The Plea of GOD for His people

“Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children’s children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:9-13 (KJV)

In these verses God speaking through the prophet Jeremiah says that the children of Judah, and Israel have done something that even the worshippers of false gods do not do; that is forsake their gods. Jehovah is the one true God, and they had forsaken Him, and turned to false gods.

The two evils: They had forsaken God, and the second, was they had made their own gods. They had “changed their glory for that which does not profit”. The glory of the follower of Jehovah is His glory.

The Psalmist has written,

“Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.” Psalm 106:20

Jehovah likens them as to having forsaken a living, flowing, fresh stream of moving clear, clean, cool, refreshing water for a dug out cisterns that collect runoff water, can become stale, stagnant, and smelly. Besides that the cisterns they have made are cracked throughout, and cannot even hold the water it collects.

Jesus is the Living Water who gives life. Why would anyone want anything, anyone else?

The True and Just Judge

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.  Psalm 43:1 (KJV)

On this verse I will let Charles H. Spurgeon do the commentary.  O how we as followers of Christ Jesus need to trust God’s judgment of us, and plead His grace and mercy, and then trust it.  We also must needs trust His judgment upon others.

“Judge me, O God.” Others are unable to understand my motives, and unwilling to give me a just verdict. My heart is clear as to its intent, and therefore I bring my case before thee, content that thou wilt impartially weigh my character, and right my wrongs. If thou wilt judge, thy acceptance of my conduct will be enough for me; I can laugh at human misrepresentation if my conscience knows that thou art on my side; thou art the only one I care for; and besides, thy verdict will not sleep, but thou wilt see practical justice done to thy slandered servant. “And plead my cause against an ungodly nation.” One such advocate as the Lord will more than suffice to answer a nation of brawling accusers. When people are ungodly no wonder that they are unjust: those who are not true to God himself cannot be expected to deal rightly with his people. Hating the King they will not love his subjects. Popular opinion weighs with many, but divine opinion is far more weighty with the gracious few. One good word from God outweighs ten thousand railing speeches of men. He bears a brazen shield before him whose reliance in all things is upon his God; the arrows of calumny fall harmlessly from such a buckler. “O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.” Deceit and injustice are boon companions: he who fawns will not fear to slander. From two such devils none can deliver us but God. His wisdom can outwit the craft of the vilest serpent, and his power can overmatch the most raging lion. Whether this was Doeg or Ahithophel is small matter, such double distilled villains are plentiful, and the only way of dealing with them is to refer the matter to the righteous Judge of all; if we try to fight them with their own weapons, we shall suffer more serious injury from ourselves than from them. O child of God, leave these thine enemies in better hands, remembering that vengeance belongeth not to thee, but to the Lord. Turn to him in prayer, crying, “O deliver me,” and ere long you shall publish abroad the remembrance of his salvation.
TREASURY OF DAVID e-Sword edition