After the oasis of comfort and restoration in chs. 31-33, warnings of judgment retake center stage in Jeremiah 34-39. True, there was a brief season of repentance, though it did not last very long (34:1-22). Against this backdrop the faithfulness of the Rechabites stands as living example of how Judah should have obeyed YHWH (35:1-19). King Jehoiakim, by contrast, displays utter disdain for the word of YHWH through Jeremiah (36:1-32). This disdain for YHWH’s word eventually led to Jeremiah being imprisoned during the final days of Judah (37:1-39:18)
Along the way we find lessons on true repentance, the nature of covenants, God’s blessing of faithfulness, the dangers of dismissing YHWH’s word. But we also see in Jeremiah’s sufferings an anticipation of Jesus’ own suffering for the truth.
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