Book of Jeremiah Chapter 3 Summary

God's Finally Single Again… And Ready to Destroy Stuff

  • God implies that Israel won't even return to him, saying that she's like a wife that he's already divorced. She's moved on to other lovers, other gods.
  • Israel's adultery with other gods—committed on practically every corner—has caused a terrible drought. But Israel still refuses to be ashamed.
  • Israel's asked God to have mercy, calling on him as one of his children, but God says that they've already done too much evil. It's too late for mercy.
  • God tells Jeremiah that Judah learned nothing from watching the Northern Kingdom of Israel's adultery and punishment. Rather than refusing to follow false gods, Judah dove right in.
  • Judah's now only returned to God superficially and falsely—her heart's still with the stones and trees.
  • God says that northern Israel wasn't even as bad as Judah is now. He asks the northern Israelites to repent and turn to him, saying that they can get their land back. If they apologize nicely for their adulterous ways, he'll lead them back to Zion.
  • God predicts that, after the people have been instructed by shepherds and prophets he'll send to them, Israel and Judah will be united together, and all the nations will gather at Jerusalem, the "Throne of the Lord."
  • The Ark of the Covenant won't be remembered in those future days and it won't be a part of worship anymore; it'll be unnecessary.
  • God says that Israel's both like a child who failed to acknowledge him as a parent, and like a faithless wife.
  • Despite what he'd said before about it being too late, God now says that he'll forgive his faithless children if they repent and actually mean it.