Jer 2:7 | KingComments | STEP | Jeremiah speaks the word of the LORD to the “house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel” ( ). This addresses the entire people. Also, we see in this form of address that families are also addressed. Families are the basis of the entire existence of the people and determine the spiritual condition of the people as a whole. The indictment begins by asking questions that should awaken the conscience. The remembrance of history, of what their fathers did, should speak to them ( ). They are not better than their fathers, but just like them. There needs to be recognition. It is poignant to have to read that the LORD puts before them the question of what injustice their fathers found in Him. The surprised response might be that this is not the case at all. But then the LORD makes it clear that their whole attitude shows that they are accusing Him of unfaithfulness. Otherwise they would not have kept Him far from them, would they? Surely this shows that they distrust Him, isn’t it? Otherwise, instead of following Him, they would not have gone after idols, which also made them equal to those idols. What they worship does not exist for the LORD (cf. ). How foolish it is to turn to and expect something from something that is nothing. In it says what the people did do . In it says what they did not do . They have not considered what the LORD has done in their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and their keeping during the wilderness journey. He led them out of Egypt “by an outstretched arm and by great terrors” ( ) and led them through the wilderness with a gentle hand. That they forgot all this shows the utmost ingratitude. It is a culpable forgetting. The horrors of the wilderness are widely reported. The wilderness through which they have passed is a land of deserts and pits, of drought and of deep darkness, an extremely lonely, uninhabitable place. There is no passable road and no place of rest. The only thing the wilderness can serve for is as a burial ground. This representation is done to make it clear to the people that they would never have come through on their own. It is only due to the faithful care and guidance of the LORD that they reached the promised land in which they now live. We too must be aware of the inhospitality of the world and that death reigns there. This will help us to entrust ourselves completely to the care and guidance of the Lord to get through it safely. After the wilderness journey, He brought them, as He promised, into His land. Jeremiah speaks of “a fruitful land”, full of fruit and “the good things” to eat ( ; ). The contrast with the area he describes in the previous verse is enormous. But instead of being thankful to Him for the extraordinary fruitfulness after so much deadness, they have defiled His land and made His property an abomination, something abominable. They have done this by introducing idolatry. The four classes mentioned in – priests, those who handle the law, rulers [literally shepherds] and prophets – should have been like pillars in the people, teaching them God’s commandments and teaching them to keep them. However, they led the people away from the LORD: 1. “The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD’?” Those who are called to be in His presence with sacrifices on behalf of the people do not ask about Him at all. The reproach to the priests is that they do not ask this question. Asking it would have led the people down the road to the place the LORD has chosen for His Name to dwell. 2. “Those who handled the law [the Levites] did not know Me.“ Those who are to explain the law to the people ( ; ), lack the knowledge of Him Who is central to the law. 3. “The rulers”, literally shepherds, who are to care for the flock on behalf of the LORD, appropriate that flock and “transgressed” against the LORD (cf. ). 4. “The prophets”, who are to call God’s people to return to Him on behalf of the LORD, “prophesied by Baal”. The concluding comment of expresses the result. They did not go after the LORD, but “walked after things that did not profit”. The leaders, who are deceivers, led the people down the path of idolatry. Idols do not give any blessing, not temporary and even less spiritual. What a shocking and disconcerting situation among the leaders of God’s people and what an appalling departure from the LORD they have wrought among the people!

‏ Jeremiah 2:7

Israel’s Ingratitude

Jeremiah speaks the word of the LORD to the “house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel” (Jer 2:4). This addresses the entire people. Also, we see in this form of address that families are also addressed. Families are the basis of the entire existence of the people and determine the spiritual condition of the people as a whole.

The indictment begins by asking questions that should awaken the conscience. The remembrance of history, of what their fathers did, should speak to them (Jer 2:5). They are not better than their fathers, but just like them. There needs to be recognition. It is poignant to have to read that the LORD puts before them the question of what injustice their fathers found in Him. The surprised response might be that this is not the case at all.

But then the LORD makes it clear that their whole attitude shows that they are accusing Him of unfaithfulness. Otherwise they would not have kept Him far from them, would they? Surely this shows that they distrust Him, isn’t it? Otherwise, instead of following Him, they would not have gone after idols, which also made them equal to those idols. What they worship does not exist for the LORD (cf. 1Cor 8:4b). How foolish it is to turn to and expect something from something that is nothing.

In Jer 2:5 it says what the people did do. In Jer 2:6 it says what they did not do. They have not considered what the LORD has done in their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and their keeping during the wilderness journey. He led them out of Egypt “by an outstretched arm and by great terrors” (Deu 4:34) and led them through the wilderness with a gentle hand. That they forgot all this shows the utmost ingratitude. It is a culpable forgetting.

The horrors of the wilderness are widely reported. The wilderness through which they have passed is a land of deserts and pits, of drought and of deep darkness, an extremely lonely, uninhabitable place. There is no passable road and no place of rest. The only thing the wilderness can serve for is as a burial ground.

This representation is done to make it clear to the people that they would never have come through on their own. It is only due to the faithful care and guidance of the LORD that they reached the promised land in which they now live. We too must be aware of the inhospitality of the world and that death reigns there. This will help us to entrust ourselves completely to the care and guidance of the Lord to get through it safely.

After the wilderness journey, He brought them, as He promised, into His land. Jeremiah speaks of “a fruitful land”, full of fruit and “the good things” to eat (Jer 2:7; Deu 8:7-9). The contrast with the area he describes in the previous verse is enormous. But instead of being thankful to Him for the extraordinary fruitfulness after so much deadness, they have defiled His land and made His property an abomination, something abominable. They have done this by introducing idolatry.

The four classes mentioned in Jer 2:8 – priests, those who handle the law, rulers [literally shepherds] and prophets – should have been like pillars in the people, teaching them God’s commandments and teaching them to keep them. However, they led the people away from the LORD:

1. “The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD’?” Those who are called to be in His presence with sacrifices on behalf of the people do not ask about Him at all. The reproach to the priests is that they do not ask this question. Asking it would have led the people down the road to the place the LORD has chosen for His Name to dwell.

2. “Those who handled the law [the Levites] did not know Me.“ Those who are to explain the law to the people (Deu 33:10a; Mal 2:7), lack the knowledge of Him Who is central to the law.

3. “The rulers”, literally shepherds, who are to care for the flock on behalf of the LORD, appropriate that flock and “transgressed” against the LORD (cf. Eze 34:1-6).

4. “The prophets”, who are to call God’s people to return to Him on behalf of the LORD, “prophesied by Baal”.

The concluding comment of Jer 2:8 expresses the result. They did not go after the LORD, but “walked after things that did not profit”. The leaders, who are deceivers, led the people down the path of idolatry. Idols do not give any blessing, not temporary and even less spiritual. What a shocking and disconcerting situation among the leaders of God’s people and what an appalling departure from the LORD they have wrought among the people!