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| 1 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
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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 There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood. |
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| 3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yes, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. |
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| 4 Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest. |
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| 5 And thou shalt stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother. |
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| 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing 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 multiplied, so they sinned against me: They have changed my glory into shame. |
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| 8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity. |
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| 9 And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings. |
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| 10 And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall play the harlot, and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah. |
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| 11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding. |
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 ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have played the harlot, departing from under their God. |
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| 13 They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters play the harlot, and your brides commit adultery. |
Of the mountains – Kingdoms. A318
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| 14 I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go apart with harlots, and they sacrifice with the temple prostitutes; and the people that doth not understand shall be overthrown. |
With harlots – Apostate churches. B277
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| 15 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah liveth. |
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| 16 For Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place. |
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| 17 Ephraim is joined to idols; 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 drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame. |
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| 19 The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices. |
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