One of the reasons that Jeremiah is such a depressing read is that God's mind about judgment for His people is made up. This is not a prophetic book urging, persuading, and cajoling the Lord's people to get back to following the covenant before it is too late. This is an announcement of the punishment that is already decreed and is surely coming upon them, and there is nothing they can do at this late date to escape their fate. The nation is past the point of no return.
"Then the Lord said to me: Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!" (vs. 1) The fault does not lie with Jeremiah, as if a better prophet could have interceded with God on the nation's behalf. God remarks that even Moses and Samuel together would be ineffective advocates for the people. (Thank God that we have as our Mediator Jesus, the Son of God!)
The die is cast, and the people are now destined for judgment. The Lord speaks to and through Jeremiah, "And when they say to you, 'Where shall we go?' you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Those destined for pestilence, to pestilence, and those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine, and those destined for captivity, to captivity" (vs. 2). This is the lot of Judah now: pestilence, sword, famine, and captivity. It is an ugly state of affairs.
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