The Message of Jeremiah

Grace in the end

Christopher J. H. Wright

International Ministries Director Langham Partnership

Inter-Varsity Press

INTER-VARSITY PRESS

Norton Street, Nottingham NG7 3HR, England

Email: ivp@ivpbooks.com

Website: www.ivpbooks.com

© Christopher J. H. Wright 2014

Christopher J. H. Wright has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘niv’ is a registered trademark of Biblica UK, trademark number 1448790.

First published 2014

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-78359-032-2

Inter-Varsity Press publishes Christian books that are true to the Bible and that communicate the gospel, develop discipleship and strengthen the church for its mission in the world.

Inter-Varsity Press is closely linked with the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, a student movement connecting Christian Unions in universities and colleges throughout Great Britain, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Website: www.uccf.org.uk

The Bible Speaks Today

Series editors: Alec Motyer (OT)

John Stott (NT)

Derek Tidball (Bible Themes)

To the memory of

Derek Kidner

(1913–2008)

Contents

General preface

Author’s preface

Abbreviations

Select bibliography

Introduction

1. The beginning—and the end (Jeremiah 1:1–3)

2. Jeremiah’s appointment as prophet (Jeremiah 1:4–19)

3. From honeymoon to divorce (Jeremiah 2:1–3:5)

4. Turn, turn, turn (Jeremiah 3:6–4:4)

5. Disaster from the north (Jeremiah 4:5–6:30)

6. The temple sermon (Jeremiah 7:1–8:3)

7. Tears in heaven (Jeremiah 8:4–10:25)

8. Broken covenant and broken hearts (Jeremiah 11:1–12:17)

9. An unwearable people and an unbearable future (Jeremiah 13:1–27)

10. Too late! Too late! (Jeremiah 14:1–15:9)

11. The pit of self-pity (Jeremiah 15:10–21)

12. Silver-lined loneliness (Jeremiah 16:1–21)

13. Heart searching (Jeremiah 17:1–27)

14. Pots and plots (Jeremiah 18:1–20:6)

15. ‘Perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned’ (Jeremiah 20:7–18)

16. Kings: alive and dead and yet to be born (Jeremiah 21:1–23:8)

17. Prophets: not on a mission from God (Jeremiah 23:9–40)

18. The good, the bad and the ugly (Jeremiah 24:1–25:38)

19. Half time

20. Dramatic public encounters (Jeremiah 26:1–28:17)

21. Letter to the exiles (Jeremiah ...