Why is a cry of panic heard?

Following the introduction to the Book of Consolation in Jeremiah 30:1–3, the sentence in Jeremiah 30:4, These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah, serves as a title for the writings that the Lord instructed Jeremiah to write down in Jeremiah 30:2. The fact that the words, Thus says the Lord, are repeated in Jeremiah 30:5 probably shows that what follows are different messages and sermons from different times in his ministry that Jeremiah has brought together to address the topic of restoration.¹ The words in Jeremiah 30:2 are spoken to Jeremiah, but all the written words that follow are addressed to the people. These are also the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah, and so it is clear that the message of restoration speaks of a united Israel that includes both the northern tribes of Israel and Judah in the south.²

The promise of restoration begins with a reminder of the desperate situation the Lord’s people are in. We have heard a cry of panic, of terror and no peace. In Jeremiah 30:5–7, it seems Jeremiah is given a vision in which the people hear cries of panic and fear as the nation faces great danger. Instead of peace, shalom, there is war.³ Judgment in the form of the Babylonian invasion is coming to Judah.