Jeremiah and the Lord have been having a conversation. This is a continuation from chapter 16.
In verse 1, the Lord makes plain that the sins of Judah are written in stone- on the altar, carved in diamond with an iron stylus.
If Judah wants to remember her children, then she should also remember the altars in high places, the Asherims, and the idolatry that brought this down on them. And then all that He had stored up for them will be given away. Also, they, themselves, will be given away as servants to the enemy because they stirred up God's wrath.
Starting in verse 5 the Lord emphasizes the curse on men who trust in man's flesh and strength.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose trust is the Lord.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water
That extends its roots by a stream,
And does not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought,
Nor cease to yield fruit. Jeremiah 17: 7-8
This should look familiar. It's from Psalm 1.
Quite the contrast. Trust in the Lord and be blessed. Trust in man and be cursed. Simple. But hard to do with our five senses and sin nature grasping for something concrete. Thank God for the Holy Spirit or we wouldn't be able to do it.
“The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
To give to each person according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds. Jeremiah 17: 9-10
Another excellent cross-reference from Ecclesiastes. It's impossible for us to change another person, we can't even really change ourselves. We are at the mercy of the merciful God.
And in verse 11 He tells us not to fret about those who prosper unjustly; in the end he will be like a fool. I've seen that with several celebrities ad even our outgoing president, Biden. He did a lot of shady, racist, and greedy things along the way and became very rich, somehow, despite only earning a moderate civil service paycheck on paper. But when he finally arrived at the presidency- something he tried for his whole life- he had dementia and wasn't even able to be mentally present. He prospered unjustly and ended like a fool. And even if we hadn't seen the direct consequences, we know God is just and we can trust Him as the author and finisher of our own faith, but also those who go against the faith.
Starting in verse 12 Jeremiah turns the conversation back to the topic of the Lord. He describes the Lord as the glorious throne from the beginning. I like that. Then he points out that those who forsake the Lord will be "written down" for rejecting the source of living water.
Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;
Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14, NASB 95
Wow. There's a verse worth memorizing.
Verses 15-18 describe Jeremiah's contention with his people who want the Lord to speak, but also want Jeremiah to change the message. "When is God going to tell me what I want to hear...?" Isn't the right way to approach the Lord. Jeremiah asks that his enemy be put to shame and not him; let him not be dismayed and let his enemies be dismayed.
Then the Lord commands Jeremiah to go stand at the gates in Jerusalem and in the cities in Judah and remind the kings that they should not be carrying loads on the Sabbath or do any works. He reminds them that this has been the commandment back to their forefathers- even through they ignored Him as well.
Then He promises that there is coming a day when the kings will respect the Sabbath and they will bring loads through the gates and sit on the throne forever. But for now, the kings need to keep the Sabbath.