What is the meaning of Jeremiah 32:31? For this city has aroused My wrath and fury from the day it was built until now “For this city has aroused My wrath and fury from the day it was built until now” (Jeremiah 32:31). • “This city” points to Jerusalem, the place God chose for His name (1 Kings 11:36), yet it repeatedly slid into idolatry and injustice. From Solomon’s divided heart (1 Kings 11:4–13) to Manasseh’s blatant wickedness (2 Kings 21:12–15), every generation piled sin upon sin. • “From the day it was built” stresses the long‐standing nature of the rebellion. Moses had warned, “Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God in the wilderness” (Deuteronomy 9:7), and the pattern continued once Israel settled the land. • “Wrath and fury” underline that God’s anger is neither random nor petty; it is the righteous reaction of a holy God to covenant violation. Jeremiah had already said, “Since the day your fathers came out of Egypt… you have not listened” (Jeremiah 25:3–7). • The consistency of sin matched by the consistency of God’s warnings (2 Chronicles 36:15–16) shows His patience. Only after centuries of calls to repent does judgment fall. Therefore I will remove it from My presence “Therefore I will remove it from My presence” (Jeremiah 32:31). • “Therefore” links judgment directly to persistent sin; it is not arbitrary. • “Remove it” points to both the destruction of the city and the exile of its people (2 Kings 24:20; Jeremiah 7:14). In 586 BC Babylon razed Jerusalem and carried Judah away, literally fulfilling these words. • “From My presence” is devastating. The temple symbolized God dwelling among His people (1 Kings 8:10–11). To be cast “out of My sight” (Jeremiah 7:15) meant losing the protective covering of His nearness. • Yet even in judgment God kept His covenant purposes alive. In the same chapter He promises, “I will surely gather them from all the lands… and bring them back to this place” (Jeremiah 32:37). The removal is severe, but not final; God’s faithfulness shines behind the dark clouds of wrath. summary Jeremiah 32:31 records God’s verdict on Jerusalem: centuries of unrepentant sin provoked His holy anger, so He decreed the city’s removal from His presence. The fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile prove the seriousness of covenant disobedience and the reliability of God’s word. Yet even this judgment fits within His larger redemptive plan, for the same chapter promises restoration, showing that divine wrath and mercy operate together to uphold His righteous character and His gracious purposes. |
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