Jeremiah

If Isaiah is the majestic statesman, Jeremiah is the raw, emotional poet. He is known as the "Weeping Prophet" for good reason. His ministry lasted for 40 years, and during that time, almost no one listened to him. He had the agonizing task of telling the people of Jerusalem that they were past the point of no return. Babylon was coming, and the city would fall. Because of this "defeatist" message, he was branded a traitor, beaten, and thrown into a muddy cistern.

The book is a mixture of history, poetry, and biography. It reveals Jeremiah's inner turmoil. He argues with God, complaining that his calling is too hard, yet he admits that God's word is like a "fire in his bones" that he cannot hold in.

Despite the doom and gloom, Jeremiah delivers one of the most critical promises in the entire Bible: The New Covenant. He predicts a day when God will no longer write His laws on stone tablets (as with Moses) but will write them directly on the hearts of His people. This promise offers a glimmer of hope just as the darkness of the exile begins, which we experience in the heartbreaking poetry of Lamentations.