The first volume in this two-part commentary on Jeremiah provides a powerful interpretation of the prophet's message that a nation refusing to repent and obey God risks judgment. In the second volume, Bracke turns to that part of Jeremiah which pauses in its long recounting of the downfall of Judah to point beyond exile and suffering to God's restoration of the people and renewal of the covenant. Hope is announced in the midst of defeat.
The book of Lamentations uncovers the depth of despair of a people who cry out to God in their distress. Bracke points out how its prayers move between faith and doubt, between confidence in deliverance and anguish over abandonment. The power of these words to speak beyond the ancient story to contemporary suffering and conversation with God is a constant theme in this commentary.
