Jeremiah chapter 2

In this long chapter, the Prophet reveals to the people of the LORD, His broken heart and genuine anger at their sin, specifically that "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" (vs. 13). So the LORD is angry that they have forsaken Him, by turning the hearts away from Him and by refusing to listen to His Law, but also that they have tried to satisfy the desires of their heart from other sources, the false gods of the surrounding nations.

Now the struggle with the Prophets is that much of their preaching is more like poetry then it is reasoned argumentation.  So, unlike Paul, Peter, or John, it can be difficult to outline the prophets, or follow a coherent argument throughout a passage.  This is not to say there is no logic or coherence of thought, just that the presentation style is different from the epistles of the New Testament (for example), so we have to change the way we read and comprehend in order to get the most out of the prophets.  The prophet are much more emotional and blunt in their speaking style then the NT usually is, and certainly more then most contemporary preaching.  So, the prophet can be difficult.  But if you'll read in big gulps and see the heart of the LORD laid open for you to see, you will begin to truly become blessed by the prophet and the unique place in the Bible for your life.    

First, start with the big theme, here the apostasy or backsliding of Judah.  Then, pull out some specific illustrations or declarations.  For example, some standouts in this chapter are:
1.  The nuptials of Israel and God in the wilderness-vs 2-3
2. The complete faithfulness of God--vs 4-7
3. The amazing duplicity of Judah to abandon God, unlike their neighbors who don't abandon their false gods-vs 10-13
4.  The justice of the coming judgment of God--vs 16-19
5.  The irrationality of their "faith" in the false gods but then looking to Him in their trouble--vs. 25-30
6. The destiny of forgetting sin--vs. 32-38

But I would like to reflect on verse 22.  In the KJV it reads:  For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. In the NIV: Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Sovereign Lord.  For here we have the basic struggle of life:  we, like all people are sinful, having not only sinned against humans in our lives, but sinned against a holy, righteous, and upright God.  Whatever issues or struggles that may come upon us due to the realities of existence, this hangs over the head of each and every person.  There is an eternal God.  That God has placed His Son as judge of every living soul (Acts 17:31), and we are guilty (Ecclesiastes 7:20).  But beyond just the fact we are guilty, we are guilty with no hope of restitution.  Since we are guilty before a judge outside ourselves, then nothing we personally do will get rid of this guilt.  We don't have the authority.  We don't have the legal standing. He is the ultimate judge.  We are guilty.  Let the words sink in, for this i the message of God's holy law.  So, Paul said in Romans 3:19-20 "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."

So is there something that can wash away our sin? Is there a cleansing powder strong enough to completely ride us of every single molecule and small print of our sin?  The blood of Jesus Christ!  For so says the Holy Ghost in 1 John 1:7b "...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Notices cleanseth... completely washes, thoroughly and entirely.  Notice us...us Christians...me...you...those in Christ.  Notice all...all sin, each and every single daily failure.  The past guilt...cleansed.  The present sins...gone.  The future failures...wiped completely away.

And this, after all, is the real message of the prophets, indeed of the entire Bible.  We are sinners, under the threatening wrath of Almighty God.  But there is a Savior, His Son Jesus Christ, and in Him is utter and complete salvation.  

So are we guilty.  Yes.  No.  Both.  Under the Law of God, we are sinful and guilty.  But God has not only spoken Law (though He really has spoken it).  But He has ended with His final word, the word of grace, the message of mercy, the ministry of reconciliation.  We are His.  We are forgiven.  We are clean.  We are righteous.  We are all of these THROUGH Jesus Christ, through His cross, His blood, His death, His triumph over the grave, His ascension, His intercession, and His coming return. 

In Christ, we are clean. Amen.  Praise the Lord Jesus Christ.