The primary work of the book of Jeremiah is to speak Israel into exile.
Up to this point we have been seeing a great deal of the first half of V. 1:10 “to pluck up and tear down”. It is difficult to move away from the fact that there is a negative theme that is much more prevalent in the book of Jeremiah. He really is, as the quote above says, trying to speak Israel into exile. As we’ve been talking in our previous meetings Jeremiah is trying very hard to move Israel to look at itself in a completely different way. The book indeed seeks to move Israel to see itself in a radically different way. The main thrust of this effort is directed towards an honest self assessment, personal and communal, with regards to how their relationship with God has deteriorated. It seems very important for Jeremiah to show the consequences of a broken relationship. At the same time the book also deals with the issue of who God is in the relationship with his people, through the events that have come to pass and resulted in the exile.
Now, leaving the previous paragraph as a review of the book and our interaction with it to this point, let us move to a smaller undercurrent that, though somewhat hidden, does still hold a powerful place in the conversation Jeremiah is. This small stream leaks on to the surface of Jeremiah in the second half of 1:10 “to build and to plant”. This is a seemingly weak counter theme to all the negativity and death that permeates most of the book. It does not function in the same sense as the strong negative theme that overwhelms us in the reading. This positive stream simply lingers there, not as a point to be made or a lesson to be learned, rather as a truth that cannot be eliminated from life. It speaks to the fullness of God’s relationship with his people. The covenant has been violated by Israel and there must be consequences! But at the same time, the reason for the covenant and the relationship as a whole is not a transaction of goods to be paid back by the right sacrifice, it is a relationship grounded in love. So, as we delve deeper into Jeremiah let us move to consider the promissory content of the book through the “book of comfort” and 3 main themes that inform it; Historical considerations, Pastoral voice, and the character of God.
Historical consideration- The exile was not the end of the Jewish community or even Jewishness. Jerusalem was not emptied by Babylon, many Jews remained in Jerusalem. At the same time the exiled community in Babylon developed “an intense self-consciousness as a faithful community in exile.” This exiled community understood itself to be the remnant of Israel and lived an intense Jewishness in the midst of all that was foreign. Turns out not all was plucked up and torn down! There was still a community relating with God, active, living, a community in waiting if you will, eagerly awaiting the time to return.
Pastoral Voice-There is also a sense of this small vein of hope running through the book serving as a pastoral voice in terrible times. It is very understandable that the community in exile as well as those left behind in Jerusalem would feel abandoned by God, their whole world was turned upside down. The hope expressed by these verses serves as that pastoral voice of comfort and consolation even assurance so desperately needed during those terribly hard times.
Character of God- The two previous groupings do not contain within their scope the reality of Jeremiah. In the end the main thrust concerns itself with the issue of promises made and how or if in fact they have been or can be kept by God. The main concern then is theological, that is, deeply related to and concerned with the character of God. How could the catastrophic events that have taken place be explained in the context of the covenantal relationship between God and Israel? The theological claim made by the book and highlighted in this section is that “the ground for assurance is not found in needy circumstances but in the character and resolve of God and in nothing other and in nothing less.” Once again we are driven towards a relationship based in love and true care for the other rather than nothing more than a business transaction, the right sacrifice to appease the wrath of the gods.
Much credit due to Brueggemann's "A Commentary on Jeremiah" all quotes in this posting are from there as well as the framework for the weekly studies.
