An Unlikely Connection

The Lord directed me, a few weeks ago and on two separate occasions, to Jeremiah 3.  “Strange part of the Bible to bring me to”, I said to the Lord internally.  I admit Jeremiah is not a book I’m too familiar with.  I haven’t spent much time there, and I was surprised that God brought me to the chapter twice in one week.

The chapter paints a picture of Ancient Israel as an adulterous wife.  Verse 1 refers back to the Law of Moses regarding divorce.  “ ‘If a man divorces a woman and she marries someone else, he is not to take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land.  But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers’, says the LORD. ‘Yet I am still calling you to come back to me’” (NLT).   Among many other sins, the Israelites were engaged in idol worship.  Speaking through Jeremiah, God continues to outline all the ways Israel has disregarded Him.  Then, in verse 12, the tone changes.  “Therefore, go and say these words to Israel, ‘This is what the LORD says: O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful.  I will not be angry with you forever.  Only acknowledge your guilt.  Admit that you rebelled against the LORD your God and committed adultery against him by worshipping idols under every green tree.  Confess that you refused to follow me…Return home, you wayward children’, says the LORD, ‘for I am your husband.  I will bring you again to the land of Israel – one from here and two from there, from wherever you are scattered.  And I will give you leaders after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding’” (v. 12-15 NLT).  I was struck by the grace and mercy present in this passage, especially since it is found in the Old Testament;  before Christ’s crucifixion took away all of our sins. 

I had an amplified Bible out and was equally struck by a reference to Luke 15:20-22 tacked on to the end of Jeremiah 3:15.  “What’s in Luke that relates to this?”, I asked.  I’ve spent a good amount of time in Luke, but I could not think of any connection between Luke and this Old Testament language of divorce, idol worship, and prostitution. 

I turned the pages of my Amplified Bible and found the story of The Prodigal Son.

The prodigal son is a story told by Jesus about a young man who hurt and insulted his family in multiple ways.  While his father was still living, he demanded his share of the inheritance that was to be split between he and his older brother.  Shortly after receiving the money, he left town.  The Bible tells us “he wasted all his money on wild living” (Luke 15:13 NLT).  When a famine hit the land in which he was living, he began to starve.  He had no money to buy food and all his “friends” left him.  He persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed the pigs.  Still, he was so hungry, “even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him” (v. 16 NLT).  This is an especially low point in the story for the young man.  Eating pork was forbidden according to Jewish law.  The young man had to have been desperate just to gain employment feeding pigs.  Considering eating the pigs’ food underscores how hopeless he must have felt. 

Jesus tells us that it was in this setting that “he finally came to his senses” (v. 17 NLT).  He realized that he could return to his father’s home, work as a slave, have more than enough food to eat, and live a life with more dignity than his current situation afforded.  He planned a speech for when he first met his father, and he was on his way. 

Here are the verses that were referenced at the end of Jeremiah 3:15:

“So he returned home to his father.  And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming.  Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.  His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’  But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him.  Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet.’” (Luke 15:20-22 NLT) 

The Prodigal Son is a wonderful story because it is so rich in revealing our Heavenly Father’s love for us.  According to Jewish law, culture, and tradition during the first century AD, the father had every right to refuse his son anything and could have charged him criminally (Duet. 21:18-21).  This is what the listeners of Jesus’ story would have expected the father to do.  Instead, the father runs to his son, embraces him, and instructs the servants to place him in a position of honor in the home.  He doesn’t even seem to listen to the speech the young man prepared! 

So what’s the connection between Jeremiah 3 and the Story of the Prodigal Son recorded in Luke 15? 

The answer is found in verse 1 of Jeremiah 3: “Yet I am still calling you to come back to me”. 

The father in Luke 15:20 saw his son “while he was still a long distance away”.  The father was looking for his son.  He was waiting for him.  He knew when he handed his son the money, what his son would do.  He knew his son would go away.  He knew his son would make destructive and hurtful choices.  He knew what his legal rights were as a father.  He even knew that his son would one day “come to his senses” and decide to return home.  And he knew, that when that time came, he would be waiting to greet his son before anyone else could with a heart of forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. 

Just like the father in Luke 15, God saw all the horrible things that the Israelites were doing and still called them back to Him.  Despite all their hurtful, selfish behaviors, he still wanted to love them, take care of them, and have a relationship with them.  I am awestruck by the grace and mercy of God because this was in the Old Testament!  Jesus’ blood had not yet removed their sins.  How much more grace and blessing do we operate in today because we live after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection!

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  Just like He did in the Old Testament, and just like the father of the prodigal son, He is calling to you.  He’s looking for you and waiting for you.  Maybe you’re already a believer in Jesus, but you’re struggling with trusting Him and living life the way He asks you to.  Maybe you’re not a believer yet, but you realize that you can only get so far on your own.  Wherever you are in life, our Heavenly Father is eager to be the first to greet you as you return to Him.  Speak to Him out loud.  Whatever you need in life, speak to Him.  He wants to help.  He wants to give you all that you need (Philippians 4:19).  He wants to show you a life of love.