Jeremiah 2:14-19

“Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered? The young lions roared at him, and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant. Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes Have broken the crown of your head. Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the LORD your God When He led you in the way? And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River? Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord GOD of hosts.
Jeremiah 2:14-19

The question is asked, is Israel a servant or is Israel a slave? Is Israel powerless to do what was right? Does Israel have no ability to think for themselves and decide on actions that will bring satisfaction into their souls? The answer is no, Israel is not a slave. Israel is God's firstborn son, the inheritor of the wealth that God has to give them. The wealth are God's blessings. Israel as a freeman, and the son of the King, will decide its fate for themselves. The King wants the son to be established and to have good things. Yet Israel is plundered. Why? Why have the young lions attacked him and laid waste the land of promise, burning the cities and carrying away as slaves the people of God? According to the footnote, Noph is Memphis. Memphis and Tahpanhes represent Egypt, the nation to the south of Israel that Israel hoped would save them from the attacking Babylonians. Egypt turned to be a false hope, as it also attacked and injured Judah. What caused Israel to be destroyed? Even the son of the King has choices to make. How often do we turn what God means to be blessings into pain. God shares with His people that they brought this destruction upon themselves. Instead of trusting upon God and obeying His word, they have forsaken God. Israel made alliances with the surrounding nations for their protection. Egypt and Assyria would protect them they thought. So instead of trusting in the God who had always protected them when they turned to Him, they symbolically went to Egypt and drank the waters of Sihor and symbolically went to Assyria and drank the waters of the Euphrates. Instead of drinking of the life giving waters that God was ready to pour out upon them, the decided to drink the waters of nations that would be complicit in their destruction.
Israel's own wickedness would correct them. Forsaking God was leading them into the bitter punishment of captivity. The lessons God was willing to teach them in peace and in prosperity they would learn in the fire of servitude to enemies of their peace. It is an evil and bitter thing to forsake God and to be indifferent to Him. The results of turning their backs on Him and saying that they would do what they desired instead of what God desired would bring the same results as those who ignored Him. Some deliberately choose to fight against God, others just ignored God. The results were the same for both groups. They bitterness of Israel's destruction came because both groups made choices that led them away from God and His protection. The hope of restoration would come because the survivors learned to trust and follow God.

Lord,
Help me today to trust You and allow You to come into my life. Help me to follow where You lead me. I don't want to fight against You and I don't want to ignore You. The conflict within me I seem powerless to control. I need You to come into me and give me strength and power to overcome the evil desires, and the wisdom to acknowledge You as my only hope. Please help me to let You cleanse away the sins and restore me to the relationship You desire for me.