Jeremiah 3:14

What Does It Mean That God is Married to Backsliders? (Jeremiah 3:14-15)

To fully explain these verses, it is essential to know this chapter’s context. At the beginning of this chapter, Jeremiah begins the chapter by quoting God(Jeremiah 3:1). Our Lord makes an interesting analogy, as he says, “God says, “They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord,” (Jeremiah 3:1 KJV). The point of this analogy is to show how the people of Isreal act. They reject people, this analogy alluding to God and his people.

He goes on to say, “And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom(or sexual immorality), that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord. And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding(or rebellious) Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 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. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion,” (Jeremiah 3:7-14 KJV). We see in the passage quoted that Israel is not faithful to God(Jeremiah 3:11-12), even so, God still loves them and desires for them to return to him(Jeremiah 3:12-14). 

So what does it mean that God is married to backsliders? His marriage is his covenant with Isreal, the backsliders or faithless sons are the people of Israel. His statement means that he is in a covenant(or marriage) with people who backslide or are rebellious.