By Eugene Garner

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 3

A CALL FOR REPENTANCE

    They 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. 2 Lift 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. 3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. 4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5 Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

    1. Verse 1 should be read with Deuteronomy 24:1-4.
      a. From this it appears that reconciliation and reunion between Judah and her God is legally impossible!
      b. What right, then, has Judah (who has "gone a whoring" after false gods) to return to Jehovah as if His covenant has not been violated? (2:20; Ezek. 16:26-29).
    2. The language of verse 2 suggests Judah's participation in the immoral rites of the fertility cults, (contr. Deut. 12:2-4); so passionate is her lust for idol-lovers, that she waits for them as a band of Arab robbers waits to plunder a passing caravan, (Ezek. 16:25) - polluting the land by her wicked whoredoms, (2:7).
    3. The withholding of showers (both the Fall and Spring rains - essential to the fruitfulness of their crops, 14:3-6; Lev. 26:19) was divinely related to Judah's SIN; but, like a whore with a seared conscience, she did not even blush at being confronted with her sin, and the necessary consequences thereof, (vs. 3; 6:15; 8:12; comp. Ezek. 3:7-8).
    4. Instead, she self-righteously and boldly petitioned the Lord, whose holy name she had polluted by her fornication - addressing Him as "My Father," and "the Guide" (companion, or friend) "of my youth"; she chided Him against nursing a grudge and retaining His anger as "My Father," and "the Guide" (companion, or friend) "of my youth"; she chided Him against nursing a grudge and retaining His anger forever! (vs. 4-5a; comp. vs. 12; Psa. 103:9; Isa. 57:16).
    5. The unfaithful wife is grossly presumptuous to expect instant relief from one upon whom she has practiced all the evil that her perverted heart and mind could devise! (vs. 5).

    6 The 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. 7 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. 8 And 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. 9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

    1. This section is specifically dated "in the days of Josiah the king," (vs. 6a).
    2. God calls the attention of Jeremiah to Israel (the northern kingdom) as the very personification of apostasy, (comp. vs. 8, 11-12; 7:24).
      a. He characterizes her idolatry as "playing the harlot," (vs. 6b; comp. 17:2; Ezek. 23:1-10).
      b. In spite of this, the Lord pleaded with her to return to Him with her whole heart; but she did not choose to obey, (vs. 7a).
      c. Because of her persistent apostasy (her adulterous actions), God is said to have put her away and given her a bill of divorcement - in the sense that He delivered her up to the discipline of captivity in Assyria, (vs. 8; Deut. 24:1).
        1) It should be understood, however, that this was NOT God's desire; it was the fruit of her own doing (vs. 20), and only a temporary arrangement.
        2) A blessed reconciliation will yet be realized!
    3. Judah, on the other hand, is the very personification of FAITHLESSNESS (treachery) - exhibiting the disobedience of inexcusable unbelief, (vs. 7).
    4. Though she saw what judgment God brought upon her sister (Israel), Judah did not so take it to heart as to reverence Jehovah.
      a. It is true that she did PRETEND to turn to the Lord - under the reforms of both Hezekiah and Josiah; but it was sheer hypocrisy, (vs. l0b; comp. 12:2; Hos. 7:14).
      b. In reality, she "played the harlot" - bestowing her love upon gods of wood and stone with such light-hearted abandon as polluted the whole land! (vs. 9; comp. 2:7b).

    11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12 Go 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. 13 Only 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. 14 Turn, 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: 15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And 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. 17 At 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. 18 In 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. 19 But 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. 20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

    1. Despicable as was the apostatizing of the northern kingdom, she has shown herself more righteous than faithless Judah, (vs. 11); in spite of her multiplied advantages (a succession of Davidic kings, the temple with its priesthood, and the warning example of Israel's fall) she has plunged headlong into ever-deepening rebellion!
    2. Thus, Jeremiah is to herald toward the north (Assyria, where Israel is now in captivity) the divine invitation for Israel to return unto Jehovah her God, (vs. 12-13).
      a. Because Jehovah is merciful (12:15; 31:20), His anger is not forever set against her, (Psa 103:9-11; Isa. 57:16-18).
      b. But, there is still a necessary CONDITION for her acceptance; she must acknowledge the wretchedness of her sin in: giving her affections to strange gods, transgressing against Jehovah, and refusing to obey His voice, (comp. Deut. 30:1-3).
    3. Though apostatizing Israel has run after Baal, Jehovah is her true "Ba'al - maker, husband, or lord, (vs. 14-15; 31:32; Hos. 2:19).
      a. As such, He is ready to restore her (on the condition of her repentance) to the place from whence she has fallen - even to Zion, (31:6, 12, etc.).
      b. He will give her shepherds whose hearts are one with His own, and who will rule wisely and well, (23:4; 31:10; 50:19; Ezek. 34:1-24; comp. Jer. 50:6).
    4. Restored to prosperity in the land, they will not need, desire, or even remember the ark of the covenant (symbolizing God's presence among them); they will then be gloriously conscious of the REALITY of God's presence, (vs. 16; comp. Isa. 65:17).
    5. That this looks forward to a millennial restoration is evident from verses 17-18.
      a. The throne and authority of Jehovah will then be established in Jerusalem, (vs. 17; Ezek. 43:7).
        1) All nations will recognize and respect the right of the divine king to rule universally, (4:2; 12:15-16; 16:19).
        2) Nor will they walk any longer after the stubbornness of their own evil hearts.
      b. Israel and Judah will then be re-united as ONE NATION - in the land divinely given to their fathers as an everlasting inheritance! (vs. 18; 50:4-5; Hos. 1:11; Isa. 11:12-13).
    6. How gloriously and honorably did God desire to deal with Israel - giving her the most pleasant land and beautiful heritage of all nations - if she would but walk honorably before Him! (vs. 19-20).
      a. She must not only CALL Him "Father" - which she did, (vs. 4; comp. Isa. 1:2; 63:16; 64:8).
      b. She must also act in accordance with her words - submitting herself to His Fatherhood - which she had not been willing to do, (vs. 5b, 20).

    21 A 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. 22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God. 23 Truly 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. 24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 We 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.

    1. Upon the high places Jeremiah hears the voice of Israel in weeping and supplication; they have perverted their way through their forgetfulness of Jehovah, their God, (vs 21; comp. 7:29; Judg. 3:7).
    2. Again the Lord pleads: "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings!" (vs. 22a; 30:17; 33:6; Hos. 6:1; 14:4).
    3. The offer of pardon is finally accepted; they acknowledge Jehovah as "the LORD our God"! (vs. 22b; comp. 31:6; 50:4-5).
    4. And they acknowledge the wretchedness of their age-long rebellion against Him, (vs. 23-25).
      a. The orgies (of Baal) practiced on the high places are a delusion!
      b. The salvation of Israel is IN JEHOVAH ALONE! (17:14; 31:7; Psa. 3:8; Jonah 2:9).
      c. The nation has been consumed by shame (through Baal, the god of disgrace, 11:13; Hos. 9:10), and covered with confusion, because of its sin against the Lord - refusing to obey His voice, (vs. 24-25; 14:20; 22:21; Ezra 9:5-7; comp.2 Sam. 12:16; 13:31; I Kings 21:4).