The reason for the failure of the Deuteronomic reformation was to be found not in the character of the laws but rather in the motives that were dominant in the lives of the people. The prophet's conception of human nature is well expressed in his statement "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." Humans are so constituted that they follow their desires rather than their intellect; for this reason, they cannot change their evil ways until they experience a change of heart. Furthermore, Jeremiah contended that humans cannot change their nature by themselves. Such reform can occur only through cooperation with Yahweh, and Yahweh can act on human hearts only when humans recognize their need for it. Without this inner transformation in human nature, all reformative movements are destined to fail.
After leaving his hometown of Anathoth to live in the city of Jerusalem, Jeremiah experienced continual opposition from both political and religious leaders of Judah. The occasion that prompted some of this opposition was an address — or perhaps a series of addresses — concerning the Temple and the services that were being conducted in it. Because of the formal character of these services and their failure to change the spiritual lives of the people, Jeremiah saw that something very drastic would have to be done in order to bring people to their senses. People were putting their trust in the Temple, feeling certain that so long as it remained in their midst, no evil could befall them. For people to understand that the true meaning of religion consists in a change from within rather than conformity to external requirements, Jeremiah felt that it was necessary to undermine the trust that people placed in external objects. Therefore, the prophet declared that the day was coming when the Temple would be destroyed. The ark of the covenant would be taken away, and the nation that called itself the chosen of Yahweh would be taken into captivity. These statements aroused the anger of the priests and King Jehoiakim.
