Jeremiah 5:7-9 – Be loyal to God alone

The first reason God had to send judgment on His people was due to moral corruption, which was described in verses 1-6. There was nothing God could find to justify Judah. The questions asked in Jeremiah 5, tell us so. In Jeremiah 5:7, God asked “Why should I pardon you (Judah)? And again in verse 9 He again asked, “And Shall I not punish these people…shall I not avenge myself? Here in verses 7-9, God gave the second reason why Judgment on Judah was inevitable.

Judah had committed spiritual adultery. Instead of giving their loyalty to God alone, the people forsook Him and offer their allegiance to those worthless idols.  They had forgotten that it was God who had provided for all that they needed in life. When they were fed and full, they deserted Him and went after other gods. Flocking to the temple of idols, referred to as harlot’s houses in verse 7, they engaged in the worship of those dumbed idols, especially Baal.

 

Baal worship was a fertility cult. To his worshippers, he was the god of the storm who would provide water for harvest. His female counterpart Ashtaroth was a fertility goddess. Sexual orgies in his temple were common phenomena. It was believed that when Baal had sexual intimacy with his female counterpart the Ashtaroth, fertility would result. So around Baal’s temple would be prostitutes for hire so that the people could engage in sexual relationships in his presence. The purpose was to arouse Baal sexually so he could engage in sexual intimacy with Ashtaroth, resulting in fertility.   

 

Given the privilege to know God and have a unique relationship with Him, Judah should have known better and remained faithful to their covenant Lord. But she was not. Her people abused their privilege. Instead of living a faithful life worshipping only their covenant Lord, they pivoted to other worship other gods. Behaving like senseless horses in heat, each one went lusting after their neighbor’s wife.  What they did had set themselves up for the inevitable judgment.

 

God expects spiritual purity from His people. Commitment and allegiance to God cannot be compromised. Jesus tells us that no man can serve two masters. Why? Conflicts in commitment will result when a person seeks to serve God and another idol at the same time. God made it explicitly clear that His people must have no other gods before Him. Today, our other gods come in all forms. It can be one’s career, hobbies, material possessions, spouse, children, friends, and a whole host of other interests. The call for us is to remain loyal to God. We must never turn God’s blessing to us into the idols we worship.  In James 4;4, he  addressed the people who had put the world above God as adulteresses. He said, “…friendship with the world is hostility toward God …and whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Make God our best friend, focus on Him, and the things of this world will be strangely dim!