Slices
Prepare
In your mind, picture someone you think is proud. What do they look like? What are they doing and saying?
Bible passage
A linen belt
13 This is what the Lord said to me: ‘Go and buy a linen belt and put it round your waist, but do not let it touch water.’ 2 So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it round my waist.
3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: 4 ‘Take the belt you bought and are wearing round your waist, and go now to Perath[a] and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.’ 5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.
6 Many days later the Lord said to me, ‘Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.’ 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt – completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound round the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,” declares the Lord, “to be my people for my renown and praise and honour. But they have not listened.”
Wineskins
12 ‘Say to them: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: every wineskin should be filled with wine.” And if they say to you, “Don’t we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?” 13 then tell them, “This is what the Lord says: I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem. 14 I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the Lord. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.”’
Threat of captivity
15 Hear and pay attention,
do not be arrogant,
for the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings the darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the darkening hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it to utter darkness
and change it to deep gloom.
17 If you do not listen,
I will weep in secret
because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
overflowing with tears,
because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive.
Explore
On a number of occasions God tells Jeremiah to act out a prophecy. In this instance Jeremiah wears a linen garment (v 1), which after having been hidden is dirty and useless. This is a picture of Judah’s pride (v 9). Judah is a proud nation. It thinks it’s doing mighty fine. God says that Jeremiah’s belt is like Judah’s unfaithfulness.
Our pride can manifest itself in many ways. Maybe it’s the presumption that high office makes us superior, that our intelligence makes us better, that our money shows we’re worthy, or that our good life makes us right before God. However it shows itself, we’ve all seen it: the thing that someone thinks makes them look great is the very thing that makes others cringe.
God reinforces his point using the analogy of wine jars, warning the people through Jeremiah that he may fill them with drunkenness (v 13) and destroy them (v 14) if they continue in their pride (v 17). Jeremiah entreats the people to listen to God.
Respond
Take a moment to search your motivations. Ask God to help you. (We can deceive ourselves after all!) Why do you seek to do good? Are your good works coming from a place of pride? Where needed, ask for forgiveness and the Spirit’s transforming work in your life.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 1,2; Psalm 50
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for the Scripture Union Board of Trustees as they meet today to consider issues around governance, compliance and strategy. Pray that God will guide their thinking and that they will see clearly where God is leading the movement.
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