ThePivotalMomentsintheOldTestamentserieshelpsreadersseeScripturewithneweyes,highlightingshort,keytexts--pivotalmoments--thatshiftourexpectationsandinviteustoturntowardanotherrealitytransformedbyGod’spurposesandaction.ThebookofJeremiahtellsthestoryofapropheticmissionthatseemsdoomedtofail.GodinstructsJeremiahtocalltoaccountapeoplewhorefusetoturnfromtheirunfaithfulnessuntilitistoolate,andtheyencounterdestructionatthehandsoftheBabylonians.Yetunderlyingthethemesofwarningandjudgmentisasteadyrefrain:God’sdesiretodrawGod’speoplebackintocovenant,evenwhenthingsseempastthepointofnoreturn.WhatlessonscancontemporaryreadersdrawfromthenarrativeofastubbornpeoplewhoclingtotheirexploitativewaysandaGodwho,evenso,relentlesslypursuesthem?InReturningfromtheAbyss,WalterBrueggemannexploresthehistoricalandliterarycontextofthebookofJeremiahtoilluminatethedualthemesofIsrael’slongwalkinto,andoutof,thetraumaanddevastationofexile.Throughout,Brueggemannpointsouttheroleoftheprophetinoverturningapeople’sillusorysenseofsecurityinunjuststructuresthatarenotofGodandleadingthosesamepeopletowardthehopeofrestorationandreturn.Healsohighlightsthepersistentthemesofempire,self-sufficiency,andwithholdingfromneighborthatinformthenarrativesofbothIsraeland“Americanexceptionalism“andexamineshowtheholinessofGodisatworkinuntamedhistoricalprocessesthatpointustowardacostlyhopeforajusteconomicandpoliticalfuture.
