Jeremiah 2:19
Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Consider and realize how evil and bitter it is for you to forsake the LORD your God and to have no fear of Me," declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.
Your own wickedness
The Hebrew word for "wickedness" is "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which conveys a sense of evil or moral wrongness. In the context of ancient Israel, wickedness often referred to idolatry and the abandonment of God's commandments. This phrase suggests that the consequences of one's sinful actions are self-inflicted. The Israelites' departure from God's ways would naturally lead to their downfall, serving as a form of discipline. This reflects a broader biblical principle that sin carries its own punishment, as seen in the natural consequences of turning away from God's righteous path.

will discipline you
The Hebrew root for "discipline" is "יָסַר" (yasar), which means to chasten or correct. This word implies a corrective measure intended to bring about repentance and restoration. In the biblical narrative, God's discipline is often portrayed as an act of love, aimed at guiding His people back to righteousness. The discipline is not merely punitive but is designed to teach and transform, much like a parent disciplines a child for their betterment.

your own apostasies
"Apostasies" comes from the Hebrew "מְשׁוּבוֹת" (meshubot), meaning backslidings or faithlessness. This term captures the repeated turning away from God, a recurring theme in Israel's history. Apostasy involves a deliberate rejection of faith and covenant, leading to spiritual and moral decay. The use of "your own" emphasizes personal responsibility, indicating that the Israelites' repeated unfaithfulness is the root cause of their suffering.

will reprimand you
The Hebrew word "תוֹכֵחָה" (tokhecha) means rebuke or correction. This term suggests a verbal or moral correction intended to bring awareness of wrongdoing. In the biblical context, God's reprimand is a call to repentance, urging His people to recognize their errors and return to Him. It is a divine intervention meant to awaken the conscience and prompt a change of heart.

Consider and realize
The phrase "consider and realize" is a call to reflection and understanding. It invites the Israelites to pause and think deeply about their actions and their consequences. This introspective command is a common biblical exhortation, encouraging believers to seek wisdom and discernment. It underscores the importance of self-awareness in the process of repentance and spiritual growth.

how evil and bitter it is
"Evil and bitter" describes the dual nature of sin's consequences. "Evil" refers to the moral corruption and separation from God, while "bitter" captures the emotional and physical suffering that results. This phrase highlights the comprehensive impact of sin, affecting both the spiritual and temporal aspects of life. It serves as a stark reminder of the cost of forsaking God.

for you to forsake the LORD your God
"Forsake" is translated from the Hebrew "עָזַב" (azab), meaning to abandon or leave behind. This word conveys a sense of betrayal and neglect of a covenant relationship. The LORD, or "Yahweh," is the personal name of God, emphasizing His covenantal relationship with Israel. To forsake the LORD is to reject His authority, love, and protection, leading to spiritual desolation.

and to have no fear of Me
The "fear" of the LORD, from the Hebrew "יִרְאָה" (yirah), encompasses reverence, awe, and respect. It is foundational to wisdom and obedience in the biblical tradition. The absence of this fear indicates a lack of recognition of God's holiness and sovereignty. This phrase underscores the importance of a proper relationship with God, marked by reverence and submission to His will.

declares the Lord GOD of Hosts
This declaration is a solemn pronouncement from "the Lord GOD of Hosts," a title that emphasizes God's supreme authority and power. "Hosts" refers to the heavenly armies, underscoring God's might and sovereignty over all creation. This authoritative declaration serves as a reminder of God's ultimate control and the seriousness of His words. It calls the Israelites to heed His warning and return to Him in humility and repentance.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was often rebuked by God through prophets like Jeremiah for its idolatry and unfaithfulness.

3. The LORD God of Hosts
A title emphasizing God's supreme authority and power over all heavenly and earthly armies.

4. Apostasy
The act of abandoning or renouncing a religious belief, which in this context refers to Judah's turning away from God.

5. Discipline and Reprimand
The consequences of Judah's wickedness and apostasy, serving as a form of correction from God.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Sin
Our own wickedness and apostasy bring about natural consequences that serve as discipline from God.

The Importance of Fear of the Lord
A healthy reverence and fear of God are crucial to maintaining a faithful relationship with Him.

Self-Examination
We are called to consider and realize the bitterness of forsaking God, prompting us to self-reflect on our spiritual state.

God's Desire for Repentance
Despite the reprimand, God's ultimate desire is for His people to return to Him in repentance and faithfulness.

The Role of Discipline
God's discipline is not merely punitive but is intended to bring us back to a right relationship with Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of discipline in Jeremiah 2:19 relate to the idea of God's love and correction in Hebrews 12:5-11?

2. In what ways can we identify and address areas of apostasy in our own lives today?

3. How does the fear of the Lord serve as a foundation for wisdom and obedience, as seen in Proverbs 1:7 and Jeremiah 2:19?

4. What practical steps can we take to ensure we do not forsake our relationship with God, as warned in Jeremiah 2:19 and Revelation 2:4-5?

5. How can understanding the consequences of sin, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28, help us make better choices in our daily walk with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, highlighting the consequences of forsaking God.

Proverbs 1:7
This verse emphasizes the importance of fearing the Lord as the beginning of knowledge, contrasting with the lack of fear mentioned in Jeremiah 2:19.

Hebrews 12:5-11
Discusses God's discipline as a sign of His love, similar to how Jeremiah speaks of discipline as a result of wickedness.

Hosea 4:1-6
Describes Israel's lack of knowledge and faithfulness, paralleling Judah's apostasy in Jeremiah.

Revelation 2:4-5
Calls the church to remember and repent from their forsaken first love, echoing the call to realize and repent in Jeremiah 2:19.
Forsaking JehovahAlexander MaclarenJeremiah 2:19
God's Method of Punishing ApostasyA.F. Muir Jeremiah 2:19
SinJeremiah 2:19
Sin Evil and BitterChristian ObserverJeremiah 2:19
Sin its Own PunishmentAndrew Fuller.Jeremiah 2:19
The Evil and Bitterness of SinJ. Jamieson M. A.Jeremiah 2:19
The Evil of SinTheological SketchbookJeremiah 2:19
The Uses Made by God of SinH. Batchelor.Jeremiah 2:19
The Divine Ideal, How Lost and RegainedS. Conway Jeremiah 2:14-19
People
Gad, Jacob, Jeremiah, Kedar, Kittim, Kittites
Places
Assyria, Cyprus, Egypt, Euphrates River, Jerusalem, Kedar, Memphis, Nile River, Tahpanhes
Topics
Affirmation, Almighty, Apostasies, Apostasy, Armies, Awe, Backsliding, Backslidings, Bitter, Chasten, Chastiseth, Consider, Correct, Declares, Dread, Errors, Evil, Fear, Forsake, Forsaken, Forsaking, Hast, Hosts, Instruct, Judge, Longer, Moved, Punish, Punishment, Realize, Rebuke, Reprove, Says, Wickedness, Yourselves
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 2:19

     1235   God, the LORD
     5799   bitterness
     5885   indifference
     5926   rebuke

Jeremiah 2:19-20

     8741   failure

Jeremiah 2:19-25

     8705   apostasy, in OT

Library
Stiff-Necked Idolaters and Pliable Christians
'Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.'--JER. ii. 11. The obstinacy of the adherents of idolatry is in striking contrast with Israel's continual tendency to forsake Jehovah. It reads a scarcely less forcible lesson to many nominal and even to some real Christians. I. That contrast carries with it a disclosure of the respective origins of the two kinds of Religion. The strangeness of the contrasted conduct is
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Forsaking Jehovah
'Know therefore, and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that My fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.'--JER. ii. 19. Of course the original reference is to national apostasy, which was aggravated by the national covenant, and avenged by national disasters, which are interpreted and urged by the prophet as God's merciful pleading with men. But the text is true in reference to individuals. I. The universal indictment. This is not so
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Balak's Inquiries Relative to the Service of God, and Balaam's Answer, Briefly Considered.
"Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with, thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?--He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good: And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" As mankind are
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

"He is the Rock, his Work is Perfect, for all his Ways are Judgment, a God of Truth, and Without Iniquity, Just and Right is He.
Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.--"He is the Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children," &c. There are none can behold their own vileness as it is, but in the sight of God's glorious holiness. Sin is darkness, and neither sees itself, nor any thing else, therefore must his light shine to discover this darkness. If we abide within ourselves, and men like ourselves,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

That it is not Lawful for the Well Affected Subjects to Concur in Such an Engagement in War, and Associate with the Malignant Party.
That It Is Not Lawful For The Well Affected Subjects To Concur In Such An Engagement In War, And Associate With The Malignant Party. Some convinced of the unlawfulness of the public resolutions and proceedings, in reference to the employing of the malignant party, yet do not find such clearness and satisfaction in their own consciences as to forbid the subjects to concur in this war, and associate with the army so constituted. Therefore it is needful to speak something to this point, That it is
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

A Book for Boys and Girls Or, Temporal Things Spritualized.
by John Bunyan, Licensed and entered according to order. London: Printed for, and sold by, R. Tookey, at his Printing House in St. Christopher's Court, in Threadneedle Street, behind the Royal Exchange, 1701. Advertisement by the Editor. Some degree of mystery hangs over these Divine Emblems for children, and many years' diligent researches have not enabled me completely to solve it. That they were written by Bunyan, there cannot be the slightest doubt. 'Manner and matter, too, are all his own.'[1]
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

'The God of the Amen'
'He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth.'--ISAIAH lxv. 16. The full beauty and significance of these remarkable words are only reached when we attend to the literal rendering of a part of them which is obscured in our version. As they stand in the original they have, in both cases, instead of the vague expression, 'The God of truth,' the singularly picturesque one, 'The God of the Amen.' I. Note
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Harbinger
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD , make straight in the desert a high-way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. T he general style of the prophecies is poetical. The inimitable simplicity which characterizes every
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

"All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags, and we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind, have Taken us Away. "
Isaiah lxiv. 6, 7.--"All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Not only are the direct breaches of the command uncleanness, and men originally and actually unclean, but even our holy actions, our commanded duties. Take a man's civility, religion, and all his universal inherent righteousness,--all are filthy rags. And here the church confesseth nothing but what God accuseth her of, Isa. lxvi. 8, and chap. i. ver.
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

All Mankind Guilty; Or, Every Man Knows More than He Practises.
ROMANS i. 24.--"When they knew God, they glorified him not as God." The idea of God is the most important and comprehensive of all the ideas of which the human mind is possessed. It is the foundation of religion; of all right doctrine, and all right conduct. A correct intuition of it leads to correct religious theories and practice; while any erroneous or defective view of the Supreme Being will pervade the whole province of religion, and exert a most pernicious influence upon the entire character
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man

A Short and Easy Method of Prayer
CHAPTER I The Universal Call to Prayer What a dreadful delusion hath prevailed over the greater part of mankind, in supposing that they are not called to a state of prayer! whereas all are capable of prayer, and are called thereto, as all are called to and are capable of salvation. Prayer is the application of the heart to God, and the internal exercise of love. S. Paul hath enjoined us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. v 17), and our Lord saith, "I say unto you all, watch and pray" (Mark xiii.
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

All are Commanded to Pray --Prayer the Great Means of Salvation
CHAPTER I. ALL ARE COMMANDED TO PRAY--PRAYER THE GREAT MEANS OF SALVATION, AND POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES BY THE MOST SIMPLE. Prayer is nothing else but the application of the heart to God, and the interior exercise of love. St Paul commands us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. v. 17). Our Lord says: "Take ye heed, watch and pray." "And what I say unto you, I say unto all" (Mark xiii. 33, 37). All, then, are capable of prayer, and it is the duty of all to engage in it. But I do not think that all are
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

What are Consequences of Backsliding in Heart.
The text says, that "the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways." 1. He shall be filled with his own works. But these are dead works, they are not works of faith and love, which are acceptable to God, but are the filthy rags of his own righteousness. If they are performed as religious services, they are but loathsome hypocrisy, and an abomination to God; there is no heart in them. To such a person God says: "Who hath required this at your hand?" (Isaiah 1:12). "Ye are they which justify
Charles G. Finney—The Backslider in Heart

Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

That the Unskilful Venture not to Approach an Office of Authority.
No one presumes to teach an art till he has first, with intent meditation, learnt it. What rashness is it, then, for the unskilful to assume pastoral authority, since the government of souls is the art of arts! For who can be ignorant that the sores of the thoughts of men are more occult than the sores of the bowels? And yet how often do men who have no knowledge whatever of spiritual precepts fearlessly profess themselves physicians of the heart, though those who are ignorant of the effect of
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

"So Then they that are in the Flesh Cannot Please God. "
Rom. viii. 8.--"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." It is a kind of happiness to men, to please them upon whom they depend, and upon whose favour their well-being hangs. It is the servant's happiness to please his master, the courtier's to please his prince; and so generally, whosoever they be that are joined in mutual relations, and depend one upon another; that which makes all pleasant, is this, to please one another. Now, certainly, all the dependencies of creatures one upon
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ, to his Poor Servant, John Bunyan
In this my relation of the merciful working of God upon my soul, it will not be amiss, if in the first place, I do in a few words give you a hint of my pedigree, and manner of bringing up; that thereby the goodness and bounty of God towards me, may be the more advanced and magnified before the sons of men. 2. For my descent then, it was, as is well known by many, of a low and inconsiderable generation; my father's house being of that rank that is meanest, and most despised of all the families in
John Bunyan—Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

"He is the Rock, his Work is Perfect. For all his Ways are Judgment. A God of Truth, and Without Iniquity, Just and Right is He.
Deut. xxxii. 4, 5.--"He is the rock, his work is perfect. For all his ways are judgment. A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children. They are a perverse and crooked generation." "All his ways are judgment," both the ways of his commandments and the ways of his providence, both his word which he hath given as a lantern to men's paths, and his works among men. And this were the blessedness of men, to be found
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

1 to Pray Does not Imply that Without Prayer God Would not Give us Anything...
1. To pray does not imply that without prayer God would not give us anything or that He would be unaware of our needs, but it has this great advantage, that in the attitude of prayer the soul is best fitted to receive the Giver of blessing as well as those blessings He desires to bestow. Thus it was that the fullness of the Spirit was not poured out upon the Apostles on the first day, but after ten days of special preparation. If a blessing were conferred upon one without a special readiness for
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet

John Bunyan on the Terms of Communion and Fellowship of Christians at the Table of the Lord;
COMPRISING I. HIS CONFESSION OF FAITH, AND REASON OF HIS PRACTICE; II. DIFFERENCES ABOUT WATER BAPTISM NO BAR TO COMMUNION; AND III. PEACEABLE PRINCIPLES AND TRUE[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Reader, these are extraordinary productions that will well repay an attentive perusal. It is the confession of faith of a Christian who had suffered nearly twelve years' imprisonment, under persecution for conscience sake. Shut up with his Bible, you have here the result of a prayerful study of those holy
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The River of Egypt, Rhinocorura. The Lake of Sirbon.
Pliny writes, "From Pelusium are the intrenchments of Chabrias: mount Casius: the temple of Jupiter Casius: the tomb of Pompey the Great: Ostracine: Arabia is bounded sixty-five miles from Pelusium: soon after begins Idumea and Palestine from the rising up of the Sirbon lake." Either my eyes deceive me, while I read these things,--or mount Casius lies nearer Pelusium, than the lake of Sirbon. The maps have ill placed the Sirbon between mount Casius and Pelusium. Sirbon implies burning; the name of
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

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