Reading for July 27th

 Read Jeremiah 18.13-17. In 18.13-17: God's response. God laments their idolatry and turns from them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 26th

 Captivity

In chs. 18-20: These chapters mark a climax in the first part of the book and are more closely woven than previous sections. In them threats of captivity and disaster come to a symbolic fulfillment. After relentless efforts by God and Jeremiah to bring the nation to repentance, punishment comes upon them. 

Read Jeremiah 18.1- 12. In 18.1-12: The potter. Prose narrative describes Jeremiah's visit to the potter. The potter makes a vessel that he dislikes, so he destroys it and starts again. In verse 11: This action becomes symbolic of God's plan for Israel and occasions a final invitation to repent. In verse 12: The people adamantly refuse to repent. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 25th

Read Jeremiah 17.19-27. In 17.19-27: Sabbath sermon. In this prose passage, God directs Jeremiah to announce to the leadership the absolute necessity of keeping sabbath law. They are not to carry burdens or do work, and they must heed divine commands. If they fail, then Jerusalem will be destroyed by fire. This sermon explains again that the exile did not occur because God's cruelty or forgetfulness but resulted from the community's failure to be faithful. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for July 24th

 Read Jeremiah 17.14-18. In 17.14-18: Jeremiah's third confession. Jeremiah is less accusatory of God here than in the previous confessions and asks for healing of his wound. In verse 15: He quotes his enemies, who doubt that he speaks the word of God because it has not come true. He asks God to take vengeance against them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 23rd

 Read Jeremiah 17.1-13. In 17.1-27: True worship. Many voices combine in this chapter. In verses 1-4: In prose accusation, God accuses the people of Judah of idolatry and promises that they will be exiled. In verses 5-8: In language reminiscent of Ps 1, God announces the cursed fate of those who trust in themselves, and the blessed condition of those who trust in God. In verses 12-13: The voice of worship addressed to God reappears and speaks about the foolishness of abandoning the fountain of living water (2.13). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 22nd

 Read Jeremiah 16.16-21. In verses 16-18: God's punishment here may be against the enemies who have invaded the land and polluted it with idols. In verses 19-20: A worshipping voice addresses God in the style of the children's speech (3.22-25), expressing loyalty and repentance. This speech provides a model of piety for the exiles to follow. Comments or Questions,,

Reading for July 21st

 Read Jeremiah 16.10-15: In verses 10-13: God quotes the people, who ask questions at the very heart of the book. Why has this happened? Exile has happened because of their sin and infidelity. In verses 14-15: Divine promises of a hopeful future addressed to the survivors of the nation's fall interrupt announcements of exile. Comments or Questions..