Righteous are You, O Lord, when I complain to You; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; You are near in their mouth and far from their heart. --Jeremiah 12:1-2
Jeremiah has been called "the weeping prophet." He shed many tears over the sins of his people. Unfortunately, his crying over them did not turn them from their sinful ways. The people hid behind their religion but continued in their sin. This is why he said that God was near on their lips but far from their hearts. Some of them were prosperous, enjoying money and possessions and land. Jeremiah cried out to God, asking why He had blessed them with material wealth when they were wicked in all their ways. God spoke warnings through the prophet Jeremiah, predicting a period of desolation in the land, of oppression and exile for the people.
There is an interesting object lesson that Jeremiah shared with the people of Judah.
Thus says the Lord to me, "Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water." So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, "Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock." So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. And after many days the Lord said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there." Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing. Then the word of the Lord came to me: "Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen. --Jeremiah 13:1-11
God was showing the people what would happen to them because of their sinfulness. Jeremiah was told to purchase this linen garment, just as God had redeemed or purchased Israel. Jeremiah wore the linen garment for a time; in the same way, Israel had been attached to God like a belt around His waist, enjoying an intimate and close relationship with Him. But then God told Jeremiah to go north toward Babylon, and to bury or hide the linen garment by the river there; in the same way, Judah would be exiled to Babylon for 70 years. Over time the mud and water deteriorated the linen, so that it was no longer useful as a belt or loincloth. Nevertheless, Jeremiah was commanded by God to go and get the useless garment and to bring it back, just as God would bring His people back from exile. Even though it was spoiled, God would use it for His glory and praise, and the people would be known by His Name.
There is some debate over what type of linen garment this was. The ESV (quoted above) says it was a loincloth, which we associate with old movies depicting American Indians or Tarzan. The KJV says it was a girdle, which in a modern sense brings to mind foundation wear--something worn underneath the outer clothing to shape up the body. The NASB20 calls it a linen undergarment, as linen was commonly used for undergarments in the ancient world. If we use this interpretation, then we see that men use religion like people use underwear--to cover their nakedness. If the undergarment is ruined, then it no longer covers one's shameful parts. By extension, the prophecy would mean that when the veneer of their faith was hidden in Babylon, buried in the banks of the River, it would no longer cover their sins, and their shame would be evident to all.
There is another school of thought about the type and purpose of the linen garment. The NKJV calls it a linen sash. The NIV says it was a linen belt. Both of these interpretations imply that it was not worn next to the skin, but over the outer garment. David Guzek says, "The sash was associated with the priestly garments both for the High Priest (Exodus 28:4) and the regular priest (Leviticus 16:4). Such a linen belt was a sign of dignity and nobility." Thompson adds, "If Jeremiah wore the traditional prophetic garb he would have been clothed in a fairly tight tunic of coarse material with a hair cloak over it. A linen girdle around his waist, such as was worn by priests and the rich nobility, would have made him something of a spectacle." Using this interpretation, it would mean that God had chosen His people to stand out, to be a symbol of holiness in a coarse world. Having that holiness tainted, soiled and degraded, would mean God's people were no longer set apart. The sin in which they immersed themselves made them just like every other piece of clothing--coarse and unattractive. Worse, a worn-out linen garment, full of holes and stains, was less useful than a horsehair cloak or a coarse tunic--at least those garments would keep a body warm.
In verse 9 of our text, God likens the linen garment to the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. Their pride will be ruined when they are carried into exile in Babylon, and are buried in the banks of the Euphrates. God wants the people to cling to Him like a waistband. He gave them a purpose: to bring glory to His Name. By going after other gods, they were no longer His people; they were not fulfilling His purpose for them.
What lessons can we apply to our lives from this passage? Like the people of Judah, we have been called by God to a higher purpose. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart." We must be wary of sin, however, and not follow after false prophets or worship other gods. If we wander away from Him, God will allow us to be swallowed up in the culture that He has called us out of. If we are stained with sin, misshaped or deteriorated by the world in which we immerse ourselves, we may lose our uniqueness and usefulness.
Thankfully, the Blood of the Lamb who was sacrificed for us can make us clean. I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We can echo Jeremiah's heartfelt confession in Jeremiah 14:20-21: "We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You. Do no spurn us, for Your Name's sake; do not dishonor Your glorious throne; remember and do not break Your covenant with us." Revelation 3:5 says, "The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his hame out of the book of Life. I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels." He can redeem us and give us a new purpose. We can be called His people, called by His Name, to His praise and glory, amen.
