Jeremiah 16

“Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known …” (v13). God’s covenant with Israel said that as long as they followed His ways, they would thrive in the Promised Land. However, after generations of sinfulness – idolatry, greed, oppression, and immorality – the covenant was broken, and the Babylonians were about to invade, conquer, and send Judah’s people into exile. In exile, they would face the reality of God’s power and rediscover their faith.

“For I will bring them back …” (v15). Even before the exile, God was planning His acts of mercy. “For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime” (Psalm 30).