Spiritual Adultery

1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘I remember the devotion of your youth,

how as a bride you loved me

3Israel was holy to the Lord,

23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;I have not run after the Baals’? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running here and there,

24a wild donkey accustomed to the desert,sniffing the wind in her craving—

in her heat who can restrain her?

Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her.

25Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry.

But you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’

26“As a thief is disgraced when he is caught, so the people of Israel are disgraced—

they, their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets.

27They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’

They have turned their backs to me and not their faces;

yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’

28Where then are the gods you made for yourselves?

Let them come if they can save you

when you are in trouble! (Jeremiah 2) 

Thoughts: God chooses his people as the ones He loves.  The image of the church is "the bride of Christ."  There is a covenant we make with God- to be His people and He will be our God.  So when we worship idols, we break our covenant- our bride vows to God. We are committing spiritual adultery.  Adultery is the only reason that Jesus gives for a valid divorce.  Jeremiah uses graphic language here.  When we make other things our god- we commit adultery against the Lord- trading a fake relationship for a true one.  It would be like someone divorcing his wife for pornography- pornography can be addictive.  Idolatry- making things (money, houses, cars, shopping, alcohol/drugs, education, even other people) our God is addictive too.  Such things cannot save us from catastrophe or from our sins.  Only the true God is our true Savior. 

Prayer: Lord let you faithfulness inspire my faithfulness in return.  Let my heart be undivided and true to you.