"DO YOU REMEMBER?" (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 11/25/25

“Go cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown." (Jeremiah 2:2)

These were the words of Jehovah to His ancient people, as He remembers their sweet love and trust back when the nation was first born. Only very calloused hearts could hear such an appeal as this and remain unmoved. Let us consider these words spoken to a people who had seemingly forgotten the love of their espousals as they might apply to the church, and to individual believers who make up the church.

The nation, in her infancy, had come out of Egypt under Moses and went after their God into “the waste howling wilderness.” Not so much as taking time to leaven their bread, they went out of Egypt not leaving a single hoof behind, their eyes fixed on their Mighty Deliverer. This the Lord remembered - how fully they believed in Him and trusted in His promises.

But sadly, in after years they would not continue to demonstrate this unequivocal faith and love. They would no longer trust and obey or rejoice in their God to whom they had vowed their love and faithfulness. He, therefore, put this touching and tender rebuke in the mouth of Jeremiah to deliver to a people whose love had waned and whose sacred vows had been forgotten.

They may have forgotten, but their Lord whom they had betrayed remembered better days, when “Israel was holiness unto the Lord.” But now, as an unfaithful wife, she was trimming her ways to attract strange lovers. (See Verse 33) This inexplicable behavior compels their faithful God, who had seen to their every need, to ask, “What iniquity (moral evil) have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity?” When Christians forget the love of their espousals, and succumb to the allurements of the world, the betrayal is all on them. The Savior’s love is unchanging, and His faithfulness is forever. To suggest that He should bear the least degree of blame for our unfaithfulness is totally absurd.

Notice, what their loving Lord had not forgotten. “I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals.” As a faithful, but heart-broken husband might speak of the wife of his youth, who, despite her betrayal, he still loves dearly. With the Lord it is a gracious remembrance, because many imperfections are overlooked; and because anything good in us is His own work; and our love for Him is a blessed work of grace.

(I Cor. 4:7) One does not forget the work of his own hands; and surely God the Holy Spirit does not forget His miraculous work in His people.

This remembrance is apparently also a joyous recollection, like unto that of a father for his firstborn son. Clearly, the development of the nation of Israel in Egypt was God’s work from the beginning, and their deliverance out of this “womb” was all His doing. What father does not look back upon the birth of his son with joy? He cherishes those early years. He doesn’t remember the imperfections, in fact, just the opposite is the case. The Lord especially remembers how “His Son” who came out of Egypt “went after Him,” because His Son loved Him. For a father, that’s the greatest feeling ever. Our blessed Lord remembers your first “Abba Father,” your first prayer, your early growth in grace. He remembers how simple, and singular was your faith. There was nothing in the wilderness to attract this people but their God who went before, and they went after Him, which He remembered with fondness.

To what purpose are we made aware of this gracious and joyful remembrance? Surely it must be that we should make present use of it to jog our memories. Were those not happy days when we first knew the Lord? Were we fools to say, “Take the world but give me Jesus”? Have we slipped at all? Is our love as simple and single and child-like now as it was then?

If our love for our Lord has waned, let us make use of our past to rebuke our present. What iniquity (fault) have we found in Him who loves us, that our love should grow cold? Has He been an abusive husband; neglectful; a poor provider; unfaithful? Of course not! Has the world that we once forsook for Him changed for the better? Not hardly! Then let us remember and return to our “first love.”