Jeremiah (1-31) 3:11 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

Jeremiah (1-31) 3:11

Comments

‘The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.’ Whatever does God say here? Well, of course, again, this is spoken for effect, to convince. It is not literally true. Israel has not been justified. Neither Israel nor Judah are justified; they both need free forgiveness and the mercy of God. But just using language to help understanding, Judah is more guilty than Israel. That is what it amounts to. Israel has gone from the scene completely and has paid a price. Judah is playing the hypocrite: partly worshipping aright, and partly committing adultery. She is more guilty in the sight of God. That is important. Israel fell first, whereas Judah had the example of Israel's fall. Israel did these things; she came under judgment and she fell, but then, after seeing all that, Judah did it too. Yes, Judah had always done it, but she increased the guilt with which she sinned, and so the Lord says, ‘It is as though Israel is more just than Judah, because she wasn't falling after having received a clear example of what would happen to her if she did. More light brings more responsibility. Israel had no justification, of course, but there is that difference between them.Jeremiah receives instruction. ‘Go’ – and we might almost say go therefore – ‘and proclaim these words toward the north.’ That means go to Israel, who were then scattered throughout the Babylonian Empire, taken into captivity, dispersed around, prisoners of an alien empire. ‘Go and proclaim these words toward the north’, where they are all imprisoned or in slavery or living in exile, ‘and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.’ So Jeremiah is here told, ‘Aim your words at the total atheist rather than the nominal Christian, who is a hypocrite.’ That is amazing. Don't waste too much time on hypocrites or nominal Christians; go for the outsiders. That is effectively the message to Jeremiah. The remnant will be collected from among them. It is not easy to understand the status of these words, but taking them at face value, it appears that Jeremiah did make preaching visits to the north – where there were some Israelites who had been permitted to move back into their country – to preach to them during the time of Josiah. If not himself personally, then perhaps he sent others from the school of the prophets to go to the north and to preach. But evidently there was to be a proclamation to backsliding Israel, wherever they were dispersed. There was still an opportunity, even after what had seemed to be the final sentence, for them to receive mercy. But they never took it.But then here are the terms of repentance. ‘Only acknowledge thine iniquity.’ Israel is totally apostate, but they must acknowledge their iniquity; they must own it. They must say, I have done all these things; I have committed spiritual adultery. I had betrayed my God. I have spat upon my Maker. I have done terrible things.’ ‘Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God’, offended him, ‘and have scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree.’ You have got a thousand idols, ‘and ye have not obeyed my voice saith the Lord.’

Application

Verse 13 emphasises repentance. Repentance is so vital. Of course faith in Christ is the way to salvation, but coupled with faith is repentance – the doctrine of repentance unto life. There must be faith in the atoning merits of Christ and his death on Calvary, and there must be sincere repentance. Oh there have been so many efforts to get rid of repentance. It emphasised so much, even in the Old Testament.

I had occasion recently to refresh my memory on Evangelism Explosion which started in America in the late 1970s and now it is a very, very big international organisation. I heard of a particular church – supposedly Reformed church – that had adopted for the instruction of all its workers Evangelism Explosion (EE) as the script from which they would work. Really? A Reformed church doing that? From what I remember of EE, it was an appalling script. Now, fair enough, in the script there are a few words you are supposed to say to the needy person, the unconverted person. It does definitely talk about sin – which is an improvement on the original – and about the need for the atoning death of Christ, and grace as the only way, whereby one can be saved. It is all a bit hurried and quick. It's just about there: the doctrine of fall and the need for repentance and so. But really it is based on the same old formula. ‘Where are you going when your die? Do you want to go to heaven?’ – words along those lines. Certainly, that is never a bad start, but anyway, it really focuses on that. It quickly mentions what is evidently a bit embarrassing, the problem of sin and the atoning death of Christ, and then it says, – and this is all you have to do – just trust Christ; just believe in him; just acknowledge him to be Lord. Then there is the quick prayer in which repentance is covered in a few words. There is no time to reflect, no time to think. The evangelist has got to clinch this deal before the person loses interest, and get them saved. So there is a quick prayer and then immediately you assure the person that they are saved; they are now Christians. Well that is absolutely hopeless. It just about mentions repentance somewhere, but it skates over the bringing of a person to repentance, the implementation of repentance – what it is, explaining it, and commanding it. There is far, far more here in Jeremiah chapter 3. But EE ignores it all. We call it ‘easy believism’. There is no real repentance, and if so, there can be no conversion. The Armenians – some of them – also see the fault, and they call it ‘quick prayerism’, and so it is. People are assured that they are Christian, and they really know nothing about repentance. But that isn't the case here: ‘Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God’ – who you have offended, and how you have offended him – ‘, and hast scattered thy ways’ – what you have done in detail – ‘to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.’ That is a pretty comprehensive summary of repentance; it has got to be sincerely done.

Questions

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Jeremiah (1-31) 3:11 Commentary and Bible Study