“That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 11:5 Mean?
God reminds Jeremiah of the oath's purpose: to fulfill the promise made to the patriarchs — a land flowing with milk and honey. The ancient promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is still the operational goal. Everything God does — including the painful discipline of exile — serves the original covenant commitment.
Jeremiah's response — "So be it, O LORD" (Amen, YHWH) — is one of the most simple and profound prayers in the prophetic literature. Two words. Complete agreement. Total submission. Jeremiah doesn't negotiate the terms or question the method. He says amen.
The Hebrew "Amen" means "truly, so be it, let it be established." When Jeremiah says amen to God's oath, he's personally ratifying the covenant. He's not just receiving information — he's participating in the agreement. His amen adds his voice to the centuries of people who have affirmed this same promise.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What is God saying to you that needs a simple 'amen' rather than a negotiation?
- 2.How does Jeremiah's two-word response model the kind of faith you want?
- 3.What promise of God are you personally ratifying — adding your voice to the chain of believers who have said 'so be it'?
- 4.Where do you overcomplicate your response to God when simplicity would serve better?
Devotional
"So be it, O LORD." Amen. Two words from Jeremiah that carry the weight of entire centuries of covenant history. God says he's fulfilling the oath made to the fathers. Jeremiah says: amen. I agree. Let it be.
The simplicity of Jeremiah's response is its power. He could have questioned (why is fulfillment taking so long?), qualified (but what about the suffering along the way?), or negotiated (can we adjust the terms?). Instead: amen. So be it. The shortest possible prayer that still says everything.
The land of milk and honey — that promise goes all the way back to Abraham. Centuries of waiting, wandering, partial fulfillment, exile, and return. And God is still working on it. The oath hasn't expired. The promise hasn't been revoked. The land is still the destination, and God is still committed to getting his people there.
Jeremiah's amen is an act of faith that joins his voice to Abraham's belief, to Moses' obedience, to Joshua's courage. Every generation that says amen to God's promise adds a link to the chain. You're part of that chain. Your amen — your agreement with God's purposes, your submission to his methods, your trust in his timing — connects you to the same oath Jeremiah ratified.
What is God saying to you that needs a simple amen? Not a debate. Not a counter-proposal. Just: so be it, LORD. Let your word be established.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then the Lord said unto me,.... Again; for this is a repetition of the above order:
proclaim all these words in the…
As it is this day - God had kept the terms of the covenant. Whether the promised land would permanently remain the…
The prophet here, as prosecutor in God's name, draws up an indictment against the Jews for wilful disobedience to the…
your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as ancestors of those who entered upon the enjoyment of the land.
flowing with…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture