Who abandons their God?
Jeremiah 2:1-13 NRSV
The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord: I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest. All who ate of it were held guilty; disaster came upon them, says the Lord.
Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? They did not say, “Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?”
I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?” Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.
Therefore, once more I accuse you, says the Lord, and I accuse your children’s children. Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.
Matthew Henry
Those who begin well, but do not persevere, will justly be upbraided with their hopeful and promising beginnings. Those who desert religion, commonly oppose it more than those who never knew it. For this they could have no excuse. God’s spiritual Israel must own their obligations to him for safe conduct through the wilderness of this world, so dangerous to the soul. Alas, that many, who once appeared devoted to the Lord, so live that their professions aggravate their crimes! Let us be careful that we do not lose in zeal and fervency, as we gain knowledge. [1]
Warren Wiersbe
When the Lord gave the Israelites His covenant at Mt. Sinai, He entered into a loving relationship with them that He compared to marriage. In the Old Testament, Israel’s idolatry is compared to adultery and even prostitution. At the beginning of this covenant relationship, the Jews were devoted to the Lord and loved Him, but once they conquered the Promised Land, their hearts lusted after the gods of the nations around them and they sank into idolatry. Although God had taken them safely through their wilderness journey and given them a wonderful inheritance in Canaan, they abandoned Him for man-made gods. What kind of loyal love is that?[2]
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Isaac Ambrose
Lord, I have slighted your promises. I have neglected the motions of your Holy Spirit. I have not carefully cultivated the gifts I have received, and I have not labored more and more to be sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Ah, Lord, how miniscule is my holiness!
Lord, you have looked on my poor condition and you have visited me with mercy from on high. Though I was a stranger and a foreigner, you have made me a free citizen of the new Jerusalem.
Now I see and I read it in your precious promises that my name is registered in heaven. An eternal weight of glory is reserved for me. Heaven is my home, my hope, my inheritance.[3]
The God We Love
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Je 2:1.
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Decisive, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 25.
[3] Prayer by Isaac Ambrose in “Piercing Heaven.” Used in corporate worship at Cayce Presbyterian Church, Cayce, SC on Sunday August 31, 2025.
