Jeremiah 13:12-27: a reflection

12“Therefore you shall speak to them this word: ‘The LORD, the God of Israel says, “Every container should be filled with wine.”’ They will tell you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every container should be filled with wine?’ 13Then tell them, ‘The LORD says, “Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says the LORD: “I will not pity, spare, or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.”’” 15Hear, and give ear. Don’t be proud, for the LORD has spoken. 16Give glory to the LORD your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it deep darkness. 17But if you will not hear it, my soul will weep in secret for your pride. My eye will weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive. 18Say to the king and to the queen mother, “Humble yourselves. Sit down, for your crowns have come down, even the crown of your glory. 19The cities of the South are shut up, and there is no one to open them. Judah is carried away captive: all of them. They are wholly carried away captive. 20Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your beautiful flock? 21What will you say when he sets over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? Won’t sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail? 22If you say in your heart, “Why have these things come on me?” Your skirts are uncovered because of the greatness of your iniquity, and your heels suffer violence. 23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil. 24“Therefore I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness. 25This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me,” says the LORD, “because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.” 26Therefore I will also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame will appear. 27I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be made clean. How long will it yet be?”

In pronouncing judgment on Judah's entrenched sin, Jeremiah asks a pointed question: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots? Then also you can do good, who are accustomed to do evil. The point is sobering: their sin had become so habitual, so ingrained, that changing it was as impossible for them as changing the color of their skin. Long practice in evil had made it second nature, and they could no more change themselves than a leopard could change its spots.

Notice the truth the image conveys: habitual sin becomes so ingrained that we cannot change ourselves. The people had practiced evil so long that it had become their nature, as fixed as a leopard's spots; and they were no more able to change it by their own effort than the leopard could. This is the hard truth about deeply entrenched sin: long practice makes it second nature, and we find ourselves unable to change ourselves, however we might wish to. The leopard cannot change its own spots.

That sobering truth points us to our need for a change we cannot make ourselves. If deeply entrenched sin becomes as fixed as a leopard's spots, then we cannot simply resolve our way out of it by our own effort; we need a change we cannot make ourselves, a transformation that only God can work. And this is the hope of the gospel: that God is able to do what we cannot, to change the heart, to give us a new nature, to transform even the leopard's spots. Do not trust in your own effort alone to change deeply entrenched sin; the leopard cannot change its own spots. But do not despair either; the God who cannot be resisted is able to change what you cannot, to transform the heart entrenched in sin. Bring your entrenched sins, which you cannot change yourself, to the God who is able to transform you; for the change the leopard cannot make in itself, God can make in you, giving you a new nature by his transforming grace.

Lord, in pronouncing judgment on Judah's entrenched sin, Jeremiah asked, can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots? then also you can do good, who are accustomed to do evil; their sin had become so ingrained that changing it was as impossible for them as changing the color of their skin. Show me the truth the image conveys: habitual sin becomes so ingrained that I cannot change myself. Long practice in evil makes it second nature, and I find myself unable to change myself, however I might wish to; the leopard cannot change its own spots. That sobering truth points me to my need for a change I cannot make myself. If deeply entrenched sin becomes as fixed as a leopard's spots, then I cannot simply resolve my way out of it by my own effort; I need a transformation that only you can work. And this is the hope of the gospel: that you are able to do what I cannot, to change the heart, to give me a new nature. Keep me from trusting in my own effort alone to change deeply entrenched sin; the leopard cannot change its own spots. But keep me from despair too; you are able to change what I cannot. Help me bring my entrenched sins, which I cannot change myself, to you, Lord, who are able to transform me by your grace. Change in me what I cannot change myself.