth,

3. They had shown newly wed love for the Lord love of thine espousals,

4. They followed Him where He led them wentest after me in the wilderness,

5. God had marked Israel specially and protected her Jeremiah 2:3 Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

6. Have you left your first love Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

7. Do you work at feeding your love for the Lord Jesus

8. Are you guarding your love for the Lord

9. How can you get back your first love

10. Remember what He has done for you

11. Return to the Lord with that love you once had

12. Hear the pain in the Lord’s heart as He discusses their losing their love for Him

13. God asks what He has done wrong that would cause them to walk away Jeremiah 2:4 Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: 5 Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

14. You can’t deny that He brought you up out of Egypt, out of slavery and death to the promised land Jeremiah 2:6 Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? 7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

15. Their spiritual leaders knew better but chose to walk away Jeremiah 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

16. God finds it strange that those that worship false gods are faithful to their idols but His people are not faithful Jeremiah 2:9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children’s children will I plead. 10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. 11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

17. How come the wicked are more faithful to the lie than we are to the truth

18. How easily are you persuaded to follow the gods of this world, money, power, popularity instead of God

19. They had exchange the God of power for the unsatisfying things of this world Jeremiah 2:12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. 13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

20. They were destroying their lives by seeking their own satisfaction, their water

21. They gave up a God who works for something they could do to replace Him

22. They should have realized that their efforts could bring only disillusionment and failure

23. God never intended for His people to be hurt but they left God Jeremiah 2:14 Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? 15 The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. 16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.

24. Didn’t you bring this on yourself Jeremiah 2:17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?

25. Isn’t it because you chose to walk away from God hast forsaken the Lord thy God,

26. Don’t blame God for the consequences of your sin and rebellion

27. Their suffering is their own fault, a consequence for their sin Jeremiah 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.

28. God said He didn’t do this to them

29. He had freed them from slavery Jeremiah 2:20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

30. He had taken them from sin and made them noble, gave them their dignity back Jeremiah 2:21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

31. The world offers beautiful things but can never deliver without much pain and suffering, plus eternal consequences

32. Don’t pretend you are not living in sin

33. The stains of your sin are clearly seen and you can’t remove it Jeremiah 2:22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.

34. How dare you lie and say you are not in sin Jeremiah 2:23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

35. You run quickly after sin thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

36. Like a wild donkey seeking out pleasure you go Jeremiah 2:24 A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. 25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

37. They were seeking the sex sin of Balaam and couldn’t stop

38. They were addicted

39. They would let no one stop them in their pursuit of pleasure

40. They are only embarrassed that they have been caught and called out in their sin Jeremiah 2:26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

41. They are sorry they are caught but not sorry for their sin

42. They repent but not true heartfelt repentance

43. They are worshipping tree trunks Jeremiah 2:27 Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

44. They choose false gods until they get in trouble

45. If they love their false gods then the false gods should be who they look to in trouble Jeremiah 2:28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

46. Only genuine repentance works

47. We should be loving God with all of our hearts

48. Getting caught in sin and embarrassed is not enough

49. We must return to our first love

50. Why are you calling on God

51. You know that you have sinned against me Jeremiah 2:29 Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord.

52. God’s discipline has not been working in their lives Jeremiah 2:30 In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

53. How do you forget my love for you Jeremiah 2:32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

54. Not only did they forget to love Him but they taught others to love sin Jeremiah 2:33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

55. Your sin is so obvious that I didn’t have to secretly search for it Jeremiah 2:34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

56. They still wanted to claim to be innocent Jeremiah 2:35 Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

57. Their sin had caught up with them Jeremiah 2:37 Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

58. We can’t call on God only when we need Him. He wants us to return to our love for Him

• Remember that He loves you and saved you from sin

• He gave you a new life and made you a new creature

• He wants your love

• What has God done that caused you to lessen your love for Him?

• Would you take time to think about how good He has been to you?

• Your religious substitutes will never satisfy like the real relationship with God

• God doesn’t want to see you suffering without His blessings and help

• You have allowed your sins to separate you from blessing

• Why don’t you genuinely call on God to work in your life

• Stop playing religious and sinful games