“If a man divorces his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers—
would you now return to me?”
declares the LORD.
2 “Look up to the barren heights and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land
with your prostitution and wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld,
and no spring rains have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.
4 Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father, my friend from my youth,
5 will you always be angry?
Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
but you do all the evil you can.”
Unfaithful Israel
6 During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. 8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
11 The LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. 12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north:
“‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD,
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt—
you have rebelled against the LORD your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods
under every spreading tree,
and have not obeyed me,’”
declares the LORD.
14 “Return, faithless people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the LORD, “men will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18 In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.
My Understanding: The Lord is talking here about his children, Israel. Today, since Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and we entered into a new covenant with God, we, the church, are God’s children, his chosen people Israel through faith in Jesus Christ. So, this passage of scripture can well be applied to us now today, if the shoe fits.
God is describing here his people who were faithless and who prostituted themselves with other lovers, i.e. they went after “other gods” and followed men and man-made things more than or in place of following God with their lives. They relied upon men and man’s provisions in place of or over and above God and his provisions. So, God is addressing those of his, or those who at least claim to be his, and he is speaking to them, and now to us, if the shoe fits, concerning their (or our) “prostitution” and their (or our) idolatry.
God had to bring divine judgment on the people because of their idolatry and their refusal to repent and to even blush with shame. In other words, they didn’t even feel a twinge of guilt over their sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery. Yet, they called God their Father and friend from their youth, and they asked him if he will be angry forever. They claimed that they had an intimate relationship with the Lord and perhaps even claimed to be faithful to him as a faithful wife, and yet they were doing all the evil they could, while still asking for God to lift his hand of judgment from them. They talked as though they had a right relationship with God, but it was all talk with no action, and the only action, apparently, was to do all the evil they could all the while pretending to be something or someone else.
God had hoped (though he knew differently) that Israel would return to him, but she did not. Israel’s immoral lifestyle appeared to matter little to her. Her unfaithful sister, Judah returned only in pretense, but not in heart. I wonder how many of today’s “believers” in Jesus Christ are right where Israel and Judah were at the time of this writing.
If you are among those who are claiming intimate relationship with Jesus Christ all the while you are involved in willful sin, or you have replaced God in your heart with people, things, activities, etc., knowing that God is not truly Lord of your life, and/or if you have made only a pretense of returning to him, but you have not truly repented, then God is calling out to you today to return to your Lord and he will be merciful, only acknowledge your guilt and your rebellion against God and the fact that you have not been walking in obedience to him. Jesus Christ is calling you to return to him, for he is your husband, if you have made that decision to make him your Lord and Savior but have since strayed away from him.
God is saying here that there will be a remnant who will return to him and then God will give them shepherds after God’s own heart who will lead them in knowledge and understanding. I don’t know if we can apply that part of this passage to us today, but I do believe God is going to bring revival to his church, and if the church refuses to repent, he will do it through divine judgment, and I do know that God is calling his people to return to him as their first love, if the shoe fits.
Thank You, Lord / An Original Work / May 19, 2011
Thank You, Lord, for saving me;
From my sins set free.
Crucified and risen Lord,
They hung on a tree.
They thought they had finished You.
You came back to life;
Triumphed over hell and sin;
You gave eternal life.
Thank You, Lord, for victory
Over all my sin,
So that I might live with You;
You cleansed me within;
Filled me with your love and pow’r;
Give me strength each day,
So that I might live for You,
To love You and obey.
Thank You, Lord, for your return.
Soon You will arrive
To receive Your bride to You;
Meet You in the sky.
You’ll wipe away all our tears;
Free us from our fears;
Crown our heads in victory.
We’ll praise You with our cheers!
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
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