Text: Jeremiah 44:1-30
Israel continues to sin against God. They have learnt nothing from their sinful past (vv.9-10). As they moved further from God, they are now in total confusion. They have sunk deep as they worship the queen of heaven. The queen of heaven was a name for Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and fertility (7:18). After the fall of Jerusalem, the remnants who went to Egypt continued to worship this very goddess (vv.17-19). Surprisingly and sadly, they are blaming their troubles on the failure to worship this idol (vv.15-18). They could not understand that it was the idol worship that was the source of their troubles. God cannot share His glory with anyone else or creature. He abandoned them many times, and instead of repenting, the people blamed God for the troubles or suffering they were experiencing, when actually, if they were sincere, they were reaping what they had planted some time back (Gal. 6:7).
Meditate on verses 9-10. How are you going to respond to them?
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, keep me from going back to the sins You
have forgiven me of in the past. Amen.