Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Is Jeremiah a tragic figure?
- What keeps Jeremiah going despite the suffering he's going through?
- Is God's decision to punish Judah by sending the Babylonians to totally destroy it fair to the innocent people who might be caught in the middle?
- What's the deal with the incredible amount of repetition in this book?
- Does God have a greater creative plan underlying the Babylonian invasion and the destruction of Jerusalem?
- What is Jeremiah's perspective on women? How does his comparison of Israel with a prostitute or adulterous woman read today?
- How does Jeremiah see other nations outside of Israel?
- People have described some of Jeremiah's acts—like wearing a yoke around his neck—as being like "performance art" (other prophets do this too). Do those actions help convey the message in a way words can't?
- Why did the Israelites turn away from their God? What advantages were they trying to find in embracing Near Eastern gods?
- Is it just us, or does God come across as a bit fickle in this book? Destroy, save, destroy, save—what's up with that?
- What keeps God in the game with the Judean people even though they just won't listen?