Can A Bride Forget Her Attire?
"Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number." (Jeremiah 2:32)
A bride shall never forget her attire. The oldest of the wives who read this article can still remember the dress they wore on their wedding day. Brother H. F. Sharp once said, "The bride may forget the man she married, but she shall never forget the dress she wore when she married him."
Israel was married unto God, yet Israel had forgotten God "days without number." The people were doing so many things that God had not commanded. They were failing to do the things that God charged them to do. Why? "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?" (Jeremiah 5:30,31) "And from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord." (Jeremiah 6:13-15) When the prophets (teachers) in Israel dealt falsely with the people, by teaching falsely, and the priests were ruling by this false way, the people were happy, but God was displeased. Israel thought it was wonderful!! "The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart." (Jeremiah 14:14) But the people loved it!
Was Israel ashamed when they committed abomination? God said, "They were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush." What a shame that Israel, the bride of God, had so forgotten her husband that she could go a whoring after other gods and that without shame. She was deceived by the false prophets, and so appeased by sin that she could not even blush. But God said, "I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words everyone from his neighbor. Behold I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold. I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their lightness: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: Therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord." (Jer. 23:30-32) Jeremiah had said unto Israel. "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths. where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." (Jer. 6:16) Israel had forgotten God and would not be reminded of the "old paths " Only one thing remained — they must fall. God said, "I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt. to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers." (Jer. 24:9,10) What a price to pay for forgetting God!
The church of our Lord is the bride of Christ (Rom. 7:4; Eph. 5:31,32) Have not many of those who are married to Christ forgotten him? Is it not because many of the preachers (prophets) are preaching falsely, and the elders (priests) bear rule by their false teaching? Isn't it true that many of the people of God "love to have it so?" Preachers are saying, We do not need Bible authority for all that we do. Some are saying, Let us rise up and build us a "plant." Some preachers seem to be trying to come up with some promotion, and sell the idea to the elders which no other man has had, and no other church has "sponsored." Church fellowship halls, homes for unwed mothers, parties, camps, ball teams, etc. etc. Yes the people love to have it so! For many are not pleased with sound doctrine, but want to be popular with the denominations about us.
May the preachers who are teaching "We do not need authority from the Lord for everything we do" recognize their error and repent. May they learn that God is still against the teacher who "steals the word of God from his neighbor." Is this not what is being done? How many preachers have stopped preaching on the organization of the church? How long since some men have preached a sermon on the Work Of The New Testament Church? How long have they withheld teaching on The Authority Of God's Word? Yes, I fear that some preachers are stealing the word of God from their neighbors. God is against the preacher who speaks falsely to his people. Are not many of our brethren speaking falsely? God is still against the preachers who cause the people to err by their lies and by their lightness. God says, "they shall not profit this people at all." Israel thought they were profiting when they had in reality forgotten and forsaken God. A fall was in store for Israel. Churches may think they are profiting when they secure the services of some "great preacher" who teaches them "smooth things" and "promotes" projects which are unscriptural, but they do not profit the people of God, but lead them into error.
Are the people of God ashamed because of these unscriptural things into which they have gone? Can they yet blush? Yes, there are some who are ashamed, and who blush before God and men at the mention of such things. But they are many who have no shame for their unscriptural works and who, rather than blushing, take great pride in such, and rejoice that there is a "new look" in the church of Christ.
There are men who are yet crying, as did Jeremiah, "ask for the old paths," but the cry returns, "we will not stand therein." Yes, there are some in the church who do not care to stand in the old paths. And what yet remains? The same as for Israel — a fall! People of God are falling because they have forgotten the Lord.
Those who yet are ashamed that some of God's people are engaged in things which God has not taught, those who can yet blush before God at the thought of doing things that are unscriptural, will you not "come out from among them" that have no shame, and stand with those who are still determined to "stand in the old paths?" Do not forget God.
— Box 204, Butler, Mo.