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Jeremiah 4 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Judah’s lovers have become her murderers.
“And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life.”
Jeremiah 4:30 NASB
This is the lie of sin. We flirt with it thinking it will provide us some sort of pleasure or enjoyment. We dress for the occasion hoping we can find something of value from the experience. Like a bait and switch, we often find out the hard way that the “lovers” do not love us back. They come to kill us. Although sin would love for us to dress up for him, he will waste no time taking everything from us.
“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
James 1:14-15 NASB
It begins with temptation. This has both positive and negative consequences. Temptation with the power to resist is simply a test that provides wisdom and growth. However, temptation with lust gives birth to sin. Eventually, that lover comes to take our lives, just like the vision Jeremiah sees for Judah.
The application is simple. Do we daily war against the sin in our lives? Through our love for Jesus, we have a new identity. We are given the Holy Spirit who empowers us to resist temptation. The trials of life will either serve as the birthing of sin or the testing and growing of our faith. Which is the case for you currently? Where do you need to be reminded of the power given by God (by grace) to make war on your sin?