21 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying , 2 "Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem , saying , 'Thus says the Lord , "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth , The love of your betrothals , Your following after Me in the wilderness , Through a land not sown . 3 "Israel was holy to the Lord , The first of His harvest . All who ate of it became guilty ; Evil came upon them," declares the Lord .' "
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:1-3
Commentary on Jeremiah 2:1-8
(Read Jeremiah 2:1-8)
Those who begin well, but do not persevere, will justly be upbraided with their hopeful and promising beginnings. Those who desert religion, commonly oppose it more than those who never knew it. For this they could have no excuse. God's spiritual Israel must own their obligations to him for safe conduct through the wilderness of this world, so dangerous to the soul. Alas, that many, who once appeared devoted to the Lord, so live that their professions aggravate their crimes! Let us be careful that we do not lose in zeal and fervency, as we gain knowledge.