What does the broken flask mean?

August 2, 2025

What does the broken flask mean?

Jeremiah 19-21

Rebecca Ibarra

Big Book Idea

Being a messenger of truth in a dark place can be challenging, but it is worth it.

Thus says the LORD, "Go, buy a potter's earthenware flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests."

Chapter 19

The Broken Flask

1 Thus says the LORD, “Go, buy a potter's earthenware flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests, 2 and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. 3 You shall say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 4 Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, 5 and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind— 6 therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. 7 And in this place I will make void the plans of Judah and Jerusalem, and will cause their people to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life. I will give their dead bodies for food to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth. 8 And I will make this city a horror, a thing to be hissed at. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its wounds. 9 And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.’

10 Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, 11 and shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended. Men shall bury in Topheth because there will be no place else to bury. 12 Thus will I do to this place, declares the LORD, and to its inhabitants, making this city like Topheth. 13 The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah—all the houses on whose roofs offerings have been offered to all the host of heaven, and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods—shall be defiled like the place of Topheth.’”

14 Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the LORD's house and said to all the people: 15 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words.”

Chapter 20

Jeremiah Persecuted by Pashhur

1 Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2 Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD. 3 The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call your name Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side. 4 For thus says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall strike them down with the sword. 5 Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them and seize them and carry them to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. To Babylon you shall go, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.”

7 O LORD, you have deceived me,
    and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
    and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
    everyone mocks me.
8 For whenever I speak, I cry out,
    I shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the LORD has become for me
    a reproach and derision all day long.
9 If I say, “I will not mention him,
    or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
    shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
    and I cannot.
10 For I hear many whispering.
    Terror is on every side!
“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
    say all my close friends,
    watching for my fall.
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
    then we can overcome him
    and take our revenge on him.”
11 But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior;
    therefore my persecutors will stumble;
    they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
    for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
    will never be forgotten.
12 O LORD of hosts, who tests the righteous,
    who sees the heart and the mind,^{1

20:12
Hebrew kidneys}
let me see your vengeance upon them,
    for to you have I committed my cause.

13 Sing to the LORD;
praise the LORD!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.

14 Cursed be the day
    on which I was born!
The day when my mother bore me,
    let it not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father,
“A son is born to you,”
    making him very glad.
16 Let that man be like the cities
    that the LORD overthrew without pity;
let him hear a cry in the morning
    and an alarm at noon,
17 because he did not kill me in the womb;
    so my mother would have been my grave,
    and her womb forever great.
18 Why did I come out from the womb
    to see toil and sorrow,
    and spend my days in shame?

Chapter 21

Jerusalem Will Fall to Nebuchadnezzar

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar^{2

21:2
Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 2152; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency} king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.”

3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’

8 And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have his life as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.’

Message to the House of David

11 And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, 12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD:

‘Execute justice in the morning,
    and deliver from the hand of the oppressor
    him who has been robbed,
lest my wrath go forth like fire,
    and burn with none to quench it,
    because of your evil deeds.’”

13 “Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,
    O rock of the plain,
    declares the LORD;
you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us,
    or who shall enter our habitations?’
14 I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds,
    declares the LORD;
    I will kindle a fire in her forest,
    and it shall devour all that is around her.”

Footnotes

[1] 20:12 Hebrew kidneys
[2] 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, an alternate spelling of Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) occurring frequently from Jeremiah 21–52; this latter spelling is used throughout Jeremiah for consistency

Introduction to Jeremiah

Timeline

Author and Date

Jeremiah was called to be a prophet c. 627 B.C., when he was young (1:6). He served for more than 40 years (1:2–3). Jeremiah had a difficult life. His messages of repentance delivered at the temple were not well received (7:1–8:3; 26:1–11). His hometown plotted against him (11:18–23), and he endured much persecution (20:1–6; 37:11–38:13; 43:1–7). At God’s command, he never married (16:1–4). Although he preached God’s word faithfully, he apparently had only two converts: Baruch, his scribe (32:12; 36:1–4; 45:1–5); and Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch who served the king (38:7–13; 39:15–18). Though the book does not reveal the time or place of Jeremiah’s death, he probably died in Egypt, where he had been taken by his countrymen against his will after the fall of Jerusalem (43:1–7). He most likely did not live to see the devastation he mentions in chs. 46–51.

Purpose

Jeremiah and Baruch left a record of the difficult times in which they lived, God’s message for those times, and God’s message for the future of Israel and the nations.

Key Themes

God and humanity. God alone is a living God. God alone made the world. All other so-called gods are mere idols (10:1–16). This Creator God called Israel to a special relationship (chs. 2–6), gave her his holy word, and promised to bless her temple with his name and presence (7:1–8:3). God rules both the present and the future (1:4–16; 29:1–10), protects his chosen ones (1:17–19; 29:11–14; 39:15–18; 45:1–5), and saves those who turn to him (12:14–17). Because God is absolutely trustworthy and always keeps his promises, his grace triumphs over sin and judgment when people repent and turn to him.

The human heart is sick, and no one except God can cure it (17:9–10). The nations worship idols instead of their Creator (10:1–16). Israel, God’s covenant people, went after other gods (chs. 2–6), defiled the temple by their unwillingness to repent (7:1–8:3; 26:1–11), and oppressed one another (34:8–16). Since Israel and the nations have sinned against God (25:1–26), God the Creator is also the Judge of every nation on the earth he created (chs. 46–51).

Old covenant, Messiah, and new covenant. God made a covenant with Israel, based on his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12–50). As time passed, God’s covenant with Israel included his promise to David of an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17). God used Jeremiah to deliver the good news that, sometime in the future, God would “make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jer. 31:31). This covenant would be different in one major way. The new covenant partners will not break the covenant, as most of the old partners did even though God was completely faithful (31:32). Instead, the new covenant partners will have the word of God so ingrained in their hearts through God’s power that they will know and follow God all their lives (31:33–34).

Thus, all the new covenant partners will be believers who are forgiven and empowered by God; he will “remember their sin no more” (31:34). Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jer. 31:31–34 as evidence that the new covenant has come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus the Messiah fulfills God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets.

Outline

Introduction (1:1–19)
Israel’s Covenantal Adultery (2:1–6:30)
False Religion and an Idolatrous People (7:1–10:25)
Jeremiah’s Struggles with God and Judah (11:1–20:18)
Jeremiah’s Confrontations (21:1–29:32)
Restoration for Judah and Israel (30:1–33:26)
God Judges Judah (34:1–45:5)
God’s Judgment on the Nations (46:1–51:64)
Conclusion: The Fall of Jerusalem (52:1–34)

Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah

c. 597 B.C.

The book of Jeremiah is set during the politically tumultuous times following the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Babylonians. During Jeremiah’s life, several groups of Judeans were deported to Babylon and the temple was destroyed. Though the precise boundaries of Judea and the surrounding regions during this period are difficult to determine, they likely resembled those that previously existed under Assyrian rule, with the exception that Edom (Idumea) was now the area formerly belonging to southern Judah.

The Global Message of Jeremiah

Jeremiah in Redemptive History

Jeremiah lived and prophesied in the sixth century B.C., in the days leading up to the exile of Judah to Babylon, and then in the wake of that tragic event. Jeremiah’s prophecy exposes the rebellious hearts of God’s own people, which has led to their impending exile to a foreign land. This rebelliousness goes all the way back to Eden, where the first human couple likewise rebelled against their Maker and Lord. Adam and Eve were exiled from Eden when they rebelled, and the same fate is falling on God’s corporate people as they are exiled from the Promised Land.

God’s covenant promises. The reason this exile is so devastating is that at the heart of God’s covenant promises to Abraham was the promise of the land of Canaan. When God’s people are driven out of this land, it seems as though God’s own promises are coming unraveled. Yet throughout Jeremiah we find that God’s strong statements of judgment are surpassed by his pledge of mercy. He will not abandon his people, no matter how sinful they remain. Indeed, the radical problem of sin requires a radical solution—nothing less than the Lord himself writing his law not on tablets of stone but on the very hearts of his people (Jer. 31:33–34; compare 2 Cor. 3:6). So it is that, at the climax of Jeremiah, we are reassured of God’s determination to restore his people to himself (Jeremiah 30–33).

God’s final answer. This restoration includes a promise of causing “a righteous Branch to spring up for David” who “shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jer. 33:15). Ultimately, the tension between the people’s stubborn waywardness and God’s unbreakable covenant promises is resolved only in Jesus Christ. In Christ, God’s promise of a permanent Davidic heir is fulfilled (2 Sam. 7:12–16; Jer. 33:14–26). Christ is the true and final “righteous Branch” who proves fruitful where Israel proved fruitless (23:5; 33:15; John 15:1). Only through his atoning work is God able to extend mercy to his people in spite of their sin.

God’s worldwide redemption. Jeremiah looks forward not only to the coming of Jesus Christ, the true heir of David, but also to the worldwide extension of grace through Jesus far beyond the national borders of Israel. Through Christ and the fulfillment of God’s promises, God’s promise to Abraham that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” begins to be fulfilled (Gen. 12:3). God will judge the nations for their sin, as he must (Jer. 46:1–51:64). Indeed, he will also judge Judah, who has proven to be as wicked as the nations surrounding her (21:1–29:32). Yet through and despite such judgment God will not be deterred from his ultimate purpose of calling to himself a people from every tribe and language and race and nation (Rev. 5:9; see Jer. 3:16–17).

Universal Themes in Jeremiah

The promise-keeping God. Jeremiah’s prophecy resounds with the theme of God as the great keeper of promises. When God makes a covenant with the nation of Israel, he will not let that relationship be thwarted, even when his people are faithless. The pledge “I will be your God, and you shall be my people” is the constant promise of God to wayward Israel throughout the book of Jeremiah (Jer. 7:23; 11:4; 30:22). This is great encouragement to God’s people around the world today, for they have become the heirs of God’s covenant promises to ethnic Israel. No matter how others identify us socially, ethnically, or racially, believers today can know that, through Christ, the God of the Bible will be our God, and we will be his people.

Sin as hard-heartedness. Throughout the book of Jeremiah the focus shifts back and forth from God’s own covenant people to the nations. In both cases, however, the same fundamental problem persists. Both are sinful. Both have hard, stubborn hearts (Jer. 5:23; 11:8; 18:12). While the nations may be uncircumcised physically, Judah is uncircumcised spiritually (9:25–26; see also 4:4; 6:10). This hard-heartedness is seen in Jeremiah especially through the hypocrisy of Israel’s leaders—the artificial service and hollow religiosity of the prophets, priests, and other officials (3:10; 5:2; 7:1–4).

The inclusion of Gentiles in the people of God. Jeremiah’s prophecy helps to advance God’s promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing, and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him (Gen. 12:1–3). Jeremiah was to go to the nations both “to destroy and to overthrow” as well as “to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:10). Israel will multiply and increase in the land (3:16; compare God’s original call to Adam and Eve in Gen. 1:28) and “Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD” (Jer. 3:17). To God “shall the nations come from the ends of the earth” (16:19). This inclusion of the nations is one reason God shows mercy to Judah: if they return to the Lord, “then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory” (4:2).

The Global Message of Jeremiah for Today

Global justice. The hard-heartedness of God’s people manifests itself not only vertically (toward God) but also horizontally (toward other people). “This people has a stubborn and rebellious heart,” and as a result “they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless . . . and they do not defend the rights of the needy” (Jer. 5:23, 28). The church can learn from the book of Jeremiah about God’s tender heart toward the oppressed. We also learn of his desire for his own people to be mediators of mercy to those who are marginalized and disadvantaged. Indeed, knowing God includes, by definition, the defense of “the cause of the poor and needy” (22:16).

New hearts. As the global church labors on gladly in its great mission to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18–20), we must recognize the need for God to do a deep, cleansing work of the heart in creating new people for himself. When people profess faith in Christ, they must be taught as well about the divine cleansing of the heart that is effected through his indwelling Holy Spirit. In the new covenant that has dawned in Christ (Heb. 8:8–13; 9:15) we find that forgiveness of sins and the writing of God’s law on the heart are closely connected. The gospel saves men and women of all ethnicities by wiping away their sins and by implanting within them new desires for God and holiness. The sinful hard-heartedness of all people cannot be altered in any humanly manufactured way (Jer. 13:23). A new internal work on the heart by God is required (31:31–34). As global Christians speak the good news to those in their own neighborhoods and around the world, we do so in utter dependence on God, knowing that only he can soften hearts—and that he loves to do so.

Jeremiah Fact #15: Mind or kidneys?

Fact: Mind or kidneys?

Mind or kidneys? The word translated “mind” in 20:12 is actually the Hebrew word for “kidneys” (see ESV footnote). Because the kidneys were hidden deep within the body, they were seen as the source of emotions and even wisdom.

Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah

c. 597 B.C.

Parallels between Jeremiah and Lamentations

Jeremiah	Lamentations
I will make this house like Shiloh (chs. 7, 26)	The Lord has scorned . . . his sanctuary (2:7)
Let my eyes run down with tears (14:17–22)	my eyes flow with rivers of tears (3:48–51)
can I not do with you as this potter has done? (18:6)	regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! (4:2)
eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters (19:9)	Should women eat the fruit of their womb? (2:20)
vain hopes (23:16)	Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions (2:14)

Study Notes

Jer. 19:1 Go, buy. The third symbolic act (see 13:1–7; 16:1–9). earthenware flask. A general term for a container. elders of the people. Civic leaders. elders of the priests. Religious leaders.

Study Notes

Jer. 19:2 Potsherd Gate. Uncertain location but likely a dumping ground for broken containers.

Study Notes

Jer. 19:3 Ears . . . will tingle with shock and horror at an account of judgment (see 1 Sam. 3:11; 2 Kings 21:12).

Study Notes

Jer. 19:4 blood of innocents. Likely child sacrifices made to Molech (7:31).

Study Notes

Jer. 19:7 the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. Their proposed solution to the threat Babylon poses (see 18:12).

Study Notes

Jer. 19:9 eat the flesh. Because of the lack of food caused by the siege, the people of Judah will turn to cannibalism (Deut. 28:53; 2 Kings 6:24–29; Lam. 4:10).

See chart See chart

Parallels between Jeremiah and Lamentations

Jeremiah	Lamentations
I will make this house like Shiloh (chs. 7, 26)	The Lord has scorned . . . his sanctuary (2:7)
Let my eyes run down with tears (14:17–22)	my eyes flow with rivers of tears (3:48–51)
can I not do with you as this potter has done? (18:6)	regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! (4:2)
eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters (19:9)	Should women eat the fruit of their womb? (2:20)
vain hopes (23:16)	Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions (2:14)

Study Notes

Jer. 19:10 break the flask. A symbolic act representing Jerusalem’s defeat.

Study Notes

Jer. 19:12 like Topheth. An overcrowded cemetery. Proper burial is impossible there.

Study Notes

Jer. 20:1 chief officer. Head overseer of temple supplies and activities; probably also handled troublemakers (29:26).

Study Notes

Jer. 20:3 not . . . Pashhur, but Terror On Every Side. Pashhur may mean “tear off.” The idea is that God has previously “torn off” pieces of Judah and given them to invaders. Now he will cause terror in every part of Jerusalem.

Study Notes

Jer. 20:4 False teachers are the ultimate terror. They lead others to believe lies, which will result in Babylon capturing all Judah.

Study Notes

Jer. 20:5 I will give. God, not Babylon, is the ruler. all the treasures. In the palace and temple. carry them to Babylon. Treasure, people, and the kings of Judah will go to Babylon (Isa. 39:1–8).

Study Notes

Jer. 20:6 go into captivity. In 605, 597, and 587 B.C. all your friends. Those who believed Pashhur when he prophesied falsely that Jeremiah was wrong (vv. 1–2).

Study Notes

Jer. 20:7–8 deceived me . . . stronger than I . . . laughingstock. Jeremiah expresses his displeasure over his circumstances, even accusing God of deceiving and overpowering him (see 12:1–4; 15:10–21; Jeremiah’s complaints are not always justified). Soon his complaint moves to praise (20:9–13), but then returns to distress over his calling (vv. 14–18).

Study Notes

Jer. 20:9 burning fire . . . in my bones. When Jeremiah decides not to preach, he apparently feels intense (and possibly bodily) pain, as if the words are trying to burst forth. He cannot stop proclaiming God’s words.

Study Notes

Jeremiah Fact #15: Mind or kidneys?

Fact: Mind or kidneys?

Study Notes

Jer. 20:13–14 praise the LORD! . . . Cursed be the day! It is true that God merits praise for his protection. It is also true that Jeremiah lives a hard life. See 15:10 and Job 3:3.

Study Notes

Jer. 11:1–20:18 Jeremiah’s Struggles with God and Judah. As the nation faces invasion, Jeremiah struggles to serve God faithfully. He is surprised by opposition (11:1–12:17), stunned over feeling betrayed by God (13:1–15:21), renewed by God (16:1–17:18), burdened by opposition (17:19–18:23), and prepared to continue serving (19:1–20:18).

Jer. 20:18 Jeremiah’s ministry causes him hard work, sorrow, and shame. He accepts his role, but has no illusions of fame, approval, or appreciation.

Study Notes

Jer. 21:1–2 Zedekiah. The last king of Judah (597–586 B.C.). Pashhur. Most likely a different man than in 20:1–2. Zephaniah. Not the prophet. making war against us. Most likely in 588 B.C. due to Zedekiah not paying tribute money to Babylon. wonderful deeds. Such as the exodus or the deliverance of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. (Isa. 36:1–37:36).

Study Notes

Jer. 21:3–6 God will bring the Babylonians into the city (v. 4), fight alongside them against Judah (v. 5), and give them complete victory (v. 6).

Study Notes

Jer. 21:8–9 Jerusalemites have two choices: surrender to Babylon and live, or fight Babylon and die.

Study Notes

Jer. 21:12 house of David. Zedekiah and his officials. Execute justice. Based on God’s written word (Deut. 17:14–20). deliver from the hand. Make certain the weak receive protection and justice. These are the marks of a great king.

Study Notes

Jer. 21:14 fruit of your deeds. Judah has participated in idolatry, oppression, and covenant infidelity. These acts have led to invasion.

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Did you know that you are like a dime-store piggy bank storing the Hope Diamond? As a Christian, you're a clay jar with the power of God—the hope of Jesus Christ—residing in you.

Straight out of the starting gate in verse 1, the Lord has Jeremiah buy a "potter's earthenware flask" to be used as a demonstration to the elders and the people of Judah. Like the hard, baked flask, they have become fixed in their ways of idolatry against God. The Judeans are no longer like a fresh, moldable piece of clay—they are no longer leaning on and learning from God. They are like clay jars about to be broken and scattered in the wind. In this passage we see:

Judah made plans that left God out of the picture. God is going to rectify Judah's consistent turning away from him by spoiling their plans (Jeremiah 19:7).
Still, God is merciful and offers deliverance from destruction by saying that whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will probably lose everything good in life but will still live (Jeremiah 21:9). The people have a choice between the way of life and the way of death.
God uses Jeremiah to preach these prophecies to Judah to stem the tide of idolatry and immorality. Jeremiah is utterly hated and tormented for his message of doom and gloom.

Unlike Judah, Jeremiah is a piece of clay being molded by God—but not without hardship for Jeremiah. Chapter 20 gives a snapshot of what he has had to endure as the bearer of God's message to his people. It's heartbreaking to read his declarations of loneliness, persecution, and pain. But his example to us as Christians is powerful and shouldn't be missed:

God listened to his servant's outpouring of the heart and didn't chastise. Remember: God listens to our cries as well.
Jeremiah praises God for being with him, even in misery (Jeremiah 20:11-13). May we, as Christians, give praise to God in every circumstance we must face on earth.

This month's memory verse

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

– Lamentations 3:21-23

1. Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel on God's calling on your life? If that's where you are today, turn to a friend, family member, coworker, or community member and raise the flag that you need someone to share your burdens. There is no shame in reaching out for help.

2. Jeremiah's lament is his final record of dissatisfaction, and it's a lot to consume. He wishes he had never been born. God led me to read Jeremiah back in 2022 when I was experiencing financial failure, the abrupt ending of a community group, friendship departures, and the death of my father. God permits his servants, like Jeremiah, to express profound grief time and time again in the Bible. How do you cope in seasons of sorrow, disappointment, or grief? What are you doing to invite God's Word into the dark moments? Is there a verse you can start memorizing today that can help you in times of trouble?

3. Jeremiah preached that Judah would soon be overthrown. Read the words of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6:36-39. God has long provided a way for his people to turn back to him in heart and mind through confession and repentance. Where do your mind and heart stray from God? What do you need to confess today? Judah would be taken by Babylon into exile, but they wouldn't stay there. God's people would eventually have a change of heart, confess, and turn to him again. You don't have to stay where you are either. Experience the freedom Christ offers and go all in with God.