Insight
There are several different words for sin in Scripture, each with its own meaning. In today’s reading, Jeremiah uses a word which means “bad” or “evil” and is often used to denote something that has a negative effect. However, while definitions give us a technical understanding of what sin is, they often fail to paint an adequate image of its reality.
In today’s passage, Jeremiah uses four metaphors to describe the detestable nature of Israel’s sin against God—digging cisterns (v. 13), breaking yoke and bonds (v. 20), prostitution (v. 20), and a wild vine (v. 21). When we describe sin as just “missing the mark” (it was a good shot but not perfect), it’s easier to justify. But the image of prostitution to describe our sin is more difficult to gloss over. Jeremiah says Israel’s actions were so heinous that no matter how they tried to clean themselves, their guilt remained.
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