Backsliding

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS

JEREMIAH 3
Lesson #04
BACKSLIDING

• Memory Verse: Jer 3:22
• Jeremiah’s message that we studied in our last lesson continues into chapter 3.
  • The message from the Forgotten, the Forsaken, and the Transgressed God is in Jer 2:1-3:5.
  • Read Jer 3:1- 5
    • Remember that God had married Israel in the wilderness.
    • Remember that God considered Israel an adulterous nation because of her idolatry.
      • In the same way that an adulterous woman leaves her husband and has sexual relationships with other men, Israel had left God and brought idols into the Promised Land for worship.
      • This is what God called spiritual adultery.
        • Notice that God used the Law of Moses to make His point. (1)
        • In the Law of Moses, if a man divorced his wife for infidelity and she continued in her lifestyle of immorality, the Law forbade him to return to her again for she, their home, and their relationship was defiled.

God is saying that according to the Law of Moses, He should not take Israel back. He should give up on her.

But God already told us in chapter 2 that He will not give up on Israel but continue to plead with her to return to their God, Jehovah.

Therefore, God will violate His own Law in favor of unconditional mercy and love.

• • • • • God invited them to look at their own nation in the “high places” to discover that there was not one “high place” where Israel had not worshipped another god. (2)

These “high places” amounted to a grove of trees.

The pagan temples or idols were placed in these groves.

This was where sexual orgies and drunkenness were practiced in the name of religion with religious prostitutes.

• • • • • What is a “whore’s forehead”? (3)

The phrase is an attitude.

It means = to act like a prostitute in a clear and conspicuous manner.

• • • God’s judgment begins: (3)
      • Israel had already suffered drought and wondered why.
      • God tells them that He withheld the rain because of their spiritual adultery.
      • This initial judgment through natural disaster was supposed to awaken them to their spiritual condition so as to call upon God for mercy.
• Read Jer 3:6-13 GOD’S MESSAGE ABOUT BACKSLIDING (3:6-6:30)
  • In this passage God talks about the adultery of two sisters.
    • The one sister represents the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
      • The Northern Kingdom was the first to fall away from God.
      • The Northern Kingdom had fallen to Assyria in 721 BC and the people were taken into captivity.
    • The other sister represents the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
      • God calls her “treacherous Judah” throughout this chapter.
      • She stood by and watched the destruction of the Northern Kingdom about 93 years earlier.
      • She was fearful but gloated that God had spared them in the Southern Kingdom.
  • The significance and definition of the word “backsliding”.
    • This place in scripture is a good place to discuss this condition because the word “backsliding” is used more in this book and in this chapter than the rest of the Bible.
      • The only other prophet that used the word is the prophet Hosea who was told by God to marry a prostitute.
      • Hosea became God’s example of Himself married to the prostitute Israel.
      • Every time Hosea’s wife ran away to continue her prostitution, God told Hosea to go and get her and bring her home. This was Jeremiah’s message also…that God would continue to plead with Israel to return to God.
    • The word “backsliding” in the Bible has a special meaning.
      • It means = the act or process of apostasy; the falling away from faith and/or practice of one’s religion and a stubborn determination to fall into sin and/or idolatry.
        • The definition is more severe than it appears on the surface.
        • The definition must include the falling into sin and idolatry and not just falling away from God.
        • Therefore, just falling away from faith because of neglect is not a sufficient definition of the Bible’s impact of this word.
      • How many times is the word, “backsliding” used in this chapter in the King James Bible?
        • The word backsliding is used 7 times in this chapter in the King James Bible.
        • In the Bible, the number 7 is used either for the completeness of good or the completeness of evil. In this case, it is the completeness of evil.
    • Along with the word backsliding, God also uses the word “treachery” in this chapter.
      • The word “treacherous” is used more times in this chapter than in the rest of the Bible.
      • What is the Bible definition of treachery? It means = to violate an allegiance of faith that has been pledged.
        • Why does God call Judah “treacherous Judah”? (vss. 7, 8,10, 11, and twice in vs. 20)

Not only did the Southern Kingdom watch God’s punishment on the Northern Kingdom, but the Southern Kingdom had fallen into the same idolatry and thinking they got away with it.

Judah violated their allegiance to God. They compounded that sin when they refused God’s warning.

They compounded their sin when they pretended to be holy and obedient. (10)

• • • • • God would judge the Southern Kingdom for the opportunities He gave them and for the warnings He gave them.

The sin of the Southern Kingdom of Judah was worse than the sin of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Therefore, the judgment of God would be greater on the Southern Kingdom than it was on the Northern Kingdom.

The Northern Kingdom did not have the temple to worship God.

The Northern Kingdom did not have a copy of the Word of God.

• • The reformation and revival under King Josiah (6)
    • This message from God was written during the time when King Josiah was seeking God.
    • They found the Word of God buried under trash in the temple. The people, the king, and the priests had forgotten about the importance of the Word of God.
    • This event of finding the Word of God resulted in a very popular revival in the Southern Kingdom.
      • While it was a true revival, there were still problems.
      • For some people the revival was superficial and not heart-felt and not long-lasting.
• Read Jer 3:14-19 THE PROPHETIC PROMISE TO THE BACKSLIDER
  • A prophetic view of the ultimate coming revival: (15-18)
  • In the midst of the hopeless judgment coming upon the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Jeremiah gives a bright prophetic future for Israel.
  • What is it that God promises He will do for Israel in the future?
    • =1= God will return both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom from the Babylonian captivity. (14)
      • This prophecy was fulfilled when the Babylonian captivity ended.
      • The divided kingdom ended with the captivity. In 1948 the nation of Israel was a united country.
    • =2= God will give them good pastors that will teach them the Word of God. (15)
    • =3= They will not return to having the Ark of the Covenant in their midst for in the Millennial kingdom, Christ will be present with them. (16)
    • =4= Jerusalem will contain the throne of Christ during the Millennial kingdom. (17)
    • =5= All nations will send representatives to Jerusalem to give honor to Jesus Christ during the Millennial Kingdom. (17)
      • Read Zec 14:9-11, 16-17
    • =6= Righteousness shall reign during the Millennial kingdom. (17)
    • =7= God will give them all of the Promised Land that was promised to Abraham. (18)
    • =8= “…Thou shalt call me, My father; and shall not turn away from me.” (19)
      • No Israelite ever called God “My father”.
      • God never called David His son. He called him “My servant.” (Psa 89:3)
      • God never called Moses His son. He called him “My servant.” (Jos 1:2)
      • This father/child relationship between God and individuals is unique to the New Testament, but it is what God wanted from the beginning.
      • Read Joh 1:12
• Read Jer 3:20-25 SUMMARY
  • Jeremiah summarizes his message briefly:
    • Israel had departed from their relationship with God. (20)
    • They had been treacherous in their relationship with God. (20)
    • They had perverted God’s way. (21)
    • They had forgotten God. (21)
    • They were backsliders, fallen away and determined to fall into sin. (22)
      • But notice that verse 22 says, “…we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.”
      • God says that one day the Jews will turn to Christ and receive Him as their Messiah at the event of the second coming of Christ. (Zec 12:10)
    • Their salvation and rescue will come only from the Lord and not from any other nation or from the idolatrous “high places” in the mountains. (23)
    • Israel has had a long history of disobedience against God. (25)
  • Application:
    • As New Testament believers, we need to make sure that we are not taking our position of grace for granted.
    • God still expects repentance for sin.
    • God still desires holiness for His children.

HOMEWORK

Jeremiah 4

• Application of Jer 3
  • Has God given you any warnings in your life about situations that He wants you to repent and get right with Him?
  • What is your response?
• Preparation for Jer 4
  • Read Jer 4:1-31
    • What do you think is the difference between reformation and revival?
    • From what you know of the history of that time, who is the “lion” in verse 7?
    • Generally speaking what big event in Israel’s history is prophesied in this chapter?
• Memory verse: Jer 4:27