Jeremiah 32:26

(Verse 26) And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: She joins joy to the sorrowful and promises the return of the captive people after the destruction of Jerusalem. And first she explains the causes of God's offense and righteous fury, so that the greater the guilt of the sinners, the more abundant the mercy of the Creator towards the sinners.

At the same time he must assure them that, though the destruction was total, it should not be final, but that at length their posterity should recover the peaceable possession of their own land,

The answer is divided into two parts; (a) Jer 32:26-35, the sins of Judah are shown to be the cause of her punishment: (b) Jer 32:36-44, this punishment was not for Judah’s destruction, but for her amendment. Jer 32:28 I will give - Or, I am giving. Jer 32:30 From their youth - God’s mighty deeds for Israel began in Egypt Jer 32:20, and so did Israel’s sin. Jer 32:34, Jer 32:35 These verses are repeated from Jer 7:30-31, but with two important variations. Baal is put for Tophet, and to Molech instead of in the fire.

THIS method of questioning the person to be instructed is known to teachers as the Socratic method. Socrates was likely, not so much to state a fact as to ask a question and draw out thoughts from those whom he taught. His method had long before been used by a far greater teacher. Putting questions is Jehovah's frequent method of instruction. When the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind it was with a series of questions. "Know you the ordinances of Heaven? Can you set the dominion thereof in the earth?

THIS method of questioning the person to be instructed is known to teachers as the Socratic method. Socrates was likely, not so much to state a fact as to ask a question and draw out thoughts from those whom he taught. His method had long before been used by a far greater teacher. Putting questions is Jehovah's frequent method of instruction. When the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind it was with a series of questions. "Know you the ordinances of Heaven? Can you set the dominion thereof in the earth? Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you? Can you send lightning, that they may go and say unto you, Here we are?" and so forth. Questions from the Lord are very often the strongest affirmations. He would have us perceive their absolute certainty. They are put in this particular form because He would have us think over His great thought and confirm it by our own reflections. The Lord shines upon us in the question and our answer to it is the reflection of His light. The Infallible One challenges a contradiction, or even a doubt. "Is anything too hard for Me?" is the strongest way of saying that nothing can be too hard for Him, for it proclaims defiance to Heaven and earth and Hell, to produce a difficulty which can perplex the Lord. I invite you, therefore, dear Friends, to turn the question over in your minds till the omnipotence of Jehovah shall be your one all-absorbing thought. You cannot think of anything which renders it necessary to put a footnote to the text. Search well and see if it needs qualification. See whether there is an exception to the rule of absolute omnipotence.