Book of Jeremiah World Christian Fellowship 60, High Worple, Rayners Lane, Harrow Middlesex, HA2 9SZ, United Kingdom Tel: +44 208 429 9292 www.wcflondon.com wcflondon@gmail.com Name meaning: His name means Jehovah throws, in the sense of laying down a foundation, or Jehovah establishes, appoints, or sends. The author was "Jeremiah son of Hilkiah" Jeremiah was commanded to write down the words which the Lord had given to him (36:1-3) Neriah the son of Baruch, a scribe was used by Jeremiah to write while he dictated. (36:4) King Jehoiakim destroyed the scroll of Jeremiah when it was read to him but another scroll was made available by Neriah the son of Baruch the scribe. (36:32) Chapters of 26-52 most probably attached to the previous 25 chapters after the death of Jeremiah by Baruch. Jeremiah comes from a small town of Anathoth in Judah, about 3 miles Northeast of Jerusalem in Benjamin s tribal inheritance, and he was the son of priest. Since his father was a priest he would have certainly raised as a priest but there was no record of evidence that he served as priest. In spite of that God chose Jeremiah to be His voice to the people, which requires 1
undeniable courage, even though the people of Judah would not listen. God wanted to show Jeremiah as an object lesson to Judah hence he remained unmarried (16:1 4). Year Written: Jeremiah s ministry began in 627 BC on the 13 th year of King Josiah reign (1:2) and ended sometime after 582 BC with his prophecy to the Jews who fled to Egypt (Jeremiah 44:1). Most of his time the ministry of Jeremiah was outside Jerusalem in Judah. The Northern Kingdom failed and it was taken over by Assyrians but God was warning them through various prophets to repent but people would not listen to the voice of God. During the ministry of Jeremiah in 582 B.C. Judah fell completely to the powers of Babylon. The people knew that they were facing the judgement of God during the time of Jeremiah ministry. They have seen the outside power threatening them and they should have responded with repentance and humbled themselves before the lord. But they chose to fence themselves and ignored the commandments of God and that resulted in disobedience. After 586 B.C., Jeremiah was forced to go with a fleeing remnant of Judah to Egypt (43,44). He was possibly still ministering in 570 B.C. (44:30). When Babylon invaded Egypt in 586/82 B.C. Jeremiah was taken captive by Babylonians. Judah s King Jehoiachin, was taken as a captive in 597 B.C. was allowed to be free in Babylon in his last days (52:31-34) Jeremiah 2
could be alive then he would be about 85 to 90 years old to complete the entire book by himself. The Life of Jeremiah The weeping prophet (9:1; 13:17; 14:17),this is how Jeremiah was known, living a life of conflict because of his predictions of judgment by the invading Babylonians. Jeremiah was threatened, tried for his life, put in stocks, forced to flee from Jehoiakim, publicly humiliated by a false prophet, and thrown into a pit. Jeremiah pleaded the people of Judah to repent so that they can avoid the judgement from God, going into captivity into Babylon. Judah refused to listen to God through him and then Jeremiah pleaded with them not resist the Babylonians to avoid total destruction (Chapter 27) He did plead the same with other nations too! Ministry under Josiah: Jeremiah began his ministry at about age twenty in the thirteenth year of Josiah (627 B.C.) He was of a priestly family (living in Anathoth25 about three miles Northeast of Jerusalem) and came to Jerusalem for the annual feasts He may have been well off financially since he bought the estate of his bankrupt kinsman without difficulty. Josiah offered protection to Jeremiah and good relations. 3
Ministry after Josiah's Death: Jeremiah was persecuted by the rise of an idolatrous faction in Judah. Jeremiah was still protected some by god-fearing elders and princes after his messages against the nation in 7-10 When Jeremiah was forbidden to enter the temple area, he sent Baruch as his spokesman to proclaim prophecies which he dictated to him. King Jehoiakim destroyed Jeremiah's dictated prophecies. King Zedekiah allowed the nobles to arrest Jeremiah as a traitor urging the nation to submit to Babylon. King Zedekiah was also fearful of Jeremiah because of the fulfilment of his past prediction concerning the Chaldean invasion of 598 so he rescued him and kept him safely hidden until the fall of Jerusalem. Ministry after the Fall of Jerusalem: Although Jeremiah was offered a place of honour by the Babylonians for urging the Jews to submit to them, he chose to stay with his people in Palestine and minister to those who remained after the deportation. After the murder of Gedaliah he was taken off to Egypt by deserter, remnant Jews who refused to experience Nebuchadnezzar's punishment. 4
Jeremiah lived a few years in Egypt and then died there around 570 B.C. His plight on ministry: God had asked Jeremiah to go and proclaim His word and also He told him that they would not listen to you. Jeremiah 7:27, When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. How many of us would love to do this job? Knowing fully well the people would not listen to the message they won t repent yet the prophet cries out for the people to change their attitude. Historical background: Please do take time read 2 Kings 22-25 and 2 Chronicles 34-36 to understand what was happening at that time. His prophecy took place during the reigns of Judah s final 5 kings. Josiah 640 609 B.C., 31 years Jehoahaz 609 B.C., (3 Months) Jehoiakim 609 598 B.C., 11 years Jehoiachin 598 597 B.C., (3 Months) and Zedekiah 597 586 B.C. 11 years 5
King Ahaz, father of Hezekiah, long before 735-715 B.C. had set up a system of sacrificing children to the god of Molech in the Valley of Hinnom, just outside Jerusalem. King Hezekiah led the reforms to remove such practice during the period of Isaiah ministry (Isaiah 36:7) King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah continues to practice the child sacrifice along with idol worship, this continued until the day of Jeremiah s ministry. (Jeremiah 7:31; 19:5; 32:35) There are quite a few people worshipped a queen of heaven during this time (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:19) Though there were reforms during the time of King Josiah but it was only outwardly but their heart did not change. The deadly cancer of sin was deep and flourished quickly again after a 6
shallow revival. Religious insincerity, dishonesty, adultery, injustice, oppression against the helpless, and slander succeeded as the norm not as exception. Political changes: 626 B.C. Assyria's last great king, Ashurbanipal, died leading to the establishment of an independent Babylonian state which would grow. Assyria the known world power at that time started losing its power slowly by 612 B.C. the invincible capital Nineveh was destroyed and the new world power of Babylon was coming up. The Neo-Babylonian empire under Nabopolassar (625 605 B.C.) became dominant militarily with victories against, Assyria (612 B.C.), Egypt (609 605 B.C.), and Israel in 3 phases (605 B.C., as in Daniel 1; 597 B.C., as in 2 Kings 24:10 16; and 586 B.C., as in Jeremiah 39,40,52). Josiah King of Judah removed Judah from Assyria's control and existed as an autonomous state until 609 B.C. when it lost a battle with Egypt on the plain of Megiddo lost his life in the battle (2 Chronicles 35:20-24) When Assyria lost its battle with Egypt then they took over Judah. Egypt s Necho replaced Josiah's son, Jehoahaz, after three months with Jehoiakim (who was another son of Josiah) as a care 7
taker king (2 Kings 23:34-35) and plundered Judah's treasuries. Necho of Egypt took Jehoahaz into captivity in Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish. Judah's king, Jehoiakim, changed his loyalty to the Babylonians rather than the Egyptians and became Nebuchadnezzar's vassal (caretaker) king (2 Kings 24:1) 1 st Deportation: 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar had to return to Babylon with the death of his father, Nebopolassar and strengthened his rule by appointing vassal kings and taking hostages. Daniel was taken as a part of this deportation (Daniel 1:1-6) In 601 Egypt defeated the Babylonians immediately Judah's king, Jehoiakim, switched loyalty from Babylon to the Egypt (2 Kings 24:1) In 598 B.C. Babylon attacked Jerusalem leading to Jehoiakim's death and the surrender of the city by his successor, Jehoiachin, in 597 B.C. 8
2 nd Deportation: 597 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, replaced Jehoiachin after only three months of reign, deported him, Prophet Ezekiel and 10,000 other leaders from the city, looted the city, and placed Zedekiah Judah's vassal king (2 Kings 24:12-16) 3 rd Deportation: 586 B.C. Zedekiah was a weak king and he was convinced by Egypt to revolt with a coalition of other states (Tyre and Ammon) against Babylon (588 B.C.) but Jeremiah vehemently opposed and advised against it. He was defeated and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. 9
Evil-merodach (Ewal Marduk) restored Jehoiachin on the 27th day of the 12th month of the 37th year of the captivity (506 B.C.; 2 Kings 25:27) Jeremiah was taken as a captive this time and where he remained in Babylon/ Egypt and died there. Purpose: Jeremiah 22:6-9, For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah: Though you are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, I will surely make you like a wasteland, like towns not inhabited. 7 I will send destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut up your fine cedar beams and throw them into the fire. 8 People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city? 9 And the answer will be: Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods. To warn of awaiting judgment for Judah. To urge people and specifically Judah to repentance and the obedience of God s word To quick judgment by confronting Judah's response to her final warnings and pleas for repentance To predict, warn, and historically record the fall and hope of Jerusalem, as well as, its surrounding nations due to their disobedience to God's word 10
Jeremiah s messages paint pictures of: 1) People s sin, 2) The invader God would send, 3) The severe of siege; and 4) Catastrophic destruction. The main theme of Jeremiah is Judgment upon Judah (chapters 1 29) Restoration in the future messianic kingdom (23:3 8; 30 33). Isaiah gave more time for the restoration of the people in God s glory after the punishment (Chapters 40-66) Jeremiah didn t elaborate that much. Because the time Jeremiah was living the punishment was taking place so he was pleading people to repent to avoid the wrath of God. A secondary theme is God s willingness to spare and bless the nation only if the people repent. Though this is a frequent emphasis, it is most graphically portrayed at the potter s house 11
Jeremiah18:1 11). Other themes are, God s longing for Israel to be tender toward Him, as in the days of first love (2:1 3) Jeremiah s servant tears, as the weeping prophet (9:1; 14:17) The intimate relationship God had with Israel and that He longed to keep (13:11) Suffering, as in Jeremiah s trials (11:18 23; 20:1 18) and God s sufficiency in all trouble (20:11 13) The vital role that God s Word can play in life (15:16) The place of faith in expecting restoration from the God for whom nothing is too difficult (32:17&27) 12
Prayer for the coordination of God s will with God s action in restoring Israel to its land (33:3 & 6 18). Brief Summary Since the book of Jeremiah is not arranged chronologically we have huge challenge to understand the message of the Prophet very clearly in its right setting. Because of this, the theme of the prophecies goes back and front in time it s difficult to get the full essence at one go. But Ezekiel is arranged so chronologically much easier to understand. The prophecies of Jeremiah offer us a unique insight into the mind and heart of one of God s faithful servants. The book includes numerous personal statements of emotional engagement. Jeremiah was not merely as a prophet brought by God into the scene to deliver God s message but also as a human being who felt compassion for his people. Jeremiah desired judgment for evildoers and was concerned about his own safety as well. Brief Outline of the book: 1. Call of Jeremiah (1:1 19) Context (1:1 3) Choice (1:4 10) Charge (1:11 19) 2. Proclamations to Judah (2:1 45:5) Condemnation of Judah (2:1 29:32) 13
First message (2:1 3:5) The sin of the people Unfaithfulness to their covenant God (2:1-13) The consequences of Israel s apostasy (2:14-19) The degenerative nature of Judah s sin (2:20-28) The sure judgment of God (2:29-37) Plea of Jeremiah (3:1-5) Second message (3:6 6:30) The coming judgment The requirement of alteration of life (3:1-5, 19-20) Runaway Israel and unfaithful Judah (3:6-11) A plea for repentance and a promise of restoration (3:12-18) The necessity for sincere repentance (3:1-4:4) The coming judgment (4:5-6:30) The enemy from the north (4:5-31) Reasons for Jerusalem s ruin (5:1-31) Summary (6:1-30) Third message (7:1 10:25) Judah s false religion and its consequences Religious rites versus right relationships (7:1-8:3) The Temple sermon (7:1-15) Prayer prohibited for a profligate people (7:16-20) Cultic conformity versus constant obedience (7:21-28) Abominations in the Temple and in the land (7:29-8:3) An incurable people and their inevitable fate (8:4-9:22) The unnaturalness of backsliding (8:4-7) Wisdom and the Word of God (8:8-13) 14
The coming invasion (8:14-17) The prophet s feelings (8:18-9:9) A wail for the destruction of Judah (9:10-22) Earthly versus heavenly glory ( 9:23-24) Flesh versus heart circumcision (9:25-26) Idols versus the true God (10:1-16) Fourth message (11:1 13:27) Jeremiah s confessions and Judah s approaching doom Jeremiah and the covenant (11:1-12:17) Judah s violation of the covenant (11:1-17) Jeremiah s confession (11:18-12:6) A divine lament (12:7-13) The divine purpose (12:14-17) Parables and warnings (13:1-27) Parable of a linen loincloth (13:1-11) Parable of the wine jars (13:12-14) A warning against pride (13:15-17) A lament for the royal family (13:18-19) Jerusalem s incurable sickness and its punishment (13:20-27) Fifth message (14:1 17:18) Prophecies concerning a drought: God s rejection of his people s appeals (14:1-15:4) The drought described (14:1-6) People s confession and appeal to God (14:7-9) God s rejection of the appeal (14:10-18) A second confession and appeal (14:19-22) God s final refusal (15:1-4) 15
Judah s winnowing and Jeremiah s woes (15:5-21) Warnings and promises (16:1-2) Sixth message (17:19 27) Parables, proclamation, and persecution (18:1-19:27) The parable of the potter (18:1-12) The unnaturalness of Judah s sin (18:13-17) Seventh message (18:1 20:18) A plot and a protest (18:18-23) The parable of the broken flask (19:1-15) Persecution and protest (20:1-18) Eight message (21:1 14) Zedekiah s request and Jeremiah s reply (21:1-10) Ninth message (22:1 23:40) Message of the royal house of Judah Message about the future of the Davidic dynasty (23:1-8) A polemic against false prophets (23:9-40) Tenth message (24:1 10) A vision of two baskets of figs (24:1-10) The vision (24:1-3) The vision interpreted (24:4-10) Eleventh message (25:1 38) Judgment on Judah (25:1-14) Judgment on the nations (25:15-38) 16
Twelfth message (26:1 24) Summary of the sermon against religious leaders (26:1-6) Jeremiah s trial for treason (26:7-24) Thirteenth message (27:1 28:17) The yoke of Babylon (27:1-28:17) Message to neighbouring kings (27:1-11 ) Warning to King Zedekiah (27:12-15 ) Warning to priests and people (27:16-22) Conflict with Hananiah (28:1-17) Fourteenth message (29:1 32) Letters to exiles in Babylon (29:1-32) A general letter to all exiles (29:1-23 A specific letter to Shemaiah (29:24-32) Consolation to Judah New Covenant (30:1 33:26) The forecast of restoration (30:1 31:40) The faith in restoration (32:1 44) The forecast of restoration Part 2 (33:1 26) Calamity on Judah (34:1 45:5) Before Judah s fall (34:1 38:28) During Judah s fall (39:1 18) After Judah s fall (40:1 45:5) 3. Proclamations of Judgment on the Nations (46:1 51:64) Against Egypt (46:2 28) Against Philistia (47:1 7) Against Moab (48:1 47) 17
Against Ammon (49:1 6) Against Edom (49:7 22) Against Damascus (49:23 27) Against Kedar and Hazor [Arabia] (49:28 33) Against Elam (49:34 39) Against Babylon (50:1 51:64) 4. The Fall of Jerusalem (52:1 34) Destruction of Jerusalem (52:1 23) Deportation of Jews (52:24 30) Deliverance of Jehoiachin (52:31 34) Key Verses: Jeremiah 1:5, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 17:9, The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 29:10-11, This is what the LORD says: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 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. Jeremiah 31:31-34, 31 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of 18
Israel and with the house of Judah 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day thati took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Jeremiah 52:12-13, On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. Conclusion: The prophecies of Jeremiah provide us the clear message of coming messiah and the New Covenant. The New Covenant would be the means in which God will restore His people and put His laws in their heart and His spirit on them. Rather than nurturing our relationship with God through a fixed location like a temple, He promised through Jeremiah that His people would know Him directly, a knowledge that comes through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. 19
Judgement of God is the overarching the theme of the book since this was prophesied in the last years of Judah going to exile to Babylon because of their disobedience and unbelief. God was patient almost over 900 years from the time God made a covenant with them in Mount Sinai in Exodus 24:1-18. These shows how patient God is with His people. God was warning Judah over one hundred years after Israel went into captivity yet they refused repent and turn to God. Why the people were not listening to God? In spite of God raising so many prophets they would not listen, why? They were so much boastful about Jerusalem! They were given the promise by God about Jerusalem, so come what may god won t let something happens to Jerusalem. Doesn t not strike a chord with these modern-day Christians thinking once saved always saved no matter what? There were false Prophets who were proclaiming that don t worry nothing will happen, proclaiming false prophecy, why? Same as of today, don t worry your best life is now! How many false prophecies are to confirm he society and its sin!! We see so many homosexuals are become preachers and pastors? 20
Application for today: 1. Seeing God s patience with His people in the Old Testament reminds us that God has always been and continues to be merciful. That His chosen people routinely ignored the covenant they made with Him. Though we fail Him, He is patient with us, working in us to bring about the best for our lives. Are you taking the patience of God in your life as a chance to confirm your life style which is contrary to God s way? 2. But the book of Jeremiah also reminds us that an end will certainly come, a truth that should shoot us to follow after God wholeheartedly. Will you follow Him? 3. The Prophet Jeremiah had a most difficult message to deliver. Jeremiah loved Judah, but he loved God much more. As painful as it was for Jeremiah to deliver a consistent message of judgment to his own people, Jeremiah was obedient to what God told him to do and say. Jeremiah hoped and prayed for mercy from God for Judah, but also trusted that God was good and righteous. We too must obey God, even when it is difficult. 4. God s Omniscience: The book stresses the omniscience of God. In his foreknowledge, God knew the character of the prophet, and his fitness for the job, even before he 21
was formed in the womb. The creator will always respect our freedom of choice; yet, he knows. He is God! Do you recognise that God knew you are capable what He has called you to do? 5. God Empowers the called: When you are willing to be used in the service of God then you can take your weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Jeremiah was a timid, sensitive youth who initially shrunk from the awesome responsibility with which he was challenged. But he became one of the Lord s greatest, most courageous men? Do you see yourself like that? 22