How does Jeremiah 32:21 connect with the Exodus story in Exodus 7-12? Jeremiah 32:21—The Verse “You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror.” Jeremiah Remembers the Exodus - Jeremiah prays during the Babylonian siege, anchoring his confidence in God’s past, literal intervention. - He cites Israel’s deliverance as a settled historical fact, not myth or symbol. - The wording he uses—“signs,” “wonders,” “mighty hand,” “outstretched arm,” “great terror”—is a direct verbal bridge to Exodus 7–12. Echoes of Exodus 7–12 in Jeremiah’s Words 1. Signs and Wonders - Exodus 7:3–5: God promises to “multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.” - Each plague (blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, death of the firstborn) is a concrete, miraculous sign. - Jeremiah deliberately lumps all ten into two words—“signs and wonders”—highlighting both variety and divine origin. 2. The Mighty Hand and Outstretched Arm - Exodus 6:6: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” - Exodus 13:9: the Exodus is a “sign on your hand…for with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.” - Jeremiah’s phrase is an exact theological shorthand for God’s unstoppable power exercised on Israel’s behalf. 3. Great Terror - Exodus 11:6: “There will be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as never has been nor ever will be again.” - Exodus 12:30: “There was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was no house without someone dead.” - The cumulative dread that fell on Egypt is compressed by Jeremiah into the phrase “great terror,” reminding his hearers that God’s judgments are fearsome and real. Purpose of the Exodus Refrain in Jeremiah 32 - To reassure the besieged generation that the God who once shattered Egypt can shatter Babylon. - To underscore covenant faithfulness: God keeps His promises despite Israel’s failures. - To spark national repentance by recalling God’s power and holiness. Parallel Scriptures Reinforcing the Link - Deuteronomy 4:34; 7:19 — Moses retells the same fivefold formula (“signs, wonders, mighty hand, outstretched arm, great terror”). - Psalm 136:11–12 — Liturgical echo celebrating the same acts. - Nehemiah 9:9–11 — Post-exilic prayer uses identical language, proving this became Israel’s standard shorthand for the ten plagues. Timeless Takeaways - Historical memory fuels present faith; what God literally did, He can do again. - God’s power is both saving and judging—comfort for the trusting, terror for the defiant. - Scripture interprets Scripture: Jeremiah 32:21 cannot be grasped apart from Exodus 7–12. |
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