John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 2

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying .
] Here begins the book, and Jeremiah's first sermon; and the following contains the message he was sent with, to which the preceding chapter is only a preface or introduction. The Targum calls it, ``the word of the prophecy from before the Lord.''

Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem
Of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judea. The prophet seems now to have been at Anathoth, and therefore is bid to go from there to Jerusalem, and there prophesy before the people in it, as the Targum paraphrases it: saying, thus says the Lord, I remember you;

the Lord never forgets his people, though they sometimes think he does; it cannot be for they are engraven on the palms of his hands, yes, are set as a seal on his heart; nor does he forget his covenant with them, nor favours and blessings promised them: or, "I remember for you"; or, "to you" ^F23: things in your favour, and which will be to your advantage: the kindness of your youth;

either the lovingkindness of the Lord, which he had shown unto them; and the benefits, as the fruits thereof, which he had bestowed upon them in former times, when they were brought out of Egypt, and into the wilderness, which was the infancy both of their civil and church state; see (Hosea 11:1) and when they received many favours from the Lord, (Jeremiah 31:2) or the kindness of the people of Israel to the Lord, which was influenced and drawn forth by his love to them; though this can only be understood of some few of them, since the greater part tempted him, grieved, and provoked him: the love of your espousals;
for the covenant God made with that people, when he brought them out of Egypt, was in the form of a marriage contract; he became their husband, and they became his spouse and bride; and which is an aggravation of their violation of it, (Jeremiah 31:32) and this love, as before, may be understood either of the love of God to them, or of their love to him. The Targum interprets the former clause of the divine goodness to them, and this of their love to him, paraphrasing the whole thus,

``I remember unto you the blessings of ancient days, and the love of your fathers, who believed in my word:'' when you went after me;
the Lord going before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night; even the angel of God's presence, who was their leader, guide, and preserver: in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown;
where they passed through many difficulties, and lived upon the providence of God, which, in a wonderful manner, supported them with the necessaries of life, which otherwise they could not have had. The Targum is, ``and they walked after your two messengers, after Moses and Aaron, in the wilderness forty years without food, in a land that was not sown.''

The whole of this may be applied to the case of God's people at first conversion, when they are as newly born babes, and become young men in Christ; at which time they are openly espoused to him, having been secretly betrothed in covenant before; but now, through the efficacy of the Spirit attending the word, they are made willing to give up themselves to the Lord, and are espoused to one husband, Christ, (2 Corinthians 11:2) at which time also great kindness and love is expressed both by the Lord to them, by quickening them who before were dead; by bringing them out of a most miserable condition; by speaking comfortably to them; by manifesting and applying his pardoning grace; and by openly taking them into his family: and also by them to him again; for the grace of love is then implanted, which, as it is hearty and sincere, is very ardent and fervent; which shows itself by parting with and bearing all for Christ; and by a concern for his company and presence; and by a regard to his people, Gospel, ways, and worship; particularly by following him in his ordinances with great zeal, fervency, and constancy, even though attended with many difficulties and discouragements; and though the way may seem to flesh and blood very unpleasant and unpromising; all which is remembered by the Lord when forgotten by them; and when their love is become cold to him, he not only remembers them, and his love to them, which is always the same, but also their love to him.

FOOTNOTES:

• F23: (Kl ytrkz) "recordor tibi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Schmidt, and some in Vatablus; which is preferred by Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 228.

Israel was holiness unto the Lord When first brought out of Egypt into the wilderness, by the Lord's choice and separation of them to be a holy people to him above all others; by covenant with him, and profession of him; and by his giving them holy laws, and placing a sanctuary among them; and by their high priest, who represented them in the most holy place; and had on the front of his mitre written, holiness unto the Lord ;

so the spiritual Israel are chosen in Christ to be holy, and he is made sanctification to them; they are sanctified in him, and by his Spirit; they are called with a holy calling, and unto holiness; and, under the influence of grace, live holy lives and conversations, which the grace of God teaches, and young converts are remarkable for; their consciences being just awakened, and their hearts tender:

and the firstfruits of his increase Israel was the first nation that God separated for himself; and this being the firstfruits, shows that he would separate others also, and take out of the Gentiles a people for his name, which he has since done; and the elect of God among the Israelites were the firstfruits of his chosen ones elsewhere; it were some of them that first believed in Christ, and received the firstfruits of the Spirit; and all converted ones are a kind of firstfruits of his creatures; the grace they receive at conversion is the firstfruits of a later increase of it, and even of eternal glory:

all that devour him shall offend or, "all that eat him shall be guilty" ^F24 ; and be condemned and punished, who eat up the Lord's people, as they eat bread; see (Psalms 53:4) , these shall not go unpunished; for his people are as the apple of his eye, and whoever touches and hurts them fall under the divine displeasure, and will be looked upon as criminals and offenders, and will be judged and condemned as such. The allusion is to the eating of the firstfruits, which only belonged to the priests; nor might any of the increase be eaten until the firstfruits were brought to them, (Leviticus 23:10Leviticus 23:14Leviticus 23:20) . This is expressed in the Chaldee paraphrase of the text,``whosoever eats of them (the firstfruits) is guilty of death; for as the beginning of the harvest, the sheaf of oblation, whoever eats of it before the priests, the sons of Aaron, have offered of it upon the altar, shall be guilty or condemned; so all that spoil the house of Israel shall be guilty or condemned;'' so Jarchi and Kimchi:

evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord that is, the evil of punishment, either in this world, or in that which is to come, or in both.

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: (wmvay) "rcos fuisse", Junius & Tremellius; "rei peragebantur", Piscator; "rei fiunt", Cocceius.

Hear you the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the
families of the house of Israel .
] The Lord, by the prophet, having observed his great kindness to this people, what they were unto him, and what a regard he had for them, proceeds to upbraid them with their ingratitude, and requires an attention to what he was about to say; all are called upon, because, all were guilty. This respects the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the several families in them. The ten tribes had been long carried captive.

Thus says the Lord, what iniquity have your fathers found in me What injustice or injury has been done them? there is no unrighteousness in God, nor can any be done by him; or what unfaithfulness, or want of truth and integrity in performing promises, had they found in him? he never suffers his faithfulness to fail, or any of the good things he has promised. So the Targum,``what falsehood have your fathers found in my word?'' none at all; God is a covenant keeping God:

that they are gone far from me ; from my fear, as the Chaldee paraphrase; from the word and worship, and ways of God:

and have walked after vanity ; after idols, the vanities of the Gentiles, (Jeremiah 14:22) :

and are become vain ? in their imaginations and in their actions, in their knowledge and in their practice, worshipping idols, as well as guilty of many other sins.