Saturday, August 7
Daily Scripture Readings
Tighten your belt!
Scripture: Jeremiah 13-14, Revelation 10
Jeremiah 13:9–11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’
Observation
Another vivid object lesson. God told Jeremiah to buy a linen belt and bind it around his waist. Sometime later, the Lord told him to hide it among some rocks. Then many days later, the Lord told him to retrieve it. It was ruined. Totally useless. Verses 9-11 are the Lord’s explanation of the object lesson.
Just as the belt was ruined, the Lord will ruin the pride of Judah and they will be totally worthless—literally, good for nothing. What was the issue? The Lord bound these people to Himself like a belt is bound to a person. The Hebrew word for bound (to cleave, to cling, to be joined together) is the word used in Genesis 2:24 of a husband and wife being united together. The Lord bound Israel to Himself in covenant, just like a marriage. But they were proud, refused to listen, and were unfaithful, pursuing other gods.
Notice the Lord’s purpose: He bound them to Himself “to be my people for my renown and praise and honor.” A high calling indeed! “But they have not listened.”
Application
First, our high calling. We are called to be in relationship with the Lord for His renown and praise and honor. Our lives are to bring Him honor! That happens when we cling to the Lord, stay in close relationship, are “bound” tightly to Him! My belt can serve as a reminder of my relationship with God! Each time I cinch it up, I am reminded: Stay close and bring Him honor.
Second, we stay close by listening. This is the most oft repeated complaint the Lord had for His people. “You have not listened.” In the Biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek, the words for “listen” are also often translated “obey.”
We use those words interchangeably as well. A frustrated parent may say to a child, “You’re not listening.” It is not that the child isn’t hearing them; the child is ignoring them and not obeying. We use the words this way as adults too. I have had adults accuse me of not listening, when what they really meant was that I wasn’t doing what they wanted. I heard them, but I disagreed. But to them, I wasn’t listening; I hadn’t heard them unless I obeyed.
The Lord uses the word in that dual sense: to listen to the Lord is to hear and obey. If we hear but ignore or refuse, then we are not truly listening.
We are bound to the Lord in close relationship, and we listen and obey—that is how we bring honor to the Lord. I’ll think of that as I cinch up my belt!
Prayer: Lord, I want my life to bring honor to You. Help today to listen and obey and cling to You like the belt around my waist.