Jeremiah 34:12-16: a reflection

12Therefore the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 13“The LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying: 14At the end of seven years, every man of you shall release his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you. But your fathers didn’t listen to me, and didn’t incline their ear. 15You had now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor. You had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name; 16but you turned and profaned my name, and every man caused his servant and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return. You brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.’”

The people of Judah had done a good thing: obeying God's covenant, they had freed their Hebrew slaves, proclaiming liberty to their neighbors. God commends it: You had turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes. But then they reversed it: But you turned and profaned my name, and caused the servants you had let go free to return, bringing them back into subjection. They had begun a good thing, then turned back on it, undoing the good they had done. The turning back was worse than never having begun; it profaned God's name, for they had made the commitment before him and then broke it.

Notice how the people turned back on the good they had begun. They had done what was right, freeing their slaves as God's covenant required; it was a genuine good, commended by God. But they did not persevere in it; they turned back, reversing the good they had done, bringing the freed slaves back into bondage. The good begun was undone by the turning back. It is not enough to begin a good thing; the turning back on it, breaking the good commitment made, profaned God's name and undid the good. The people show how a good begun can be reversed, how a right commitment can be broken, undoing what was done and profaning God's name in the process.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can turn back on the good we have begun, undoing it and breaking our commitments. We can begin good things, make right commitments, do what is right for a time, and then turn back, reversing the good, breaking the commitment, undoing what we had done, as the people took back their freed slaves. It is not enough to begin well; we are to persevere, not turning back on the good begun. Do not turn back on the good you have begun, reversing it and breaking your commitments; persevere in it, following through on what you rightly began. Follow through on the good you have begun rather than turning back on it, keeping the good commitments you have made, as the people were rebuked for taking back the slaves they had freed; for it is not enough to begin well, and to turn back on a good begun undoes it and breaks the commitment we made before God, and we are called to persevere in the good rather than reversing it.

Lord, the people of Judah had done a good thing: obeying your covenant, they had freed their Hebrew slaves, proclaiming liberty to their neighbors. You commend it: you had turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes. But then they reversed it: but you turned and profaned my name, and caused the servants you had let go free to return, bringing them back into subjection. They had begun a good thing, then turned back on it, undoing the good they had done. Show me how the people turned back on the good they had begun. They had done what was right, freeing their slaves as your covenant required; it was a genuine good. But they did not persevere in it; they turned back, reversing the good, bringing the freed slaves back into bondage. The good begun was undone by the turning back. It is not enough to begin a good thing; the turning back on it profaned your name and undid the good. Take that to my heart, for I too can turn back on the good I have begun, undoing it and breaking my commitments. I can begin good things, make right commitments, do what is right for a time, and then turn back, reversing the good, as the people took back their freed slaves. It is not enough to begin well; I am to persevere. Keep me from turning back on the good I have begun, reversing it and breaking my commitments; help me persevere in it, Lord, following through on what I rightly began, keeping the good commitments I have made before you.