"What I have built I am breaking down"—but why?

August 12, 2025

"What I have built I am breaking down"—but why?

Jeremiah 45-47

Ryan Gibson

Big Book Idea

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

"Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land."

Chapter 45

Message to Baruch

1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 You said, ‘Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ 4 Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”

Chapter 46

Judgment on Egypt

1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

3 “Prepare buckler and shield,
    and advance for battle!
4 Harness the horses;
    mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
    polish your spears,
    put on your armor!
5 Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed
    and have turned backward.
Their warriors are beaten down
    and have fled in haste;
they look not back—
    terror on every side!
    declares the LORD.

6 The swift cannot flee away,
nor the warrior escape;
in the north by the river Euphrates
they have stumbled and fallen.

7 Who is this, rising like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge.
He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth,
    I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’
9 Advance, O horses,
    and rage, O chariots!
Let the warriors go out:
    men of Cush and Put who handle the shield,
    men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
10 That day is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
    a day of vengeance,
    to avenge himself on his foes.
The sword shall devour and be sated
    and drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord God of hosts holds a sacrifice
    in the north country by the river Euphrates.
11 Go up to Gilead, and take balm,
    O virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain you have used many medicines;
    there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shame,
    and the earth is full of your cry;
for warrior has stumbled against warrior;
    they have both fallen together.”

13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:

14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol;
    proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes;
say, ‘Stand ready and be prepared,
    for the sword shall devour around you.’
15 Why are your mighty ones face down?
    They do not stand^{1

46:15
Hebrew He does not stand}
    because the LORD thrust them down.
16 He made many stumble, and they fell,
    and they said one to another,
‘Arise, and let us go back to our own people
    and to the land of our birth,
    because of the sword of the oppressor.’
17 Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
    ‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’

18 As I live, declares the King,
    whose name is the LORD of hosts,
like Tabor among the mountains
    and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
19 Prepare yourselves baggage for exile,
    O inhabitants of Egypt!
For Memphis shall become a waste,
    a ruin, without inhabitant.

20 A beautiful heifer is Egypt,
    but a biting fly from the north has come upon her.
21 Even her hired soldiers in her midst
    are like fattened calves;
yes, they have turned and fled together;
    they did not stand,
for the day of their calamity has come upon them,
    the time of their punishment.

22 She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away;
    for her enemies march in force
and come against her with axes
    like those who fell trees.
23 They shall cut down her forest,
    declares the LORD,
    though it is impenetrable,
because they are more numerous than locusts;
    they are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame;
    she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north.”

25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the LORD.

27 But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
    nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
    and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
    and none shall make him afraid.
28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
    declares the LORD,
    for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
    to which I have driven you,
    but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
    and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”

Chapter 47

Judgment on the Philistines

1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.

2 “Thus says the LORD:
Behold, waters are rising out of the north,
    and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
    and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
    at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers look not back to their children,
    so feeble are their hands,
4 because of the day that is coming to destroy
    all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
    every helper that remains.
For the LORD is destroying the Philistines,
    the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
5 Baldness has come upon Gaza;
    Ashkelon has perished.
O remnant of their valley,
    how long will you gash yourselves?
6 Ah, sword of the LORD!
    How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard;
    rest and be still!
7 How can it^{2

47:7
Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew you} be quiet
    when the LORD has given it a charge?
Against Ashkelon and against the seashore
    he has appointed it.”

Footnotes

[1] 46:15 Hebrew He does not stand
[2] 47:7 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew you

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 #18: Carchemish

Fact: Carchemish

When Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian army at Carchemish in 605 B.C., it marked the beginning of Egypt’s decline as a power in the region and the beginning of Babylon’s rise (see 46:2 and note on 25:19). Judah fell to Babylon in 586.

Jeremiah Fact #31: The balm of Gilead

Fact: The balm of Gilead

The balm of Gilead (46:11) was an ointment used to treat wounds. It was probably made from the sap of a tree.

Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah

c. 597 B.C.

Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets

	Isaiah	Jeremiah	Ezekiel	Joel	Amos	Obadiah	Jonah	Nahum	Zephaniah	Zechariah*
Ammon		49:1–6	25:1–7		1:13–15
Arabia	21:13–17
Assyria (Nineveh)	10:5–19; 14:24–27						(Nineveh)	(Nineveh)
Babylon	13:1–14:23; 21:1–10; 46:1–47:15	50:1–51:64								2:9–12?
Damascus	17:1–6?	49:23–27			1:3–5					9:1
Edom	21:11–12	49:7–22	25:12–14		1:11–12	1–14?
Egypt	18:1–20:6	46:2–26	29:1–32:32
Elam		49:34–39
Ethiopia									2:12–15
Gaza					1:6–8					9:5
Kedar and Hazor		49:28–33
Lebanon										11:1–3?
Moab	15:1–16:14	48:1–47	25:8–11		2:1–3				2:8–11
Philistia	14:28–32	47:1–7	25:15–17	3:4–8					2:5–7	9:6
Tyre Sidon	23:1–18		26:1–28:19; 28:20–23	3:4–8	1:9–10					9:2–3

*Additional cities /states are denounced in 9:1–8: Hadrach, Aram (v. 1); Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 5); Ashdod (v. 6)

Study Notes

Jer. 45:1 fourth year of Jehoiakim. About 605 B.C. See 36:1.

Study Notes

Jer. 45:3 Baruch felt the effects of sharing Jeremiah’s ministry and persecution (36:19; 43:3, 6). the LORD has added sorrow. Baruch felt that God was unjust, and he viewed the great events of the day as difficulties for him.

Study Notes

Jer. 45:4 God states that he has lost much more than Baruch has.

Study Notes

Jer. 34:1–45:5 God Judges Judah. Having declared Judah and Israel’s current sins (chs. 2–29) and future renewal (chs. 30–33), Jeremiah now depicts Judah’s final days. He does so while declaring God’s faithfulness and Judah’s infidelity (chs. 34–35), Judah’s rejection of God’s word (ch. 36), Judah’s last days before Jerusalem’s destruction (chs. 37–39), Judah’s pointless rebellion against Babylon after the city’s fall (chs. 40–41), and Judah’s useless rebellion against God (chs. 42–45).

Jer. 45:5 Apparently Baruch hoped for great personal success, not pain and suffering. Seek them not. Fame and ease are not available. I am bringing disaster upon all flesh. Not just on Judah, but on Egypt (44:29–30; 46:1–28) and many other nations (chs. 47–51). give you your life. See 1:17–19 and 39:15–18.

Study Notes

Jer. 46:1 This introduces chs. 46–51. The word of the LORD . . . concerning the nations. God is not the God of the Jews only, but is Lord of all the earth. In chs. 46–51 his words show that he holds all nations and all people accountable for their actions (see notes on Mark 6:18; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:14–16).

Study Notes

Jer. 46:2 At Carchemish, Babylon defeated Egypt, taking full control of the region. fourth year of Jehoiakim. 605 B.C. (25:1; 36:1; 45:1). Jehoiakim had been placed in power by Egypt (2 Kings 23:34). When Babylon defeated Egypt, Jehoiakim switched sides, yet only after Nebuchadnezzar attacked Judah (2 Kings 24:1; Dan. 1:1).

Jeremiah Fact #18: Carchemish

Fact: Carchemish

Study Notes

Jer. 46:10 day of the Lord. The day that God judges Egypt by sending Babylon against them. See The Day of the Lord in the Prophets. holds a sacrifice. Egypt’s army is the sacrifice (Isa. 34:1–7; Zeph. 1:7–9).

The Day of the Lord in the Prophets

Study Notes

Jer. 46:11 Gilead. On the eastern side of the Jordan River. balm. Soothing substance placed in wounds (8:22; Gen. 37:25). many medicines. A metaphor for strategy. Healing refers to aid from another country.

Jeremiah Fact #31: The balm of Gilead

Fact: The balm of Gilead

The balm of Gilead (46:11) was an ointment used to treat wounds. It was probably made from the sap of a tree.

Study Notes

Jer. 46:15–16 God causes Egypt’s defeat. Babylon remains God’s instrument for punishing idolatry (27:1–15).

Study Notes

Jer. 46:18 the King. God rules the heavens and the earth (Ps. 103:19). hosts. Armies. Tabor . . . Carmel. Nebuchadnezzar shall tower over Egypt like these two mountains.

Study Notes

Jer. 46:19 Memphis was the capital of Egypt.

Study Notes

Jer. 46:25 Israel’s God commands armies (hosts), and he sends these armies against Egypt and her gods and her kings. Amon was the chief god of Thebes, the capital of Upper (southern) Egypt. Babylon’s conquest will include Egypt’s southern regions.

Study Notes

Jer. 46:26 Despite the devastation, Egypt will endure. God will leave Egypt with a remnant, one that will turn to him (Isa. 19:19–25).

See chart See chart

Oracles against the Nations in the Prophets

	Isaiah	Jeremiah	Ezekiel	Joel	Amos	Obadiah	Jonah	Nahum	Zephaniah	Zechariah*
Ammon		49:1–6	25:1–7		1:13–15
Arabia	21:13–17
Assyria (Nineveh)	10:5–19; 14:24–27						(Nineveh)	(Nineveh)
Babylon	13:1–14:23; 21:1–10; 46:1–47:15	50:1–51:64								2:9–12?
Damascus	17:1–6?	49:23–27			1:3–5					9:1
Edom	21:11–12	49:7–22	25:12–14		1:11–12	1–14?
Egypt	18:1–20:6	46:2–26	29:1–32:32
Elam		49:34–39
Ethiopia									2:12–15
Gaza					1:6–8					9:5
Kedar and Hazor		49:28–33
Lebanon										11:1–3?
Moab	15:1–16:14	48:1–47	25:8–11		2:1–3				2:8–11
Philistia	14:28–32	47:1–7	25:15–17	3:4–8					2:5–7	9:6
Tyre Sidon	23:1–18		26:1–28:19; 28:20–23	3:4–8	1:9–10					9:2–3

*Additional cities /states are denounced in 9:1–8: Hadrach, Aram (v. 1); Ashkelon, Ekron (v. 5); Ashdod (v. 6)

Study Notes

Jer. 46:27–28 fear not. See 30:10–11 and Isa. 41:8–10. This promise of renewal includes Israel, not just Judah.

Study Notes

Jer. 47:2 Babylon invades Gaza like flood waters that overflow the land and all that fills it.

Study Notes

Jer. 47:4 because of the day. This day of loss is a day of God’s judgment (46:10). Tyre and Sidon. These Phoenician cities were likely Gaza’s allies. Coastal cities were often the last places to fall in land-dominated wars.

Study Notes

Jer. 47:5 Baldness means either that Gaza’s citizens shaved their heads as part of a mourning ritual (see Isa. 22:12; Amos 8:10) or that the land was shaved clean of inhabitants and cities. gash yourselves. Either as a sign of mourning (Jer. 41:5) or when praying to one’s gods (1 Kings 18:28).

Study Notes

Jer. 47:6–7 God’s punishing sword (12:12) will not rest until it completes its work against Ashkelon (47:1) and the seashore.

Listen to the Podcast

Listen Now

Let's look back at what has happened so far: Jerusalem has fallen to Babylon. A remnant of Judah then flees to Egypt despite being told by the Lord not to and drags Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch with them. This remnant then continues to worship other gods—the cause of their initial exile—and, despite being warned about how the Lord would bring about their destruction if they continued in their idolatry, the people still would not listen.

Chronologically, Jeremiah 45-47 belongs after either Jeremiah 36:8 or 36:32. Baruch, being Jeremiah's scribe, experienced a lot of turmoil and restlessness from delivering these messages to this remnant—and so it's natural for him to want a life of comfort and ease. And it's likely that Baruch even had plans of his own to make a name for himself (Jeremiah 45:5).

Time and time again, this Judean remnant showed complete disregard for the will of the Lord. This is a common theme throughout Jeremiah: Israel and Judah proclaiming the Lord with their lips but going against the will of the Lord with their actions. God promised destruction to those who continued to go against the will of the Lord; and because of this remnant's continued disobedience, it makes sense for God to say that he is going to "break down" what he has built.

Despite his suffering and current situation, Baruch remained faithful. The Lord heard Baruch's cries and saw his pain, and so he tells Baruch, "Hey, I got this." Because of Baruch's faithfulness, the Lord promises that he will preserve Baruch's life wherever he goes. In other words, the Lord promises that he will always be with him.

There are going to be times when you'll experience suffering and will begin to feel weary. Keep in mind that when Jesus was ascending into heaven, he said to his disciples in Matthew 28:20b, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Remember these words when hard times come, because ultimately Jesus will have the victory.

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. In Jeremiah 45:5, the Lord tells Baruch to not seek great things for himself because of the Lord's impending "disaster upon all flesh." Think about a time when you sought great things for yourself. How were the Lord's plans different from yours, and what made you realize that his way is better?

2. The Lord heard Baruch's cry and spoke to him through Jeremiah. While we don't have any prophets at the ready to speak truth to us, we do have God's Word and faithful believers around us. How has the Lord used his Word and other people to speak truth to you? If people come to mind, find a time to call them or send them a text to encourage them about how the Lord used them in your life!

3. Think about a time when the Lord has "broken down" something in your life. Was it a sin pattern, a relationship, or something else? How did that moment draw you closer to him?