Increasing Opposition. 

        It is abundantly clear that Jeremiah was never forgiven his outspoken words in the temple. One sign of his increasing unpopularity is his use of symbolic actions intended to catch the eye of those whose ears were closed.

        The first example is given in 13:1-11, where the story of Jeremiah’s fine linen girdle is told. There is, however, a strong possibility that it was a visionary action. The round trip would be some 800 miles, and the story demands that he should have made it twice. If so, how obdurate had the people become! A less likely explanation is that he used a stream north of Anathoth with a similar name. In 13:12-14 we find him gaining a hearing by the use of dark sayings. But the people were to be yet more hardened. As often, catastrophe (drought, 14:1-6) turned people away from God rather than to Him. And so Jeremiah was told that he was to be his message; he was not to marry (16:2); he was not to enter the house of mourning (16:5), nor was he to share in the joy of the marriage feast (16:8). Even if we make full allowance for lack of chronological order, we are compelled to accept that we are now drawing near to the end of Jeremiah’s regular public utterances.

        One last warning he would give. He collected leading personalities (19:1) and carrying a jar (a woman’s work!) he went at their head to the Valley of Hinnom through the streets of Jerusalem. The story leaves us to imagine the huge crowd that will have rapidly formed and followed. The solemn breaking of the jar (19:10) spoke its message to those who stopped their ears to the message of doom. Further symbolic actions are recorded in chs. 35, 27 (note ver. 1 should read “In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah,” cf. ver. 3), 32, 43:8-13.