Jeremiah 2
January 9, 2024 2:38 PM
Solitary Man
solitaryman.substack.com
20240109
(Please refer to the Preface and Introduction sections found in the Jeremiah Chapter 1 commentary for some general information about this chapter by chapter study of Jeremiah).
Chapter 2
Jer 2:1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 2:2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest (followed) after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
Jer 2:3 Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend (be guilty); evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
All apostate nations had a glorious past. Look at the nations of the west, especially those of the British empire. Britain, America, Canada, among others, have a rich history of Christian fidelity and evangelism, sending many to the uttermost ends of the earth with the good news. Here, God begins by recounting the fact that Judah had a glorious beginning, a people especially chosen by the Lord to reflect his glory. God seems to favour the imagery of a bride, as all cultures can relate to the joy and purity that is reflected in the marriage ceremony.
God remembers that although later on the Israelites became famous for tempting him 10 times in the wilderness, initially they followed him faithfully, and God considered them righteous in his eyes.
Jeremiah is told to cry out to all of Jerusalem, this message was not just for the leaders or the elite, it was for the entire nation.
Jer 2:4 Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:
Although the northern kingdom, commonly called Israel or Samaria or Ephraim, as opposed to the southern kingdom that is usually called Judah or Jerusalem, had been destroyed approximately 100 years ago, God still makes many references to them as if in his eyes, they still exist. The house of Jacob would usually refer to all the 12 tribes.
There are 2 things we need to be reminded of. First, one must look at the context to determine if God is speaking about the 10 tribes, Judah, or Israel as a whole. Do not be surprised at how often prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel mention both Israel and Judah in the same sentence, pronouncing judgment on both, though by this time Israel had effectively ceased to exist in any recognizable form. This leads to the 2nd point, in that the 10 tribes have never ceased to exist in God’s mind. He still prophesies to them in the same breath that he prophesies to Judah, which still existed at this time. Do not be deceived into ever embracing replacement theology, that the church has replaced Israel, or that the church is now the 10 tribes. Sometimes the spirit of God may lead you to see a second meaning that applies to the church in some of these ancient prophecies to Israel, but that does not negate the primary meaning of the text.
In this case, it is quite clear that God is about to speak to all Israel.
Jer 2:5 Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity (emptiness), and are become vain?
Jer 2:6 Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?
Jer 2:7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
Jer 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
It seems that one of their great sins was the sin of indifference – they did not seek after God at all, nor remember his wonders of old, instead all the ministers of the Lord apostatized. They forgot his supernatural provision of days past. Do we ever forget how Jesus initially saved us, how blind we once were, and how hopeless our condition was, before Jesus found us? Verse 7 teaches us the recurring pattern of history – God blesses us, then we forget about him.
The prophets prophesied by Baal – prophets can be moved and inspired by all kinds of spirits. Note that God does not deny that these were known as prophets, but being a prophet is no guarantee that one always speaks for the Lord. We must test the spirits, and the primary way of testing the spirits is to compare their message with scripture – and not just one passage, but scripture with scripture. Sometimes prophets are said to of spoken out of the imagination of their own heart, other times, like here, by an evil spirit. Know the word, love the word, honour the word above all else, be obedient, and you shall never have to fear being led astray.
Jer 2:9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children’s children will I plead.
God’s patience often extends over several generations.
Jer 2:10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.
From the prophet’s point of view, Chittim (Gen 10:4, Num 24:24) is named as the furthest point in the west, and Kedar (Gen 25:13, Ps 120:5) as the furthest point in the east. The whole earth might be searched without finding a parallel to the guilt of Israel. I wonder if God thinks similar thoughts towards us in North America this day?
Jer 2:11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
Jer 2:12 Be astonished (stunned, stupefied, thunder-struck), O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid (as caught in a whirlwind), be ye very desolate (be parched as in a drought), saith the LORD.
Pagan nations generally don’t change their imaginary gods for a different one, it is a thing completely unheard of. Yet Israel is guilty of abandoning the one and living God for something that is not real.
Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Reminds us of the great analogy of Jesus being the true living water, the only one who can quench our spiritual thirst (Jn 7:37-38).
Jer 2:14 Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave (son)? why is he spoiled (plundered)?
The sense is that Israel, like a home born servant, as in the case of Eleazar (Gn 15:3), occupies a place of honour in God’s house. Yet now why is he being plundered?
Jer 2:15 The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.
As explained in Jer 50:17, Assyria and Nebuchadnezzar are depicted as young lions that have devoured their prey, in this case, Israel. Here is two important points about biblical interpretation. We see here that you cannot claim that one thing always symbolizes only one other thing. All of us know that the lion symbolizes Jesus, the lion of Judah. Yet here, it symbolizes the 2 pagan kings, who are used by God to execute judgments upon his people. Yet even though the lion symbolizes 2 entirely different beings, yet they have the common thread that they are referring to instruments of judgment, as the lion of Judah is used to speak of Jesus primarily as judge, while the lamb of God refers to his ministry as the sacrificial offering.
The second point is that we are not to get hung up on an improper meaning of literal biblical interpretation. Obviously, some critic could say that the above passage is incorrect, as I’m sure there were at least a few inhabitants left after these kings got through sacking the cities of Israel. Yet the bible employs many different kinds of figures of speech. Hyperbole is not a lie, it is simply used for dramatic effect, to help imprint the point to be made deep into our souls. When Abraham was told his descendants would number the sands of the sea, obviously that is not to be taken as as specific number of souls, but that the number of descendants would truly be beyond his imagination to comprehend.
Jer 2:16 Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken (eaten up, depastured) the crown of thy head.
These 2 cities are in Egypt. The sense may be that they have made Israel bald, which was a shame and reproach in that culture, and was therefore a natural symbol of the ruin of a people.
Perhaps Jeremiah was thinking of the Egyptian army that slayed good king Josiah (2 Chr 35:20-27), and brought shame and reproach upon the Jews.
Jer 2:17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way?
Jer 2:18 And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor (probably refers to the NIle)? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct (instruct) thee, and thy backslidings (apostasy) shall reprove (rebuke, convict) thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear (alarm, awe) is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
The answer to the question of verse 14 as to why Israel is plundered is that they have turned to the wicked for help. This is typical behaviour of those who have forsaken the Lord. And why did they make such an irrational, self-destructive decision? Verse 19 tells us they had lost the fear of the Lord.
Jer 2:20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
God is not impressed with our shallow promises when we are under duress, yet as soon as the pressure is eased, we forget about God, acting like the whore who sleeps around with any and every one, whoever offers comfort and sustenance at the current moment.
Jer 2:21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right (trustworthy) seed (fruitful plant): how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange (foreign, adulterous) vine unto me?
God loves purity. He has many warnings about illicit mixtures in the Torah. While on the surface some of those laws (such as not mixing 2 types of material in clothing, or 2 types of animals when plowing) seem baffling, they were always meant to emphasize to stay away from illicit mixtures. In our case, don’t mix the true worship of God in spirit and truth with the compromised ways of the Laodicean church. Currently, don’t mix your blood, in which is the life, with the poisonous contents of the jab, the ultimate illicit mixture in the physical.
Jer 2:22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked (engraved) before me, saith the Lord GOD.
How come no one ever quotes this verse? We love the verses where God tells us that he has forgotten our sins when we confess and repent, but in the same way he never forgets about unrepentant sin.
Jer 2:23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary (young she camel) traversing her ways;
Intentional sin leads to spiritual blindness. Here Israel is depicted with the vivid, eager animal instinct like lust of a camel in heat, going after the false gods of the heathen. See thy way in the valley – perhaps a reference to the valley of Hinnon, where they burned their children in sacrifice.
Jer 2:24 A wild ass used (accustomed) to the wilderness, that snuffeth up (inhales eagerly, covets) the wind (ruach) at her pleasure (in her lust); in her occasion who can turn her away (in her desire who can stop her)? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
God continues his sexual imagery to try and get across his disgust at Israel’s actions. No male will be hard pressed to find the female in heat, lost in her singleminded lustful desire. So is Israel depicted as lusting after these false gods. Note also the use of the word ruach – in this instance, it simply means wind, and not spirit or breath – another example of the critical importance of context for proper interpretation.
Jer 2:25 Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
God is pleading with his people to quit running barefoot after these false gods, you don’t have to thirst anymore. Yet the deceitfulness of sin eventually robs one of all faith and hope. You become convinced that there is no hope for you. The devil’s goal is to take every soul down this path, ending at a place where you truly believe that you cannot change, that God can ever help you.
Jer 2:26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
Is Israel truly ashamed of their actions, or only ashamed that they have been caught, like the unrepentant thief who only shows shame when he is caught, not before.
Jer 2:27 Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
Jer 2:28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.
Their idolatry and apostasy is practised in the open, as they openly turned their backs on God. Yet there comes a time in every man’s life when the trouble gets so bad that as a last resort, they once again cry our to the God of their fathers. Yet God answers by asking them why aren’t they running to those gods that they have worshipped so fervently? You haven’t abandoned me for just one particular god that seemed so tempting. Instead, you embraced every other god out there, they are as numerous as the number of your cities.
The most disheartening thing that i have found at the beginning of 2024 is despite all the evil that has befallen us for the past 4 years, most good people simply do not get it. The truth tellers in the alternative media still think that our own strength, our own efforts of spreading the truth of the great reset will overthrow the villains that are tormenting and oppressing us. They still cannot see that these villains have been appointed by the Lord God himself in his anger and in his fury over our choice to turn our backs to him these last decades. Until we can truly grasp and accept that God’s ways are judgment (Dan 4:37, Lev 26;40-42), there is no hope of any easing of our tribulations.
Jer 2:29 Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.
Can we not realize that all have sinned, and not only fallen short of the glory of God, but are triggering his wrath upon the land? We must be careful to not be so focused on the evil cabal and all their minions that we forget that it was our sins, the church’s sins, that have predominantly brought this terrible judgment upon our lands.
Jer 2:30 In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
From 2020 onward, we have been smitten in the west like never before, but few recognize it as the correction of the Lord. For 3 years the jab has been slaughtering us, even our children, yet very few preach true repentance. One can see several ways in which God has smitten our children – the jab, the lockdowns that destroyed their social development, the grooming and transgenderism being secretly forced upon them in schools, the addiction to cellphones from the youngest age, the list goes on and on.
The second part of the verse speaks of something equally troubling. The church itself had rejected the true prophetic word. They mock and condemn those that speak of the judgment of the Lord. In Israel’s case, they even physically killed some prophets. Seeing the hostility Christians are now experiencing whenever they raise their voice in public, this portion of scripture will soon literally come to pass even in our lands.
Jer 2:31 O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness (desert) unto Israel? a land of darkness (opaqueness)? wherefore say my people, We are lords (have dominion); we will come no more unto thee?
Jer 2:32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
God asks his people have I been so hard to find? Is my way so obscure? Yet the people respond by saying, we are self sufficient, what need do we have of seeking God? Are we not rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing (Rev 3:17)? Yet God once again uses the imagery of a bride. She never fails to attend to every last detail of her apparel, so should God’s people never fail to attend to him, yet instead the opposite is true – they have ignored him for a countless number of days.
Jer 2:33 Why trimmest (amend) thou thy way (a road trodden) to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.
Why change your way or road to be accepted and loved by others? You are so far gone that even the wicked nations learn a lesson in evil from you.3
Jer 2:34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
Jer 2:35 Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.
They flaunt the shedding of innocent blood. They openly murder, yet honestly believe they’re innocent and deserve a blessing from God. God pleads with his blinded, lukewarm church. Hear this – it does not manner how healthy, wealthy, or prospered you are – if you are walking in unrepentant sin, or in your heart have no trouble with your church embracing or staying silent in the face of abortion, euthanasia, the genocidal jabs, the depopulation agenda, and your conscience does not trouble you, then you have a hardened heart, and are in desperate need of a true touch from God.
Jer 2:36 Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.
Gaddest – go to and fro, trying to get help from wherever you can, but not from God. The west turned to China to obtain obscene wealth for the elite, they allowed Islam to flourish in their lands in part for cheap oil, yet all these will be used to destroy us.
Jer 2:37 Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head (an expression of mourning): for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences (your refuge, your hope and trust, what you base your security on), and thou shalt not prosper in them.
The end result every time for every one that turns away from God and puts their trust in anything else is total destruction. God will never agree with your priorities. You always have a choice. Do it God’s way, or your way. The choice is yours.
Solitary Man
https://solitaryman.substack.com/
Photos courtesy Depositphotos
