Jeremiah 12:7-10 – Be watchful, don’t take God for granted

God made Israel His covenant people. Beginning with the Patriarch Abraham, God raised a family and through his son Israel and his descendants, a nation slowly took shape. But it was not until they were in Egypt that the foundation for them to be a nation was laid. In Egypt, they were organized into slavery, and God called and used Moses to deliver them out of slavery and the land of bondage. Then at Mount Sinai, they were formalized and made His covenant people with the giving of the Ten Commandments and other covenant stipulations. Then they were brought into Canaan, their promised land.

As God’s people, Israel had been a disappointment to Him time and again. He had graciously and lovingly granted many of their requests, but they spurned His love repeatedly. They had emulated the pagan so much and were wayward one time too many. There was also so much infighting among them till the nation was divided into two. The north comprising ten tribes of the sons of Israel became Northern Israel and the southern two tribes became Judah. 

Persisting in their waywardness, the northern Kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BC. Instead of learning from Israel’s fall, Judah followed in their northern brethren's footsteps. Despite God raising godly prophets to coax them to walk in the rightly, they persist in their wrong.  They kept testing God till their defiance had wearied them. Hear what God said of them in Jeremiah 12:7-10.    

 

In verse 7 God began by telling Judah that He had forsaken them. And that He would discard them as His inheritance and give their souls over to their adversaries. He then followed up in verses 8-10, using three figures, to depict them negatively. Firstly God said that they had become like a hostile lion in the forest that had the audacity to roar at God. In defying God, they had become an object of His loath. Secondly, Judah was like an unusual, off-colored bird of prey. The other nations were likened to other species of birds of prey that would gather, come, peck, and break her into pieces and devour her. Thirdly, Judah would become a destroyed vineyard that was spoilt by the many shepherds. Kings were raised to be Judah’s shepherds but instead of leading the people to God. they led them away from Him. Instead of making Judah God’s glorious vineyard, they had trampled on her and caused her to become a barren desolation.   

From Judah’s experience, we learn that we must not take God for granted. Personally, each of us must not spurn His loving overtures continually and expect Him to condone our waywardness. Continuing in our rebelliousness one time too many will weary God and lead us needlessly to unwarranted consequences. And those called into leadership roles must shepherd God’s flock rightly. Leaders must always have the interest of the people at heart. No self-centredness must not be allowed to cause God’s community to become barren and devoid of blessings.