Reading for August 11th

Read Jeremiah 3.6-18. In verses 6-10: Jeremiah replaces the husband as speaker and reports thatthe husband had previously had another wife, Israel, who betrayed him and whom he had also divorced. In this story of the family, both the northern and the southern kingdoms have betrayed God and been cast off. Since the the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 721 BCE, this story explains that historical tragedy in the symbolic terms of betrayal in marraige. In verses 11-18: the divine husband sends Jeremiah to speak to the first wife and invite her to return. The text reports no response from her. Then the invitation to return is addressed to the children (v. 14). Their father promises them restoration and reunification of the whole people in Jerusalem (vv. 15-18). Comments or Questions..