Jeremiah 13

Verse of the Day: V15 “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.”

1.  The Linen Girdle

V1 “Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.”

In those days, the girdle was very useful as it was like a belt fastens to the loin or waist of a person wearing a long and flowing garment. Linen was an expensive material and as such a linen girdle was a prized possession. God through His prophet Jeremiah liken the linen girdle as a prized possession of God. However, instead of giving glory to God, the nation of Israel became proud and thought highly of themselves and refused to hear and obey God’s commandments. As a result, God had to humble His people by allowing their enemies to defeat them.

2.  The Marred Girdle

V7 “Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.”

God humbled Israel by allowing the Babylonians living in Euphrates, not only to attack and defeat them, but brought them as slaves to their nation. This was exactly prophesied by Jeremiah that the defeated Israel was like the expensive linen girdle which was hidden, marred and became unprofitable.

2 Kings 24:16 “And the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.”

3.  The Cleaned Girdle

V23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”

Indeed, God can change a dark Ethiopian to a fair Ethiopian, a spotted leopard to an unspotted leopard, because He is the Creator and the Maker of all things! God can do anything and with Him, nothing is impossible! God shall surely change an evil and wicked heart to a kind and good heart if we humble ourselves and submit to Him!

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please humble me and help me to know that without You, I am nothing.