771_Obedience that outlasts the crisis (Jeremiah 34)
Jeremiah 34:8-11 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, 9 that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. 10 And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. 11 But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.
There is something revealing about the promises we make when we are afraid. In a moment of danger, a person may say, “If only I get through this, I will change. I will make things right. I will seek God. I will never go back to the way I was.” And sometimes those promises are completely sincere. But then the danger passes, life becomes comfortable again, and the promises we made in the crisis begin to fade. The urgency disappears, and with it, our obedience. Jeremiah 34 describes what happens when obedience wanes once the crisis is past.
At the time Jeremiah received this word, Jerusalem was under attack by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his army. Most of Judah’s fortified cities had already fallen, and Jerusalem seemed to be heading toward destruction. The Lord found it necessary to reassure King Zedekiah that though the city would be captured and burned down, he himself would be spared to die in peace and honour, mourned by his people as a good king should be.
But something remarkable happened during these desperate days. King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem had been forcing their Hebrew slaves to serve them indefinitely, instead of releasing them in the seventh year as the Law commanded (Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 15). However, now they repented, and made a covenant before God to release their slaves. Jeremiah 34:10 says, “And they obeyed and set them free.”
The people had heard God’s command, humbled themselves, made a covenant, and acted upon it. But then comes one of the most important words in the entire story: “afterward.” Jeremiah 34:11 says, “But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free and brought them into subjection as slaves.” They had made a commitment to obey God, but then they reversed course. They had obeyed, but their obedience did not last.
What makes this especially significant is the context. It appears that the army of Pharaoh came out of Egypt to challenge the Babylonians. This led to the temporary cessation of the attack on Jerusalem. The immediate pressure seemed to ease. And so, with the passing of the crisis, the people returned to their old ways. Their obedience had been real, but it had been the fruit of slavish fear, and not of a hunger for righteousness. When the pressure was relieved, they changed their behavior.
This may be called crisis obedience. When we are frightened, we pray with unusual seriousness. Face to face with our need, our frailty, or our helplessness, we suddenly become deeply conscious of God. We seek His wisdom. We become more dependent upon Him. When we are confronted with our mortality, eternity suddenly seems very real. Crisis reveals what really matters.
But what happens when the crisis passes? Will our obedience survive the crisis? Will we continue to pray and trust once the danger is gone? Will we continue walking in purity when there are no immediate consequences of disobedience to fear? Will we continue to be openhanded when our financial situation improves? Will we continue forgiving when the emotions of the moment have subsided? Will we continue honoring God when life becomes comfortable again?
The Israelites had made their commitment to their ex-slaves in the name of their God. And therefore he did not see their reversal as merely a social embarrassment, a trivial failure to remember a promise made to other people. In Jeremiah 34:15, God says, “You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty.” But then He says in verse 16, “But then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves.” Their covenant had been made before God, and therefore they had profaned His name by breaking it.
Indeed, God expects truth in the inmost parts. He takes our words and commitments seriously. Therefore, let us be cautious about making vows to God in moments of emotional intensity. Sometimes we say, “Lord, if you do this for me, I will…” But God is not interested in unwilling bargains made under pressure. He desires faithful hearts that patiently and willingly and trustfully obey Him even when circumstances change.
And the covenant ceremony described later in the chapter underlines the offence they had caused. The people had cut a calf in two and passed between its pieces. This was a solemn covenant ceremony, symbolizing the irrevocable consequences of violating the covenant. Despite this, they treated the covenant as though it were reversible. They thought they could cancel a commitment made before God. But God did not regard it that way.
We need to examine why faithfulness is so difficult for us? Why can we sincerely commit ourselves to God in one moment and then drift away in another? It is not just that we need to try harder. Scripture repeatedly shows us that the human heart itself needs to be transformed.
And that is where Jeremiah gives us hope. For God had promised a new covenant. In Jeremiah 31:33, He says, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” The answer to Israel’s unfaithfulness was God’s unchanging love and steadfast loyalty to his people. He would transform them from the inside.
The new covenant was established through Jesus Christ, the son of God. Hebrews 9:15 calls Jesus “the mediator of a new covenant.” We cannot trust in our own faithfulness or sense of duty. Rather, we throw ourselves, not on our promises to God, but God’s grace toward us in Christ. We do not boast of our faithfulness in keeping his word. All we can say is, “ Lord, I have often failed, but You are faithful. Have mercy on me, change my heart, and teach me to walk with You.”
And this is the great contrast in Jeremiah 34. Israel changed its word when circumstances changed, but God does not change. He remains faithful. As Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” God’s faithfulness does not excuse our disobedience; rather, His faithfulness becomes the foundation of our loyal love to him.
It is not enough to promise God something when we are in trouble. What he longs for is the question, “Do I live by that commitment though the circumstances have improved dramatically?” Let us not take back anything we once surrendered to God. Perhaps a conviction that was strong during a difficult season has gradually faded now that life has become easier.
God is not calling you merely to produce another emotional commitment. He is calling you to walk with Him faithfully. And you do not have to manufacture that faithfulness by your own strength. Come to Christ. Trust His grace. Ask Him to write His truth more deeply upon your heart and to produce in you the obedience that outlasts the crisis. God bless.
As you reflect on this passage, consider these questions:
What kinds of circumstances tend to produce the strongest spiritual commitments in your life, and why do you think those circumstances affect you so deeply?
What commitment or area of obedience might you be tempted to abandon when the pressure that produced it has disappeared?
How can your confidence in God’s faithfulness through Christ help you remain faithful when your circumstances change?
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, enlighten my heart to understand the truths You have taught me through Your Word. Show me where my obedience has depended too much upon my circumstances. Help me not merely to respond to crises, but to walk faithfully with You in ordinary days as well. Thank You that my hope does not rest upon my perfect faithfulness, but upon Your unfailing faithfulness and the grace You have given me through Jesus Christ. Give me strength to believe Your truth and to put it into practice. Write Your Word upon my heart and teach me to follow You with a steadfast spirit. In Lord Jesus’ name. Amen