The Bible says:
“And I said after she had done all these things, turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it ... And ... I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also ... And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.”
— Jeremiah 3: 7-10
Israel was originally a united nation with 12 tribes. Under the reign of Rehoboam the nation became divided with 10 northern tribes with Samaria as its capital city and two southern tribes with its capital city at Jerusalem.
The northern 10 tribes of Israel are often referred to as Israel or Ephraim and were led into idolatry with their first king Jeroboam. For their idolatry they were judged by God and went into captivity in Assyria.
The two southern tribes called Judah saw what happened to Israel for her idolatry and yet they did the same as she did and practiced idolatry. Judah was then judged by God and conquered by the Babylonians and went into captivity about a hundred and thirty years after Israel.
God says Judah was more “treacherous” than Israel. That was because she saw Israel’s sin and the consequences of it and yet persisted in that same sin.
Both Israel and Judah are referred to as adulterous (apostate) sisters, but Judah is the guiltier of the two because she saw the mistakes of Israel and did not heed the warning and change her ways. Instead of Judah learning from Israel’s mistake she repeated it and suffered the same consequences.
We learn from our own mistakes. But we can also learn from the mistakes of others.
I don’t commit adultery because I’ve seen the hurt that it inflicts on the family and the shame it brings.
I don’t drink alcoholic beverages because I’ve seen enough drunks to know I don’t want to be one.
I don’t use drugs because I’ve seen how drugs can destroy a person. I don’t live in sin first of all because I’m a Christian and then because I’ve seen sin’s horrific consequences.
When as a child I saw my brother or sister do something and get punished for it, I learned from their mistake not to do that same thing, for if I did I knew I’d suffer the same punishment.
We can save ourselves from a lot of heartache and sorrow if we’d learn from the mistakes of others. Are you learning from the mistakes of others or are you repeating them foolishly believing you will get a different outcome?
James H. Cagle is a Ray City resident who pastored several churches for a total of 11 years. Email him at pastorjameshcagle@ yahoo.c
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