This is my one hundred and seventy-fourth monthly teaching letter and continues my fifteenth year of publication. I started this series entitled The Greatest Love Story Ever Told with WTL #137, and have been expanding on its seven stages ever since: (1) the courtship, (2) the marriage, (3) the honeymoon, (4) the estrangement, (5) the divorce, (6) the reconciliation, and (7) the remarriage.
THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD, Part 33:
THE ESTRANGEMENT continued:
In the last lesson, #173, it was established that when Moses declared to Pharaoh, Exod. 4:22, “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Yahweh, Israel is my son, even my firstborn”, it might appear to be in the singular sense, but in reality Moses was speaking collectively of all the twelve tribes of Israel. Also with the last lesson, my objective was to carefully analyze all of Jeremiah chapter 2, with the subject of Israel’s “estrangement” from Yahweh in mind, but I was only able to cover verses 1 through 5. So, we shall begin where we left off with the last lesson, with Jer. 2:6-10:
6 Neither said they, Where is Yahweh that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? 7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. 8 The priests said not, Where is Yahweh? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. 9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith Yahweh, and with your children’s children will I plead. 10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.”