Jeremiah 34:8-22
Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. – Jeremiah 34:17
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In this passage, we see a rather ironic situation: King Zedekiah of Judah and the people initially made a covenant to obey God’s law by releasing their fellow Hebrew slaves and granting them freedom. This was clearly commanded by God in Leviticus 25—that every Jubilee year, slaves were to be set free, land was to be returned, and no one was to oppress their fellow Israelites. But later, they went back on their word. They took back the slaves they had released and forced them into bondage again.
This act of “obeying first, then regretting it” greatly angered the Lord. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God declared, “You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbour; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.” (Jeremiah 34:17)
This passage pierces our hearts like a sword. We often talk about showing mercy, being kind to one another, and loving each other. But the moment our interests are threatened, our attitudes shift quickly. We say we forgive, but when someone offends us again, we quietly “take them back as slaves”—no longer giving them a chance, no longer willing to truly accept them.
In Leviticus 25, God established the Jubilee as a very unique practice: every fifty years, not only was land returned and slaves freed, but the whole society was to “return” and be reset to its original order. Why? Because God reminded the people: the land belongs to Him, and the people are those whom He has redeemed (Leviticus 25:23, 55).
This idea of “return” is in fact a picture of the gospel. Each of us was once a slave to sin, bound by our sinful nature, unable to truly live in freedom. But Jesus paid the price for us on the cross, fulfilling an eternal Jubilee. He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, where we can experience true freedom (Colossians 1:13).
Jeremiah 34 reveals a hard truth: even when people know God’s will, we often fail to live it out. We say we want to “set others free,” but we don’t have the strength to love and forgive the way God calls us to. Even when we make covenants, we often break them.
But Jesus is different. The new covenant He established is sealed with His own blood. It is unshakable and never reversed. His redemption doesn’t just forgive our sins—it frees us from the power of sin and restores our identity as children of God.
In today’s society, we may no longer have literal slaves, but we often “enslave” others with our emotions, biases, personal interests, or need for control. We may tell someone, “I forgive you,” but inwardly lock them in a prison of resentment. Or we tell ourselves, “I am free now,” while still bound by past wounds, failures, and shame.
True freedom is the new life we receive in Christ. We are no longer defined by our past, and we no longer relate to others through control or fear.
Dear brothers and sisters, is there anyone you once “set free,” only to take them back as a slave in your heart? Are there invisible chains still holding you back, keeping you from living in the freedom God has given you?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for me. By Your blood, You established a new covenant and set me free from the power of sin. Please forgive me—for saying I forgive with my mouth, while holding on to bitterness in my heart; for claiming to let go, while still trying to control. Help me to find true freedom again in Your grace. Give me the courage to love and release others according to Your will, and not turn back to enslave them again. May I live in the rhythm of Your true Jubilee—at peace with others, and close to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Click to readSV
In this passage, we see a rather ironic situation: King Zedekiah of Judah and the people initially made a covenant to obey God’s law by releasing their fellow Hebrew slaves and granting them freedom. This was clearly commanded by God in Leviticus 25—that every Jubilee year, slaves were to be set free, land was to be returned, and no one was to oppress their fellow Israelites. But later, they went back on their word. They took back the slaves they had released and forced them into bondage again.
This act of “obeying first, then regretting it” greatly angered the Lord. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God declared, “You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbour; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.” (Jeremiah 34:17)
This passage pierces our hearts like a sword. We often talk about showing mercy, being kind to one another, and loving each other. But the moment our interests are threatened, our attitudes shift quickly. We say we forgive, but when someone offends us again, we quietly “take them back as slaves”—no longer giving them a chance, no longer willing to truly accept them.
In Leviticus 25, God established the Jubilee as a very unique practice: every fifty years, not only was land returned and slaves freed, but the whole society was to “return” and be reset to its original order. Why? Because God reminded the people: the land belongs to Him, and the people are those whom He has redeemed (Leviticus 25:23, 55).
This idea of “return” is in fact a picture of the gospel. Each of us was once a slave to sin, bound by our sinful nature, unable to truly live in freedom. But Jesus paid the price for us on the cross, fulfilling an eternal Jubilee. He rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, where we can experience true freedom (Colossians 1:13).
Jeremiah 34 reveals a hard truth: even when people know God’s will, we often fail to live it out. We say we want to “set others free,” but we don’t have the strength to love and forgive the way God calls us to. Even when we make covenants, we often break them.
But Jesus is different. The new covenant He established is sealed with His own blood. It is unshakable and never reversed. His redemption doesn’t just forgive our sins—it frees us from the power of sin and restores our identity as children of God.
In today’s society, we may no longer have literal slaves, but we often “enslave” others with our emotions, biases, personal interests, or need for control. We may tell someone, “I forgive you,” but inwardly lock them in a prison of resentment. Or we tell ourselves, “I am free now,” while still bound by past wounds, failures, and shame.
True freedom is the new life we receive in Christ. We are no longer defined by our past, and we no longer relate to others through control or fear.
Dear brothers and sisters, is there anyone you once “set free,” only to take them back as a slave in your heart? Are there invisible chains still holding you back, keeping you from living in the freedom God has given you?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for me. By Your blood, You established a new covenant and set me free from the power of sin. Please forgive me—for saying I forgive with my mouth, while holding on to bitterness in my heart; for claiming to let go, while still trying to control. Help me to find true freedom again in Your grace. Give me the courage to love and release others according to Your will, and not turn back to enslave them again. May I live in the rhythm of Your true Jubilee—at peace with others, and close to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.