LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2020 am
JEREMIAH 13 VERSES 1 - 11
Whenever we turn to chapter 13 we find that God seems to be giving a strange instruction to this young preacher. He is to get a linen girdle, to wear it at his waist for a time. He was to wear it then remove it and take it to the Euphrates river which was 250 miles from where Jeremiah was living. He was to dig a hole and bury the girdle. Then the Lord comes to him again and tells him to go and retrieve the girdle. It would be a journey of 1000 miles. When God asks us to do something today there might be difficulty. When God speaks to us may we be prepared to do what he asks. The lesson to be learned here is about the relationship of God's people to God himself. The relationship had fallen away from God to become useless and fruitless. Verse 11 "For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise and for a glory: but they would not hear." God wants his people to cling to him for a very specific purpose, for praise and glory unto the name of the living God. The words "a people" in other translations interpret it "for my people" We find that God is speaking directly to his own people. We were thinking last week of the words "if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7 verse 14) A relationship with the eternal God that we want to look at through the girdle.
Significance of this girdle in its identity. The girdle signifies an official relationship to the one who wore it We identify with our Saviour, the one who came into the world to seek and to save that whch was lost. You give your identity to him. You bear his name in your life and in your actions. John 13 verse 35 "by this shall all men know you are my disciples if ye love one another." The relationship we have with the Lord The people are looking on a love that comes from our heart for one another. Think of Elijah the prophet in 2 Kings chapter 1. King Ahaziah, the son of Ahab was a very wicked king. He would hear what God had to say but did not listen to it. He walked in the ways of his father Ahab and his grandfather Jeroboam. He had an accident one day when he fell through the lattice in his home. From this time he became very ill indeed. He sent his advisers to his false god of Ekron, Baalzebub to ask the question would he live or not. God intervened by speaking to Elijah and told him about the transaction. He had a different interpretation on the life of Ahaziah. The advisers began to tell the king the message Elijah had given them. Ahaziah asked them what Elijah was like. 2 Kings 1 verse 8 "He was an hairy man and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins." The king sat up in his bed and said "it is Elijah the Tishbite." The leather girdle gave his identity. This was a man of God, a prophet. When the high priest walked about he wore a colourful girdle but when he went into the presence of God he put on a plain white girdle. The significance of his position. The soldier's girdle held the instruments of war. When Jesus went to wash his disciples feet he took a towel thus identifying himself as a slave. When you take on Christ as your Saviour you take on his identity. He asks us to cleave unto him. In our work we demonstrate our ownership,, those who look on us identify us with Christ.
The girdle is significant in its importance. The Lord told Jeremiah to wear it for a while then hide it by the river. After some time he was told to dig it up again. When he did so it was marred, good for nothing. Those who would hear this parable would get the meaning right away. The girdle was one of servantship. The significance of it is only seen when it is in its proper place - around the loins of a man, not buried in the hole beside the river. We are only useful to God when we are in the place God would have us to be in that we might be of use, of value in these days we are living in. We are living in days of fear. God wants us to be in the place that we might be able to deal with people. We can only do that when we cleave to the Lord. God didn't want the nation to run after false gods but to cleave unto God himself. I think of Saul of Tarsus who was saved on the road to Damascus. God sent Ananias to speak to him. Acts 9 verse 15 "go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear God's name before the Gentiles and kings and the nation of Israel." He could only be useful when he was in the centre of God's plan. In Galatians chapter 1 Paul is giving his testimony when he reminds them that the news of his conversion filtered back to the little churches. Verse 22 "I was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ. But they had heard only that he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me." Paul was the vessel, being used by God to bring glory unto God through his life Is that what our lives are today? Serving the Lord, walking closely to the Lord? Are we bringing great glory and praise to his name? John 13 verse 31 "whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do but that the father may be glorified in the son." God is glorified in your asking and pleading. In Ephesians 6 there is great emphasis placed on the girdle in the life of the soldier. He would gird up his gown into the girdle before going into battle. Paul referred to the girdle as the girdle of truth.
The girdle is significant in its insufficiency. Now we see the girdle in a useless state. The prophet wore the girdle for a time then takes it to the river Euphrates, dug a hole and hid the girdle. After a while God says to him to go back and get the girdle out. The girdle is no longer complete, just in a pile of ashes, threads - what had happened - the water had destroyed the girdle by continual washing and drying out. It was not where it should have been, of no use to anyone. You and I are useless to God if we are not in the place where he would have us to be. It was not to be hidden in a hole but worn by Jeremiah. The people were useful to God when they were clinging to God, not when they were wandering afar off. John 15 "I am the vine ye are the branches." Jesus points to the vine growing the grapes. The grapes grew because of the union with the branches. The branches were there because of the union to the vine. Have we that union with the Lord himself today? John 15 "without me ye can do nothing." Are we relying on the Lord today? We live in a very self sufficient time without Jesus. We can do nothing. What if everything was taken from us? What would happen then? Paul to the Corinthian believers spoke of the fruit he had. He was careful to acknowledge he was sufficient of himself. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 5 "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." God said to Paul "my grace is sufficient for thee." We can only follow the master who died on the cross. He is sufficient as we draw closer to him.
The girdle is significant in its implication. What is the lesson God is speaking of here? It was about a people who were departing from him, very soon they would turn their backs completely. This very people would be carried away into captivity, into the land of Babylon. John 15 verse 6 "if a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned." Are we walking afar off from God today? Are we just going through the rituals? Has something come in that means you are not where you once were? Come afresh to God today.
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