Jeremiah 3:21-23
21 A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel's sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the Lord their God. 22 “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God. 23 Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains. Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
Verse 23 is striking in its image of the idol worship that the Israelites engaged in: "Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains" (verse 23). It suggests some fantasy of "the ultimate sex experience", a perfect orgy on the mountaintop where everyone achieves pleasure. However, it is a delusion, a fantasy that promises life but brings death instead. This is the problem with sexual fantasies: they tempt us with promises of pleasure but ultimately bring us the reality of pain. We need to get past the delusion of the fantasy and admit the reality, that "they have perverted their way" (verse 21). The good news is that if we return to God he "will heal your faithlessness" (verse 22).
Lord, forgive me for striving after delusions.
21 A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel's sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the Lord their God. 22 “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God. 23 Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains. Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
Verse 23 is striking in its image of the idol worship that the Israelites engaged in: "Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains" (verse 23). It suggests some fantasy of "the ultimate sex experience", a perfect orgy on the mountaintop where everyone achieves pleasure. However, it is a delusion, a fantasy that promises life but brings death instead. This is the problem with sexual fantasies: they tempt us with promises of pleasure but ultimately bring us the reality of pain. We need to get past the delusion of the fantasy and admit the reality, that "they have perverted their way" (verse 21). The good news is that if we return to God he "will heal your faithlessness" (verse 22).
Lord, forgive me for striving after delusions.