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Jeremiah Week 12

The End

If things are constantly destabilized, it is very hard to live faithfully. Nevertheless, in particular times and places, God needs to shake things up. Sending prophets is one of the ways God does this.

Jeremiah Week 11

The Blind Leading the Blind

The thing about idolatry, however, is that it often induces a case of spiritual blindness so that you can鈥檛 properly diagnose your own illness. This is exactly where the 涩里番 of Judah find themselves.

Jeremiah Week 10

Solidarity in Suffering

The word of the LORD finally comes to pass. Jerusalem falls and the Babylonians take over. The destruction is terrifying and the suffering is immense. After months of mistreatment at the hands of Jerusalem鈥檚 political powers, Jeremiah turns out to have been right.

Jeremiah Week 9

Restoration and a New Covenant

Without question, the book of Jeremiah is unrelenting in its account of the LORD鈥檚 judgment of Judah. There is much more in this text about plucking up, pulling down, destroying, and overthrowing than there is about building and planting (Jeremiah 1:10). This week鈥檚 chapters, however, focus on restoration and renewal using a variety of styles and images.

Jeremiah Week 8

Prophet Versus Prophet

In this section, we will read about Hananiah, a prophet who claims to speak from the LORD. We have no reason to doubt his sincerity. On top of that, his message is a lot happier than Jeremiah鈥檚. He predicts a quick end to the exile. The only problem is that his prophecy is not true.

Jeremiah Week 7

Bad, Bad News

Our political mythologies celebrate the hero who persists despite all odds. When things look their bleakest, the hero perseveres, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Full reading and audio »

Jeremiah Week 6

Enacted Judgment

In this section, Jeremiah moves beyond speaking words from the LORD to enacting messages from God. These examples present the same message that Jeremiah has proclaimed from the outset.

Jeremiah Week 5

The Cost of Discipleship

This passage begins with Jeremiah questioning his own vocation. Jeremiah does not question whether he has been called by God. Instead, Jeremiah questions whether the message he carries is worth the hostility he must face as a result of that message.

Jeremiah Week 4

From Bad to Worse

This represents one of the low points of the book. It reminds us that when we think of vocation and God鈥檚 call to each of us, it is not always a call to participate in great and glorious ventures. It is not always a call to popularity and security. Full reading and audio »

Jeremiah Week 3

Lament and Solidarity

Lament and solidarity could be the title of many sections in Jeremiah, including this one. Lament is one of the ways we can address God when we sharply feel the great chasm between the way the world is and the way God wants the world to be. Full reading and audio »

Jeremiah Week 2

Being a Prophet is Hard, but Being an Idolater is Easy

In biblical times, many relatively common activities, such as trade, marriage, and political negotiations, required sacrifices. Avoiding idolatry required vigorous attentiveness to how one carried oneself in the world.

Jeremiah Week 1

Are You Up to This?

My prayer is that in reading Jeremiah, you will discover a complicated and richly textured picture of God鈥檚 relationship to Jeremiah and the 涩里番 of God that will strengthen your own complicated and richly textured relationship with God.