ABC:Jeremiah 3

Verse 12

TheThinkingAtheist.com claims the Bible is wrong in the following passage, and makes the following comments:

“ Jeremiah 3:12 ¶ Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

God pleads with Israel to repent and return to Him.

Jeremiah 17:4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.

Same book. Also note the previous chapter, where God brings disaster in verse 11: "…it is because your fathers forsook me," generational punishment which again contradicts Ezekiel 18:20

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As often occurs, this is just a critic reading comprehension issue, since Jeremiah 17:4 does not say the anger remains forever, but that the fire it caused will burn forever, two different things. In other words, God in His anger created a fire to punish the wicked with that will burn forever, but God does not remain perpetually angry.

“ Isaiah 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

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The issue here is a critic who cannot consider all possible meanings of the text, and jumps to conclusions about what the text means to claim a contradiction where none exists.

As for the claim by the 'ThinkingAtheist' that "the previous chapter, where God brings disaster in verse 11: 'it is because your fathers forsook me,' generational punishment which again contradicts Ezekiel 18:20", that is dishonest. Quoting the two surrounding verses clearly shows that generational punishment is not at work, but that those being punished are being punished specifically for continuing the evil deeds of their fathers, and indeed even expanding on said wickedness.

“ Jeremiah 16:10 ¶ And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?
11 Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
12 And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me ”

Verse 12 very specifically states that "you have done worse than fathers" and those being punished are being punished for their own deeds. This blatant disregard for context is so obvious as to constitute intellectual dishonesty.