Jeremiah 13:1-11

1 Thus the LORD said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I got a sash according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist.
3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, 4 “Take the sash that you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.
6 Now it came to pass after many days that the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. 11 For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the LORD, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’
Jeremiah 13:1-11 NKJV

God's commands to Jeremiah were very specific, and Jeremiah obeyed without question. A linen sash around his waist, another command to bury it by the Euphrates. A trip to the Euphrates could not have been easy for Jeremiah. There were other places where it could have been buried, but at God's command the arduous trek was made. The Lord had commanded Jeremiah to not wash the linen sash in water, now He commanded that the sash be hidden in a hole in the rock by the river. Jeremiah must have wondered why he was doing this with the sash, but there is no evidence he questioned God. Trust in Him seems to be guiding Jeremiah. After arriving back in Judah time passes. Does Jeremiah forget about the sash buried so far away, does he sometimes think of it and wonder why God had him do such a thing? After many days the sash comes to mind in a forceful way. God commands Jeremiah make the journey to it's hiding place and take it from the hole in the rock. Once again Jeremiah no doubt wondered at the mission, and once again he acted without question. Back to the Euphrates, locate the spot where the sash had been hidden, dig in the hole of the rock. Would the sash be found whole, miraculously preserved? Maybe the sash will have been changed into something valuable? Jeremiah no doubt trusted that God had a lesson in the sash and its hiding. He most likely wondered at the meaning of his task as he dug there by the Euphrates, looking for the hidden sash. Ah, there is something, there is the sash. It has not been preserved and it has not been transformed. The weather and time have left the sash ruined, as one would expect. No surprise there, Jeremiah saw that the sash was ruined, it was worthless, there was nothing that the sash would be useful for now. It couldn't even be tied around the waist now, it fell apart and disintegrated upon any handling. Then the word of the Lord explained it all. Jeremiah understood, and he would never forget this lesson. The Lord would ruin the pride of Judah and Jerusalem in the same manner the linen sash had been ruined. The people who had been called His people had refused to listen to God, preferring to follow their own desires and worship the same gods as the other nations around them. They thought they did not need God, their pride told them they were strong enough and smart enough and rich enough and cunning enough to survive and prosper on their own. They would pretend to serve God, speaking the words they thought were expected, to appease Him; as they worshipped the false gods of the peoples around them to appease them. They in reality put their trust in themselves and in their ability to do things their own way. Like the linen sash was wrapped around Jeremiah, close to him, clinging to him, so the Jews had been close to God and clung to Him. God intended them to be a witness for Him and a source of pride, renown, praise, and glory. Instead they had refused to hear Him. They would be hidden by the Euphrates, their pride would be ruined. What did the Jews offer, in what would other nations look upon them and think that they were a people with blessings or anything good? The pride in themselves would be gone. Their pride would profit them nothing. They refused to listen to God, trusting in themselves to take care of themselves. Now they would be taught that in themselves there was nothing good or profitable. Pride would not save them.

Lord,
Help me today to trust in You for every blessing and every good thing. I cannot save myself and I cannot cause myself to act correctly. I need You for life and for growth and for hope. Help me to give my life to You. Help me to surrender my pride, and hear You and listen to the messages of hope You give me. Help me to obey Your wisdom, to follow the paths where You lead me.