Cling to God

I have been, very slowly, reading my way through the entire Bible.  I have come across some interesting selections of Scripture, one of them being the one I would like to share with you. It’s taken from the book of Jeremiah.

But, first a little bit of background. 

Jeremiah was a “major prophet during the decline and fall of the southern kingdom of Judah. He prophesied during the reigns of the last 5 kings of Judah.” (NIBD)

The book of Jeremiah is not a particularly happy book. Jeremiah “was destined from the very beginning to be a prophet of doom”

“All of Jeremiah’s life was wrapped up in the knowledge that God was about to bring an end to the holy city and cast off His Covenant people”

The book of Jeremiah is extremely difficult to follow and understand. “Most of the other prophetic books have a chronological arrangement (to them) but not the book of Jeremiah.

“Prophecies delivered in the final years of his ministry may appear at any point in the book, followed by messages that belong in other periods of his life.” (NIBD p.644)

The Book can be confusing, but there is a central message to the book—the impending destruction of Judah. 

Jeremiah has been called “the weeping prophet”, because he wept openly for the sins of the nation. (see Jer. 9:1).

At times Jeremiah was depressed because of the lack of “progress”. The

more he preached against the people, the less things happened to the people.

In fact, the more Jeremiah preached, the more things happened to him... the people put him in a cistern, they threatened him with death, they put him in jail, and the king burnt what the prophet wrote….

Eventually, Jeremiah words came true, and in 586, the nation of Judah fell to the nation of Babylon. Judah was punished because of its sin and disobedience.

While that’s a small reader’s digest overview of the Book of Jeremiah, there is one chapter in particular that I would like for us to look at.

It’s an unusual parable, but I believe it has an important lesson. Our text is Jeremiah chapter 13.

“This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.” 2 So I bought the loincloth as the Lord directed me, and I put it on.

 3 Then the Lord gave me another message: 4 “Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.”

5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the Lord had instructed me.

6 A long time afterward the Lord said to me, “Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.”

7 So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.

8 Then I received this message from the Lord: 9 “This is what the Lord says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem.

10 These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing!

11 As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.” (NLT2)

Interesting passage this is…. And I believe that there is an important lesson for us to learn… but before we learn that lesson, we need to understand what is taking place.

God had instructed Jeremiah to go and purchase a “linen belt” (NIV) a “linen loincloth” (NLT2) a “linen sash” (NKJV) and put it on, but not let it touch the water.

God then instructed Jeremiah to take his Fruit of the Looms—or Haines—Underwear-- and take them some 400 miles to the Euphrates and dig a hole and hide them.

After a good long time, God asked Jeremiah to return to the Euphrates and dig up the undergarment, and upon his arrival, Jeremiah found that this garment was unbearable. 

It had rotted away; it “…was good for nothing” (Jer. 15:7, NLT2)

Naturally, God spoke to Jeremiah and told him that this garment represented Judah.

God had created her and she belonged to Him. Judah was God’s pride, His joy. She was created to “cling to God”.

“As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name….” (Jeremiah 13:11a, NLT2)

God had created His people to cling to Him, to be close to Him, to find life in Him they were to follow His ways, they were to depend upon Him for their very life.

“But they would not listen to me.” (Jer. 13:11b, NLT2)

Judah and Israel allowed themselves to be influenced by the people around them. They polluted themselves, and became like the nations around them.

One Bible commentary states: “They rejected worship of the one true God and turned to pagan gods instead. Immorality, injustice…and corruption prevailed throughout the land.” (NIBD.p646)

These people, at one time, were close to the Lord, but now they found themselves on the outside looking in.

Judah allowed herself to be polluted by idolatry, and “instead of clinging to her God in faith and love, she destroyed herself” (Zon. Com. Pg.1185)

Judah and Israel were created to cling to God. This was the reason God made a Covenant with them. They were God’s chosen people.

You know dear friends, if you profess to be a disciple of Jesus Christ; it’s your job to cling to Him. To be so close to Him that you are covered with His dust.

“Biblical scholar Ray van der Laan, notes that first-century Jews had a blessing that beautifully expressed the commitment of a disciple to stay in the presence of the one he followed: “may you always be covered by the dust of your rabbi” That is (to say) “may you follow him so closely that the dust his feet kicks up is what cakes your clothing and lines your face.”

Like a baby duckling whose image of its mother has been imprinted on its brain, disciples never wanted to let the rabbi out of their sight.

What mattered was not so much the particular activity they were doing. What mattered was being with their rabbi whatever was going on.

Every activity was an opportunity to learn from the rabbi how to be like the rabbi.” (John Ortberg GICTYT, 54)

  John Ortberg reminds us that “The decision that makes us disciples is choosing to be always with Jesus so we can learn continually from Jesus how to be fully like Him.”

We are supped to be “Little Christ”. 

To be so close to Him that His dust covers us; to cling to Him “As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist….” (Jer. 13:11a, NLT2)

 We are to be like that loincloth… to cling tightly to God; we’re the ones that need salvation, we’re the ones that need redemption, we’re the ones that need sanctification, we need all this and more… and we can only get these things if we cling to God.

The Bible reminds us that “…you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1Pe 2:9, NIV)

Jesus said: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last…” (John 15:16, NIV)

We are God’s chosen people. We are His Plan “A”…

It’s our job as disciples of Jesus Christ to cling to Him, to let Him transform us. We did not choose God, He chose us, and because He chose us, we find life by clinging to Him.

 So I ask all of us to consider our relationship with God… are we like the first linen loincloth—undefiled, or are we like the loincloth that has been defiled by the environment?

  If we are not spending time “near the cross of Jesus…” (John 19:25, NIV) then we will be unable to hear what God wants from us.

God said that the people of Judah would be cast away because they refused to listen to His words… “These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing! (Jer. 13:10, NLT2)

The constant refusal to listen to the Lord is what caused God’s people to be sent into exile. 

I read recently about a group of dolphins that got stranded on a beach near Boston, several years ago. 

Scientists felt that they may have run aground because of a hearing problem.

 The animals, which use sound waves to judge depths, were found to have worms clogging their sinus cavities and inner ears, possibly making them hard of hearing.           

Those beached dolphins may have something to teach us… there are some of us who are not functioning properly, because we are unable to hear properly.

   The problem of beached Christians may be similar to the problem of the beached dolphins; we may be hard of hearing.

 Jeremiah said in verse 15: “Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken.” (Jer. 13:15, NIV)

The dolphins were unable to gauge the depth of water in which they were swimming, they thought they were in deep water, but found themselves stranded on the beach.

 This is one of the results of being hard of hearing. There are those who think that things are fine, but if you refuse to hear and listen to what God is saying, you will be beached.

The only cure of course, is to dig out the worms. To remove the obstacles that may be hindering you from hearing the Lord.”(Adapted from the prairie overcomer, 1974, my files)

The prophet Jeremiah was sent to the people of Judah to remind them that they were created to cling to God, but they wouldn’t listen.

 May you, may we, not find ourselves in the same position. May we choose to cling to God. May we choose to be so close to The Rabbi that we are covered with His dust.

 Know dear friends if you are not where God intends for you to be, you can always come back.

You can always find your way back into the arms of Jesus, but it will involve you surrendering, it will involve you coming to the Cross of Jesus and admitting that you are not doing what you were created to do. 

 Jeremiah 15:19 reminds us that “…If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.” (NIV)

 God is always ready to welcome you back into His family. He is always ready to cleanse you and have you cling to Him…

We were created to cling to God, the only question is: are we.