Reading for August 10th

Read Jeremiah 2.4-3.5. In 2.4-3.5: In these poems, the divine speaker alternates in addressing male Israel (2.4-16; 2.26-32) and female Judah portrayed as God's wife (2.17--25; 2.33-3.5). The effect of this switch from male to female is to accuse both figures of infedelity and of going after other gods or lovers. Male Israel changes its gods (2.11), forsakes God, the fountain of living water (2.13), digs its own sources of water (2.13) and worships idols (2.27-28). wife Judah also betrays God, but in amore intimate ways. Though she is God's wife, she played the whore ( 2.20), went after other lovers (2.23-25, 33: 3.1), and would not return to her husband (3.1). The Hebrew word for return also means "to repent." The divine husband, therefore, divorces her (3.1-5). The relationship between God and his wife symbolizing all the people of Isreal and Judah, is over. The fammily is broken and there appears to be no future. Comments or Questions..