Remember the Goodness of the Lord

Jeremiah 2:5-6: This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness a land where no one travels and no one lives?'"


If there was one certainty with the Judean people during the time of Jeremiah, it was their utter wickedness and rebellion against the One True Lord. In fact, their debased, licentious behavior was rather flagrant. These children of Israel did not hide their wickedness; instead they would climb the hills and flaunt their evil ways with all kinds of perverseness (2:20).


In response, the Word of the the Lord came to the prophet, Jeremiah; specifically, the Word recounted the history of intimate fellowship that certain Israelites a millennium before had experienced with the LORD. God wanted the covenant community in Jeremiah's day to remember the devotion of the Israelites of ages past, who like a bride "loved (the LORD) and were devoted (to Him)" [2:1]. The LORD then used this history lesson to call into question the Israelites of Jeremiah's day, recognizing their failure to remember the Creator's blessing of deliverance and protection through the wilderness.

What especially is telling is the Lord's addressing the leaders of Israel first as the ones who forgot the blessings of the Lord and chose instead to lead the people into worship of the pagan deities of the day. The leaders set the stage for the behavior of the people; thus, they were the first ones to be held to account.


True to His Holiness, the Lord would not permit these acts of rebellion to go unnoticed; in fact, the Lord promised judgment for these people (2:35). They would not be able to divert the Lord's chastisement for their wickedness; for even as this warning was communicated, the LORD was preparing the Babylonians for an invasion of Palestine.



There is a good word for us in these verses, for how often do we fail to remember the historical goodness of the Lord to us in our lives personally and collectively. God has blessed us beyond measure; and yet we seem to have developed shorten memories of His goodness to us. We all have heard the old adage, "those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it." It certainly was true for the Israelites of Jeremiah's day . . . and if we are not willing to reflect upon the Lord's goodness to us, and turn from our wickedness, we will find ourselves with a similar fate.



Let us take time to reflect upon the Lord and the blessings that He has lavished upon us in the past. It may very well be that in our reflections, we will be repent and turn again to obedience to the Lord of Hosts.



We know from 2 Chronicles 7:14 that if we will humble ourselves, pray, seek the Lord's face, and turn from our wicked ways, then God promises to hear our prayers, heal us, and forgive us. Let's open the history books of our lives and return to the Lord!