Jeremiah 2:1-8, Yahweh’s Anguish at Israel’s Defection

This is the beginning of a lengthy message to Israel (Judah), Jeremiah’s first message, it appears.

^2:1 The word of Yahweh came to me: ² “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what Yahweh says:

“‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how like a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown. ³ Israel was holy to Yahweh, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,’” declares Yahweh. ⁴ Hear the word of Yahweh, you descendants of Jacob, all you clans of Israel. ⁵ This is what Yahweh says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They went after worthless idols and became worthless themselves. ⁶ They did not ask, ‘Where is Yahweh, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and deep darkness, a land through which no one passes and where no one lives?’

⁷ I brought you into a productive land to enjoy its fruit and goodness. But when you came in you defiled my land and made my inheritance an abomination. ⁸ The priests did not ask, ‘Where is Yahweh?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; your ruling shepherds rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following idols that bring no value. (Jeremiah 2:1-8)

Now Jeremiah is told to speak to Jerusalem and we are not told just how he did this, perhaps preaching publicly in the temple area. Yahweh wants to address the problems with His people. Their first problem is their defection from worshiping Him alone, as they used to do.

God’s depiction of Israel as early on being in love with Him, like a bride is in love with her husband, following Him through the wilderness on the way to Canaan, is generally true, though of course we and his readers know there were some major defections (the golden calf, Exodus 32, and worship of Baal Peor, Numbers 25). But generally, Israel worshiped Yahweh alone. And because of this Yahweh protected and avenged His people against those who attacked her.

But now there has been a large-scale defection. By worshiping worthless idols the worshipers have become like their idols – worthless. And what is most telling to Yahweh is that no one has asked where He is. The blessings that He used to provide His people have ceased and yet no one acknowledges that these came from Yahweh. The people are totally deceived.

God wants to know what faults His people have found in Him, but there are none. He gave them a productive land with good fruits. It is their idolatry that has made the land defiled. And the leaders who should have turned the people back to Yahweh, were defectors themselves. Jeremiah’s own priests defected, the teachers of the Law defected, her kings (shepherds) had defected, and even the prophets had strayed from worship of Yahweh, leading the people to worship Baal, the god of the Canaanites.

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Discussion Questions:

1. Who in your life has been influential in drawing you to the true God?
2. When people who once were excited Christians cool down in or even abandon their faith, what are the reasons they usually give?
3. If they were asked to recall how much God blessed them before, could they, and if so, why then did that not keep them from straying?
4. What do you see as the impact of leaders defecting from the faith?