Jeremiah 32:30-35: a reflection

30“For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says the LORD. 31For this city has been to me a provocation of my anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even to this day, so that I should remove it from before my face, 32because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33They have turned their backs to me, and not their faces. Although I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. 34But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. 35They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through fire to Molech, which I didn’t command them. It didn’t even come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.”

When the people ask why disaster has come upon them, what their sin is, God gives a plain and searching answer: your fathers forsook me, walked after other gods, and did not keep my law; and you have done worse than your fathers. He does not spare them the honest diagnosis; the trouble that had come was, in this case, the fruit of their forsaking God, a sin they were tempted to protest they had not committed. God answers their plea of innocence with the truth about their sin.

Notice the honest answer God gives to their question. When they ask, what is our sin?, as though they were innocent and their suffering unjust, God does not soothe them with false comfort; he tells them plainly that they had forsaken him. This was not a pleasant answer, but a true one; and their willingness to hear it, rather than protest their innocence, was the beginning of any real dealing with their situation. God gave the honest diagnosis, painful as it was.

That honest diagnosis is sometimes what we need, though we resist it. When trouble comes, we can be quick to protest our innocence, to ask what we have done to deserve this, as though we were wronged. Not all suffering is the fruit of our sin; but sometimes it is, and we can be unwilling to hear it, preferring to plead innocence than to face the honest truth about ourselves. When you are tempted to protest your innocence, to assume your trouble is undeserved, be willing also to ask honestly whether you have, in some way, forsaken God, rather than assuming you are blameless. God gave his people the honest diagnosis they were reluctant to hear; be willing to hear the honest truth about yourself, rather than only pleading innocence. Facing the truth about our sin, when it is there, is the beginning of dealing with it; do not resist the honest diagnosis, but be willing to hear it, as the beginning of turning back to God.

Lord, when the people asked why disaster had come upon them, what their sin was, you gave a plain and searching answer: your fathers forsook me, and you have done worse than your fathers. You did not spare them the honest diagnosis, painful as it was. Show me that such honest diagnosis is sometimes what I need, though I resist it. When trouble comes, I can be quick to protest my innocence, to ask what I have done to deserve this, as though I were wronged. Not all suffering is the fruit of my sin; but sometimes it is, and I can be unwilling to hear it, preferring to plead innocence than to face the honest truth about myself. When I am tempted to protest my innocence, to assume my trouble is undeserved, help me be willing also to ask honestly whether I have, in some way, forsaken you, rather than assuming I am blameless. You gave your people the honest diagnosis they were reluctant to hear; help me be willing to hear the honest truth about myself, rather than only pleading innocence. Facing the truth about my sin, when it is there, is the beginning of dealing with it; keep me from resisting the honest diagnosis, Lord, but help me be willing to hear it, as the beginning of turning back to you.