BIBLE SURVEY JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS

Transcription

1 BIBLE SURVEY JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicised edition) Copyright 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. NIV is a registered trademark of Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). UK trademark number Preface It is with gratitude to God that we have been able to put the study notes produced by Philip Parsons on Jeremiah and Lamentations into book form. Philip has given us his invaluable help in his survey of the books of the Old Testament. Jeremiah and Lamentations are closely linked together as you will discover, set in the period surrounding the exile of Judah in Babylon. They describe a very dark period in the history of God s people as they reaped the fruit of generations of ungodly living. But it would be quite wrong to assume that these books only contain doom and gloom. In fact there are many wonderful passages where the light of God s grace shines through all the more Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 2 brightly because of the dark surroundings. In particular is Jeremiah s pronouncement of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31) which was inaugurated by the Lord Jesus Christ through his blood that was shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; see also Hebrews 8:8-10). There are many other themes woven throughout these two portions of Scripture including the holiness and righteousness of God, his longsuffering and his awesome ability to act in judgement when required. As you read this short booklet we trust it will help you in your understanding of the contents of Jeremiah and Lamentations, and also encourage you to preach from them in coming days. Derek French June 2012 Chapter 1: Bible Survey - Jeremiah and Lamentations 1. Introduction The book of Jeremiah, the second of the so-called Major Prophets, is placed after Isaiah, because chronologically Jeremiah follows some 50 or so years after Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet who foretold the judgements of God upon Israel and the other nations well in advance of them happening. Jeremiah, on the other hand, actually lived through that period of judgement. Isaiah's ministry ended

2 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 3 around 680 BC, when he would have been quite an old man. Jeremiah did not begin his ministry until 626 BC, some 54 years later, and he prophesied for more than 40 years until after 586 BC when Jerusalem was sacked by Nebuchadnezzar and the final phase of the deportation of the nation to Babylon took place. Jeremiah's ministry was immediately preceded by the prophet Zephaniah. Habakkuk and Obadiah were possibly his contemporaries. He would also have known Ezekiel, who was exiled to Babylon during the second phase of deportation and began his ministry there in 593 BC. The godly young man Daniel would also have been a receptive hearer of the prophet's message. As Jeremiah is a prophet who gives us a great deal of biographical detail about himself, there is no real dispute that he was the author of the book and that he dictated the prophecy to Baruch the scribe. 2. Historical and Biographical Background Isaiah lived in times when Assyria was the world power. By the time Jeremiah appeared, things had changed. In 627 BC, the last of Assyria's great rulers, Ashurbanipal, died. This was one year before Jeremiah's call. Some 15 years later (612), Nineveh fell to a coalition of Babylonians and Medes. So Isaiah's prophecy of judgement upon Assyria came true. Pharaoh Neco marched northward to come to Assyria's aid. Tragically, King Josiah, one of Judah's best kings, made the fateful mistake of opposing the Egyptians and was himself killed on the field of battle in 609 BC (2 Chron 35:24,25). How Jeremiah must have mourned the loss of such a kindred spirit as Josiah! In 605 BC the Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 4 Egyptians and Babylonians met at Carchemish on the Euphrates in Southern Turkey, and the Egyptian army was crushed. The result of that battle marked the beginning of the terminal decline of the kingdom of the Pharaohs, which had been a world power for nearly 2500 years. During the next 1000 years, four empires would dominate the civilized world: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome as depicted in Nebuchadnezzar's vision in Daniel 2. Following Josiah's death, a very much more hostile regime arose in Judah. Although these last Judean kings were in power, they were all rulers who were under the heel of a foreign power, initially Egypt and then Babylon. The first of these rulers, Josiah's son Jehoahaz, reigned for a mere 3 months before being replaced by his brother Jehoiachim. Both were hostile to Jeremiah, with Jehoiachim burning part of God's word (36:21-23). The destroyed parchment was replaced with additions, so Jeremiah had to rewrite the second version of his book during a period of persecution and deprivation, and this may account for its apparently random chronology. In 606 BC, Nebuchadnezzar first besieged Jerusalem, and Daniel and his 3 friends were carried off to Babylon. Jehoiachim was allowed to remain as king, but later rebelled, and Nebuchadnezzar came again to Jerusalem (598-7) and Jehoiachim was heard of no more. His son Jehoiachin reigned for only 3 months and was then carried away captive to Babylon, an event which Jeremiah had foretold (22:24-30). Many of the nobility were also

3 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 5 deported at this time and some of the vessels from the temple were taken (27:16-22). Judah's final king, Zedekiah, ruled for 11 years as a vassal to Babylon, but he too rebelled and was captured by the Babylonians while attempting to escape from Jerusalem in 586 BC. Jerusalem was sacked, the temple destroyed and the remaining vessels and furnishings were taken to Babylon. The Babylonians then appointed Gedaliah as Governor of Judah, but he was very soon assassinated. Fearing reprisals, some of the leaders of the nation escaped to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them. He was probably over 70 years old at the time and never returned to his homeland, but died in Egypt. 3. Jeremiah's Message (a) Warnings of Impending Judgement The judgements that had been predicted by former prophets, Isaiah etc., were now drawing much nearer. Only 3 years after Josiah's death, the Babylonians came against Judah and some of the people were captured and deported to Babylon. As mentioned previously, Daniel and his friends were among this group. The Babylonian campaign against Judah and Jerusalem is referred to in several places in the book as judgement from the north, for although Babylon is situated to the east of Israel, the Babylonian army attacked from the north of the country. Even at this late stage, deportation and destruction of the temple and the city was not inevitable if the people would repent. Several times the prophet appeals to the wayward nation to Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 6 return to the Lord. They will have to come under the rule of Babylon, but if they would repent then God would save the city of Jerusalem from destruction (7:3). Even when Nebuchadnezzar came against the city for the last time, Jeremiah urged the people to give themselves up to the Babylonians in order to avoid greater suffering and disaster (21:3-10). Jeremiah begins his message by rebuking the nation's unfaithfulness and spiritual adultery (2:1-4:4). They had prostituted themselves to other gods; they had forsaken the Lord and had preferred idols. They had exchanged their Glory for worthless idols (2:11). There had been an outward reformation under Josiah, but it was largely superficial (3:10). The prophet pleads with them to return to the Lord wholeheartedly, and points out the futility of relying on being called the people of God and having the temple of God situated among them (7:2-8). Not only were the people unfaithful to the Lord, but also many had become corrupt and evil in their dealings with each other (5:1,26-28; 7:9). One incident in particular seems to highlight their insincerity. In chapter 34 the king and his officials announced a general freeing of the slaves, but then afterwards broke their covenant and re-enslaved their fellow-countrymen. (b) Denouncing the False Prophets Alongside God's true prophets there were many false prophets. Jeremiah exposes these charlatans for what they are (23:9-40). One of the most notable features of these

4 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 7 lying prophets was that they almost always prophesied good when in fact only evil was to come upon the nation. They spoke of "peace, peace, when there is no peace" (6:14, 8:11). There is a striking similarity between these false prophets and their modern counterparts. Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 8 (d) Future Hope In the passages which speak of the nation's return, there are also references to the fuller blessings of the New Covenant, which will be ushered in by the appearance of God's Righteous Branch (23:5,6), the Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 28 Jeremiah denounces one particular false prophet, Hananiah, who had led the people astray with his lying predictions. Because of his violent opposition to Jeremiah, within a few months Hananiah was to forfeit his very life. (c) Israel's Restoration Although Jeremiah's message is predominantly one of judgement and destruction, it is not all like that. God is still the covenant-keeping God that he always has been, so although he is going to chastise the nation by carrying them away captive to Babylon, he will bring them back to their own land again. This strain of the message occurs throughout the book, but is given considerable treatment in 30:1-31:30 and in chapter 33. It is Jeremiah who tells the people that their captivity in Babylon will only last 70 years. This promise is most explicitly stated (chapter 29, see v10 in particular) in his letter to the exiles who were already living in Babylon. It is interesting at this point to note the kindness and mercy of God. He could have counted the 70 years from the sacking of Jerusalem in 586 BC, but the 70 years are counted from when the first group was sent into exile in 606 BC. In fulfilment of this prophecy, the first group of exiles was given permission to return, following Cyrus' decree (Ezra 1). The fullest description of the New Covenant yet to appear in the pages of Scripture, is given in chapter 31: The People's Response During the long and evil reign of Manasseh, the worship of many false gods had been established. The reformation under Josiah appeared to have been outwardly thorough enough, but many of the people were too wedded to their idols to give them up so easily. God tells them that their sin is engraved on their hearts as with an "iron tool" (17:1). Consequently, when Jeremiah began to prophesy the destruction of Jerusalem, his message was largely resented. In the face of the many false prophets who appeared and prophesied much more palatable things, God's true messenger was often accused of lying (e.g. 43:2). After Josiah's death, the prophet more often than not had to suffer persecution for preaching the message God had given him. He was imprisoned several times (32:2, 37:11-38:13), he was beaten and put in the stocks (20:1,2), he was threatened with death by an angry crowd (26:8), and was on one occasion thrown into a muddy pit, where he sank up to his armpits (38:1-13), until he was taken pity on by a foreigner.

5 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 9 5. The Prophet's Signs Like Isaiah, various aspects of the prophet's life form signs to illustrate his message to the people. (a) In chapter 13:1-11, Jeremiah is instructed to buy a linen belt, wear it for a time and then hide it in a crevice of a rock and retrieve it after many days. The belt of course was ruined, and God says that in like manner He is going to ruin the pride of Judah. (b) In chapter 19 the prophet buys a clay jar and then takes it to the place where they used to burn their children as a sacrifice. There he smashes the jar as a sign that God will smash the nation to pieces in that particular location. (c) In chapter 27:1-15 he wears a yoke to show that not only Judah, but also all the surrounding nations, must come under the yoke of Babylon. To submit to the yoke will prove to be better than resisting it. The false prophet Hananiah became so angry with Jeremiah that he took the yoke from Jeremiah's neck and broke it (28:10). (d) In chapter 32:1-15 Jeremiah buys a field outside Jerusalem while the city is actually under siege, to show that fields would once again be bought in Jerusalem after the return from exile. Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page Jeremiah's Sorrows The hostility of the latter Judean kings meant that much of Jeremiah's life was marked by persecution. This was in addition to his having to share in all the sufferings which the people by their sins had brought upon themselves. Though timid by nature, at his call he was promised unusual courage and strength, which with repeated reaffirmations of his commission made him fearless in the face of fierce opposition. He was so often characterized by anguish of spirit that he has rightly been called 'the weeping prophet'. He felt such anguish at one point that he even cursed the day of his birth (20:14) as Job had done many years earlier. Jeremiah was a sensitive soul who found the message of judgement upsetting and often expressed his grief in tears (4:19, 8:21-9:1). To any who have to suffer at all for Christ's sake, the book of Jeremiah will always be a great comfort. And in an age when the Church should be characterized, much more than it is, by weeping and fasting, Jeremiah is a standing rebuke to much of the arrogant and flippant self-centredness which often passes for Christianity today. Clearly he often turned his sorrow for the nation into prayer, for more than once God told him not to pray for the people (7:16, 11:14), because the judgement was then fixed and could not be averted by the prophet's pleadings with the Lord.

6 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page The Fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39-41) This passage shows that all Jeremiah's predictions about the impending judgement actually came true, and yet many of those who went down to Egypt still would not accept his word. They went to Egypt in direct opposition to God's command not to do so, and when they were there, continued to burn incense to "the Queen of heaven" in defiance of God's word to them (44:15-23). As a result, God promised that only a very few would ever return from Egypt. He was watching over them for harm, not for good. 8. Prophecies to the Nations (Jeremiah 46-51) Right at the beginning of the book, at the prophet's call, Jeremiah is given a commission to all the surrounding nations besides Judah (1:10). In 25:15-29 the judgement that is about to fall upon all these peoples is likened to a cup of the wrath of God, which they all must drink. When ambassadors from these foreign countries had come to meet with King Zedekiah, Jeremiah announced the judgement that was to fall upon them all. Chapters contain the details of the message of destruction and disaster which Jeremiah prophesied concerning all these nations: Egypt, Edom, Ammon, Moab, the Philistines, Damascus and others. He finally predicted the downfall of Babylon, which was to occur some 50 years later, and the return of the Jewish exiles. Even the fact that Babylon will eventually become uninhabited is repeatedly stated in this section. Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page Conclusion As we have seen throughout this study, the book of Jeremiah has much to teach us today. The following are some of the lessons which lie on the very surface of the text: (a) Like Job, Jeremiah was one of God's choicest servants, but he was called upon to suffer more than many others have, before or since. This demonstrates that suffering for the sake of righteousness is a true badge of the people of God, not health and prosperity which many falsely teach even today. (b) Throughout the book, God is shown to be longsuffering and patient, but the final judgement that fell upon Judah shows us that God's patience has a limit and that he will eventually punish sin. (c) Jeremiah lived through days when evil and sin were on the increase, but he was given the grace to live for God in such trying times. All believers who are called upon to live through similar times can expect the necessary grace to enable them to endure to the end, (d) Even when the people of God have backslidden so much that severe chastisements are the only course of action, God has not forgotten his covenant. He will always leave himself with a witness in the world, and even through his people's failure will always bring his purposes to pass.

7 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 13 Chapter 2: Sermon Suggestions from Jeremiah Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 14 (g) The end result of unjust gain (v11) Jeremiah is a very long book and therefore these sermon suggestions are just a small selection of what could be written on this subject. However, we trust they will encourage you to study and preach from the prophecy. 1. Jeremiah 1: 5-10 The Call of the Prophet (a) God s plan for his servant was made before Jeremiah was even conceived in the womb (v5) (b) Jeremiah s response pleading his youth and his lack of experience (v6) (c) God commissions his servant by telling him to speak all God s words given to him (v7) (d) A promise of help (v8) (e) Divine empowering (v9) (f) Jeremiah s mission defined both destruction and building (v10) 2. Jeremiah 17: 1-11 Wrath because of incurable sin (a) Judah s sin incurable affecting even the children (v1-2) (b) Their wealth and inheritance to be forfeited (v3-4) (c) Enslaved in a foreign land (v4b) (d) A curse on those who trust in man (v5-6) (e) The blessing on those who trust in the Lord (v7-8) compare with Psalm 1:3 (f) The wickedness of the human heart known only to the Lord (v9-10) 3. Jeremiah 17:12-18 Protection for the faithful (a) The glorious dwelling place of God among his people (v12-13a) (b) The shame of those who turn away and forsake God (v13b) (c) A prayer for healing, salvation and protection (v14,17) (d) Jeremiah protests his faithfulness despite persecution (v15,16) (c) The just desserts of those who oppose the truth and persecute God s servants (v18) 4. Jeremiah 36:1-2 Despising God s Word (a) Jeremiah s message to be put into writing (v1-2) (b) The purpose of the written message to encourage national repentance (v3) (c) The scroll contained a severe message of judgement (v7b) (d) The words of the scroll read by Baruch in the hearing of the people (v8-10) (e) The scroll read again to the leaders (v14-15) (f) The reaction of the officials (v16-20) (g) The scroll read to king Jehoiachim (v21) (h) Taking the penknife to God s word (v22,23a) (i) The ultimate result (v23b) (j) The Lord protects Jeremiah from the king s attempted reprisal (v26)

8 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 15 (k) Another scroll written (v32) (l) God s word cannot be destroyed and will endure for ever. 5. Jeremiah Message - an overview (a) Preaches mainly a message of judgement given to him by the Lord (22-24) (b) Repeatedly promises the people deliverance if they truly repent (c) Tells the people that the Lord will restore them after He has punished them (30-33) (d) Vigorously opposes the false prophets (e) His message provokes much opposition (37-38) (f) None of his predictions have failed to be fulfilled 6. Jeremiah God s faithful servant, an overview of his ministry (a) A reluctant but faithful messenger (20:9) (b) Only a few take heed his warnings (c) Very few true friends support him (26:24; 39:11-14; 38:7-13) (d) Suffers persecution from professing believers (e) Often voices his complaint to the Lord (12:1-3; 15:15-18) (f) Prays for the people even though they do not listen to him (14:7,20-21) (g) Will receive a crown of righteousness (see 2 Tim 4:8) Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page Jeremiah 31:31-34 The New Covenant (a) The new covenant not like the Mosaic covenant (v32) (b) Inward righteousness not merely outward observance (v33a) (c) The central blessing of the Abrahamic covenant enshrined in the new covenant (v33b) (d) A personal relationship with the Lord the essential feature of the new covenant (v34a) (e) Forgiveness of sins through the blood of the new covenant (v34b) (f) The Jews to be included in the new covenant (v31) see also Rom 11:25-27 Chapter 3: Bible Survey - Lamentations 1. Introduction Lamentations is a book consisting of 5 laments, written shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. A lament is a sorrowful poem or song about a tragedy or disaster. It is not the only book in the Bible containing laments; some of the Psalms and many of the prophets have sections that are written in this form. The author is unnamed, but because of the similarity of style, Jeremiah has been traditionally considered to be the writer. The title of the book in the Greek translation of the

9 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 17 OT is The Lamentations of Jeremiah. He was certainly an eyewitness of the disastrous events of 586 BC and possessed the sympathetic character to pen such words of pathos. Like much other Hebrew poetry, the book is highly structured. The first two chapters and the last two, each have 22 verses in them. The middle and longest lament (ch 3), has 66 verses set in 22 groups of three verses each. In the case of the first four chapters, the verses or groups of verses each begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The final chapter, although containing 22 verses, is in the form of a prayer, and does not conform to this acrostic structure. 2. The Laments The writer begins by lamenting the awful calamity that has befallen Judah and Jerusalem: the destruction of the temple, the sacking of the city, the captivity of most of the inhabitants and the carrying away of the holy vessels to Babylon. After describing and bemoaning this terrible tragedy, the writer soon goes on to acknowledge that all this has come upon the nation of Israel because of their having continued in their stubborn and rebellious ways. Jeremiah recognizes God's justice in so judging his people. The writer is aware of all the second causes, in the form of famine, disease and war, but time and again these disasters are attributed to the Lord. This is particularly evident in chapter 2. Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 18 There is a significant change of emphasis in chapter 3. The prophet speaks for his people in the first person. He also introduces a more positive thread to his lament. He reminds himself of the goodness, love and faithfulness of God, who is also a God of compassion, and will never completely cast away his people. There is also an exhortation to repentance (v40-42) and a call upon God to take vengeance on their enemies, who have been instrumental in the judgement which has befallen Judah. This calling upon God to take vengeance is reminiscent of the imprecatory or cursing Psalms. In the final two laments, the writer returns once again to the theme of bemoaning the disaster which has befallen God's people. But the book closes with a prayer to God to renew and restore them. He knows that such an appeal, if coming from sincere and repentant hearts, will always bring a response of mercy and love from a God who is rich in mercy. Although the book is not primarily a book of prophecy, the intensity and depth of the sufferings experienced by Jerusalem because of God's anger against sin find a distinct echo in the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ who would be made sin for others and suffer God's wrath (e.g. 1:12-14, 3:13-15). This book is supplied by Grace Baptist Mission and other titles are available in format at the address below:

10 Bible Survey Jeremiah and Lamentations Page 19 Grace Baptist Mission 12 Abbey Close Abingdon OXON OX14 3JD UK