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Herman Veldkamp's Commentary on Jeremiah←⤒🔗

When the words of the prophets made no impact on the people, God visited them with deeds. He then had the prophets perform some unusual act which would make the people sit up and take notice. Once their curiosity had been stimulated, God would give an explanation for the act, hoping to thus turn their curiosity into genuine interest and their interest into faith and repentance. The text in question deals with such a symbolic deed.

Jeremiah was instructed to buy a garment, a waistcloth. This was not just any garment, but a beautiful white, linen one such as priests were wont to wear. It was a luxurious item, and yet not a luxury since men in those days were very particular about their garments. Usually money was a small object and even the poorest of men were careful to wear only the best they could possibly afford, generally decorated with silver. Clothes made the man, even in those days, and a waistcloth was a status symbol even more than clothes are today. We should keep this in mind in order to better understand the meaning of Jeremiah's message. Jeremiah was told not only to buy the waistcloth but also to wear it. The significance of this should not escape us. It was so important, in fact, that Jeremiah made mention of wearing the waistcloth no less than three times (verses 1, 2, 4). His actual words were: "put it on the loins." In other words, man and waistcloth became, as it were, one. After Jeremiah had worn it for a short time, he was told to bury it somewhere in the cleft of a rock.

Again, after some time had elapsed, Jeremiah was told to recover the garment. By that time, however, the cloth was completely spoiled and useless. In all probability Jeremiah took the ruined garment back to Judah to show to his friends and acquaintances who no doubt sympathized with him for his loss. But Jeremiah told them that the loss of his garment was unimportant and that they should show more concern about what was going to happen to them: "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 waistcloth, which is good for nothing. For as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen" (vss. 9-11).

The divine explanation of this symbolic act demonstrated that the people of the Lord were inclined toward decay and destruction. Jeremiah had told them this before, but they had refused to listen. Jeremiah now gave them a symbolic sample of what was to come.

Yet, the incident was more than teaching by example. The imagery had a few themes which could not possibly have escaped the listener and should not escape us, for the meaning of the incident applies to us as well. In the first place, the image did not simply proclaim the coming decline and fall of God's people. This was not a cold, harsh, irreducible judgment, but showed that God had made this decision with great difficulty and grief. Israel was to God what a precious garment is to man. Israel was God's special possession from which He could not easily distantiate Himself. God had paid a high price for His people. Who can readily discard his precious jewels, an heirloom perhaps, or throw away his expensive garment, a status symbol? When God threw away His possession on the dung heap, He did so with unspeakable sorrow. He did it only because there was no other way; the people were good for nothing anymore. All the high expectations He had had of His people had come up empty. All the pains He had taken to create His own had proved in vain. Indeed, if the salt loses its taste, it becomes useless. If the tree proves fruitless, it must be removed.

The second theme is the intimate communion between God and His people, expressed in the words, "for as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me." The moment this communion was broken, corruption and decay set in; as long as the waistcloth was worn by man, it remained as new, but as soon as it was buried in the rock, it began to decay.

Probably, the reference to Pherat alludes to the demise of God's people on the banks of the Euphrates. However, we should not forget that spiritual corruption had already set in before that. The people had long since broken with God and this break had resulted in their spiritual degeneracy.

It is only in communion with the Lord that we can grow and become perfect. The branch that does not want its nourishment from the vine will shortly die and fall away. We do not have a spiritual reserve of ourselves. Without Christ we can do absolutely nothing. Israel's decision to break with God and live without Him was described as: "but they would not listen." Just prior to this were the words: "who refuse to hear my words." It was not yet overt godlessness, but simply going their own way. It's possible to put on a very pious veneer, fulfill all church obligations and be respect­ed in the community and yet simply receive the Word of God for information, live for oneself and give no thought to God or one's neighbor.

The third theme of the parable compares the linen waistcloth to the high calling all Christians have. God had redeemed and purchased Israel (as Jeremiah had purchased the waistcloth) and had clung the people of His choosing to Himself (as Jeremiah hung the waistcloth about his hips) "that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory..." That was the purpose.

Throughout the New Testament we are continually urged to praise God, for "we have been bought with a high price." Christ's work of atonement was not bought to make us safe for heaven but to enable us to bring Him praise and glory here on earth. The Lord demands total surrender. The war between Christ and Satan, between church and world, is also a total war and the ultimate victory demands the total involvement of everything and everyone. Half-heartedness is unacceptable. Either we are His glory or His offence, His precious jewel or His embarrassment. Either we respond to His expectations or fail Him miserably. There is nothing in between. We cannot do both.

It is said of some that they are "a glory for the church." That's very sad, not because they are a glory but because they seem to be the exception, supranormal types who draw attention to themselves by virtue of the fact they are exceptions. In God's church, everyone should be a glory, a lamp on a stand, a city set on a hill, not to seek attention but simply because there is no other way. The Godfearing will blossom and bloom, quietly, unassumingly perhaps, but clearly, openly nevertheless. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and praise your father who is in heaven." That brings us to our objective: "to be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory."