Podcast Summary

Podcast: Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry
Host: Crossway
Episode: October 27 – Jeremiah 15–17; Psalm 107:23–43; Romans 9–11
Date: October 27, 2025

Overview

This episode continues the year-long journey through the ESV Bible, featuring daily readings from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 15–17), Psalms (Psalm 107:23–43), and the New Testament (Romans 9–11). The readings convey themes of judgment and hope, the consequences of idolatry, the nature of faith and righteousness, and the mysterious interplay of God’s sovereignty, mercy, and justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jeremiah 15–17: Judgment and Restoration

• God’s Severe Response to Israel’s Sin (00:04–05:51):

  • The Lord declares unrelenting judgment, saying, “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.” (00:04)
  • God details their punishment—pestilence, sword, famine, captivity—because of persistent rebellion and idolatry.
  • Notably, God’s mercy has limits in the face of constant refusal to repent: “I am weary of relenting.” (02:00)

• Jeremiah’s Lament and God’s Assurance (03:45–04:50):

  • Jeremiah mourns his role: “Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land...” (03:45)
  • God reassures him: “If you return, I will restore you...I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze...they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you.” (04:54)

• Idolatry and Its Consequences (05:47–07:42):

  • The Lord uncovers Judah’s deep-seated sin: “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron...on the tablet of their heart...” (05:47)
  • Trusting people or self rather than God is condemned: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man...Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord...” (07:09)

• Famous Passages:

  • “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (07:30)
  • Sabbath-keeping is a test of obedience with promises of restoration for listening and warnings of destruction for rebellion (08:53–10:19).

2. Psalm 107:23–43: God’s Deliverance and Sovereignty

• Story of God’s Power Over Creation (10:19–11:06):

  • Those at sea witness God’s “wondrous works in the deep,” are terrified by storms, and in their distress cry to the Lord, who “delivered them from their distress...made the storm be still.” (10:19–11:06)
  • The proper response: “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works,” calling on communal gratitude and worship. (11:06)

• Reversal of Circumstances (11:08–11:48):

  • God turns blessing to desolation and desolation to blessing “because of the evil of its inhabitants,” and then “lets the hungry dwell” and “raises up the needy out of affliction.” (11:08–11:48)
  • Summary wisdom: “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.” (11:48)

3. Romans 9–11: God’s Sovereign Election, Mercy, and Israel

• Paul’s Grief and God’s Purpose in Election (12:28–13:35):

  • Paul’s anguish for Israel: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart...For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers...” (12:28)
  • God’s election explained with examples of Isaac and Jacob: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” (13:26)
  • Divine sovereignty underscored: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (13:41)

• The Potter and the Clay (14:02):

  • “Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay...?” (14:02)
  • God’s prerogative in showing mercy or judgment; inclusion of Gentiles as “vessels of mercy.” (14:22)

• Faith, Righteousness, and Gentile Inclusion (15:00–16:00):

  • God’s plan includes salvation for Gentiles: “I will call those who were not my people, ‘my people’...there they will be called sons of the living God.” (15:32)
  • “Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it...by faith...But Israel...did not succeed...because they did not pursue it by faith.” (16:00)

• Salvation through Faith (16:35–17:15):

  • The centrality of faith and confession: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (16:55)
  • Salvation open to all: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (17:15)

• Israel’s Unbelief and Future Hope (17:19–20:40):

  • Despite Israel’s current unbelief, Paul insists God is not done with them: “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” (17:23)
  • Analogy of the olive tree—Gentile believers are grafted in, but shouldn’t be arrogant, for God can graft the natural branches back: (19:02)
    • “Do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.” (19:25)
  • The “kindness and severity of God”—both discipline and promise of restoration. (20:00)

• The Mystery and Praise (20:40–end):

  • The promise of salvation for “all Israel” after the “fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (20:45)
  • Doxology: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and how inscrutable his ways!” (21:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Deceitfulness of the Human Heart:
  “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, 07:30)

• On the Power of Faith:
  “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, 16:55)

• On God’s Sovereignty:
  “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Romans 9:15, 13:41)

• On Inclusion Through Faith:
  “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” (Romans 10:12, 17:08)

• On Divine Mystery:
  “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33, 21:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jeremiah 15–17 (Judgment/Lament/Restoration): 00:04–10:19
• Psalm 107:23–43 (God’s Deliverance): 10:19–12:28
• Romans 9–11 (Election, Faith, Israel, Mercy): 12:28–end
  • Paul's Grief for Israel & God's Election: 12:28–14:02
  • Potter & Clay. Gentiles Grafted In: 14:02–19:25
  • Salvation for All, The Olive Tree: 16:55–19:25
  • Promise to Israel & Final Doxology: 20:40–end

Tone

Reflective, sober, and reverent, matching the gravity of the scriptural passages. There is a strong sense of both warning and hope—judgment for those who persist in rebellion, but astounding mercy available through faith and repentance, open to all.

This episode offers a clear thread that weaves together human frailty, divine sovereignty, accountability, and grace. The juxtaposition of judgment with the promise of restoration—culminating in the open invitation to all who call on the name of the Lord—makes these readings both challenging and deeply hopeful.