jeremiah 1 C ORIN THIANS 1 1 : 2 5 Exile and Promise

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1 LESSON 11 jeremiah Exile and Promise To understand that God spoke through Jeremiah to tell of the coming judgment on Judah because of apostasy, idolatry, and rebellion. The word of judgment, however, is accompanied with a promise of hope in a new covenant for the future. Jeremiah provides us invaluable insight into God s unrelenting commitment to judge sin and justify sinners through the work of Jesus and the provisions of the new covenant. That students understand God punishes His people s sin and rebellion, but promises a new covenant characterized by forgiveness, relationship, and transformation. Background Passage: scripture Passage: Memory Verse: JEREMIAH 3 1 JEREM IAH 3 1 : C ORIN THIANS 1 1 : 2 5 The Lord says a day is coming when He will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah. The new covenant will be distinguished by God s teachings being written on the hearts of His people. There will be no need for teachers to intervene, for all will know the Lord. Absolute forgiveness of sin will be a chief characteristic of the new covenant. In the same way, after supper page 83 He also took the cup and said, This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. jeremiah

2 PREPARING TO TEACH After the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 B.C. the Southern Kingdom of Judah survived temporarily under the leadership of David s lineage of kings. Though there were periods of revival under kings like Hezekiah and Josiah, the trajectory was downward as Judah fell into the same idolatrous rebellion as Israel. Jeremiah began his ministry in the final years of the pre-exilic monarchy, warning of the exile to come. True to his prophetic word, Judah fell to Babylon in 586 B.C.; the walls and temple were completely destroyed and most inhabitants carted away from their homeland. It was under these circumstances that the weeping prophet Jeremiah declared his prophetic words of judgment and eventual restoration and return. Carefully study Lesson 11 in the Venture In Travelogue, keeping in mind how Jeremiah s ministry fits into the fourfold plotline of God s Unfolding Story. Many believers know and love the promise of a hopeful future in Jeremiah 29:11 but are unaware of the magnificent promises of restoration in Jeremiah 31. Read this background passage joyfully, underlining promises most meaningful to you. Read the focal passage of Jeremiah 31:31-34 slowly several times, listing words and phrases that stand out to you. Drawing from that list, determine reasons God s new covenant is far superior to the old. Write New and Improved on a poster or create a display of products claiming to be new and improved (Google provides numerous new and improved images). Pray the Holy Spirit will astound learners with the enormity of God s love, mercy, and grace provided in His new covenant, and lead them to further commit themselves to a transforming relationship with Christ. HEART DRIFT, SEVERE MERCY, AND BIG GRACE Greet adults as they arrive and draw their attention to the New and Improved poster or display. Brainstorm products that regularly come out with new and improved models. Ask: Can we always page 8 4 jeremiah

3 trust the hype promised with a new and improved label? Why? About how long before that new and improved product becomes old and needs to be renewed again? Explain God promised through the prophet Jeremiah to make a new and improved covenant so superior it will never need to be improved or updated. Use the Timeline (Travelogue, p. 140) and remarks on page 109 to establish the prophet Jeremiah s place in God s Unfolding Story. Teaching Option Some adults are unaware the Old Testament books aren t in chronological order. The ministries of the prophets (Isaiah Malachi) did not occur after the events in 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles but in conjunction with them. Adults may find it helpful to focus on their Timeline (Travelogue, p. 140) as you relate the following historical/ biblical information: Isaiah ministered around B.C. during the events written about in 2 Kings 15:32-20:21 and 2 Chronicles Jeremiah prophesied around B.C. during the reigns of the final kings of Judah. He experienced three Babylonian invasions and the total devastation of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. These kings and events are covered in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles Read the Travelogue paragraph beginning Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet (p. 109). God commissioned Jeremiah to reveal His intense longing for His people s hearts, and the severe mercy and grace He would exercise to bring them back from their wandering. Ask a volunteer to read Jeremiah 2:1-3a. Ask: What should the relationship between God and His people look like? (A loving marriage between husband and wife.) How does it make you feel to know that God is jealous for your heart and love (Travelogue, p. 110)? Read Jeremiah 2:5-8. Ask: What words best describe Judah s attitudes and actions as God s bride? God s people broke His heart by breaking His covenant with them. There was obviously a need for a new and improved covenant. page 8 5 jeremiah

4 Discover God s Painful Diagnosis and Humbling Invitation to His people by reading Jeremiah 2:13,19b. Explain Judah ignored God s invitation to repent and escape some of the dire consequences of their sin. When the nation passed the point of no return, Jeremiah s ministry transitioned from warnings to preparation for the coming hardships with the Babylonian invasions and 70-year exile. Ask: Why would God allow something so devastating to happen to His beloved people? Read from the Travelogue (p. 113): There s nothing idle about God s idol warnings. He will have our hearts, and God will discipline His sons and daughters with severe mercy, if necessary. Remind adults the Bible s fourfold plotline reveals the unfolding story of God working redemption and restoration for His fallen people. Every prophet, no matter how dire their words of judgment, also delivered hopeful words promising restoration and return. Invite a volunteer to read Jeremiah 29: THE GREATNESS OF THE NEW COVENANT The Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced great hardships due to their sin, but judgment was not God s last word. Jeremiah relate God s plan to bring His people home, reunify them into one nation, rebuild the land, and restore their joy. This lesson s focal passage declares all this will be accomplished through a new and vastly improved covenant. THE OLD COVENANT ANTICIPATES THE NEW COVENANT Invite a volunteer to read Jeremiah 31: Organize the class into several teams. Request each team read this section (Travelogue, pp ) and identify the old covenant s basis, problem, and purpose. After a few moments, invite teams to share what they discovered. Explain the problem wasn t the old covenant s content or Creator, but unfaithful people who were completely powerless to keep its laws. Humanity s inability to keep God s righteous laws pointed to the need for a Savior to forgive sins and transform man s inner nature. page 8 6 jeremiah

5 Explore how Jesus fulfills the provisions and promises of the new covenant (Travelogue, p ). Remind learners from Isaiah 53 (Lesson 10) that the punishment that brought us peace was laid on Jesus. Determine how Jesus endured a far greater exile than the Babylonian captivity God used to punish Judah. Read from the Travelogue (p. 115): Through our union with Christ, we have already experienced exile for our sins and restoration to intimacy with God. THE BLESSINGS OF THE NEW COVENANT A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAW Assert the blessings associated with being in a relationship with God through this new and improved covenant are astounding. Invite someone to read Jeremiah 31:33a. Ask what blessing is identified in that verse. Evaluate what makes this new covenant so superior to the old one. Consider how the new covenant will empower people to keep God s laws. Invite someone to read the Travelogue paragraph (p. 116) beginning: Through the gospel, God replaces this sinful heart. A NEW INTIMACY WITH GOD Request adults turn to people seated next to them and read Jeremiah 31:33b to one another. Ask: How do you feel when you introduce someone as my spouse, my child, or my best friend? How do you feel when someone introduces you that way? What does it mean to you that God calls you My people? How is that an amazing benefit of His new covenant? Have adults identify more blessings of the new covenant from Jeremiah 31:34a. Point out the old covenant helped people know the requirements of holy God; the new and improved covenant gives people the privilege of knowing God intimately in a loving relationship. Ask: Does this mean there shouldn t be preachers and teachers in the church? What does it mean? The Bible makes clear the Spirit gifts some believers with the special ability to teach page 8 7 jeremiah

6 God s people, but under the new covenant the Spirit lives inside every follower of Christ and teaches them all things (John 14:26). Teaching Option Display a picture of a stop light. Evaluate how the old covenant was like a red light. (outer pressure to stop bad behavior) Analyze how the new covenant is like a green light. (works inner transformation that frees us to go go live, go love, go enjoy God s promise, go bless others with the blessings God has given us.) A NEW EXPERIENCE OF GRACE Ask adults to follow along and circle the word or phrase that most stands out to them as you read Jeremiah 31:34b. Invite volunteers to identify what they circled and explain what it says to them about why the new covenant is far superior to the old one. Ask what phrases most people associate with the Ten Commandments (Thou shalt, Thou shalt not). Direct adults to underline the phrase God repeated several times in Jeremiah 31:31-34 (I will). Evaluate how the I will phrases guarantee the success of the new covenant. Declare this new covenant cannot be broken because it is not based on what we do, but on what God has done for us in Christ. In this new covenant, God promises a remedy that does more than just cover sins temporarily like animal sacrifices did under the old covenant; He promises to clean believers permanently through Christ s once-and-for-all sacrifice. AN INTENSE LONGING FOR COMPLETION Declare Jesus very well knew He was the One to pay the great price to establish this new covenant that offers such incredible blessings. Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, pointing out verse 25 is this lesson s memory verse. Ask: Why should our celebrations of the Lord s Supper be more like a wedding than a funeral? Declare: We have all committed adultery against God and broken our wedding covenant with Him. But instead of casting us away and finding someone new to page 8 8 jeremiah

7 love, Jesus took the judgment His bride deserved that He might have and hold us forever (Travelogue, p. 117). CONCLUSION Ask: What provisions of the new covenant are most precious to you (Travelogue, p. 117)? How has this study of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah made Jesus more precious to you? How will your celebration of the Lord s Supper be more meaningful as a result of this study? Close with prayer. FOLLOW THROUGH It is no easy task to see a 13-week study through to the end. As you communicate with learners this week to encourage them to study Lesson 12 and memorize 1 Corinthians 11:25, commend them for their faithfulness to this study of God s Unfolding Story. Your class may (probably will) have adults who are hurting from the pain of broken marriages. Prayerfully seek ways to love and encourage them. page 8 9 jeremiah