Jeremiah, Sarah Barry
TWO GREAT SINS OF JERUSALEM
Passage: Jeremiah 2:1~19  
Key verse: 13
Israel Forsakes God
2 The word(A) of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
“This is what the Lord says:
“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(B)
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(C)
through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy(D) to the Lord,(E)
the firstfruits(F) of his harvest;
all who devoured(G) her were held guilty,(H)
and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says:
“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(I)
and became worthless(J) themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up out of Egypt(K)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts(L) and ravines,(M)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels(N) and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.(O)
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.(P)
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(Q)
the leaders(R) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(S)
following worthless idols.(T)
9 “Therefore I bring charges(U) against you again,”
declares the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(V) and look,
send to Kedar[a](W) and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods(X) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(Y) God
for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken(Z) me,
the spring of living water,(AA)
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Is Israel a servant, a slave(AB) by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions(AC) have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste(AD) his land;
his towns are burned(AE) and deserted.(AF)
16 Also, the men of Memphis(AG) and Tahpanhes(AH)
have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(AI)
by forsaking(AJ) the Lord your God
when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(AK)
to drink water from the Nile[b]?(AL)
And why go to Assyria(AM)
to drink water from the Euphrates?(AN)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding(AO) will rebuke(AP) you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter(AQ) it is for you
when you forsake(AR) the Lord your God
and have no awe(AS) of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
- Jeremiah 2:18 Hebrew Shihor; that is, a branch of the Nile
Cross references
- Jeremiah 2:1 : Isa 38:4; Eze 1:3; Mic 1:1
- Jeremiah 2:2 : Ps 71:17; Isa 54:4; Jer 3:4; Eze 16:8-14, 60; Hos 2:15; 11:1; Rev 2:4
- Jeremiah 2:2 : S Ex 13:21; S Dt 1:19
- Jeremiah 2:3 : S Dt 7:6
- Jeremiah 2:3 : S Ex 19:6; S Dt 7:6
- Jeremiah 2:3 : Lev 23:9-14; Jas 1:18; Rev 14:4
- Jeremiah 2:3 : Isa 41:11; Jer 10:25; 30:16
- Jeremiah 2:3 : Jer 50:7
- Jeremiah 2:5 : S Dt 32:21; S 1Sa 12:21; Ps 31:6
- Jeremiah 2:5 : 2Ki 17:15
- Jeremiah 2:6 : S Ex 6:6; Hos 13:4
- Jeremiah 2:6 : S Dt 1:19
- Jeremiah 2:6 : S Dt 32:10
- Jeremiah 2:6 : Jer 51:43
- Jeremiah 2:7 : S Nu 13:27; Dt 8:7-9; 11:10-12
- Jeremiah 2:7 : Ps 106:34-39; Jer 3:9; 7:30; 16:18; Eze 11:21; 36:17
- Jeremiah 2:8 : S 1Sa 2:12; Jer 4:22
- Jeremiah 2:8 : Jer 3:15; 23:1; 25:34; 50:6
- Jeremiah 2:8 : S 1Ki 18:22
- Jeremiah 2:8 : ver 25; S Isa 40:19; S 56:10; Jer 5:19; 9:14; 16:19; 22:9
- Jeremiah 2:9 : Jer 25:31; Hos 4:1; Mic 6:2
- Jeremiah 2:10 : S Ge 10:4
- Jeremiah 2:10 : S Ge 25:13
- Jeremiah 2:11 : S Isa 37:19; Jer 16:20; Gal 4:8
- Jeremiah 2:11 : S 1Sa 4:21; Ro 1:23
- Jeremiah 2:13 : S Dt 31:16; S Isa 65:11
- Jeremiah 2:13 : S Isa 12:3; Jn 4:14
- Jeremiah 2:14 : Ex 4:22; Jer 31:9
- Jeremiah 2:15 : Jer 4:7; 50:17
- Jeremiah 2:15 : S Isa 1:7
- Jeremiah 2:15 : S 2Ki 25:9
- Jeremiah 2:15 : S Lev 26:43
- Jeremiah 2:16 : S Isa 19:13
- Jeremiah 2:16 : Jer 43:7-9
- Jeremiah 2:17 : Jer 4:18
- Jeremiah 2:17 : S Isa 1:28; Jer 17:13; 19:4
- Jeremiah 2:18 : S Isa 30:2
- Jeremiah 2:18 : S Jos 13:3
- Jeremiah 2:18 : S 2Ki 16:7; Hos 5:13; 7:11; 8:9
- Jeremiah 2:18 : S Isa 7:20
- Jeremiah 2:19 : Jer 3:11, 22; 7:24; 11:10; 14:7; Hos 14:4
- Jeremiah 2:19 : Isa 3:9; 59:12; Hos 5:5
- Jeremiah 2:19 : S Job 20:14; Am 8:10
- Jeremiah 2:19 : Jer 19:4
- Jeremiah 2:19 : S Ps 36:1
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
In contrast, God reminds them of the early days in their history when they devoted themselves fully to God. They were disciplined in the wilderness for many years, learning to depend on God only (2,3). They did grumble, yet they always turned to God, knowing his protection and provision for them.
However, in the Promised Land, where they received all promised blessings and comfort, they rebelled against God and turned toward worthless idols (7,8). That was the reason for the punishment they were facing. Are you looking for your salvation from anything other than our sovereign God? Remember your first love and turn to him.
Prayer: Father, you brought me out of the power of sin and death. You have been with me when I was too weak to stand alone and raised me, protecting and providing. Please be with me and help me to hold to you in times of blessing or trouble with a humble heart.
One Word: Remember God and do not turn away.