1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? Shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to Me, says the LORD.
Israel promised to worship only the One True God, much like a woman promises on her wedding day to stay faithful to her husband. They broke their promise, worshiping any ole' god they could find. Yet, God loved them and wanted them back.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou have not been layed with. In the ways have thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou have polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain; and thou have a whore's forehead, thou refused to be ashamed.
"Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame." -NIV
The reason for the drought Judah/Israel is going through is their unfaithfulness to God.
4 Will thou not from this time cry unto Me, "My father, Thou aet the guide of my youth?"
"Please come back to Me."
5 Will He reserve His anger for ever? Will He keep it to the end? Behold, thou have spoken and done evil things as thou could.
"God won't be patient forever. Eventually He WILL punish you for your disobedience. Yet you, Israel/Judah, continue to be just as evil as possible."
Israel's and Judah's Unfaithfulness
6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have thou seen that
which backsliding Israel has done? she is gone up upon every high
mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot."
God is pointing out to Jeremiah that Israel has been serving other gods.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, "Turn thou unto Me." But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Even after many warnings and punishments, Israel didn't repent. And now Judah sees what Israel has been doing and it looks like fun.
8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Even though God had Israel destroyed for her idolatry, Judah went ahead and followed in her footsteps.
9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
Judah followed in Israel's footsteps and no matter what God had already done to Israel, Judah simply wouldn't repent.
God is pointing out to Jeremiah that Israel has been serving other gods.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, "Turn thou unto Me." But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Even after many warnings and punishments, Israel didn't repent. And now Judah sees what Israel has been doing and it looks like fun.
8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Even though God had Israel destroyed for her idolatry, Judah went ahead and followed in her footsteps.
9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
Judah followed in Israel's footsteps and no matter what God had already done to Israel, Judah simply wouldn't repent.
Invitation to Repentance
At least Israel didn't have the example of her sister country being destroyed to show them they should repent.
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "Return, thou backsliding Israel, says the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, says the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
If Israel had repented and turned to God, He would have forgiven and restored her.
13 "Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and have scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed My voice, says the LORD.
14 Turn, O backsliding children, says the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
God wanted to bring back anyone who would serve Him to Judah.
15 And I will give you pastors according to Mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
God will give them leaders that will teach them how to serve Him.
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
People will reference the return from Babylon instead of the Exodus from Egypt.
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
Today, all who love God are part of Israel and part of "New Jerusalem."
But physically, during the time between the Return and Jesus many, many people from all over the known world did come to worship in the new Temple.
18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
When Cyrus the Great gave the command to return to rebuild Jerusalem, people from every one of the tribes of Israel went to Judah.
19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call Me, "My father;" and shalt not turn away from Me.
If only they would serve Him.
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, says the LORD.
Israel and Judah just won't stop serving their false gods.
21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.
22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou are the LORD our God.
23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.