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How did Jeremiah respond to the Deuteronomic reforms of King Josiah?

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Painting by Rembrandt van Rijn showing Jeremiah sitting in a dimly lit cave, head resting on his hand in sorrow, with Jerusalem burning in the background. — Jeremiah *Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem*, oil on panel by Rembrandt, 1630: in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Jeremiah was a hesitant reforming prophet who may have been instrumental in the Deuteronomic reform instituted by King Josiah. While he supported the movement toward religious renewal, he viewed the Josianic era as merely an interlude in Israel’s long history of guilt and apostasy.12

Rather than focusing solely on the external cultic reforms, Jeremiah emphasized a shift toward individual religious responsibility. He famously envisioned a future where God would establish a new covenant, stating: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people". This internal transformation was central to his prophetic message, contrasting with the state-sponsored efforts to centralize worship in the Jerusalem Temple.12