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| 1 Hear the word of Yahweh, ye sons of Israel,–that, a controversy, hath Yahweh with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, nor lovingkindness, nor knowledge of God, in the land: |
Children of Israel – Nominal fleshly Israel and, doubly, in its fuller application, to nominal spiritual Israel. D19, D20
Hath a controversy – Because the day of recompenses has come. (Isa. 34:8) D19
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| 2 Cursing and lying, and killing and stealing, and committing adultery, have broken forth, and, blood-shedding, unto blood-shedding, doth extend. |
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| 3 For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens,–moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn. |
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| 4 Howbeit let, no man, contend, nor let him rebuke another,–since, thy people, are as they who contend against a priest: |
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| 5 So shouldst thou stumble in the daytime, and even the prophet stumble with thee, in the night,–and I should destroy thine own mother. |
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| 6 My people, are destroyed, for lack of knowledge,–Because, thou, hast rejected knowledge, therefore will I reject thee from ministering as priest unto me, and, because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also, will forget thy children. |
My people – The discontented, the unsatisfied, hungering and thirsting after the right was of God--the real teachings of the Bible. OV263:T
Are destroyed – Perish. R4396:3, R3941:3
Ensnared by the very ones who should be their pastors, assistants and protectors; and by reason of their confidence in them. R4396:3
Are dumbfounded. R3008:5
Lack of knowledge – Many do not realize how important are knowledge and a correct faith. R4527:4, R4533:6
Dwarfed Christian life and experience result, except as the Word of God is understood and assimilated. R5416:5
Faith can keep pace only with knowledge, for faith must have a basis. A correct life depends greatly upon a correct faith. R4527:4, R4533:6
Because, though generally swift to speak and slow to hear, they, through indolence or fear, neglect systematic study of the divine message. R3941:3
God's Word, through the prophet, applies to Jews as well as to Christians. OV154:T
False teachings in high places, and throughout Babylon, have hidden the "key of knowledge" to the privileges and opportunities of the Gospel age. (Luke 11:52) R2693:4
They are "willingly ignorant." (2 Pet. 3:5) "They hear not, neither do they understand." (Matt. 13:13) SM288:1
The secret of nearly all the rebellions against the Bible is the result of a lack of knowledge of God, his plan and his Book. R3008:5
Being ensnared by misplaced confidence in spiritual leaders. R4396:3
There is a famine in the land, not for bread, but for the hearing (understanding) of the Word of the Lord. (Amos 8:11) OV154:T
Few parents realize their obligations toward the children they bring into the world. R5700:6
Hast rejected knowledge – Having "hidden the key of knowledge," they not only fail to enter the privileges of the Gospel call, but they hinder them that would enter, by their false teachings and misrepresentations. R2693:4
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| 7 As they were magnified, so, they sinned against me,–My glory–for what was contemptible, did they exchange. |
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| 8 The sin of my people, they do eat,–and. unto their iniquity, lift they up every man his desire. |
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| 9 So doth it come to be–like people, like priest,–therefore will I visit upon him his ways, and, his doings, will I bring back to him; |
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| 10 And they shall eat, and not be satisfied, they have encouraged unchastity, yet have not been making increase,–for unto, Yahweh, have they left off giving heed:– |
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| 11 Unchastity, and wine, and new wine, take away the heart. |
And wine – Doctrine, or the spirit of the world. D266, D267
As the first house of Israel stumbled because of intoxication with false doctrines, so with nominal spiritual Israel. R3962:5
"The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (Rev. 17:2) R3962:5
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| 12 My people, of their Wood, do ask,–Let, their Staff, then tell them,–for, the spirit of unchastity, hath led them astray, and they have unchastely departed from under their God. |
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| 13 On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, commit adultery. |
Of the mountains – Kingdoms. A318
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| 14 I do not bring punishment upon your daughters when they become unchaste, nor upon your brides, when they commit adultery, for, the men themselves, with unchaste women, do seclude themselves, and, with the common women of the shrine, do offer sacrifice,–and, a people who will not discern, must be ruined. |
With harlots – Apostate churches. B277
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| 15 Though unchaste art thou, O Israel, let not Judah, become guilty, neither let them enter Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and [then] swear, By the life of Yahweh! |
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| 16 For, as a heifer that is stubborn, hath Israel, been stubborn,–Now, can Yahweh, turn them out to pasture, like a young ram in a wide place? |
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| 17 Mated with idols, is Ephraim, let him alone. |
Ephraim – Christendom. D22
Is joined to idols – The idolatry of money. B139
Let him alone – For a period of 70 years--long enough to allow nearly all of them to die in exile, a period in which those who loved idolatry might go their own way. R3623:5
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| 18 Their drinking-bout, having passed,–they became, unchaste, they loved wildly, a contempt, became her great men.
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| 19 The wind hath bound her up in its wings,–that they may be ashamed, because of their sacrifices. |
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