Jeremiah 5:7-11: a reflection

7“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes’ houses. 8They were as fed horses roaming at large. Everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife. 9Shouldn’t I punish them for these things?” says the LORD. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10“Go up on her walls, and destroy, but don’t make a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s. 11For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me,” says the LORD.

God speaks of his people's unfaithfulness in words of deep, wounded feeling. When I had fed them to the full, he says, they committed adultery. He had provided for them, satisfied them, given them good things; and in return they had turned from him, unfaithful, going after other gods as a spouse goes after another. The image is of a betrayed love: God had loved and provided for his people, and they had betrayed him, wounding him by their unfaithfulness. This is not the complaint of a distant judge, but the grief of one wounded by those he loved.

Notice how God speaks of the unfaithfulness: as a wound, a betrayal of love. He does not speak coldly of rule-breaking; he speaks as one betrayed, who had fed them to the full and been repaid with unfaithfulness. Their turning from him was not merely a violation of his law, but a wounding of his love; he had loved and provided, and they had betrayed him. God's relationship with his people is a relationship of love, and their unfaithfulness wounds him as betrayal wounds a faithful spouse. He feels their turning away as a wound.

That is worth taking to heart, for our own unfaithfulness is not merely rule-breaking, but a wounding of God who loves us. We can think of our sins as impersonal violations of rules; but God relates to us in love, having provided for us and given us good things, and our turning from him wounds him as unfaithfulness wounds a faithful spouse. When you are tempted to turn from God, remember that your unfaithfulness is not impersonal, but wounds the God who has loved and provided for you, as Israel's unfaithfulness wounded God who had fed them to the full. Do not treat your turning from God as a mere breaking of rules; it wounds the God who loves you and has been good to you. Let the knowledge that your unfaithfulness wounds the God who loves you move you to faithfulness, remembering that he relates to you in love, and feels your turning away as a wound, as he grieved over Israel's unfaithfulness after he had fed them to the full.

Lord, you speak of your people's unfaithfulness in words of deep, wounded feeling. When I had fed them to the full, you say, they committed adultery. You had provided for them, satisfied them, given them good things; and in return they had turned from you, unfaithful, going after other gods. The image is of a betrayed love: you had loved and provided for your people, and they had betrayed you, wounding you by their unfaithfulness. This is not the complaint of a distant judge, but the grief of one wounded by those he loved. Show me how you speak of the unfaithfulness: as a wound, a betrayal of love. You do not speak coldly of rule-breaking; you speak as one betrayed, who had fed them to the full and been repaid with unfaithfulness. Their turning from you was a wounding of your love. Your relationship with your people is a relationship of love, and their unfaithfulness wounds you. Take that to my heart, for my own unfaithfulness is not merely rule-breaking, but a wounding of you who love me. I can think of my sins as impersonal violations of rules; but you relate to me in love, having provided for me, and my turning from you wounds you. When I am tempted to turn from you, help me remember that my unfaithfulness is not impersonal, but wounds the God who has loved and provided for me. Keep me from treating my turning from you as a mere breaking of rules; it wounds the God who loves me. Let the knowledge that my unfaithfulness wounds you move me to faithfulness, Lord.