1. A yoke for the nations (1-11)

The Lord commanded Jeremiah to teach God's word in a vivid manner. He was to make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on his own neck. Then, wearing the yoke, he was to speak to the envoys of Judah's neighboring nations and tell them that I) God is their Sovereign Owner and Ruler; ii) God was handing them all over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; iii) in order to survive, they must submit to the yoke of Babylon until the Lord removed it.

2. Remain in exile until God restores (12-22)

The message to Judah was the same: They must submit to and serve the king of Babylon, then they would live. They would be taken into Babylonian captivity and they must remain there until the Lord brought them home. This message sounded like treason, but it was God's message to the peoples and it was the only way of survival. God wanted to bring his people to repentance.

Application: Lord, help me to acknowledge your sovereignty in every area of my life. Help me to speak your word faithfully, even though it is unpopular.
One Word: God owns the world