SUMMARY
The key question in these verses is, whom or what should you trust? For JeremiahProphet who condemned Judah's infidelity to God, warned of Babylonian conquest, and promised a new covenant. More, there is only one answer: Yhwh alone should be trusted above all else, even one’s own heart.
ANALYSIS
Using the categories of blessingBlessing is the asking for or the giving of God's favor. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau. At the Last Supper Jesus offered a blessing over bread and wine. To be blessed is to be favored by God. More and curse, this poem contrasts a life rooted in trust in Yhwh with one grounded in misplaced trust—especially in human strength or the human heart. The message is clear: human beings cannot be trusted. Their strength will falter, and their hearts will lead them astray.
Trust shapes the very quality of life. Misplaced trust leads to diminishment, while trust in Yhwh yields flourishing. Echoing the imagery of PsalmA psalm is a song of praise. In the Old Testament 150 psalms comprise the psalter, although some of the psalms are laments and thanksgivings. In the New Testament early Christians gathered to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. More 1, the poem contrasts two lives through the metaphor of desert plants. Those who rely on human strength are “cursed”—cut off from water, withering in isolation. In contrast, those who trust in Yhwh are “blessed”—planted by streams, fearless in drought, and ever fruitful.
