“Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 14:10 Mean?
"Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet." God identifies the core problem: Israel loved wandering. They didn't drift accidentally — they enjoyed the departure. Their feet weren't out of control; they simply weren't restrained. The wandering was chosen, savored, and perpetuated.
The phrase "loved to wander" (ahevu la-nu'a) is striking because it attributes affection to rebellion. Israel didn't just wander — they loved it. The departure from God's way wasn't painful for them; it was pleasurable. They chose the wandering because the wandering felt good.
The consequence is stated in divine terms: "the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins." The period of patience — during which God didn't remember their iniquity — is over. The forgetting is finished. The remembering begins. And divine remembering means divine action.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Are you honest about whether you enjoy your wandering from God?
- 2.What 'restraint' is available to you right now that you're choosing not to use?
- 3.How do you know when a grace period is ending?
- 4.What would it take for you to stop loving the wandering and start loving the return?
Devotional
They loved to wander. Not forced to wander. Not tricked into wandering. They loved it. The departure from God's path was something they chose and enjoyed.
This is the most honest description of spiritual rebellion in Jeremiah: it's not usually painful. It feels good. The wandering is pleasurable. The feet that aren't restrained aren't suffering — they're having a great time. That's why they won't stop. Not because they can't but because they don't want to.
The phrase "have not refrained their feet" implies they could have. There was a restraint available. There was a choice point. They simply chose not to take it. Every step away from God was a decision not to stop, not to turn, not to restrain the foot that was heading somewhere it shouldn't go.
The consequence — God no longer accepting them, now remembering their iniquity — marks the end of a grace period. God had been patient. He had not been remembering. He'd been giving them time to stop wandering. And they used the time to wander more. So the remembering begins.
Do you love your wandering? Not fear it, not fight it — love it? Because as long as you love the direction you're going, you won't turn around. And the grace period — the season where God isn't actively remembering — doesn't last forever.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Thus saith the Lord unto this people,.... Instead of answering the prophet directly and immediately, he first speaks to…
The answer is addressed to the people. Jeremiah had prayed as their representative, but he must not intercede: for to…
The dispute between God and his prophet, in this chapter, seems to be like that between the owner and the dresser of the…
Cross References
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