Jeremiah 4 and 5 Repent and Return to God

In today’s Daily Devotional, we embark on a journey through the solemn passages of Jeremiah 4 and 5. Here, we encounter a moving plea from God to His people, urging them to return to His loving embrace. As we delve into these chapters, let’s open our hearts to the gentle whispers of grace, calling us back into the fold of unfailing love. Read to explore if you have idols at the center of your life in Jeremiah 3.

Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, vividly depicts a nation straying from the path of righteousness, forsaking their source of strength and refuge. Yet, amidst the warnings of impending judgment, there remains a glimmer of hope—a reminder of God’s enduring mercy even in the face of human rebellion. Like a loving parent yearning for the return of a wayward child, God extends His arms wide, eager for our repentance and reconciliation.

As we navigate the depths of these scriptures, let’s take a moment for introspection. Let’s examine the state of our own hearts, lest we find ourselves drifting on the currents of disobedience. For in the quiet moments of reflection, we may discover that true fulfillment lies not in worldly pursuits, but in the arms of the One who lovingly created us and beckons us to return home.

Today, we will cover Jeremiah 4 and 5. God begs Israel to return to Him. They do not; will you? Please read or listen to the sixty-two verses in these two combined chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Jeremiah.

Due to the length of the reading today, I will go through my journals very quickly. In 1991, on Jeremiah 4 (NASB), I wrote, “God begs us to come back to Him. Like a husband whose bride has been unfaithful, who has chased another man, but God calls us back, asks us to repent and welcomes us back to His love.” I quoted verse 18, “Your ways and your deeds have brought these things to you. This is your evil. How bitter! How it has touched your heart!” 

In 2004, concerning Jeremiah 4 and 5 (NASB), I wrote, “Jeremiah really lays it on! He begs Israel to turn from its wicked ways and come back to God. He outlines terrible judgment. Why? How can a good God do this? It’s not God, it’s us. ‘Because of the evil in your deeds’ (4:4). ‘Your ways and your deeds have brought these things to you’ (4:18). They rejected God and His Word. We bring judgment upon ourselves.”

In 2016, concerning Jeremiah 4 and 5, I wrote, “God wants Israel to return to Him. He wants us to return to Him. But they didn’t and we don’t either. He warns of judgment. They don’t care. We don’t, either. Whose fault is it? Theirs and ours. ‘Wash your heart from evil’ (4:14). ‘Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you’ (4:18). ‘For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are “wise”—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not’ (4:22). Even in all that, God has mercy. ‘For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end”’ (4:27). God blessed and blesses, but we don’t honor Him, according to verses 7 and 9 of chapter 5.”

“We think God owes us and will not punish us.  ‘He will do nothing: no disaster will come upon us’ (5:12). He wouldn’t hurt me. He has to love me. We are the same. Haven’t learned much because we ignore His Word.”

The reading of the scripture and my journal entries make it pretty clear what chapters 4 and 5 of Jeremiah are all about. To sum it up, let’s look at chapter 5:19, “And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”

Jeremiah 5:22-23, “Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? . . . But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.”

Lord, turn our hearts back to You. That is the cry of Jeremiah. It is the cry of Jeremiah 4 and 5 to us today. Turn our hearts back to You. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.