Day 90 (Israel, you ignorant slut!)

[reaction to OYB’s Oct. 2-5 readings]

First, an OT to YT vocabulary connection. Consider Jeremiah 2:20, “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds,” and Philippians 4:3, “Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cuse of the gospel.” Being yoked to the Gospel or to YHWH are both good. (Fyi, 2010 version of NIV drops yoekfellow in favor of co-worker. Probably better. Little lost, although finding the similar idioms is kind of cool.)

Most of Jeremiah is bashing on Israel. Israel is a theif (Jer. 2:26), a camel or donkey in heat (2:23-25), but mostly a whore. I can’t decide what I think about it. I think Jeremiah is conveying the level of betrayal. The intimate nature of it. That said, I’m not sure how well it would fly as a metaphor in modern sermons.