Day 106: What have I done to you? - Jeremiah 2 vs 1 – 9

1-3 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the Lord.”

4-5 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’ 7 And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.

9 “Therefore I still contend with you, declares the Lord, and with your children's children I will contend. Jeremiah 2:1-9 (For English Standard Version)

Most of us can handle it if we've given someone a hard time and, as a result, they get upset with us. But it's hard to accept when someone does something unpleasant to us when we've been kind to them. That's why God puts the question to Israel that we read in vs 4-5. It's as if God says: “What have I done to you that you have forsaken me?”

What do vs 1-2 tell us about what their attitude to God had been like in earlier days?

There was a time, when the nation was young, when they were devoted to God. It was in the days when He had saved them out of Egypt and led them safely through many difficult situations. Sadly, this can also be true of people who believed the gospel when they were young but, as they grew older, their love for God got weaker and weaker and Jesus Christ no longer had a place in their life.

What do vs 6-7 tell us about what their lives were like before God helped them, and after He had rescued them - and how the people had responded to God's kindness?

Despite God having done so much good to them, they had forgotten it all. We see the same thing in vs 8. Even those who were meant to teach and remind them of God's goodness turned their backs of Him. The worst thing that can happen to a nation is when it's spiritual leaders are no longer faithful to the only true God and to His word. No wonder God now had an issue with them. (vs 9)

Did you notice the strong words God gave Jeremiah to describe what happens when people reject Him? They run after 'worthless things and became worthless'. (vs 5) They 'defile' everything and the nation becomes 'an abomination'. (vs 7) They break God's laws (transgress) and go after 'things that don't profit.' (vs 8)

That's what happened in Israel in the days of Jeremiah – and God's question was 'what have I done to you that made you turn your back on me?' That question can still be put to people today. After all, it is God who gives us our life and existence. It is God who gives seasons to our planet and the harvests that the earth brings forth. And, above all, it is God who gave His beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to bear the awful penalty of sin so that whoever believes on Him will be fully forgiven, and have eternal life.

If someone who happens to read this is not a person who takes God seriously then the question comes to you – why? What has God done to you that you care nothing for Him? If you are a Christian already, it's a good exercise to reflect on your life and to ask as the Psalm writer asked: “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” (Psalm 116:12) Does our response to God measure up to what He has done for us?