Jeremiah 3:21-25

The passionate call to ‘’Return’’ goes out again (22a). (It has been estimated that it occurs over 40 times in the book.)

People who have drifted (or turned) from God; those who are backslidden, can return, and will do so:

  • Where there is conviction of sin (21): where there is sadness and sorrow over wrong-doing and penitent tears are shed: ‘’A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel…’’
  • Where there is recognition of who God is (22b), and what He can do for us (23b): ‘’for you are the LORD our God…surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.’’
  • Where there is willingness to return (22b): ‘’Yes, we will come to you…’’
  • Where there is recognition of sin’s deception (24, 25): ‘’All that popular religion was a cheap lie, duped crowds buying up the latest in gods…The Fraud picked us clean, swindled us of what our ancestors bequeathed us, Gypped us out of our inheritance – God-blessed flocks and God-given children. We made our bed and now lie in it, all tangled up in the dirty sheets of dishonour.’’ The Message.
  • Where there is humble confession of sin (25). People have to ‘come clean’ with God and honestly confess their true state, without pretence or excuses.

‘’ The people’s confession of sin seems genuine and complete (verse 25). However, we must assume it is the faithful ‘’remnant’’ that is confessing here, because the majority of Israelites never did repent. It is likely that Jeremiah described the repentance of the northern kingdom in order to provoke the people of Judah to repent also. Surely God longed to hear these words of repentance from His people, both from Israel and from Judah. And He longs to hear our words of repentance today, whenever we have strayed from Him.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’’, p.1082.

‘’returning is the only remedy for backsliding…Backsliding is like sickness (22). It begins with a secret ‘’infection’’ of sin, which leads to loss of spiritual appetite, gradual decline and, if not attended to, death. God heals our backsliding if we honestly accept His diagnosis and humbly return to Him.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.499.

Prayer: Lord, you know how ­________ has slipped away from following you. Please draw them back.