23 November 2010

Why Was Jeremiah Written?

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 'Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.' (Jer 36:1-3)
Most of Jeremiah is searing denunciations of the nations--and of God's own people. But chapters 30 to 33 are an island of consolation and comfort, promises of restoration. And this is the point of the whole prophecy, as the opening lines of Jeremiah 36 indicate (cf. 36:7). Jeremiah is written not mainly for denunciation, but for forgiveness and comfort.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought it before i read it...then, seeking the Lord, opened to these Words:

"I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil saying, "What have I done?" Jeremiah 8:6

"And this is the point of the whole prophecy, as the opening lines of Jeremiah 36 indicate (cf. 36:7). Jeremiah is written not mainly for denunciation, but for forgiveness and comfort."

"The point." "Mainly." Hm.

Well...without a "relenting of evil"...without a repentance...what forgiveness, what comfort can there be?

"It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.' (Jer 36:1-3)

"It may be...that the house will hear..."

"It may be, that, hearing, everyone may turn from his evil way..."

"That I may forgive their iniquity and sin."

You've missed the "maybe hearing" and "turning from his evil way" part.

grace and peace,

martha

Dane Ortlund said...

Martha, thanks for this (I think). My point is not that Jeremiah 36 is offering forgiveness without repentance, but that the ultimate goal of Jeremiah is not to highlight their evil but rather, having highlighted it, to woo them back to himself.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Dane.

Martha