Tough Love

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 4:1-18

 

Jeremiah 4:16-18

Warn the nations that he is coming;
    announce to Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come from a distant land;
    they shout against the cities of Judah.
¹⁷ Like keepers of a field are they against her all around,
    because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
¹⁸ Your ways and your deeds
    have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and it is bitter;
    it has reached your very heart.”

(ESV)

 

The job of a parent is very essential.  Parents often view their role as that of raising children when their role is that of raising adults, teaching them what they should do (Proverbs 22:6).  While we would like to think of Proverbs 22:6 as a promise that children taught in the ways of the Lord will always return, every individual must decide to believe in Jesus as their savior on their own (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10) with parents planting the seeds of the Gospel in the lives of their children.  Parents who genuinely love their children also understand the need to express that love in the form of tough love when their children continue living in rebellion.  This is the state of Israel and Judah at the time of the writing of Jeremiah 4:1-18. 

 

The text of Jeremiah 4:1-18 is in two parts,

 

1)      A plea to return to God (Jeremiah 4:1-4) – God is a loving Father and gives his rebellious children another opportunity to return to Him.  This return to God involves repentance through the removal of detestable things, a reference to the alters of the pagan Gods they worshipped, and not wavering in returning to the Lord in truth, justice, and righteousness.  The reward for this repentant return to God is that the nations that are now the enemies of Israel will come to Jerusalem, not to attack it, but to bless themselves in the glory of God (Jeremiah 4:1-2).  To illustrate the importance of repentance, Jeremiah uses the image of circumcision as an illustration of the need to remove the foreskin of sin surrounding their hearts (Jeremiah 4:3-4). 

2)      Prophecy of a disastrous invasion from the north (Jeremiah 4:5-18) – Should Israel continue to rebel against their heavenly Father, they will face an invasion by enemies from the North who will lead the nation into exile.  This is the lion coming up from the thicket and destroyer of nations (Jeremiah 4:7). 

 

The choice for Israel and Judah is clear, return to the loving arms of God in repentance or incur the tough love of God through an invasion from the north leading the nation into exile.  Israel and Judah have had ample warning and know the consequences of continued disobedience to God (Deuteronomy 28), yet continue to ignore God’s Word.  We must all search our hearts and ask God if there is any rebellion in our lives and remove it, so we too do not need to incur the tough love of God.  I encourage everyone reading this to remember that,

 

1)      God’s love is perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18).  The perfection of God’s love in one’s heart comes through keeping God’s Word (1 John 2:5).  The men of Judah and Jerusalem have lived in rebellion against God, but God still loves them as evidenced by Him issuing a warning, but they continue to ignore His warnings and continue in their rebellion.  This leaves God with no choice but to exercise tough love towards His people by issuing judgment upon them through an invasion from the north that will bring them into exile.  Deuteronomy 28 provided God’s people with the blessings of obedience and the curse of disobedience, with continued disobedience resulting in exile from the Land.  However, when God’s people turn back to God, he will accept them (Deuteronomy 30:1-3). 

2)      God is the picture of perfect love (1 Corinthians 13) and wants the best for his children (Jeremiah 29:11).  While we would like this to mean a life free from cares and worries, we live in a world of evil and corruption and trouble will come (John 16:33).  However, sometimes the trouble in our lives is self-inflicted and due to sin and rebellion in our lives.  Sadly, some Churches no longer speak of sin and its dire consequences, portraying God as a permissive Father allowing his children to engage in sinful behavior believing, “I can do anything I want, and God’s grace will cover my sin.”  Those with this belief are using the grace of God as an excuse to sin (Romans 6:1-4) and require the tough love of God to bring them to repentance. 

 

I encourage those reading this who have either never prayed to accept Jesus as their Savior or who have strayed from their relationship with God in rebellion and sin to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead, and now declare you Lord of my life.

While the year 2020 was a year of struggle and trial, with those struggles and trials remaining during 2021 so far and encourage everyone to join me in making the year 2021 a year of returning to God.  The world is in a state of paranoia seeking answers.  Unfortunately, they are seeking answers in institutions led by flawed men and women instead of finding answers in God and His Word.  What has occurred in our world is not a surprise to God so why would we go elsewhere for answers.  God also provides hope for Scripture tells us He is returning to straighten this mess out (Revelation 22:6-21).