There are four “until” statements in this chapter.

The people rebelled and did not turn to the Lord “until the wrath of the Lord rose against the people.”

They refused to heed the warnings sent repeatedly out of compassion “until there was no remedy.”

God’s justice had to be carried out. God’s holiness had to remain intact. God’s compassion never fails. His compassion didn’t fail Israel. He never stopped showing compassion. But they made their choice, and in the end, He must honor it and let them have the thing they were unwittingly seeking after by going after other gods and turning their backs on God’s law.

Jeremiah will tell the people to settle down in Babylon, to build homes. It was going to be a while. But the remnant was not abandoned. God’s love doesn’t fail. He never stops loving Israel and in His great compassion and mercy, He doesn’t consume them or forsake them.

He sets a future time. Their deliverance was in place before they set foot in Babylon.

They were going to serve the kings of Babylon “until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia.”

They were going to be there “until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths.”

The land was going to keep Sabbath for seventy years.

They won’t have to deliver themselves. They won’t have to rebel and rise up. The Lord will arrange their return. It’s all in place. He didn’t turn them over to the people of the land without having a rescue already planned.

His compassions fail not.