Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah used marriage, infidelity, and divorce as images to show Judah's spiritual betrayal.

• this is what the LORD says: Such statements were like an official seal or stamp of authority on a document. In many ancient Near Eastern royal messages, the ruler declared that the message was from him and had his authority.

• The image of Israel as a bride has been used since Hosea's time, about 760 to 722 BC (Hosea 2:2–19; see also Isaiah 54:6–8; 62:5). This idea is later applied to those living in heaven (Revelation 19:7; 21:2, 9).

• youth: after the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites symbolically married God when they agreed to a covenant relationship (Exodus 19:8; 24:7, 8; Deuteronomy 5:27; Ezekiel 16:8).

• devotion (Hebrew khesed): The Israelites pledged loyalty to the covenant Lord (see Deuteronomy 5:29).

• Israel was holy because the Lord chose her to be his special people and show his character (Exodus 19:5–6; Leviticus 19; 22:31–33).

• the firstfruits of His harvest: Mosaic law required people to give the first part of every harvest to the Lord (Exodus 23:16, 19; 34:22, 26; Leviticus 2:12, 14; 23:10, 17, 20; Numbers 18:12; 28:26; Deuteronomy 18:4; 26:10; Zechariah 14:20). The people who made the covenant with God at Mount Sinai promised their full commitment to the one true God. In return, the Lord protected them and punished their enemies during their journey to Canaan.

The Israelites worshiped worthless idols, so delusions controlled their lives.

By not seeking the Lord, Israel’s ancestors showed they had lost interest in their history. To them, the God of Israel was an illusion. They only cared about immediate pleasures.

defiled...detestable: See Deuteronomy 4:25–28.

The leaders taught the people about Baal instead of teaching them about the Lord.

• Therefore often means the Lord was about to make a decision (for example, Jeremiah 5:14; 6:21).

• The Hebrew word translated bring a case can mean "strive" or "contend." It might also suggest combat, like a fight, a verbal argument, or a legal case in court. Because the nation's leaders (Jeremiah 2:8) did not guide the people to him, the Lord planned to present his case against them. He was creating a court where he would be both the plaintiff and the all-powerful Judge (Ezekiel 20:35, 36; Micah 6:2). Jeremiah served as a messenger, prosecutor, and advocate for the plaintiff.

Kedar, an Arabic tribe that came from Ishmael, lived in the desert east of the Jordan River Valley (see Jeremiah 49:28–33; Isaiah 21:16).

No pagan nation exchanged its gods for those of another nation. Even though pagan nations generally worshiped the same nature deities (using different names), each nation stayed loyal to its own gods. This highlights Israel's disloyalty.

The heavens and the earth often serve as witnesses to human events (see Jeremiah 51:48; Deuteronomy 32:1, 43; 1 Chronicles 16:31; Psalm 96:11; Isaiah 1:2; 44:23; 49:13).

• The Israelites made two unwise choices:

  1. They left the Lord, their true source of life

  2. Thet started worshipping false gods that could not help them

• A fountain of living (running) water that flows all year, even during droughts, is a rare treasure (Psalm 36:9; John 4:14).

• The cisterns the Israelites built after entering Canaan were holes in the ground lined with plaster. These simple tanks collected rainwater from roofs during wet weather and provided water during dry summers. The water could become stale and unsafe to drink, and the plaster often cracked, causing the water to leak out.

The Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. However, in Jeremiah's time, they became slaves again due to their agreements with Egypt and Assyria (Jeremiah 2:18).

This review of Israel's history highlights the foolishness, violence, arrogance, and hopelessness of abandoning the true God to worship false pagan gods.

Jeremiah describes the Assyrians, who destroyed the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17:5–23; Nahum 2:11–12), as lions.

• Another enemy, the Egyptians, invaded from the south to take advantage of the situation (Jeremiah 50:17; 2 Kings 23:29–37).

• Memphis and Tahpanhes, Egypt’s major cities near the mouth of the Nile, were famous for their wealth.

Israel's alliances with Egypt and agreements with Assyria (2 Kings 15:19–19:37) brought only sorrow, not benefits. Neither the Nile in Egypt nor the Euphrates in Assyria ever helped Israel (Isaiah 30:1–3; Hosea 5:13).

The choice to leave the Lord led to more punishment and shame for Israel's people (Isaiah 3:9; Hosea 5:5).

• long ago: Lessons from Israel's history about the Israelites' rescue from slavery in Egypt had little impact. The people of Israel refused to serve God (Exodus 19:8; 34:15; Leviticus 26:13; Deuteronomy 12:2; Joshua 24:16; Judges 10:16; Isaiah 57:5, 7).

• you lay down as a prostitute: This metaphor was fitting for the Israelites bowing to idols. Their defiant words matched their rebellious actions. They often worshiped fertility gods, hoping for good crops and green pastures. Their rituals were pointless because the Lord planted the Israelites in Canaan and creates life and fertility.

The metaphor shifts from a planted vine to a dirty cloth that soap or lye cannot clean. No matter how hard the Israelites scrubbed, their guilt remained visible (compare Isaiah 1:18).

The people denied being Baal worshipers (compare Jeremiah 2:25). Archaeologists have found small plaques depicting Asherah, a female goddess, and a male god resembling Baal. However, the inscriptions on these plaques bear the name of the Lord (Yahweh). Sometimes, Baal worship was disguised as worship of Israel's God.

Israel did not act like a loyal wife. Instead, she acted like:

• A wild animal in heat (Jeremiah 2:23–25)

• A thief (Jeremiah 2:26–30)

• A prostitute (Jeremiah 2:31–3:5)

The Israelites admitted to worshipping Baal, which they had previously denied (Jeremiah 2:23), showing their true feelings.

Israel’s leaders did not feel ashamed for their wrongdoings. Any regret they showed during God’s punishment came from selfishness, not true repentance (Psalm 78:34–37).

• These idols of a father and mother likely represented Baal and Asherah.

• in the time of trouble, they say: See, for example, Judges 10:10; Isaiah 26:16; Hosea 5:15.

• The Israelites unwisely worshipped many gods (Jeremiah 11:13; Deuteronomy 32:37; Judges 10:14; 2 Kings 17:30–31), who could not help them.

• Jeremiah spoke to the tribe of Judah, the people standing before him.

devoured your prophets: See Jeremiah 26:20–23.

The Lord's anger became a plea. He asked why the Israelites saw life in obedience to him as a barren wasteland of death and lack (Numbers 21:5), filled with evil and the fear of darkness (Job 24:17; 1 John 1:5–6).

For centuries, the Israelites had forgotten the Lord, who was like their husband (Jeremiah 13:25; Psalm 106:21; Hosea 8:14).

The Israelites made plans with their "lovers" , their neighbor who had strong armies, by forming treaties for protection. God had already promised them protection. God saw this as an act of betrayal that tainted Israel's character. Like their pagan neighbors, Israel harmed its own innocent and poor people (Jeremiah 7:6; 2 Kings 21:16; 24:4).

Israel's sinful state was clear in the people's arrogant response. They claimed innocence and said God was angry without reason. God replied to their denial by declaring He would punish them severely and not accept their refusal to admit wrongdoing (Proverbs 23:13; Malachi 2:17; 3:8; 1 John 1:8, 10).

Judah, in its unfaithfulness to the Lord, chose unreliable allies. The leaders sought political help from neighbors like Egypt, which was as false a friend as Assyria had been a century earlier.