Focus Chapters:
- Jeremiah 2:1-23-37
- Jeremiah 3-4
- Jeremiah 5:1-19
Standout Verse(s):
Jeremiah 2:26 NLT
“Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this.
Observation (s):
- All of Israel, no matter the position, felt no guilt about their sinful action unless they were caught.
“Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this.
Application:
As a child, there were several sweet treats that I loved: milo, condensed milk and sugar. Many times, during my childhood, I would sneak and steal out these things with no thought of the consequences. My focus was primarily on instant gratification and ensuring that my mother didn’t catch me. More times than not, I got away with my acts and lost no sleep over it, thinking only of the next time that I could taste the pleasures that my sweet tooth relished.
Eventually, like Israel, I got caught with my hand stuck in the proverbial cookie jar. In that moment, thinking more about the whooping that was in store for me, I expressed the remorse that was expected of me, hoping it would reduce my punishment. The source of my remorse came not from sincerely acknowledging that what I had done was wrong but from a place of playing on the love of my mom and her desire to believe that I respected the consequences of my actions. My knee-jerk manipulation worked a few times until I finally received the whooping I had worked for.
One of my favourite verses, Proverbs 15:3, declares that God, Our Father, is all-seeing. Even though we are not seen by humans and held accountable for our actions as they happen, God sees all and expects us to be truly accountable. It is not okay to sin without thought of your actions and the ripples they create. It is not okay to continue sinning because you haven’t been caught and held accountable by humans. As Christians, we need to be above reproach from the get-go.
We should live a life that is an example to others, so that there is no need for us, like Israel, to be likened to thieves who feel shame only when caught.
