The questioning people (Jer 16:10-16: 10)

“When you tell this people

All these words,

They will say to you.

‘Why has Yahweh pronounced

All this great evil against us?

What is our iniquity?

What is the sin

That we have committed

Against Yahweh our God?’”

Yahweh reminds Jeremiah that the people might not like what he tells them. They will then begin to question him. Why were all these bad things happening to them? What had they done? What sin had they committed against Yahweh, their God?


The response of Yahweh (Jer 15:11-15:12)

“Yahweh said.

‘Surely I have intervened

In your life for good.

Surely I imposed enemies on you!

I intervened with you

In a time of trouble.

I intervened with you

In a time of distress.

Can iron with bronze

Break iron from the north?’”

Yahweh reminds Jeremiah that he has had a good life. However, Yahweh has given him enemies, yet he was there in his times of trouble and distress. Then Yahweh returned to the theme of how to defeat the invaders from the north. Would a combination of iron and bronze be enough to break the coming iron from the north? Only time will tell.

The numerous useless false idol gods (Jer 11:12-11:13)

“Then the cities of Judah,

The inhabitants of Jerusalem,

Both will go out.

They will cry out to the gods

To whom they make offerings.

But these gods will never save them

In the time of their troubles.

Your gods have become

As many as your towns.

O Judah!

Your gods have become

As many as the streets of Jerusalem.

These altars

That you have set up

Shame you.

These altars make offerings to Baal.”

Then Yahweh continues to call our Jerusalem and Judah for their behavior. They have cried out to their gods and made offerings to them. However, Yahweh reminds them that these gods will never save them in their times of trouble. They appear to have as many gods as there are towns in Judah. Each town seems to have its own god. The same is true of Jerusalem, where practically every street has its own god. These are the altars that shame them, since they made offerings to Baal, the Canaanite god, on these altars.

The attack is coming (Jer 10:22-10:22)

“Hear that noise!


It is coming!

There is a great commotion

From the land of the north.

They want

To make the cities of Judah

A desolation,

A lair of jackals.”

Jeremiah reminds people that the attack is coming from the north. If they listened carefully, they could hear them coming. They intended to make Judah a place of desolation where only wild jackal dogs lived. This concept of a lair of jackals appeared often in his presentations.


“‘Do you not fear me?’

Says Yahweh.

‘Do you not tremble before me?

I placed the sand

As a boundary for the sea.

This is a perpetual barrier

That it cannot pass.

Though the waves toss,

They cannot prevail.

Though they roar,

They cannot pass over it.

But these people have a stubborn heart.

They have a rebellious heart.

They have turned aside.

They have gone away.

They do not say in their hearts.

‘Let us fear Yahweh our God.

He gives the rain in its season.

He gives the autumn rain.

He gives the spring rain.

He keeps for us

The weeks appointed for the harvest.’

Your iniquities have turned these away.

Your sins have deprived you of good.”


Remembering Moses (Isa 63:11-63:14)

“Then he remembered the days of old.

He remembered Moses his servant.

Where is the one

Who brought them up out of the sea?

Where are the shepherds of his flock?

Where is the one

Who put within them His Holy Spirit?

Who caused his glorious arm

To march at the right hand of Moses?

Who divided the waters before them?

Who made for himself an everlasting name?

Who led them through the depths?

Who was like a horse in the desert

So that they did not stumble?

Like cattle that go down into the valley,

The Spirit of Yahweh gave them rest.

Thus you led your people

To make for yourself a glorious name.”

Despite all their unfaithful actions, Yahweh kept his people safe as in the days of his servant Moses. In a series of questions, he reminds them of the good things in the past. He brought them out of the sea depths as he divided the waters with his mighty arms. Yahweh gave them the Holy Spirit to lead his flock like a shepherd. He was like a horse leading in the desert so that they would not stumble. He protected them like cattle in the valleys that finally got rest. He made his name glorious.

Good news (Isa 52:7-52:7)

“How beautiful upon the mountains

Are the feet of the messenger.

He announces peace.

He brings good news.

He announces salvation.

He says to Zion.

‘Your God reigns.’”

Second Isaiah has a messenger with beautiful feet go over the mountains to bring good news. This messenger brings good news as he announces peace and salvation. He reminds the people of Mount Zion that their God is in control and rules over them. There is no attempt to talk about a human king for Israel.