This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.” So I bought the loincloth as the Lord directed me, and I put it on.
Then the Lord gave me another message: “Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.” So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the Lord had instructed me.
A long time afterward the Lord said to me, “Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.” So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.
Then I received this message from the Lord: “This is what the Lord says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing! As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.” –Jeremiah 13:1-11 (NLT)
We know God made a covenant with the people of Israel at Sinai, the chosen people He picked to bring the good news to all nations. The covenant was that they were to be obedient to Him and He would continue to bless them. God protected the people from Egypt but they were not obedient to Him, so for hundreds of years, God dealt with them by sending curses to them. This passage is the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah sharing His frustration about Israel. We see how Jeremiah has a heart willing to listen to God and to walk in obedience.
Photo courtesy of Church Iglesia under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)
What are three main things we can learn from this passage?
The Lord has a sense of humor and can use anything to teach us lessons.
I find it humorous that God used the loincloth to get our attention and teach us about the intimate relationship He wants to have with us. First Jeremiah is told by God to buy the linen loincloth, put it on, then go to the Euphrates River, take it off, and hide it in a hole in the rocks. At the proper time appointed by God, Jeremiah returns to collect the loincloth to find it has rotted and is no longer usable. God’s lesson in all of this is if Israel continues in their ways, they will be good for nothing.
The Lord does not tolerate pride.
God was teaching us that just as the loincloth had rotted away when Jeremiah was told to retrieve it, God had the power to rot away the pride of Israel. When our pride gets in the way, we tend to not listen to what God is telling us; we want to do our own thing, and we might start worshipping false gods.
The Lord wants us to cling to Him and Him alone.
What a powerful example God used with the loincloth. When you think about it, there is nothing more close to us than a loincloth, aka underwear! God wants to be that intimate with us continually. Just as He told Jeremiah, we were created to cling to Him. With the symbolism of the loincloth, we know God is always with us and clings to our every movement. We are God’s people, His pride, His glory, and an honor to His name.
What a mighty God we have! God goes to great lengths to get our attention and nothing can stop us from His great love.
Photo courtesy of Brett Jordan under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)
Be encouraged this week to…
…be obedient to God’s call.
…see God’s sense of humor.
…break down the barriers of pride.
…give glory and praise to God.
…cling to God and Him alone.
…know that God is closer to you than a loincloth.
REFLECTION:
What lesson from the loincloth do you need to work on most?
How have you seen the Lord use a sense of humor to teach you a lesson?
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. –Psalm 63:7-8 (NLT)
In the King James Version, girdle is used for loincloth. I somehow knew that the modern idea of what a girdle is was not what the Bible meant. Now, the whole idea makes a whole lot more sense!
Hello, Deborah… Thank you so much for faithfully reading and for sharing. I am so glad to know the passage makes more sense to you now. My pastor talked on the passage more than three years ago. I was not familiar with it prior and thought it was fascinating! Everything is in God’s perfect timing. Blessings to you and your family~
Thank you for this message, Christine! I just Love the fact that the Lord want us to cling to Him and Him alone. Again, I always look for to your readings. Hope to see you soon. Love you!
Be Blessed my friend in Christ!
Lorie~ Thanks so much for faithfully reading my reflections and for sharing your thoughts. Yes, we need to continually cling to Him and Him alone not relying on the passing things of this world. It is encouraging to know God is touching others through reading. God bless… I send my love and prayers for you and your family!