Abstract:
There is a dispute between prophets about the status of Jerusalem
and its society. The Book of Isaiah, on various occasions, sees the
city and its people full of shalom “peace, wellbeing” (Isa 26:3;
32:18). The Book of Jeremiah, on the other hand, negates such a
vision and accuses colleagues announcing such a message of
“deceit” (Jer 6:13-14). The book is outstanding in its focus on the
grievances leading to the fall of Jerusalem; its profile is marked by
calling things as they are, analyzing the roots of evil, and disclosing
the broken relationship with God as one of the causes. Such a
critique has consequences: Jeremiah has to suffer, more than any
other colleague. Nevertheless he, too, proclaims shalom (e.g. Jer
29:11), but it is rooted in a new perception of an inwardly touched
God who desires eagerly to bring about a change to those who have
gone through hardship. This message of the Book of Jeremiah and
the figure of the prophet have a bearing for South Africa: suffering,
problems, injustice can all be resolved, if they are addressed in a
manner similar to the way in which Jeremiah dared to speak out
and to advocate God’s view in his own times.
Description:
This article is based on a paper read at the “Jeremiah Symposium”
of the project “Prophetic Studies” (ProProf) at the University of Pretoria on 2nd
of September 2014, as part of the collaboration with that institution.
