Chapter Summary

Sign of the unmarried prophet, concluded. Message in the gates concerning the Sabbath.

Discussion Questions for Jeremiah, Chapter 17

1. What does the punishment at the beginning of the chapter say about the punishment for breaking God's covenant? In contrast what does this mean about the reward for following his covenant? How does this look in a modern Christian's life?
2. What does this metaphor about the desert imply about the strength of man? Why do we seek to trust man in spite of this truth?
3. What does Jeremiah's reference to Psalm 1 teach us? How should we use scripture in our suffering? How should we use scripture in our abundance?
4. What does the opposite metaphor about a growing tree in comparison to a shrub in the desert say about placing our trust? In what ways is God more trustworthy than man? How does man measure up in the life of Jeremiah? How does man measure up in your own life?
5. How does the fact that only God can see into our hearts affect the understanding of Jeremiah's circumstance? Why was this included in this chapter?
6. What does Jeremiah mean when he says "whose trust is the Lord"? How can we replicate that in our own lives? What does this look like practically?
7. How can we view verses 12 and 13 eschatologically? How does this give us confidence today?
8. In what ways is Jeremiah's prayer in verses 14-18 a good example of how we should pray? What can we learn from the confidence he has in the Lord to fulfill his needs? How can we mirror this confidence?
9. What does the Lord mean when commanding to keep the Sabbath day holy? What does he mean by not bearing burdens? What is the purpose of the Sabbath?
10. How does the topic of the Sabbath relate to Jeremiah's prayer for God to take care of him? How does keeping your focus on God affect how you trust Him and follow Him?

Key Words/Phrase

v. 1.

Characters

God, Jeremiah.

Strong Verse(s)

6, 7, 9, 10.