"Hope and doom, hope and doom, Jeremiah's spouting hope and doom..."

Well, now that I have the tune of "Deep and Wide" in your head (you're welcome for that, by the way!), let's talk about the prophet formerly known as Jeremiah.

Within the book of Jeremiah, readers sense both hope and doom.  How can one writer, who wrote a book that spans about a fifty-year period (Bandstra 324) convey such elated feelings of hope next to such deep, dark feelings of doom? Jeremiah wrote during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (beginning in about 626 bce) and continues through the fall of Jerusalem (in 586 bce). The book of Jeremiah has probably undergone Deuteronomistic editing - which many other prophets' work also underwent - but this editing, paired with the time period in which Jeremiah prophesied leads to a canonized work that is fill with both optimism and pessimism. For more about the above information and more, listen to "Jerusalem and Jeremiah Part A and Part B" to get the low-down.

On a side note -- Jeremiah as a prophet is unique in that he often laid out his own personal feelings and spiritual life in his writings. Because of this, he is often called "the weeping prophet" (Bandstra 324).

While reading passages from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-19; 2:1-13; 4:23-28; 5:1-5; 7:1-34, 8:18-9:3; 18:1-12; 20:7-13; 23:9-32; 31; 32:1-15 to be exact...you know, just a little light reading!), the feelings of both hope and doom are expressed almost instantly. Almost immediately, in Jeremiah 1:1-19, I had the feeling of a hopeful doom (oxymoron, anyone?).  Yep, I made that feeling up, but here's why: as I was reading, I read passages that said things like "Before I created you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart" (Jeremiah 1:5 CEB) and "Don't be afraid of them, because I'm with you to rescue you" (Jeremiah 1:6 CEB). I mean, who doesn't want to know that the Big Guy knew us intimately, even before Day 1? And really, knowing that God is there to rescue us from our fears? Awesome! Now, that all seems pretty hopeful so far, huh? But... then I read things like "Trouble will erupt from the north against the people of this land" (Jeremiah 1:14 CEB) and "That is why I will take you to court and charge even your descendants, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 2:9 CEB).

Okay, I know what you're thinking: "Hey, Crazy Lady Scholarly One! I thought you said it was hopeful doom... you even coined your own oxymoron for this and you haven't shown it yet!" What I'm getting at is that even when Jeremiah writes God saying, "Haven't you brought this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your God, who has directed your paths?" (Jeremiah 2:17 CEB), it still feels hopeful when He counters with something like "Yet it was I who planted you, a precious vine of fine quality; how could you turn into a wild vine and become good for nothing?" (Jeremiah 2:21 CEB). Even in the midst of our being the awfulness that we are, when we the abandon the One who created and loves us, God looks at us and cherishes the creation that we are. In Jeremiah especially, we are promised protection, rescue, and love, while yet being warned of destruction and doom to come. Even in the face of doom though, I still feel hopeful of the love God.

Jeremiah 18:1-12 (CEB) is a good example of God's love for us, which falls into the "hope" category. In this passage, God is compared to a potter and we are the clay. In it, God's words come to Jeremiah and he says "House of Israel, can't I deal with you like this potter, declares the Lord? Like clay in the potter's hand, so are you in mine, house of Israel! At any time I may announce that I will dig up, pull down, and destroy a nation or kingdom; but if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I'll relent and not carry out the harm I intended for it. At the same time, I may announce that I will build and plant a nation or kingdom; but if that nation displeases and disobeys me, then I'll relent and not carry out the good I intended for it" (Jeremiah 18:6-10 CEB). God's love is what makes up people of hope, but it is also God's love and caring for us that should make us God-fearing people, those who are aware of the doom and devastation that God is capable of.

The final books and chapters of Jeremiah lead the reading down a further path of doom - one lined with despair and pain and ending with the fall of Jerusalem.

I find it completely legitimate that both hope and doom come from the same prophet. I believe that the life experiences, political situation, and current leadership of the time all encourage feelings of optimism and pessimism at different times. When preaching, I think it is important to cover hope (which is the easier of the two, of course!) as well as doom.  While doom is not the easiest or most fun topic (um...thus the name "doom"!), it is crucial to find a way and the time and place to share what the Bible says about doom.

Do you share messages of both hope and doom? How do you present each topic?

T-OOTLE-oo!

Melissa