Jeremiah
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Jeremiah 3
Jeremiah 3
1They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, will he return unto her again? will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith Jehovah.
1They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
Commentary · verse 1
2Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights, and see; where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
2Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
Commentary · verse 2
God was essentially asking Israel to show Him one place they had not committed idolatry against Him.
3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
Commentary · verse 3
God withheld rain from them to try and get their attention, this still did not work.
4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?
5Will he retain his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
5Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.
Commentary · verses 4-5
God asked if Israel would ever ask Him how long His anger would be against them. The Bible documented that Job and David (Book of Psalms) both asked this question. Here, they had not even gotten to the point where they were considering this. However, God had His reason: "thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way."
6Moreover Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
7And I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
6The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
7And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Commentary · verses 6-7
God wanted Israel to return to Him but she would not. Judah (Israel's "sister") saw what Israel was doing.
8And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.
8And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery 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.
Commentary · verse 8
For the very cause of Israel's adultery against God, He put her away and gave her a bill of divorce.
God divorced Israel!
Is divorce a sin? Was it God's fault that this marriage ended in divorce? God's divorcing of Israel did not cause Judah to fear God but she went and "played the harlot also." Judah should have learned from Israel's mistakes…she did not.
9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith Jehovah.
11And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
11And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
Commentary · verses 9-11
Israel and Judah justified themselves. However, Judah was more wrong since she saw the effects of Israel's sins and continued to commit idolatry.
God divorced Israel.
God stayed married to Judah. God said the divorced (Israel) was more righteous than the still married (Judah). Was God wrong to say the divorced spouse was more righteous than the still married spouse?
12Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep anger for ever.
13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Jehovah.
14Return, O backsliding children, saith Jehovah; for I am a husband unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
14Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
Commentary · verses 12-14
God told Jeremiah to proclaim to Israel to acknowledge her iniquity and to turn from backsliding. God wanted Israel to confess and repent. God divorced Israel in order to help her confess and repent so that they could remarry!
God believed in divorcing in order to repair the Marriage!
Are believers encouraged to follow God's example today in their unprofitable Marriages?
15And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Commentary · verse 15
If Israel would confess and repent, God would give her shepherds (pastors) according to God's Heart. These pastors would feed Israel with knowledge and understanding, with words. God stated this was a benefit! Do we see words of understanding as a benefit?
16And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
16And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
Commentary · verse 16
If Israel followed through with confession and repentance, they would be multiplied and increased in the land. In those days they would not miss the Ark of the Covenant because He would be among them Himself, which would be during the Millennium.
17At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers.
17At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
18In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
Commentary · verses 17-18
In those days, Judah and Israel will be united as one nation.
19But I said, How I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.
20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.
19But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Commentary · verses 19-20
Israel dealt treacherously with God, her Husband.
21A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God.
22Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.
21A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.
22Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
Commentary · verses 21-22
Another call to repentance in which God said He would heal their backslidings. He would be their source of repair. The Book of Jeremiah used the word "backsliding" thirteen times. The only other mention in the Old Testament of this word occurred three times in the Book of Hosea.
23Truly in vain is the help that is looked for from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in Jehovah our God is the salvation of Israel.
23Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
Commentary · verse 23
To attempt to find Salvation anywhere other than with God was vain/unprofitable.
24But the shameful thing hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.
24For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
Commentary · verses 24-25
Jeremiah pleaded with the people to admit their shame, confusion, and sin against God.
Commentary · verse 25
These first three chapters introduced the theme of the Book of Jeremiah: God's people have sinned against God like a wife who has committed harlotry against her husband. God offered the people the opportunity to confess and repent otherwise, God would remove His mercy and bring judgment.
God wanted Israel to return to Him although Israel "played the harlot with many lovers."