I am currently reading through the book of Jeremiah. This is a big deal for me because if I'm honest, I'm a little scared of the Old Testament. It's so rich with history and people and stories that I don't know a lot about. And for some reason, it just seems harder to understand. But fear should never be a motivator for not doing something so I picked a book that I thought would be challenging to read. It hasn't disappointed either. It's been tough to really grasp principles that I can apply to my life today. I've been praying that God would reveal his character to me through Jeremiah. I've also been praying for a healthy fear of God in my life as I'm reading through Jeremiah (the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom ya' know!).
Anyway, I came across this scene in Jeremiah 13 that I wanted to share with you. Here's the text in case you don't have a Bible handy. Jeremiah 13: 1-11 says,
Thus says the LORD to me, "Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water." So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist. And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, "Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock. So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. Ande after many days the LORD said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there." Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled: it was good for nothing. Then the word of the LORD came to me: "Thus says the LORD: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.I think this story is really interesting and challenging for us as believers. It's strange that God would compare us to a loincloth, or a pair of underwear for lack of a better term. The reason why is because it is a close, intimate piece of clothing. It touches the skin in an area that isn't often exposed. In verse 11, God tells us that he created us to cling to him just as a loincloth clings to a man. God should be a priority in our lives, the center of everything. That's what happens when we cling to him.
But this story exposes our fallen condition. God tells Jeremiah to hide his new, perfect loincloth in a cleft of the rock. Jeremiah leaves it behind for a while and when he goes to retrieve it, the loincloth is spoiled, useless. This is what happens when we "have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them". Now I doubt you're worshipping Baal or some other God but we all have idols in our lives. Anything you put before God is an idol. For some, it's success, fame, fortune, for others it family, relationships or even ministry. God demonstrates what happens to us when we tie our loincloth around anything else but Him: it becomes spoiled and worthless. As I read this story, I was challenged to think of what I wrap my loincloth around in this life: comfort, ministry, friendships. What do you wrap your loincloth around?
The beauty of this story is that God tells us we're meant for something more. He tells us in verse 11 that we exist for his glory. The very next book in the Old Testament is Lamentations. Some say it was written by Jeremiah but it depicts someone who is lamenting over the destruction of Jerusalem. It lists the horrors of God's judgment as a result of the people's sin but right in the middle, the author reminds us that God is not finished with his people even when they sin greatly. Lamentations 3: 21-26 says,
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the should who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.That's the Gospel and it's for you and me. We continually turn away from God toward idols but his mercies never come to an end. We've spoiled the loincloth but Jesus has washed it clean with his blood. We were useless but God has sealed us with his Spirit to make use of us.
This is the message of hope for all of us and the message I get to share with students everyday. I want to cling to God like a loincloth clings to man despite how I feel. I challenge you to do the same. Wrapping our loincloths around our idols is never fulfilling but God's mercies are new every morning. I hope that the Gospel continues to transform your life and mine. I serve a mighty God and I exist for his glory. Would you join me?
