"It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence."

Jeremiah 52:3

The last mention of the Lord in this book is to underline the fact that the fall of Jerusalem, following the evil deeds of the people – especially their kings – forced the Lord’s hand to thrust them out of Israel (v 3). The events that led to this outcome are rehearsed in the rest of the chapter (vs 4–30). The destruction of the temple, the deportation of the most able people and the political machinations of power-hungry survivors undermined any hope of the survival of the nation. At his call, the Lord indicated that Jeremiah would continue to prophesy, to deaf ears, until the whole nation went into exile. And so it proved to be. However, with the release of Jehoiachin (v 31), there is a slight glimmer of hope of redemption.

In the midst of the great turmoil that engulfed the ancient Near East during Jeremiah’s time, when empires rose and empires fell and there were huge movements of populations from their traditional lands, there was one constant, the voice of the Sovereign Lord. At the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century, when traditional securities are under threat and powerful movements are on the rise, it is easy to despair. We should remember Jeremiah, who focused on the word of the Lord God Almighty. In him we have constancy and to him we look with renewed hope for a new dawn.

CLOSING PRAYER

Thank you, Father God, that your words have power, and that with your judgment comes mercy and forgiveness.

(From Encounter with God)