Jeremiah 2:23 says, 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; God asked the people of Israel how they could say that they had not chased after false gods. If God accuses us today of chasing false gods, we can be certain that we have and there really is no sense in denying it. The Holy Spirit will convict us when we do. Verse twenty-four adds, 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. The people were compared to a wild ass seeking her own pleasure who could not very easily be turned from her desires. When we are caught up in the lusts of the world, it is not easy to turn us away. without the power of God to overcome those lusts. Verse twenty-five says, 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. God called on the people to not give in to these lusts, but they said there was no hope because they already had. We need to realize that as long as we are alive that God will call us to repentance, and there is never a reason to feel hopeless. Verse twenty-six declares, 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, God said that the house of Israel, from their governmental leaders to their spiritual leaders were found out in their idolatry, and should be ashamed just as a thief who is caught. Of course, it is possible that a thief might avoid being caught, but when we sin against God we always will be and this should cause us to be ashamed when we do. Verse twenty-seven adds, 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. God said the people of Israel had attempted to make gods of the things of this world, and then asked them in time of trouble when they called on these false gods if they could save them. Salvation is only possible by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and no matter what else we worship in the world it can never save us. Verse twenty-eight asks, 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. God again asked His people, who were His in name only, where the false gods that they made were in times of trouble. God said they had made as many false gods as there were cities in Judah. No matter how many things we put our faith in instead of God, they will never save us. Verse twenty-nine adds, Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD. God asked why the people of Judah would plead with Him when they had transgressed against Him. Too often we call out to God in times of trouble because we have not been true to Him in times of prosperity. Verse thirty declares, In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. God said that He had smitten the people of Judah in vain, because they refused to listen to His prophets, killing them instead. God will let us know today when we are chasing after false gods, yet too often people would rather kill His prophets than to listen to them. Verse thirty-one adds, O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? God asked the people of Israel if He had become unknowable to them. They may have been going through the motions of worshipping God still, but they did not have a real relationship with Him. Verse thirty-two continues, Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. I believe that God was basically saying that it should have been impossible for the people of Israel to forget Him because of all that He had done for them, but they had. It should be impossible for us as followers of Christ to forget what He did for us, but we too often allow the things of the world to come between God and us. Verse thirty-three asks, Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. God said not only had the people of Israel turned away from Him, but they had encouraged others to do so as well. It is bad enough for a person to turn away from God, especially those who call themselves His people, but it is even worse to lead others away from God. Verse thirty-four adds, 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. God said that the blood of others was on the people of Israel, and that it did not take a secret search to find this out. They were open in their disobedience to God. Verse thirty-five declares, 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. The people of Israel professed their innocence, but God professed their guilt. Verse thirty-six adds, Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. Verse thirty-seven concludes, 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. God said that the people were disappointed in their choice of gods, since they could put no confidence in them, and that since God had rejected them for their idolatry, they could not go forth with confidence in Him. As long as we are faithful to God, we can put our confidence in Him, but if we go chasing after other gods, there is nothing to put our confidence in.
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