Translations
Original
Notes
The Lord remembered his children. From deep within, he called them to return so he could heal them. He wanted to put aside his anger and show his love (Jeremiah 30:17; 33:6; Hosea 6:1; 14:4).
The Lord heard the heartfelt prayer of devotion, and the people confirmed their acceptance of the Lord as their God (Jeremiah 31:7; Psalms 38:18; 121:1–2).
The people confessed to worshiping idols and participating in religious ceremonies. They admitted these actions were misguided (Jeremiah 11:13; 14:20; Hosea 9:10) and recognized that salvation comes only from the Lord. Their ancestors wasted their wealth by sacrificing animals and children to honor Baal.
The people, held captive in Assyria, claimed they had repented of their sins. However, their words were insincere, and the Lord rejected their plea. God told his people that if they truly wanted to return to him, they had to abandon the hilltop altars where they worshiped idols and remove all traces of idolatry from their religion.
The Lord asked Israel to repent, return, and reconcile with him (contrast Jeremiah 2:1–3:10). Israel had sinned and faced punishment. Now, the people of Judah sinned even more openly than their northern relatives, ignoring the lesson the Lord taught Israel (Ezekiel 16:51–52). However, it was still not too late to repent and become the blessing to the nations (Jeremiah 4:1–2) that God intended them to be (Genesis 12:3).
Hope Beyond Judgment The Broken Covenant The Choice of Life or Death
Events
- Prophecies of Jeremiahc. 628 BC
Parallels
Glossary
Topics
Backsliders: Backsliding of Israel Backsliders: Promises To Backsliding: Exhortations to Return From Backsliding: Healing of, Promised Church: Backslidden Forgetting God: Backsliders are Guilty of God: Mercy of Repentance: Exemplified Sin: Confession of