Jeremiah To uproot & tear down To destroy & overthrow To build and to plant

Transcription

1 Jeremiah To uproot & tear down To build and to plant Page 1 of 12

2 INTRODUCTION Jeremiah was a prophet who prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the late 7 th Century BC to early 6 th Century BC (626BC- 587BC). His period span from just before the exile of Judah and Jerusalem to just slightly after their exile into Babylon. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed about 100 years before by the Assyrian Empire. So at this stage of Israel s history, only Judah was left. Even though Judah and Jerusalem survived the assault by the Assyrian Empire 100 years before, Jeremiah prophesied that they would not survive this new threat from Babylon. The people of Judah and Jerusalem clung to the vain hope that God would not destroy his temple. And many false prophets prophesied that God would save his city. However, Jeremiah prophesied against them. God would surely destroy Jerusalem because of their sins. The temple of God was not a protection for them. They cannot cling to their religious activities and think that they are safe. What God desired was a transformation of the heart. And even during the siege of Jerusalem, Jeremiah prophesied that the only hope the people of Jerusalem had was to surrender to the king of Babylon. But even then the king and the people did not repent. The city of Jerusalem fell to the Babylonian army in 587BC, just as the prophet had prophesied. HISTORICAL CONTEXT The Assyrian empire, the superpower that ruled the Middle Eastern world, was in decline. The power vacuum was being filled by Babylon and Egypt. Both Babylon and Egypt fought for supremacy during this period, the battle of Carchemish in 605BC, decided in favour of Babylon. Jerusalem was also caught up in this struggle, giving in to Babylon in one instance and then siding with Egypt in another. Jeremiah prophesied over this period. He prophesied during the reign of the last 5 kings of Judah. The first king, King Josiah was a good king. It was during his reign that the book of the law was found, and he instituted a religious and moral reform of the nation. Jeremiah mourned his early death in 608BC (22:10-15) The next king was king Jehoahaz. He only reigned for 3 months before he was deposed by King Neco of Egypt. Instead he appointed Jehoiakim ( BC) to the throne. It was during his reign that Egypt was defeated by Babylon in the battle of Carchemish (605BC), and the landscape of Middle Eastern politics shifted towards Babylon. Jehoiakim oscillated between supporting Babylon and Egypt. He had no respect for Jeremiah or his message; he persecuted Jeremiah, and destroyed his writings (Jeremiah 37:27). His life ended violently in 598BC as Jeremiah had foretold (22:18). His son, Jehoiachin succeeded his father. He reaped what his father had sown. In 597BC, the Babylonians came and besieged Jerusalem. Jehoiachin and the nobles gave themselves up. They were taken into Babylon in exile. This was the first exile. The Babylonians put Zedekiah, his uncle, as king over Jerusalem. It was while they were in exile that Jeremiah wrote a letter to them (Jeremiah 29). Jeremiah encouraged those in exile to settle down in Babylon, to seek peace and prosperity in the city, because they would stay there for 70 years. In Jerusalem, Zedekiah ( BC) reigned for 10 years, before the final destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah encouraged Zedekiah to submit to Babylon, but in his 8 th and 9 th year, Zedekiah entered into negotiation with Egypt, incurring the wrath of Babylon. Babylon came and besieged Jerusalem. Even during this time, Jeremiah implored Page 2 of 12

3 Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians to save his life. Zedekiah feared his officials and did not surrender to the Babylonians. The officials arrested Jeremiah and threw him into a dungeon, and later into a cistern. Jeremiah despaired for his life, and he was only saved by the intervention of Ebed-Melech. During the last stages of the siege, as an act of faith Jeremiah bought the land belonging to his cousin (32:1-15). It was at this stage that he looked forward to and prophesied about the new covenant (Jeremiah 31). God would make a new covenant with the house of Israel. He would remove a heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. And he would forgive them of all their sins. Even though the destruction of Jerusalem was inevitable, there would be hope after this. God has not forgotten his people. Jerusalem fell in 587 BC, as Zedekiah attempted to break the siege. He was captured, all his sons were killed in front of him, before his eyes were poked out. Page 3 of 12

4 Studies 1. God s word comes to Jeremiah (Jer1).. Pg 5 2. Words of consuming fire (but ) (Jer 2-6).. Pg 6 3. The unheeded word (Jer 7-15)... Pg 7 4. Trusting the potter s message (Jer 16-20) Pg 8 5. A word of kingly righteousness (Jer 22-23).. Pg 9 6. True and false words (Jer 23-28) Pg Fresh and fleshy words (Jer 29-39) Pg He who has the last word (Jer 40-52).. Pg 12 Page 4 of 12

5 Study 1: God s word comes to Jeremiah Jeremiah 1 To uproot & tear down God calls Jeremiah to speak his word to Israel & the nations To recognize this God who reveals himself through his word Pray; that we might learn of and know God through his word Matt s cards, resource* &/or Mark Barry diagrams Identify: where the book of Jeremiah fits (roughly) Context: Read Jer1: From these verses, what can we know & infer about: a. The geographical context b. The historical & political context c. The theological context Read Jer 1: Who are the characters in these verses? 3. List the things we learn about God. Can you summarise them? 4. Call of Jeremiah a. Who was Jeremiah? (v1) b. What happened to him? (v2,4,5,7) c. When? (v2,5) d. How did he respond? (v6, 8) e. How does God deal with him? (v7,8,18,19) f. What will his role be? (v9,10) g. What 2 tests does God give him? What do they mean? (v11-15a) 5. Role of the nations: What part do they play? 6. Message to Israel: What is the message to Israel? How will Israel respond? (v16-19) 7. Which of the characters represent us? 8. How is v9,10 similar/ different from the NT message? 9. How does the word come to us? (See John 1:1-2, 10-14, Heb 1:1-3) We ve read about this God who sends his word. Do you know him? Does what we ve read inform your understanding of God? Or is God just a character you ve made up? How do we know him more? How do you respond when the word comes to you? How do you respond to the embodiment of God Jesus? Page 5 of 12

6 Study 2: Words of consuming fire (but ) Jeremiah 2-6 To uproot & tear down Endemic adultery & idolatry will lead to God s (almost) complete annihilation of Israel To feel the weight of sin Pray: that God would help us to acknowledge our own sin and to turn to him as our only hope. Matt s cards, Mark Barry (AFES) diagrams or resource* Identify: where sin enters the picture Ask: is there ever a time when sin does not impact God s people? Context: 1. From last study: What was Israel s political situation? What had Jeremiah been called to do? Read Jer 2: What was God s history with Israel? 2. What sins is Israel accused of? (v5-8) What are the charges God makes against Israel? How are the heavens called to react? What are the two sins in v13 and what do they mean? 3. Scan v14-22 to get a sense of how appalled God is. 4. Is there any way they can remove their sin? (2:22) Read Jer 5: List Israel s sins mentioned in these verses. 8. How widespread is Israel s sin? (v1-5) 9. What will be the result of her sin? (v6-11; 14-17, 19) 10. How does God explain his reaction (v19)? 11. How does Israel respond to God amidst their sin? (v12,13) 12. Is there any hope? (v10, 18) 12. How many of these sins might you be charged with? Us as a church? 13. Read Rom 1: Have we exchanged Glory for idols? To what extent are God s charges and judgment of Israel applicable to us now? In Jer 2:5 God declares Israel worthless. Consider that call being made of you. How do we know that God values us? That he doesn t declare this of us? Page 6 of 12

7 Study 3: The unheeded word Jeremiah 7-15 Israel did not listen to the conditions of the Sinai covenant: blessing OR curse To listen to and obey God (because this is true worship) Pray: that the Holy Spirit would help us to listen to God s word & obey it. Matt s cards, Mark Barry (AFES) diagrams or resource* Identify: moments of covenant significance Ask: How carefully do you read contract agreements? What is their purpose? What mindsets do we typically have towards them? Context: 1. Read Gen 12: Read Exodus 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, 10:3, 24 For what purpose were the Israelites called out of Egypt? 3. Read Exodus 19:1-6 What are God s promises at Sinai? 4. Read Deuteronomy 29:1-4; 30:11-20 Moses knew what was coming for Israel. What two alternatives does he offer? And what are the ramifications of each? Read Jer 7 5. What were God s people doing that made him so angry? (v1-11) (NB. v11 I have been watching reflects back to the almond tree in Ch1) 6. (v12 15) Why does God refer to Shiloh? (Cf. 1 Sam 4:10-22) Back then, what was Israel s sin? According to Jeremiah, how did Israel respond? How did God react? And what will He do now? 7. V21-26: a. Why is God uninterested in Israel s offerings & sacrifices when he commanded them? What was the primary command? And what would that indicate? b. What did Israel do? 8. V27-29: What is Jeremiah warned of? How is Jeremiah to respond to this word from God? (v16, 29) Why? 9. How does Jesus use 7:11? (Ref: Matt 21:13) 10. Can the conditions of the Old Covenant be applied to us? What s different? What does true worship look (or sound) like? How does God want us to worship Him? In what ways do we trust in the form of our worship rather than actually trusting the One we worship? Page 7 of 12

8 Study 4: Trusting the potter s message Jeremiah To uproot & tear down God determines the fate of nations and may change his plans if they change their ways To trust God rather than ourselves Pray: that we might learn to trust the plans of a patient & merciful God rather than stubbornly clinging to our own plans. Matt s cards, Mark Barry (AFES) diagrams or resource* Identify: instances where God s patience and mercy are displayed Ask: what are people typically doing (behaving) when we see this of God? Read Jer 18: What does Jeremiah see at the potter s house (v1-4)? 2. How does this relate to God s message (v5-10)? 3. V7-10 repeat God s words at Jeremiah s appointment (1:10). How do these verses expand on the initial message? What does this tell us about God? 4. What does God command Jerusalem (v11)? Why? 5. How will Jerusalem respond (v12)? What does it reveal of their character? 6. Map out the processes/ paths outlined in v7-12. What is the principle that God uses to deal with nations? Read Jer 19:7, What will happen to Jerusalem? Why? 8. Read 2 Pet 3:7-9. How does this mirror what have we learnt about God s character in Jeremiah 18? (See also Jonah 3:10-4:4) 9. How does the principle here for God s dealings with people apply to us? Read Rom 9: Why do we need God s mercy and compassion? Compare God s plans and mankind s plans (18:11,12, 19:7). Whose plans do you spend more time considering? It s no use. (18:12) Where do you encounter a similar reaction to God s commands in your own, or others lives? What can we do/ say in these situations? Page 8 of 12

9 Study 5: A word of kingly righteousness Jeremiah To uproot & tear down While Judah s kings are broken pots, God will send a righteous king To recognize the king God has sent, who brings righteousness, wisdom and safety. Pray: that God might help us to give our allegiance to the true king. Matt s cards, Mark Barry (AFES) diagrams or resource* Identify: where kings are introduced into Israel Ask: why did the Israelites want a king? (1 Sam 8) Read Jer 22: Complete the following table. Note that this section of the book is written during the reign of Zedekiah (21:1) so he comes first, then followed by the earlier three kings in chronological order: King How did he behave? How is he judged? Zedekiah ( BC) Shallum (aka. Jehoahaz) (609 BC) Jehoiakim ( BC) Jehoiachin ( BC) Read Jer 23: What s God s summary of these kings, the shepherds of Israel? 3. How will God act towards the shepherds? The flock? 4. What does God promise in the coming days? How does this king compare to those in Ch 22? 5. How is God s promise fulfilled? (See Matt 1:17, 20-23; 2:1-2; 27:11) 6. The promised king will be called The LORD Our Righteousness. How is he our righteousness? (See Rom 3:21,22; 1 Cor 1:30) Do we follow a king? How do we show our allegiance to him? Page 9 of 12

10 Study 6: True & false words Jeremiah The true prophet has a hard time here, but the false prophet cops it from God. To know who to listen to. Pray: that we might respond to the words of the true prophet. Matt s cards, Mark Barry (AFES) diagrams or resource* Identify: where prophets enter the picture Ask: how would you define what a prophet is? Context Read Ex 7:1-2, Deut 18:14-22 and Jer 1:4. 1. How did Aaron, Moses and Jeremiah act as prophets? What is a prophet? 2. How were the Israelites to know whether a prophet was from God or not? Read Jer 26: When and from whom does the message come to Jeremiah? Where is the message to be delivered? Who is the audience? (v1,2) 6. For what purpose (v3)? 7. What is the message (v4-6)? 8. How do the priests, prophets and people respond? Why? (v7-9,11) 9. How does Jeremiah defend himself? (v12-15) 10. How do the officials and elders respond? On what grounds do they make their judgment? (v16-19, 24) 11. Note what happens to one of Jeremiah s spiritual allies in v Is Jeremiah a true or false prophet of God? Read Jer 28: When and where does this event happen? Who is the audience? (v1) 14. What is Hananiah s message (v2-4, 10-11)? How does this differ to what Jeremiah has already told the people? (Cf 27:1,2, 12, 16-18) 15. How does Jeremiah respond to Hananiah (v5-9,11)? How does Jeremiah recognize a true prophet? 16. What is God s message to Hananiah (v13-16) 17. Is Hananiah a true or false prophet of God? 14. Jeremiah is often described as a Christ-like figure. Note the similarities between Jeremiah s trial in Ch26 and Jesus trial (Matt 24:1,2; 26:61; 27:4,24). 15. The Israelites were waiting for the prophet (Deut 18, John 1:21, Acts 3:17-26, Acts 7:37, 51-53). How do we see this fulfilled in Jesus? Are we faced with false prophets today? If so, what are their messages? How do you know they are false prophets? What will be their outcome? (2 Pet 1:16ff) If Jesus is the prophet, what is his message? And how have you responded to it? If you follow Jesus, what can you expect when you share his words with others? Page 10 of 12

11 Study 7: Fresh and fleshy words Jeremiah God will save and restore his people and make a new covenant with them. To understand the qualitative difference the new covenant means for us. Pray: that we might draw near to God through the new covenant and persevere in his ways. Matt s cards, Mark Barry (AFES) diagrams or resource* Identify: the establishment of the old covenant and the establishment of the new covenant. Where is Jeremiah in relation to the two? Ask: do you think of yourself as the same or different to the Israelites in Jeremiah s day? Read Jer 30: What is Jeremiah commanded to do? (v2) What are the two things God will do? Does he do this? When? (Cf Jer 29: NB. v11 - How is this commonly interpreted? What does God mean? What does he not mean?) Read Jer 30:4-31:26 2. List all the things God will do in that day and at that time in Chs 30 & 31. What effect will this have on Jacob (Israel)? Which of them have we already heard about in earlier chapters? 3. v26 Jeremiah must have been receiving this prophecy as a dream, and it was pleasant to him. What do you find most pleasant in this picture? Read Jer 31: The days are coming : What is different about Jeremiah s use of his appointment catch cry in these verses? 5. What is revolutionary about v29 and 30? Read Jer 31: The time is coming : What will God do? How will it be different? 7. Remembering all that we ve read in previous chapters, this is a welcome relief! What further encouragement are the Israelites given in v35-37? Read Jer 31: The days are coming : How will the city be restored? 9. Why do we need a new covenant? What was wrong with the first one? (Cf Heb 8:6-13) 10. How does the new covenant overcome the limitations of the old? (Luke 22:20; Heb 9:15; 10:15-18; Eph 2:11-13) 11. When is the days and the time that is coming? Has Jeremiah s prophecy been fulfilled? How are we different to those in the OT? What does that mean as we seek to live holy lives? (Cf Heb 10:19-26, Eph 3:14-19, Rom 8:1-17) Page 11 of 12

12 Study 8: He who has the last word Jeremiah People respond to God s word in different ways but God s word will always stand To decide how to respond to the Word of God. Pray: That we would recognize the One whose word will stand Matt s cards, Mark Barry (AFES) diagrams or resource* Identify: that the bible has one big picture Ask: where are we left at the end of the big picture? How are we meant to respond? Read Jer 40: In Ch 39, Jerusalem falls, just as Jeremiah said. In 40:1-6 who finds Jeremiah? How does he explain Judah s situation? How does he treat Jeremiah? Why? Contrast this with how the Israelites had treated Jeremiah and his message. (Cf Matt 13:57) In Ch 40 & 41, Gedaliah is left as governor over the poor who are left in Judah by the Babylonians. Gedaliah is subsequently assassinated by Ishmael who makes captives of all the people. Johanan and some army officers recue the people. Read Jer 41:16 43:7 2. What state are these people in? 3. What do they ask of Jeremiah? Outline the flow of conversation between Jeremiah and the people. 4. Why do the Israelites act as they do? Read Jer 44:24-30 The people return to Egypt and return to their previous idolatry by worshipping the Egyptian gods. This is the last recorded scene of Jeremiah s life. 5. What is God s final word to this remnant? (v 26-28) 6. Who is in charge? How will they know? 7. Contrasted against 40:1-6, how is this all the more offensive? Chs are God s judgments on the nations surrounding Judah 8. How has Jeremiah been a prophet to the nations? 9. What does Jer show us about God s nature? 10. What does it show us about His word? What is God s word for us now? (Heb 1:1) The response to God s word in these chapters is distinct. Do you listen to the word? Or do you hear what you want to hear? What tempts you to do your own thing (to go back to Egypt)? See Gal 5:1-6. Who s word will stand? How are you responding to the Word? (Cf Matt 24:35, Rev 21:1-6) Page 12 of 12