Jeremiah 1-9

Jeremiah was given the task of both witnessing and addressing the increasing apostasy of Judah. Like a Billy Graham, he was a public voice against national sins during the tenure of five kings, from Josiah to the captivity.

As a prophet, he was true to the “Message,” condemning sin but offering forgiveness. As a writer, he employed a free poetic style, including aphorisms and metaphors, communicating both facts and passion. “They walked after emptiness and became empty,” (2:5; 5:25) sums up the fruit of Judah’s vanities. The metaphor of cisterns compared to fountains (2:13) is convicting. In 3:24, the reality of the pursuit of sin destroying resources is frightening. The blindness of thinking that sin is limited to one social group is exposed as folly (5:1-6). One hopes that the rush of Judah to destruction is not the path our nation chooses.