FEED 210/213 Mentoring Through The Old Testament/Major Prophets SESSION 7C: JEREMIAH LEARNING OBJECTIVES: By the end of this session participants should be able to 1. Explain where Jeremiah sits in the history of the OT and the OT canon. 2. Describe the man Jeremiah, and how he relates to his God, his people and his world. 3. Identify key themes in the Book of Jeremiah and what these tell us about God and His purposes. 4. Develop applications from Jeremiah on how to live as a child of God in a broken world. INTRODUCTION The destruction of Jerusalem with its Temple was as significant for God s people in the OT as the Exodus: Their relationship to God Their personal identities and relationship to one another Their relationship to the nations Their relationship to the earth (created order) The Temple built by Solomon was a sacrament of God s calling, presence, ownership and therefore his guarantee of protection of them as promised and verified in history. 586/587 was a catastrophe that almost destroyed God s people. Instead it transformed them, foreshadowing the transformation we identify as the cross, resurrection and Pentecost. The faithful prophet calling the nation to repentance: before and after the destruction of Jerusalem: Jeremiah, the Old and the New Testaments: Why we should FEED on Jeremiah: To know God better: To follow him faithfully (and not get sidetracked): To be a prophetic witness: To fill out popular conceptions of Jeremiah: Stirring passages in Jeremiah: 29:11; 6:16; 31:31-34 + 1:4-5; 1:7-8; 1:9-10; 1:19; 9:1; 11:14; 14:22; 15:16; 15:21; 17:7-8; 17:9-10; 18:1-6; 20:9b; 23:5-6; 23:23-24; 23:29; 29:11; 29:13; 31:3; 31:31-34; 32:27; 33:3; 33:6; Destruction of the Temple & City, cf. Hezekiah. Seventy years: 25:1112; 29:10 (Daniel 9:2) OUTLINE: Introduction (ch.1) Prophecies of judgment against Jerusalem (chs.225) Narratives holding out hope for the future (chs.2636) Narratives regarding the fall of Jerusalem (chs.3745) Prophecies of judgment against the nations (chs.4651) Epilogue (ch.52) 1:119 The call of Jeremiah Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 1 of 8
2:16:30 Poetic pronouncements of judgment and calls to repent 7:110:25 The people s falseness in worship 11:120:18 Falseness in the covenant; Jeremiah and God wrestle over the people s sin 21:124:10 The failure of Judah s kings and priests 25:138 God s judgment on all the nations 26:129:32 Foreshadowings of Babylonian supremacy 30:133:26 The Book of Consolation 34:136:32 King and people refuse the word of Jeremiah 37:139:18 Up to the fall of Judah 40:145:5 The fate of those who were left 46:151:64 Oracles against the nations 52:134 Further account of the fall of Jerusalem; the temple destroyed AUTHOR & DATES: Jeremiah as preacher with Baruch as his scribe Jeremiah s ministry: 627585BC: see 1:23 Jeremiah s ministry: 609exileBC: Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 2 of 8
Now we ll look at a smaller scale: Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 3 of 8
KEY THEMES Sin Repentance, Judgment & Hope Jeremiah and Moses Suffering Covenant (old & new) The Messiah Jeremiah & the NT Note also: Jeremiah the man Jeremiah & his God Living with misunderstanding, rejection & persecution Life ministry as failure Importance of a true friend Summary so far... The destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, the end of the monarchy and the judgment of the exile raised painful questions about the power and justice of God. Jeremiah provided the answers to these questions before the events took place. Both vigorously denounced false hope and declared that the events were a manifestation of God s power and justice, not a denial of it. This helped prevent the destruction of faith; indeed, it took faith in new directions. Popular theology believed in the inviolability (safety, protection) of Temple, city and Davidic Kingdom, and that God guaranteed life in the Promised Land forever (2 Sam 7:9a16). False Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 4 of 8
prophets, active in the time of Jeremiah, bolstered this false hope with cries of peace. When the end came they could provide no answer to the tragedy because it contradicted all they had been preaching. Only Jeremiah and Ezekiel could give the answer of faith, the destruction was God s act. However they did not stop there but proclaimed a message of hope, God would restore Israel after the judgment. The message of restoration by Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah played an essential part in the survival of faith among the exiles. It showed that God s purpose in judgment was not to obliterate but to purify and to create a new community (the remnant) from among his chosen people. Jeremiah the person Jeremiah makes a unique contribution to our understanding of the prophetic movement because he reveals his inner life far more than any other prophet. Prophecy had already taught its truths, its last effort was to reveal itself in a life. In Jeremiah we see someone who naturally shrank from the prophetic task but who was enabled to perform it by God s grace. Born in the town of Anathoth, 5 km north of Jerusalem, Jeremiah was called to the prophetic ministry in the thirteenth year of Josiah s reign (627/6 BC). Since he was still a young man (Jer 1:6), perhaps in his late teens, his birth may be placed c.645 BC, the last years of the wicked Manasseh. He was from a priestly family, the son of Hilkiah (1:1). Note the personal information recorded in 1:13 and 16:14. What was unusual about Jeremiah s call and to whom was he to preach (1:5)? What excuses did he make (v 6)? Which of these was the same as one made by Moses (Exodus 4:10)? What demands did God make of Jeremiah and what promises did he make (1:78, 1719)? What will be the fate of God s people? Why (1:1416)? Why does God announce this message? In 1:1719, what does God expect Jeremiah to do? What does God promise to do for Jeremiah? In the light of these verses what would you say about the ministry demands placed on Jeremiah? Jeremiah s Confessions Confessions is the term used to describe those passages in Jeremiah 1120 where Jeremiah talked with God about his problems. God responded by challenging Jeremiah to further sacrifice (12:56). He remained faithful despite these struggles and revealed himself to be a man of intense personal faith. We should be thankful that they are part of the book of Jeremiah as they provide insight into the inner struggles of a prophet seeking to be faithful in the face of severe persecution. When reading these confessions we may think that Jeremiah was morbidly introspective. Yet he continued in faithful ministry for over forty years despite his suffering. Knowing how he felt only enhances the depth of his commitment to his calling, and has been of considerable help to many Christians who have struggled in their ministries. Most of the confessions probably come from the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, as they presuppose a long experience of rejection. Some examples of this rejection are: * In the reign of Jehoiakim, Jeremiah s Temple Sermon (chapter 7; 26:711) brought arrest and the threat of death. * Pashur the priest put Jeremiah in stocks for a night for announcing the destruction of Jerusalem (20:16). Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 5 of 8
* Jeremiah had to hide before the scroll containing a record of his preaching was read to Jehoiakim (ch. 36, see vv. 19, 26). * During the reign of Zedekiah Jeremiah was imprisoned, placed in an underground well (cistern), and put under guard (chapters 37, 38). Jer 20:718 The word of the Lord: A burning fire shut up in my bones. This powerful passage unveils the inner conflict of a prophet who cannot hold back from declaring God s word but who shrinks from the persecution this brings (20:12). Jeremiah despaired because of continual rejection and persecution but most profoundly because God had deceived him in calling him to be a prophet. He no longer wished to be known in Judah as the one who spoke about nothing but violence and destruction. Jeremiah tried not to speak God s word but found that this resulted in even greater anguish because it burned like a fire within him. His life was nothing but mocking and death threats (20:10). But amidst the despair a confidence appears that God will deal with his opponents (20:1112). As we read 20:13 we sense that Jeremiah s confidence and trust in God has moved to a new height. But he falls back into despair, cursing the day of his birth and his father (20:1418) in a manner like Job. Comment: Alternating feelings of confidence in God and despair are not unique to Jeremiah. Many of God s people have walked this path, particularly when life brings huge burdens or ministry brings rejection and criticism and there is a sense that God is absent. During such experiences it helps to know that we are not the first to make this journey. Sin, Judgment and Repentance The fundamental sin was unfaithfulness to the Lord, a betrayal of the covenant relationship established under Moses at Mt Sinai. Jeremiah s preaching is introduced in chapter 2 with the theme of idolatry Involving priests, prophets, rulers ( shepherds ) and people. You loved me what happened? In Jer 2:18 Jeremiah portrays the time in the wilderness as a time of devotion, Israel was like a new bride in her love for her husband. As God s first fruits (the first nation in his world harvest of nations which would come to know him), he punished any who attacked her (2:13). Notice the accusations in 2:49 that God brings against Israel in this brief history of her unfaithfulness, especially the references to idolatry. Israel s behaviour was unnatural, never seen in any other nation. Repentance: See Jer 3:614 & 4:14. In the face of unfaithfulness, Jeremiah called for repentance, one of his key words. Only heart repentance resulting in obedience could save the nation. Note what Jeremiah says about repentance in 3:614 and 4:14. The Covenant and True Worship I reject your worship The Need for Obedience and Heart Worship (Jer 6:1621; 7:2123) Jeremiah was very critical of the official worship. For worship to be acceptable, what God required was obedience. Jeremiah and other prophets rejected the worship offered at the Temple because of the corruption of the worshippers. What God required more than sacrifice was obedience. Jeremiah s goal was not to bring an end to formal worship but to bring a return to obedience to the Lord, as set out in the covenant. Worship was a matter of the heart not just of religious observance. Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 6 of 8
Don t trust in the temple 7:115 (cf. 26:16): In the socalled Temple Sermon, Jeremiah attacked the false confidence in the Temple, represented in the cry This is the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord. This confidence of God s people was born out of the fact that in the days of David and Solomon God had chosen Jerusalem and the Temple as his home for ever (Ps 132:1112). A century before Jeremiah, God had protected Jerusalem in the days of Hezekiah (701BC) (2 Kings 1719). God s people believed that under no circumstances would the Lord leave the Temple or city. Associated with this was the belief that if the sacrifices were presented and the festivals observed then God would be content. Jeremiah declared that the Lord would only remain in the Temple and accept their sacrifices if the people changed their ways (7:59). If not, he would do to Jerusalem what He did to the Northern Kingdom. But they did not believe him... and treated him as a traitor... until it happened. God warns them so they will repent: God is not vindictive in warning His people of judgment. He is calling them to repentance. He is offering them hope. Guilty of injustice, oppression and lying. See 7:56; 9:29; 17:11; 21:1114 Turning away from God to the gods of Canaan resulted in a collapse of morality and the social fabric. In 9:29, v 3 we read that it is God who feels the pain and suffers. These are symptoms of the breaking of the Covenant law (not rules but way of life) (11:18; 9:1316) Judgment & Seventy Years of Captivity See Jer 25:114. In 605 BC (the 4th year of King Jehoiakim) Jeremiah condemned God s people for their failure for 23 years to respond to his calls for repentance and his warnings of judgment (25:1 7). Yahweh would therefore bring the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the cities of Judah (25: 811a). This is the first exile including Daniel and his friends. Eight years later, under King Zedekiah, Ezekiel and 10,000 of God s people would go into exile. Ten years after that, Jerusalem would be destroyed and King Zedekiah killed. Babylon would dominate the region for 70 years (25:11b12) from 605 to 539 BC. Settle Down you are there for a long time! 29:114 Not long after their deportation in 597 BC, Jeremiah wrote to the exiles in Babylon. They should settle down as Babylon would dominate for 70 years (29:10). There was good news however: the time will come when God will bring them back to the Promised Land (29:1014). This is the setting for Jer 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Another wellknown verse, used today for urban ministry, is 29:7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. HOPE IN JEREMIAH A Coming Ideal Davidic King See Jer 23:36; 33:1426 Although the Davidic monarchy was corrupt and would cease to function in 587 BC, Jeremiah declares that the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7) had not been cancelled by God. Unlike the evil kings Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, a Righteous Branch from the line of David would rule with justice and righteousness over a recreated and reunited Judah and Israel. The Book of Comfort chapters 3033 Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 7 of 8
These chapters are the heart of the book. They contain many promises of restoration. They may a collection of messages from different periods. In 30:131:30, we find both promises (eg. 30:3, 89, 1011, 1617) and announcements of judgment (eg. 30:57). Judah s salvation will only come after her judgment. The Promise of a New Covenant 31:3134 The promise is to be understood against the background of Israel s repeated failure to keep the (old) covenant (eg. Jer 11:113). History pointed to the need for a new covenant. This promise is one of the most significant in the Old Testament. Note the impossibility of God rejecting his people. A natural question is: In what way is the new covenant new? The answer is that there is continuity and discontinuity with the old covenant. The new covenant is described in terms of the old covenant. It will be like the old in its content and in the fact that it is based on God s initiative. But it will be different. There will still be law but God will write his commandments on the hearts of the people, not on stone tablets. This inwardness was the goal and ideal of the old covenant (Deut. 6:6; 10:16; 11:18; 30:6) but will now be a reality, leading to complete obedience. What will make it new is that in the new age both partners will keep it. There will be complete obedience because God, in an undefined way, will renew each individual. There will no longer be the need for priests to teach or a prophet (like Jeremiah) to call people to know the Lord because all will know him in a personal manner and have experienced his forgiveness. The New Testament: The Fulfilment of Jer 31:3134 in Jesus Christ The promise was made to Israel and Judah and was fulfilled partially by the exiles who returned in 538 BC. However the New Testament reveals that the promise had a more profound fulfilment. The Book of Hebrews (8:713) states that fulfilment came in the new covenant instituted by Jesus. Jesus made this clear when he said to his disciples at the last supper that the wine was the new covenant in my blood (Luke 22:20). This recollects the words of Moses in Exodus 24:8 See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you. Conclusion: The covenant is therefore fulfilled in those who are united to Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is the result of the onceforall sacrifice of Jesus and God has given the Holy Spirit to enable obedience to the commandments written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit. Yet having said this, we are all well aware that every Christian struggles with sin through their life time. We have not yet attained to what is described in Jeremiah, the kingdom of God has come but not in its fullness. Session 7C: Jeremiah (August 15, 2015) Page 8 of 8