Jeremiah 2:6
They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
They did not ask
This phrase highlights a significant spiritual neglect among the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "ask" is "שָׁאַל" (sha'al), which implies seeking guidance or inquiring earnestly. In the context of ancient Israel, asking was not merely a request for information but a demonstration of dependence on God. The absence of inquiry suggests a self-reliance and a turning away from God, which is a recurring theme in the prophetic literature. This neglect is a cautionary tale for believers today, emphasizing the importance of seeking God's guidance in all aspects of life.

Where is the LORD
This rhetorical question underscores the Israelites' failure to recognize God's presence and guidance. The Hebrew name for God used here is "יהוה" (YHWH), the covenant name of God, which signifies His eternal presence and faithfulness. Historically, this reflects a period when Israel had forgotten the miraculous acts of God, such as the Exodus. For contemporary believers, it serves as a reminder to continually seek and acknowledge God's presence, especially in times of prosperity or complacency.

who brought us up out of the land of Egypt
This phrase recalls the foundational event of the Exodus, where God delivered the Israelites from slavery. The Hebrew word for "brought up" is "הֶעֱלָה" (he'elah), which conveys the idea of elevation or lifting up. This historical reference is crucial as it reminds the Israelites of God's past faithfulness and power. For Christians, it parallels the deliverance from sin through Christ, urging them to remember and be grateful for their spiritual liberation.

who led us through the wilderness
The wilderness journey was a time of testing and reliance on God. The Hebrew word "נָהַג" (nahag) for "led" implies guidance and care, akin to a shepherd with his flock. This period was marked by God's provision and presence, symbolized by the pillar of cloud and fire. It serves as a metaphor for the Christian journey, where believers are called to trust in God's guidance through life's uncertainties and challenges.

through a land of deserts and ravines
This description emphasizes the harsh and inhospitable nature of the wilderness. The Hebrew words "מִדְבָּר" (midbar) for "deserts" and "שְׁפָלָה" (shephelah) for "ravines" paint a picture of a barren and treacherous landscape. Historically, this reflects the physical and spiritual challenges faced by the Israelites. For modern believers, it symbolizes the trials and tribulations of life, where faith is tested, and reliance on God is paramount.

a land of drought and darkness
The imagery of "drought" and "darkness" conveys a sense of desolation and danger. The Hebrew "צִיָּה" (tsiyyah) for "drought" and "צַלְמָוֶת" (tsalmaveth) for "darkness" or "shadow of death" highlight the life-threatening conditions of the wilderness. This serves as a metaphor for spiritual dryness and the absence of divine light. It calls believers to seek the living water of Christ and the light of His Word in times of spiritual barrenness.

a land where no one travels and no one lives
This final phrase underscores the isolation and uninhabitable nature of the wilderness. The Hebrew "עָבַר" (avar) for "travels" and "יָשַׁב" (yashav) for "lives" indicate a place devoid of human presence and activity. Historically, it reflects the miraculous nature of Israel's survival in such a place. For Christians, it serves as a reminder of God's provision and presence in the most desolate and challenging circumstances, encouraging them to trust in His sustaining power.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who delivered the Israelites from Egypt and guided them through the wilderness.

2. The Israelites
The people of God who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and led through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

3. Egypt
The land of bondage from which God delivered the Israelites, symbolizing sin and oppression.

4. The Wilderness
A place of testing and reliance on God, characterized by deserts, ravines, drought, and darkness.

5. Jeremiah
The prophet through whom God is speaking, calling the people to remember their deliverance and faithfulness to God.
Teaching Points
Remember God's Faithfulness
Just as the Israelites were called to remember God's deliverance from Egypt, Christians are encouraged to recall God's faithfulness in their own lives. Reflecting on past deliverances strengthens faith and trust in God.

The Danger of Forgetfulness
Forgetting God's past works can lead to spiritual complacency and rebellion. Regularly recounting God's blessings and interventions helps maintain a heart of gratitude and obedience.

The Wilderness as a Place of Growth
The wilderness represents times of trial and testing. These periods are opportunities for growth and deeper reliance on God. Embrace them as part of God's refining process.

Seek God in Every Season
The Israelites failed to ask, "Where is the LORD?" in their journey. In every season of life, especially in challenging times, actively seek God's presence and guidance.

The Importance of Spiritual Leadership
Jeremiah's role as a prophet was to remind the people of their covenant with God. Spiritual leaders today are called to guide others in remembering and adhering to God's Word.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we actively remember and celebrate God's past faithfulness in our lives?

2. What are some practical ways to avoid spiritual forgetfulness and complacency?

3. How can we view our own "wilderness" experiences as opportunities for growth and reliance on God?

4. In what ways can we seek God's presence and guidance during challenging times?

5. How can spiritual leaders today effectively remind and encourage others to remain faithful to God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 13-14
Describes the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, highlighting God's power and faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 8
Reminds the Israelites of their journey through the wilderness and God's provision and testing.

Psalm 106
Reflects on Israel's history, including their forgetfulness and rebellion despite God's mighty works.

Hosea 11
Illustrates God's love and care for Israel, despite their tendency to forget Him.

1 Corinthians 10
Paul uses the wilderness journey as a warning to Christians about the dangers of forgetting God's past deliverance and provision.
Israel's Desertion of Jehovah Viewed in the Light of the PastD. Young Jeremiah 2:1-8
A Sweet Remembrance EmbitteredS. Conway Jeremiah 2:1-14
God's Mercies Should Evoke GratitudeJeremiah 2:4-8
Heaven's Appeal to the SinnerHomilistJeremiah 2:4-8
The Corruption and Ignorance of the Priests and ProphetsJeremiah 2:4-8
The Evil Nature of Sin Committed After ConversionAndrew Fuller.Jeremiah 2:4-8
The Three Ruling Classes AccusedC. J. Ball, M. A.Jeremiah 2:4-8
Three Shameful Possibilities in Human LifeJ. Parker, D. D.Jeremiah 2:4-8
The Indictment of IsraelA.F. Muir Jeremiah 2:4-9
People
Gad, Jacob, Jeremiah, Kedar, Kittim, Kittites
Places
Assyria, Cyprus, Egypt, Euphrates River, Jerusalem, Kedar, Memphis, Nile River, Tahpanhes
Topics
Barren, Bringeth, Crossed, Darkness, Death, Death-shade, Deep, Deserts, Drought, Drouth, Dry, Dwelleth, Dwells, Dwelt, Egypt, Full, Guide, Holes, Leadeth, Led, None, Passed, Passes, Passeth, Pits, Rifts, Sand, Shade, Shades, Shadow, Travels, Unplanted, Waste, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 2:6

     4230   desert
     4299   wilderness
     5225   barrenness
     6659   freedom, acts in OT

Jeremiah 2:1-11

     5838   disrespect

Jeremiah 2:5-6

     4816   drought, physical
     7223   exodus, significance

Jeremiah 2:5-9

     5201   accusation

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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