“If you will return, O Israel,” says the Lord, “Return to Me; and if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear, ‘the Lord lives,’ in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory.” (Jeremiah 4:1-2)
How to Return To The Lord
Israel always struggled in its faithfulness to God. From the moment they left Egypt, Israel saw the power of God every day and still managed to rebel. At Sinai, while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Law from God, the people demanded Aaron make them a golden calf to worship. When the Lord brought Israel to the land promised to Abraham, they refused to enter. God punished the people with forty years of suffering. Conquering the land did not improve their faithfulness. Allowing the people to have a king marked the beginning of Israel’s end. The prophets warned the people to return to the Lord, or God’s wrath would destroy them.
Jeremiah tried in vain to turn the nation back to God. His message was a mournful lament of the consequences of sin and the feeble hearts of the unrepentant. The prophet explained what Israel needed to do to receive God’s blessings. They refused to listen, and God destroyed them. Israel served as a pattern to show God’s longsuffering, love, and grace toward sinful men. God’s people also serve as a pattern for how one can return to the Lord and receive the abundant blessings of forgiveness. Israel could not accept God’s grace without acting on it. They had to return to the Lord on His terms, not theirs. Under the covenant of Christ, returning to the Lord follows the same pattern.
The penitent sinner needs to know that God wants him to return to Him. God is not willing that any should perish. The divine will is for all men to enjoy the blessings of a loving father. Jeremiah reminds the people to return to God. Repentance comes with conditions. God’s people must put away their abominations or detestable things. Idolatry was an affront to the holiness of the Lord God. The people must stop what they were doing and give up their evil practices. God will not accept someone who does not repent and change his life. Too often, someone wants to come to God on their terms and conditions. They mistakenly believe that God wants them to be happy so they can continue in the path they desire. God demands repentance. Anything short of repentance, and there is no forgiveness.
Another aspect of repentance is swearing allegiance to the Lord. This oath is based on God’s divine pattern of sovereignty. Jeremiah demanded the people acknowledge that God is the only true and living God (emphasis on living). Idols are dumb. Truth comes from the living God. There is no truth in idolatry. The judgment of the living God is the only true judgment. Idols can never render judgment. What is right is what God says is right. Idols only speak the wisdom of their creator. Human wisdom is a failure.
Returning to the Lord demands obedience. God determines right and wrong. Eternal life comes only from the Father. Christ died to save all men, and that salvation can only come from those who follow the will of the Father – on His terms. Repentance demands change. The heart must see the soul darkened by sin, and the only cleansing is the blood of Jesus Christ. When the early church began to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, they proclaimed the first word of the gospel to be REPENT. Come back to God.
