| A LOVER'S QUARREL |
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| compares Judah to a donkey in heat, "sniffing the wind in her craving. . . . Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves" (2:24). But the comparison hurts him more than her. His love, not hers, is scorned. Married to a Whore The prophet Hosea was the first to draw the picture of God married to a prostitute. Jeremiah amplifies it. The comparison cries out both the passionate love God feels for his people and the terrible, wounded pain he feels at their betrayal. Jeremiah's imagery is violent and dark, but underneath it, something wonderful shines out: the tender and personal love of God for his people. The "adultery" Jeremiah wrote about focuses on the worship of idols. Most modern people find it hard to understand why Israelites felt any impulse to kneel before wooden or metal statues, of why their doing so made God furious. But when Jeremiah refers to it as adultery, God's hatred of idolatry becomes understandable. God meant his people to have only one true love in their lives - God himself. God the lover will not take second place; he refuses to "share" his bride. Life Questions: Have you ever fought with God? What issues were you fighting about? |