Jeremiah 16:1-13 - Sin always exacts a price

In Jeremiah 16:1-13 we see three instructions God gave to the prophet. These instructions were three messages of warning to the people. He was to live them out to create talking points to start conversations. Firstly, in verses 1-4, though every Jew was expected to be married, Jeremiah was forbidden to have a wife or start a family. God did this in the prophet's best interest. Why? Because of the impending disaster that was coming upon Judah, upon every member of every family. No family would be spared the calamities. God said that “They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth”(verses 4). God knew that if Jeremiah were to get married and had children, they would not be spared. His wife's and children’s safety would be his concern. They would become a needless burden he would have to bear. Hence, remaining a bachelor would certainly spare him the agony pain of having to see his wife and children enduring the pain. Hence for his sake, God’s first instruction was for him not to marry and have children.

The second instruction to Jeremiah found in verses 5-9 was for the prophet not to attend any social function, either a funeral or a wedding ceremony. The message God wanted to send was that the impending disaster coming upon the people would bring about untold numbers of death. So overwhelming would be the number of deaths that would virtually make proper mourning and funeral impossible to be conducted. Besides, Jeremiah was also not to attend any wedding also for the same reason. The disaster that was coming would cause the absence of marriage ceremonies in the land. The gist of the message was to underscore the fact that there was coming a time of hardship where there would be neither peace nor rejoicing in the land.

The third instruction Jeremiah had found in verses 10-13 was to proclaim an unpopular message and be ready to answer any challenge that would be brought about by his unpopular message. He was to expose both their and their fathers’ unfaithfulness to God. Their fathers had forsaken God and not obeyed the laws He had given. Now the sons were following and persisting in their father’s sin and apostasy. Hence God would be hurling them into exile so that they could serve the foreign gods as their father did.

Sin is never nice. No one who spurns the love of God should expect to be treated kindly. The sin of the people of Judah had created a breach in their relationship with God. and they had to pay heavily. Persistent sin always separates people from God and invites His judgment. The people of Judah suffered much before they were sent into Babylonian exile for their sins. This serves as a warning for us. If we refuse to repent when God reveals them, judgment would be inevitable too. Just imagine being sent away from God in eternal exile.

The cruel and violent death Christ endured on our behalf reminds us how hideous sin truly is. Sin committed, more than just missing God’s standard, it hurts the heart of God. It is still God’s desire that we repent. He so loved us that He did not spare His only begotten Son but sent Him to take our wicked place on Calvary. When we acknowledge Him, nothing will ever separate us from His love. Today 7 April 2023, is Good Friday. Let’s be reminded that Jesus gave Himself for us on that first Good Friday long ago so that we could be spared the agony of eternal separation and exiled from God.