Why does the Lord tell Jeremiah to “Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you”?

The first three verses of Jeremiah 30:1–24 serve as an introduction to the next section in the book which runs fromJeremiah 30:1–33:26. The section opens with the Lord instructing Jeremiah to Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. The next verse (Jeremiah 30:3) makes it clear that all the words I have spoken to you refers to words of restoration. So, the Lord is not calling on Jeremiah to write down messages from his whole ministry, but to bring together all the messages of restoration that Jeremiah has received at different times in his ministry in a way that was relevant to the situation Judah now faced under Zedekiah.¹ Jeremiah’s message has been mainly one of judgment, but there have been messages of hope earlier in the book (Jeremiah 3:14–18; Jeremiah 16:14–15; Jeremiah 23:3–8;Jeremiah 24:4–7; Jeremiah 29:10–14, Jeremiah 29:32). Normally prophets would deliver their messages by speaking, but the fact that Jeremiah is told to write his words down suggests that he is not able to speak his words publicly. We learn in Jeremiah 32:1–2 andJeremiah 33:1 that Jeremiah is being held under arrest by king Zedekiah. Baruch is able to visit him and is therefore probably able to distribute Jeremiah’s written message, much like he did at an earlier occasion which is recorded in Jeremiah 36:1–32.² Writing down this message of restoration in the Book of Consolation also serves as a sign of the Lord’s commitment to restore both Israel and Judah to the land. The fact that the message is written down means that the primary audience is the people who will shortly find themselves in exile after the Babylonian invasion. In written form, the Lord’s word of promised restoration is able to go where theprophet cannot go. It is clear that the Lord continues to speak to his people through the written words of his prophet and that, how his people respond to this word is a matter of life and death. To read and believe the message of the Book of Consolation is to believe that the Lord has renewed his promise of giving his people the land where they will find rest and prosperity. They must respond by waiting for the Lord and trusting in his goodness and faithfulness. These words will keep them ready as they wait for the Lord to fulfill his promise. The grace and love by which the Lord first drew Israel into covenant and the faithfulness that maintained it for so many generations, are still present in all their power (Jeremiah 30:18;Jeremiah 31:2–3,Jeremiah 31:9,Jeremiah 31:20,Jeremiah 31:35–37).³

For the reasons mentioned above, this section of Jeremiah 30:1–33:26 is commonly known by commentators as the Book of Consolation. It has two main parts. The first part is in Jeremiah 30:1–24 and Jeremiah 31:1–40 and is made up of a collection of Jeremiah’s sermons in which the Lord promises restoration to both Israel and Judah. The high pint of these chapters is the promise of a new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31–34. In the second part of the Book of Consolation, in Jeremiah 32:1–33:26, the Lord tells Jeremiah to purchase a piece of land in Judah and this is explained as a sign of the Lord’s commitment to reverse the fortunes of his people despite the judgment that is coming.