Jeremiah 17:1-4 – The need to swiftly deal with sin

The national sin was Judah was deeply entrenched. Their waywardness was indelibly engraved upon their hearts. Notice how Jeremiah 17:1 describes the people’s condition. It was as if their sins had been engraved with an iron stylus and an instrument with diamond tips.  They were not only carved upon their hearts but were also on the most sacred part of the altar, the “horns of the altars.” Worship of Baal was widespread and had become a part of everyone’s daily living. They remember the pagan altars and the Asherim on every green tree as much as they remembered their own children. God surmised that unless he did something drastic it would be  impossible to remove their evil practice.   

God’s anger for His people and His unstoppable fire had been kindled. They had steeply persisted in their sins and rebelliousness and polluted Jerusalem, the mountain to God. Hence in God’s judgment of them,  Jerusalem, all the pagan altars of the land, and their treasures would be given as booties of wars to an enemy. They would forgo their inheritance and the citizens of Judah be carried all carried away to a foreign land to be servants of their enemies.

Sin must not be minimized or underestimated. It becomes entrenched when we refused to deal with it instantly. The more we persist in sin, the harder it would be to turn around. This was demonstrated in the people of Judah. Despite God’s overextending His patience, Judah would not budge. Hence He had to harden Himself and deal harshly with these wayward people by giving them into the hands of their enemies. Sin has a way to harden us. It holds us longer than we can afford to be held. It makes us pay much more than we are willing to pay. Don’t trifle with sin, the longer you toy with it, the deeper it will be entrenched.  Deal with sin swiftly.