A Consideration of Jeremiah 2:27

They 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!’

Man has both a back and face. Man has the power to frown or to favor. Man may accept or reject. In Jeremiah’s time, Israel had forsaken her God, the fountain of living water (verse 13). And yet, in their distress, they would once again cry out to Him for salvation.

1. What is the attitude of God toward men? His face, not His back, is turned–

In pity and compassion, John 3:16.

In grace and entreaty, In Christ, God has made peace with the world (2 Cor. 5:19) and Isaiah 1:8 tells us that God is forever reaching out to man.

2. What is the attitude of man toward God? Either our face or our back is turned to Him. Those who face God are–

Seeking Him.  To search for Jesus, we need to be looking forward, looking for Him, John 12:21.  Those who seek after God, will find Him, if they seek Him with all their hearts, Jeremiah 29:13.

Trusting Him.  When you find the Lord, you can’t help but trust Him, for He has proved Himself time and time again.  To “believe” is to trust.

Serving Him.  When you learn all that Jesus did for you–and continues to do for you–serving Him becomes something you are compelled to do.  We have received so much; surely the Lord deserves the best of lives; the best of our service.

Sadly, there are those who have turned their backs to God.  Turning your back on a friend is the attitude–

Of indifference.  To not respond to God’s call is to not care what He did for you; it is to not care about God, at all.

Of worldly preference.  Turning your back on God is an act of open rebellion against the Ruler of the universe.  No good can  come from turning your back on God!  Note the words of Ezekiel 8:16-18.

3.  The cry of the craven.  They turn their back on God in prosperity and health and then have the nerve to  cry out God “Save me, save me!” when times get tough.  How many of us, I wonder, are expert in serving the world, but then seeking God’s help in times of trouble?  Folks, God is so patient, yet for each one of us, His patience will come to an end.  At some point, He will not come and help (Judges 10:13-14).

May we choose to serve God now, right now, with our whole heart.