Jer 2:22 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD reminds His people that He has broken the yoke of slavery under which they have groaned in Egypt ( ). He has also broken their bonds by which they have been held captive. In this way He has delivered them. However, this is not to let them go their own way now, but in order to have them serve Him as His people. The people, however, do not want to serve the LORD. They also say that. They choose to go after idols and play the harlot. They have not only come to adultery, but to harlotry; they have come to behave like a harlot. They have broken the yoke of marriage to the LORD, because it is too heavy for them; they have come to see it as slavery. This is also how many people today see marriage. They want to be free and engage with whomever they want. With that freedom, there is no question of submitting to God's statutes. They refuse to do so, just as Israel refuses to do so here. The LORD has planted them as a choice vine ( ). He has been confident that they are “a completely faithful seed”, that is, a seed that would produce fruit abundantly, that is, they would rejoice His heart. This expectation is justified, for He has cared for them very well (cf. ). But things have been quite different. They have been transformed into the opposite. They have become “degenerate shoots of a foreign vine” (cf. ). That is, they are now out to please others instead of the LORD. He expresses it as an astonished question, how that is even possible. How is that with us? Do we want to be a joy to the heart of God or are we also out to please ourselves or others? They have corrupted themselves so deeply that it is impossible to undo their iniquity themselves ( ). No matter what they try to do to be pleasing to God, it is in vain. All the possible cleaning supplies they would use to wash off their iniquities do not work a cleansing before Him. They serve only to purify the outside, while the inside, where sin dwells, remains dirty. He seeks truth in the innermost being and not cleanliness on the outside. Being concerned only with the outside does not remove the “stain” of their “iniquity” from before Him. Only through repentance and conversion can God wash away and forgive their sins so that He sees them no more ( ). If they do not repent, He will have to cleanse away the “stain” of their “iniquity” from before Him by judgment. We can compare “lye” and “soap” to all kinds of re-education programs and teaching social skills to change people. But nothing that man devises to bring him to a “socially responsible” behavior can change man inside. Only the blood of Christ and the Word of God cleanse from sins. The people insist that they have not defiled themselves ( ; cf. ). The brutal, glaring denial is mind-boggling! What love and patience we see in the LORD that He still wants to have something to do with such people. He points out to them their ways, “look at your way in the valley”, which show undeniably that they have most certainly defiled themselves. For example, they sacrificed their children to Molech in the valley of Hinnom ( ). Their own ways condemn them. Then the LORD’s call sounds: “Know what you have done!” With acknowledging begins the path to blessing. The LORD compares them unflatteringly, but aptly, to a restless running to and fro, “swift young camel”. They are like the untamed “wild donkey” ( ) living in wild freedom (cf. ). In following her urge to mate, she cannot be stopped when she is near a donkey. “In her month” relates to the fertile period of this female donkey. We can think here of the word “when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin” resulting in death ( ). Thus they are unstoppable in their desire for harlotry. One who seeks a harlot need not make any effort to do so, for he will easily find in God’s people what he seeks (cf. ). The issue here is the urge of the people to seek their salvation and protection from the nations around them and the gods of those nations. Those nations are eager to enlist them and pick this people bare. It cannot but result in the death of God’s people. The people are fast to commit harlotry, just as a man can walk faster when he takes off his shoes ( ). They have taken the shoes off their feet in their thirst for harlotry. Every attempt to put a brake, an obstacle, on the conduct of the people, every warning, is in vain. The people want to go that way. There is a deep longing for the strangers. It is completely addicted to harlotry.

‏ Jeremiah 2:22

Israel’s Immorality

The LORD reminds His people that He has broken the yoke of slavery under which they have groaned in Egypt (Jer 2:20). He has also broken their bonds by which they have been held captive. In this way He has delivered them. However, this is not to let them go their own way now, but in order to have them serve Him as His people. The people, however, do not want to serve the LORD. They also say that. They choose to go after idols and play the harlot.

They have not only come to adultery, but to harlotry; they have come to behave like a harlot. They have broken the yoke of marriage to the LORD, because it is too heavy for them; they have come to see it as slavery. This is also how many people today see marriage. They want to be free and engage with whomever they want. With that freedom, there is no question of submitting to God's statutes. They refuse to do so, just as Israel refuses to do so here.

The LORD has planted them as a choice vine (Jer 2:21). He has been confident that they are “a completely faithful seed”, that is, a seed that would produce fruit abundantly, that is, they would rejoice His heart. This expectation is justified, for He has cared for them very well (cf. Isa 5:1-7).

But things have been quite different. They have been transformed into the opposite. They have become “degenerate shoots of a foreign vine” (cf. Deu 32:32). That is, they are now out to please others instead of the LORD. He expresses it as an astonished question, how that is even possible. How is that with us? Do we want to be a joy to the heart of God or are we also out to please ourselves or others?

They have corrupted themselves so deeply that it is impossible to undo their iniquity themselves (Jer 2:22). No matter what they try to do to be pleasing to God, it is in vain. All the possible cleaning supplies they would use to wash off their iniquities do not work a cleansing before Him. They serve only to purify the outside, while the inside, where sin dwells, remains dirty.

He seeks truth in the innermost being and not cleanliness on the outside. Being concerned only with the outside does not remove the “stain” of their “iniquity” from before Him. Only through repentance and conversion can God wash away and forgive their sins so that He sees them no more (1Jn 1:9). If they do not repent, He will have to cleanse away the “stain” of their “iniquity” from before Him by judgment.

We can compare “lye” and “soap” to all kinds of re-education programs and teaching social skills to change people. But nothing that man devises to bring him to a “socially responsible” behavior can change man inside. Only the blood of Christ and the Word of God cleanse from sins.

The people insist that they have not defiled themselves (Jer 2:23; cf. Pro 30:20). The brutal, glaring denial is mind-boggling! What love and patience we see in the LORD that He still wants to have something to do with such people. He points out to them their ways, “look at your way in the valley”, which show undeniably that they have most certainly defiled themselves. For example, they sacrificed their children to Molech in the valley of Hinnom (Jer 7:31). Their own ways condemn them. Then the LORD’s call sounds: “Know what you have done!” With acknowledging begins the path to blessing.

The LORD compares them unflatteringly, but aptly, to a restless running to and fro, “swift young camel”. They are like the untamed “wild donkey” (Jer 2:24) living in wild freedom (cf. Gen 16:12). In following her urge to mate, she cannot be stopped when she is near a donkey. “In her month” relates to the fertile period of this female donkey. We can think here of the word “when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin” resulting in death (Jam 1:15).

Thus they are unstoppable in their desire for harlotry. One who seeks a harlot need not make any effort to do so, for he will easily find in God’s people what he seeks (cf. Pro 7:6-23). The issue here is the urge of the people to seek their salvation and protection from the nations around them and the gods of those nations. Those nations are eager to enlist them and pick this people bare. It cannot but result in the death of God’s people.

The people are fast to commit harlotry, just as a man can walk faster when he takes off his shoes (Jer 2:25). They have taken the shoes off their feet in their thirst for harlotry. Every attempt to put a brake, an obstacle, on the conduct of the people, every warning, is in vain. The people want to go that way. There is a deep longing for the strangers. It is completely addicted to harlotry.