Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.
The Lord rebukes all groundless pleading with Him because all of His professed people have transgressed against Him in Judah's awful backsliding in the closing days before the Babylonian captivity. Their transgression was spiritual fornication and adultery, for the church espoused to the Lord as His pure bride turned from her Divine Spouse to other lovers in unlawful union with the world and with the State, looking to the nations for help and honor instead of to God alone. Even after such willing and wicked departure, worse than that of the heathen, God still pleads with backsliders while calling them to account. He calls the sinner to turn and the backslider to return, offering to heal their backsliding and welcome back those who long to regain their living connection with Him, proving that even the greatest sins need not keep Israel from Him. That healing comes when iniquity is acknowledged and every cherished sin is given up with the whole heart, coming deserving nothing and hoping only in His mercy, because Christ has already redeemed the world by giving Himself, His honor, His glory, and His life.
Unfaithfulness and Indictment
Jeremiah 2:29 belongs to the declarations about Judah's awful backsliding in the closing days before the Babylonian captivity. It is a rebuke of groundless pleading, for all of God's professed people have transgressed against Him. The transgression charged in Jeremiah 2 to 4 is unlawful union of His church with the world, which He calls fornication and adultery against Himself as their lawful husband.
The Jewish church was espoused to the Lord as His pure bride, but became unfaithful through unlawful attachment to the world. When the church turns from the instruction of her Divine Spouse to seek other lovers in worldly powers and nations, that union of the church with the world or with the State in any way is fornication and departing from God. Turning from God and joining another power is transgression against Him. This turning from Him to the nations is unfaithfulness that brings confusion. It makes the daughter of Zion a harlot, joining worldly powers instead of looking to God alone for help and honor.
Leaning upon Egypt brings failure and turning to Assyria brings being spoiled and made naked. To increase in numbers in this unlawful union only augments sin against God and goes blindly on to destruction. The backsliding went so far that after first building altars to Jehovah upon the high places and becoming accustomed to false worship, Israel entered into fellowship with it. Then Israel built altars to Milcom and Chemosh and Baal and Ashtoreth and a multitude of gods, until altars to false gods stood in the very house of Jehovah. Looking to the hills and mountains for help was looking to false-god worship and hoping for help from them.
The verse shows God dealing with His people as a husband deals with a wife when the marriage covenant is broken by unfaithfulness. A pure wife is justified in separating from a husband living in violation of his vow and living with a harlot rather than partaking in such deeds, but she is not legally and scripturally free to marry another without a legal divorce. If the unfaithful husband repents she can take him back without violating the seventh commandment, and God acts in this same way toward His people who have all transgressed against Him.
Plea to Backsliders
Israel willingly and wickedly departed from God, sinning against Him as an unfaithful wife leaves her husband. That rebellion was a wickedness worse than that of the heathen. Jeremiah 2:29 belongs to God's plea to backsliders, in which He calls them to account for having all transgressed against Him while He still pleads with them to turn and return.
God pleads for the backsliders to return and offers to heal their backsliding. He welcomes the backslider who longs to come back to Him. Those who have lost their living connection with Him may thus regain it.
Healing comes when iniquity is acknowledged and every cherished sin is given up with the whole heart. The backslider is to come to the Father's house deserving nothing and hoping only in His mercy, though it be the thousandth time. Then He will not let His anger fall. This is possible because backsliders can be redeemed, since Christ already redeemed the world and all things therein by giving Himself, His honor, His glory, and His life. God therefore calls the sinner to turn and the backslider to return, ready to accept what He purchased.
Though Israel had transgressed against God with the greatest sins, God welcomed Israel back to Himself. Fornication therefore need not separate married persons.
The Lord rebukes all groundless pleading with Him because all of His professed people have transgressed against Him in Judah's awful backsliding in the closing days before the Babylonian captivity.
Their transgression was spiritual fornication and adultery, for the church espoused to the Lord as His pure bride turned from her Divine Spouse to other lovers in unlawful union with the world and with the State, looking to the nations for help and honor instead of to God alone.
Even after such willing and wicked departure, worse than that of the heathen, God still pleads with backsliders while calling them to account.
He calls the sinner to turn and the backslider to return, offering to heal their backsliding and welcome back those who long to regain their living connection with Him, proving that even the greatest sins need not keep Israel from Him.
That healing comes when iniquity is acknowledged and every cherished sin is given up with the whole heart, coming deserving nothing and hoping only in His mercy, because Christ has already redeemed the world by giving Himself, His honor, His glory, and His life.
Unfaithfulness and Indictment
Jeremiah 2:29 belongs to the declarations about Judah's awful backsliding in the closing days before the Babylonian captivity. It is a rebuke of groundless pleading, for all of God's professed people have transgressed against Him. The transgression charged in Jeremiah 2 to 4 is unlawful union of His church with the world, which He calls fornication and adultery against Himself as their lawful husband.
The Jewish church was espoused to the Lord as His pure bride, but became unfaithful through unlawful attachment to the world. When the church turns from the instruction of her Divine Spouse to seek other lovers in worldly powers and nations, that union of the church with the world or with the State in any way is fornication and departing from God. Turning from God and joining another power is transgression against Him. This turning from Him to the nations is unfaithfulness that brings confusion. It makes the daughter of Zion a harlot, joining worldly powers instead of looking to God alone for help and honor.
Leaning upon Egypt brings failure and turning to Assyria brings being spoiled and made naked. To increase in numbers in this unlawful union only augments sin against God and goes blindly on to destruction. The backsliding went so far that after first building altars to Jehovah upon the high places and becoming accustomed to false worship, Israel entered into fellowship with it. Then Israel built altars to Milcom and Chemosh and Baal and Ashtoreth and a multitude of gods, until altars to false gods stood in the very house of Jehovah. Looking to the hills and mountains for help was looking to false-god worship and hoping for help from them.
The verse shows God dealing with His people as a husband deals with a wife when the marriage covenant is broken by unfaithfulness. A pure wife is justified in separating from a husband living in violation of his vow and living with a harlot rather than partaking in such deeds, but she is not legally and scripturally free to marry another without a legal divorce. If the unfaithful husband repents she can take him back without violating the seventh commandment, and God acts in this same way toward His people who have all transgressed against Him.
Plea to Backsliders
Israel willingly and wickedly departed from God, sinning against Him as an unfaithful wife leaves her husband. That rebellion was a wickedness worse than that of the heathen. Jeremiah 2:29 belongs to God's plea to backsliders, in which He calls them to account for having all transgressed against Him while He still pleads with them to turn and return.
God pleads for the backsliders to return and offers to heal their backsliding. He welcomes the backslider who longs to come back to Him. Those who have lost their living connection with Him may thus regain it.
Healing comes when iniquity is acknowledged and every cherished sin is given up with the whole heart. The backslider is to come to the Father's house deserving nothing and hoping only in His mercy, though it be the thousandth time. Then He will not let His anger fall. This is possible because backsliders can be redeemed, since Christ already redeemed the world and all things therein by giving Himself, His honor, His glory, and His life. God therefore calls the sinner to turn and the backslider to return, ready to accept what He purchased.
Though Israel had transgressed against God with the greatest sins, God welcomed Israel back to Himself. Fornication therefore need not separate married persons.