Jeremiah 2:9-12 - Staying loyal to God

For Israel and Judah’s unfaithfulness, God would not stop contending with them. In so much as they remained wayward, He would reckon with them. Every rebellious generation regardless. Same as for the father so also the sons, and the sons’ sons. For as long as they remained errant God would not stop contending with them. This was God’s word to them in Jeremiah 2:9

 

With that warning, God proceeded to challenge them in verses 10-12 to scrutiny the people from two extremes of the earth from where they were. They were told to witness for themselves people from the coastland of Kittim, representing the west, and those from the desert of Kedar, representing the east. God was sure that even the heathens who served lifeless and useless gods, would not trade them for other gods. Whereas renegade Israel and Judah would forsake their true and living God to worship and embrace useless idols. If the pagan would not abandon their lifeless gods, why would Israel abandon their living God for something less? So foolish was God’s people to exchange their glorious God for some unprofitable idols. So God summoned the heavens, the sun, moon, and stars as if they were juries in a trial and told them to be appalled and to shudder at what His own people were doing to Him.  

The LORD was lamenting their lack of loyalty. Disloyalty to God often happens when our initial love for Him wanes and we become lukewarm. That’s when we find our excitement in Him evaporates. Note that disloyalty always creeps into one’s life subtly and insidiously. Spiritually, when a believer is not making time to connect with God and build his or her relationship with Him, one inevitably ends up having stunted growth. And being immature in faith would make a believer susceptible to temptation and distraction and be easily enticed by the things of the world. The best way to stay loyal to God is to surrender to Him all that we are and all that we have, all the time and every time.