The Divine Struggle: Divine-Cosmic-Human Relationship in Jer IX

The book of Jeremiah presents the biblical story of the divine – cosmic – human relationship with a special focus on its divine dimension. Yahweh, who loves his people passionately and longs to be loved by them, undergoes an inner struggle since his expectations go unfulfilled. The disloyalty of his chosen people and their defiling of his precious land grieve him to the heart. Justice demands punishment, but the very thought of punishing his people is painful to him. Even when he allows the judgement to take its course, he suffers with his people and with nature which also bears the consequences of sin and jugement. Jer 9 articulates this divine agony in Yahweh’s own words. The text offers great challenges to us in the age of globalisation and ecological crises.