Being Stubborn

Today's reading: Jeremiah 42-46

And the women said, "Indeed we will go on making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her; do you think that we made cakes for her, marked with her image, and poured out libations to her without our husbands' being involved?" Jeremiah 44:19 NRSV

Their Temple has been destroyed, their capital city of Jerusalem is leveled and here are the people who have fled to Egypt. Jeremiah continues to speak God's word to these hard-headed people. But even here, although Jeremiah's previous words have come true, they refuse to listen.

In fact, they are not only not listening but they are defiantly disobeying. It is as if they are teenagers who have been grounded yet refuse to stop doing what grounded them in the first place. And, the women tell Jeremiah, they are not doing this behind their husbands' backs. The men have known all along that they have been worshiping this fertility goddess, known as the queen of heaven. The women speak up and the men back them up: there is no attempt at hiding their idolatry.

Jeremiah responds by telling them to keep up this behavior but reminds them that God is watching. Their punishment will be that they will all come to a horrible death in Egypt. And to prove it, God will allow the Egyptian Pharaoh to fall into the hands of the Babylonians.

Have you ever been stubborn? Have you ever been stubborn with God? Have you ever attempted to hold on to something, even though you knew it was the wrong thing to do? Perhaps God is wanting you to let go and to trust in God.

God, we can be stubborn sometimes. Forgive us and help us to live new lives of obedience. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2010 Amelia G. Sims