The Lord warned Jeremiah against marriage to any of his nation’s people because they were all under His wrath and would die horrible deaths.
“For thus says the Lord: ‘Do not enter the house of mourning, nor go to lament or bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people,” says the Lord, “lovingkindness and mercies. Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them. Nor shall men break bread in mourning for them, to comfort them for the dead; nor shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or their mother. Also you shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink.” [2]
The Lord warned Jeremiah against attending the funeral of his nation’s people because He did not want them to have peace, loving kindness, and mercy. He did not want them to be mourned or their survivors to be comforted. Not even in the case of the death of their parents! They had betrayed the Lord for false gods and were not worthy of any special kindness.
“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will cause to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.’” [3]
Some may consider non-marriage a freedom of choice, but in truth, it is a judgment. Marriage is a blessing from God. It is His way, and His way is good for us who are created in His image. The discontinuation of the marriage ceremony and all the festivities that go with it was God’s judgment on their unfaithful ways.
“And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ says the Lord; ‘they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me. Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you do not know, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.’” [4]
God is not against marriage, nor against funerals, but He does oppose those who deny Him, and behave as they are their own gods. “Each one follows the dictates of his own heart so that no one listens to Me.” That is why God allowed a foreign army to conquer their nation, to take them captive, and to lead them to serve the gods that are no gods. They sowed idolatry and reaped more idolatry, but it was not a pleasant harvest for them.
“For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes. And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.” [5]
The Lord had seen their sins. In due season, He let them reap the consequences of their unrepentant behavior before Him.
“O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, ‘Surely our fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things.’ Will a man make gods for himself, which are not gods? Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; and they shall know that My name is the Lord.” [6]
The good news is that God planned to bring the Gentiles into His family. By His grace, they would see that their gods were worthless lies, and that He, the true God, could be known, and they could enjoy a personal relationship with Him. God has a name. God has hands and might greater than any human being on earth.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” [7]
Those who trust and hope in the Lord are blessed and happy. This is not true for the humanist who denies God and thinks he can do well without Him. The one who trusts in the Lord flourishes even during difficult seasons.
Thus, we should seek the Lord to heal us from a backsliding heart. We should gather to praise and worship the Lord for He is worthy of adoration.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.” [8]
[1] Jeremiah 16:1-4
[2] Jeremiah 16:5-8
[3] Jeremiah 16:9
[4] Jeremiah 16:10-13
[5] Jeremiah 16:17-18
[6] Jeremiah 16:19-21
[7] Jeremiah 17:7-8
[8] Jeremiah 17:14
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