Is the Fear of God in Us?

Jeremiah 2:1-19 

1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD:

"I remember you,
The kindness of your youth,
The love of your betrothal,
When you went after Me in the wilderness,
In a land not sown.

3 Israel was holiness to the LORD,
The firstfruits of His increase.
All that devour him will offend;
Disaster will come upon them," says the LORD.'"

4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the LORD:

"What injustice have your fathers found in Me,
That they have gone far from Me,
Have followed idols,
And have become idolaters?

6 Neither did they say, 'Where is the LORD,
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits,
Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no one dwelt?'

7 I brought you into a bountiful country,
To eat its fruit and its goodness.
But when you entered, you defiled My land
And made My heritage an abomination.

8 The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?'
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me;
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
And walked after things that do not profit.

9 "Therefore I will yet bring charges against you," says the LORD,
"And against your children's children I will bring charges.

10 For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see,
Send to Kedar and consider diligently,
And see if there has been such a thing.
11 Has a nation changed its gods,
Which are not gods?
But My people have changed their Glory
For what does not profit.

12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid;
Be very desolate," says the LORD.
13 "For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

14 "Is Israel a servant?
Is he a homeborn slave?
Why is he plundered?

15 The young lions roared at him, and growled;
They made his land waste;
His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
16 Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes
Have broken the crown of your head.

17 Have you not brought this on yourself,
In that you have forsaken the LORD your God
When He led you in the way?
18 And now why take the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of Sihor?
Or why take the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the River?

19 Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing
That you have forsaken the LORD your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you,"
Says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Is the fear of God in us?  That is the question the LORD asked through Jeremiah to His people and still asks today.  They had begun well as they were led by Him in the beginning, but their calling in holiness to echo and honor Him soon was replaced by going after other things (1 John 2:15-17) instead of doing His will in the fear and awe of His almighty holiness and goodness in choosing them and calling them out to Himself.  May we not make the same mistakes in worshiping other things in life and holding them more important than following His word.  God is not unjust to punish sinners, though even God’s people seem to think so at times as they forget His pure character and sinlessness of being.  We are created to be in God’s image, which means we are to be holy because He is (Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 1:15-16) and live in the fear of Him (1 Peter 1:17) instead of as God’s buddy.  We are not to fear hellfire as regenerated in Christ (Matthew 25:46, 1 John 4:18), but are held accountable and will suffer shame and loss of rewards (2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Corinthians 3:14-17) if we refuse to live soberly (Titus 2:12-14).  Like Israel, we have been brought into a bountiful kingdom to eat its fruit and goodness, so our response should be according to the learning of the wrong response shown by them in order to do right in return.  We should walk after profitable things that last into eternity and not only to please the eye of our own desire apart from His guiding word to teach us (Genesis 3:6, Hebrews 5:14).  As the scriptures say here, even pagan nations stick to their false gods, so have can the true and living God’s people change to another of our own hand’s making?  May we never attempt to forsake the One who will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)!   Our sin brings only bondage again when we backslide and the fear of God leaves us.  May we be all the more diligent (2 Peter 1:10, 2 Corinthians 13:5) to know we are His and to live in fearful awe under His mighty hand of goodness and grace to His honor and glory.  Is the true fear of God in us and not fear of eternal torment?  May we be certain in our standing and willingly obedient in our responsive love for our Savior.