“Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not wash it in water” (Jeremiah 13:1).

These instructions were given by the LORD to Jeremiah.  Jeremiah went and did according to the word of the LORD (Jeremiah 13:2).

Why not wash it?  Wayne Jackson comments, “Its progressive dirtiness would be a visual aid to highlight the nation’s growing filth” (Wayne Jackson, The Prophets, p. 140).

“Take the sash hat you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock” (Jeremiah 13:4).

This message is also from the LORD to Jeremiah.  It came sometime later.  Jeremiah again obeyed (Jeremiah 13:5).  He removed the sash and hid it in a hole in a rock on a river.    Which river?  The Hebrews seems to read the Euphrates.  It is rendered the Euphrates in many translations (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV).  It is rendered Perath (another name for the Euphrates) in the NIV.  The ESV Study Bible explains that some understand it to be referring to another place saying, “The Euphrates River lies hundreds of miles from Anathoth.  A slight change in spelling in the Hebrew text from the name Perat yields “Parah” a place less than 3 miles from Anathoth; and some interpreters think that is what was intended, with a later copyist’s error resulting in the more common perat (‘Euphrates’).”  I see no necessary reason to change it to Parah.  If Jeremiah went to the Euphrates, this was quite the undertaking (250 miles each way, a total of 1000 miles in two round trips). How far would we go to obey God?

“Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there” (Jeremiah 13:6).

This message is also from the LORD to Jeremiah.  It came “after many days” (Jeremiah 13:6).  Jeremiah once more obeyed (Jeremiah 13:7).

What did he find?  He found the sash “ruined… profitable for nothing” (Jeremiah 13:7). 

What did it mean?  (1) Israel and Judah should have faithfully held fast to God.  This was their glory.  “ ‘ For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me’ says the LORD, ‘that they may become My people for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear’” (Jermiah 13:11).  Clinging to God is connected with hearing Him.  (2) They were no longer profitable in His service.  “This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like the sash which is profitable for nothing” (Jeremiah 13:10).  They no longer represented Him well.  They did not listen to Him, but followed their own heart (cf. Jeremiah 7:24; 9:13-14; 11:6-8; 16:10-13).  (3) They would be humbled.  “This says the LORD: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the pride of Jerusalem.’” (Jeremiah 13:9).  As the sash was hidden in a hole and suffered ruin, even so the LORD would ruin their pride.  Robert Taylor Jr. comments, “This would be accomplished by the lengthy Chaldean captivity of seventy years” (Robert Taylor Jr., Studies in Jeremiah, Vol. 1, p. 103).  Captivity is in the text (Jeremiah 13:15-17).  Captivity would change them (Jeremiah 13:9 cf. Leviticus 26:14-20; Jeremiah 29:12-14; Ezekiel 11:18 cf. 7:20; 16:41; 20:38; 23:27, 48). 

What is the application for us?  Our fruitfulness and fellowship with God is still linked to our obedience to His word (e.g. John 14:23-24; 15:1-8; 1 John 1:6-7; 2 John 9).  How are we doing?  Are we faithfully holding fast to God and His word?  Or are we following our own hearts?