God lashes out against the leadership who failed to lead the people justly. the Kings, the false "prophets" and the priests, all led the people astray. One day, God declares, I will appoint leaders to lead my flock back to their land. Leaders who will rule with justice and righteousness.

The Kings of Judah won't listen to Jeremiah and the message of God. Thus God declares that this will be the end of the dynasty of David. These Kings will not have descendents worthy of the throne of David.

Jeremiah preaches to the King of Judah. It is only by establishing justice, ending oppression, protecting the widow and the orphan, this is how to ensure the future of the Kingdom of Judah. Do this, and the Kingdom will be saved. Continue your corruption, and prayer will not save you.

In desperation, despite ignoring his message for years, King Zedekiah turns to the prophet for help. He asks for prayers from the prophet to save them from the Babylonians, hoping for divine intervention. God responds that the only divine intervention he can expect is retribution for their misdeed and punishment and defeat. God advises the people to flee for their lives, but for the leadership God has a different message. If you want to prevent the coming catastrophe, establish justice, end oppression. Prayer is not what I am looking for.

Jeremiah is flogged and put into the stocks for preaching about injustice and violence. The pain and suffering becomes unbearable for Jeremiah. Going back and forth between faith and despair, we feel the prophet as he struggles with his fate.

God ignores Jeremiah's pleading to punish his tormentors, and instead gives him another thankless task. Smash a bottle in the Valley of ben-Hinnom, and prophecy again about the coming destruction.

God asks Jeremiah to observe a potter at work. Just as the potter decides when and how to break and refashion his pots, so can I God decide when to build and when to destroy. It depends on you though, says God. I can decree destruction, and if the people improve their ways I can build instead. However I can also declare success, and if the people turn to evil I will destroy instead. Despite this message, the people refuse to change. Instead the plot against the prophet, who just won;t stop rebuking them. Jeremiah prays that God take vengeance against those who plot to kill him.

Jeremiah prays that God demonstrate His justice, save me from my enemies! I am suffering for You God, I didn't want this mission!" God responds by giving Jeremiah another thankless mission. Go warn the people to honor the Sabbath! If they can do that, maybe they will be saved.

The sins of Judah are so ingrained that the punishment is inevtiable, as if they were engrained in tablets of iron. However, there is justice in God. have faith in God, and abandon faith in human beings and their arrogance. Only then will you flourish like a tree next to a stream. The true hope of Israel lies in God alone.

God commands Jeremiah not to marry, not to have a family, not to mourn the dead or celebrate with the living. The destruction is coming, and your life must reflect the life of someone who knows the terrible events that are about to happen. When this suffering is over, and one day it will be, people will be astounded that God could bring the people back to their land. Even more astounded than the world was after the exodus from Egypt. Completely exhausted and exasperated, the prophet realizes that his only happiness comes from his only true refuge, God Himself.