The Lord Commands Judah to Hear His Covenant
God’s covenant relationship with His people requires obedience to His word.
Jeremiah 11:1-5 (BSB)
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 “Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.
3 You must tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,
4 which I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey Me, and do everything I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God.’
5 This was in order to establish the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is to this day.” “Amen, LORD,” I answered.
What is the big idea of Jeremiah 11:1-5?
God’s covenant relationship with His people requires obedience to His word.
How does Jeremiah 11:1-5 point to Christ?
Jeremiah reminds the people that God redeemed them from slavery and called them into covenant obedience. The gospel reveals that through Jesus Christ God delivers sinners from the deeper slavery of sin and establishes a new covenant in which believers are restored to God and empowered to live in obedience through the work of the Spirit.
How does Jeremiah 11:1-5 relate to the life and ministry of Jesus?
Jesus fulfilled and inaugurated the new covenant, bringing redemption and calling His followers to faithful obedience to God.
Authorial Intent
To renew the covenant lawsuit against Judah by calling the people to hear and obey the words of the covenant established by the LORD with their ancestors when He brought them out of Egypt.
Literary Context
After Jeremiah’s prayer acknowledging dependence on God in Jeremiah 10:23–25, the narrative returns to the covenant theme that explains both Judah’s responsibilities and the coming judgment.
Historical Context
Jeremiah calls Judah back to the covenant established at Sinai during a time when the nation had largely abandoned its obligations.
Chapter: Jeremiah 11
The Broken Covenant and the Plot Against the Prophet
Judah has broken the covenant by refusing the LORD's voice, multiplying idols, and resisting his prophet, so covenant curses, forbidden intercession, and judgment on rebellious Anathoth reveal the seriousness of treachery against the LORD.