Chapter 44

Sometimes I complain that there’s not much in a particular passage.

Be careful what you complain about, because you might get what you SAY you want!

This passage tonight is massive, and there’s lots in it. So let’s just get into it.
It follows on from last night’s passage, in which God revealed that the idea of a trip to Egypt was NOT his intention for the refugees. You may recall that they basically told Jeremiah (and through him, God!) to stick it where the Sun Shineth Not (selah).

What we have here tonight is God’s reply to their stubbornness.

Some may see God’s anger, and it is there. But what I see first is simple, bottomless sorrow. Some may think God is simply wanting worship for His own sake, but if you read this passage, His every thought is for His people, not for Himself! His heart is broken as He sees His people going after what the Message calls their “no-gods.” He can see how destructive this is, and how much damage it is doing to them; and He cannot bear to see it happen.

More than that, God sees that the people of Judah are not only cutting themselves off from Him, they’re cutting themselves off from each other. To God, who made humans to be communal creatures, that is shocking – He is frustrated to see the people He has made floundering around in the dark.

Worse even than THAT, the people of Judah are completely unrepentant. There is a goddess called the Queen of Heaven who is worshipped by some Judeans. They know God’s position on other gods. Yet they see their worship of this Queen of Heaven as harmless.

God sees it as anything BUT harmless, and He plans to put a stop to it. But He begs His people to bring themselves out first.

When we do things that hurt God, the reason it Upsets Him, first and foremost, is that we harm ourselves. Given that God REALLY loves us humans, it’s the damage to us that He finds most heartwrenching. He would do anything for us to miss out on that kind of damage.

The point of this for us is simple – How about we make a habit of listening to God BEFORE such damage is done?