INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH
Jeremiah was used of God to prophesy during the last 40 years of the small Southern Kingdom of Judah’s history. By the time Jeremiah begins his ministry, it had been 100 years since the Assyrians had destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel. As the Assyrian empire weakened through the years, of course, they were overthrown by the Babylonians.
Jeremiah’s ministry actually began in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (627 B.C.) according to (1:2), who ruled for 31 years (II Chron. 34:1). His ministry continued through the reigns of the last four kings of Judah, all of whom, as we saw coming through II Chronicles and II Kings, were wicked (Jehoahaz,
Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah). As Jeremiah notes in 1:3, his ministry concluded with “the carrying away ofJerusalemcaptive,” which was in 586 B.C.
Jeremiah is sometimes referred to as “the Weeping Prophet” (see 9:1;13:17;14:17;15:17-18; Lam.
1:2; 2:11, 18). His tears flowed out of his passion for God’s glory (13:15-17), andIsrael’s “backsliding” from her God. “Backsliding” is the key word in the Book (see 2:19; 3:6,8,11-12, 22; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7), for which cause the word “repent” is used 11 times by the prophet. Though repentance was his continual message,Judahnever did. No Old Testament prophet suffered more opposition than did Jeremiah
(2:8, 26; 4:9; 5:31; 6:14; 14:13-16; 18:18; 23:9-40; 26:8-19; 27:9-16; chapters 28-29).
It is important to realize that the Book of Jeremiah is not necessarily arranged in chronological order, but by similar subject matter. Remember, the Bible is not laid out according to how American’s think. We think linearly (i.e. in a line). The Bible is an Asian Book. It is presented in a circle. By presenting the truth of Jeremiah by similar subject, it helps us to see more clearly the tragic results of sin.
Perhaps the simplest breakdown of the Book is as follows:
The Fate of Judah (1-33)
The Fate of Jerusalem (34-45)
The Fate of the Gentile Nations (46-52)
TODAY’S READING: JEREMIAH 1-4
OVERVIEW:
God’s call of Jeremiah (1:1-19); God’s explanation thatIsraelwas an unfaithful spouse (2:1-3:5); God’s explanation that there was still time forIsraelto repent (3:6-4:4); God’s warning of judgment for refusing to repent (4:5-31).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
As mentioned in the “Introduction,” Jeremiah details in verses 2 and 3 of chapter one that the period in which he prophesied was approximately between 627-587 B.C. His ministry spanned fromJudah’s last RIGHTEOUS king (Josiah; 640-609 B.C.) toJudah’s last ACTUAL king (Zedekiah; 597-587 B.C.).
Verse 3 lets us know that Jeremiah lived to seeJerusalemdestroyed by the Babylonians, an event he both prophesied and lamented. God’s call upon Jeremiah as it is revealed in chapter one forever settles the question of when life begins. The Bible is very clear that life begins before our actual birth (Jer. 1:5; Psalm 139:14-15), and continues on after our actual death (Heb.9:27)! God tells Jeremiah that a whole lot had taken place concerning him even before He formed him in his mother’s womb: He “knew” him; He “sanctified” him; and “ordained” him to be “a prophet unto the nations.” The same thing could be said about God’s purposes for your life!
Much as in the case of God’s call upon Moses (Ex.3:11), Jeremiah’s initial response was to focus on his own inadequacies and inabilities. God tells Jeremiah, as He did Moses (Ex.3:14), that His call upon his life wasn’t about who Jeremiah was, but who He was! He tells Jeremiah: “I’ll send you; I’ll tell you what to say; when the people don’t like it, I’ll deliver you; I’ll put my words in your mouth, because I have set you over the nations and the kingdoms” (1:7-10).
God tells Jeremiah that his actual ministry would be six-fold: 1) “to root out” 2) “to pull down” 3)”to destroy” 4) “to throw down” 5) “to build” 6) “to plant.” Interestingly, two-thirds of Jeremiah’s ministry was intended by God to be negative. Perhaps this is a good time to make sure we understand what a “prophet” was actually being called to do. Basically, we could say that a prophet in the Bible was a man that God raised up to take God’s side against the people who had turned away from him.
Obviously, there were other implications, but that’s it in a nutshell. It is not much different than what God intends for a New Testament preacher. In fact, it is interesting to note that two-thirds of the ministry of a preacher of the Word of God, God intends to be negative! God said through Paul in II Timothy 4:2, that a preacher of the Word must “reprove” (negative), “rebuke” (negative) and “exhort” (positive) “with all longsuffering and doctrine.” No wonder Jeremiah had it so tough in his day, and no wonder those who “preach the Word” have it so tough in our day (Rev. 3:14-22)! InLaodicea, just as in Jeremiah’s day, God’s side isn’t a whole lot like His people’s side! In fact, Jesus said it’s the exact opposite! “Because thou sayest (here’s what we think about ourselves), I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not (here’s what Jesus says is really true of ourselves) that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).
Notice in1:17-19, God didn’t tell Jeremiah that his task would be easy, in fact, He warned that it could be very intimidating (“be not dismayed at their faces” –1:17), and that it would be a constant battle (“they shall fight against thee” –1:19). Amidst the difficulty, however, God commanded Jeremiah to “suck it up” (i.e. “gird up thy loins” –1:17), and promised His abiding presence and power. (“I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee” –1:19). How much difficulty and adversity could you endure in your mission with a promise like that? Check out God’s promise to us in our mission in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. God ye THEREFORE (And, implied is that He is going to empower us with His power!) … and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”!
In chapter 2 and through 3:5, God has some incredibly strong things to say to Jeremiah about His people. He even likens them to an unfaithful, adulterous spouse, in contrast to God’s constant faithfulness and goodness to them. He tells Jeremiah (2:1-3) thatIsraelhad forgotten her devotion to Him in her “youth” (when God had first delivered them out ofEgypt– i.e. her “first love” – Rev. 2:4); that she had become ungrateful (2:4-8); had changed her God (2:9-13); had ignored God’s discipline (2:14-19); had denied any wrongdoing (2:20-28); had mistreated the poor (2:29-37); and had been sleeping around (3:1-5).
In spite of her sin, however, God tells Jeremiah that He is merciful, and that He is willing to forgive her if she will simply return to Him, and put away her other lovers (3:6-4:4). What a God!
In 4:5-31, God tells Jeremiah that thoughIsraelhas time to repent, He is only providing a window of time to do so. He warns that if they refuse to return to Him, He will send an army to annihilate their nation.
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:
3:16– “in those days” (specifically, the Tribulation Period)
3:17– “At that time they shall callJerusalemthe throne of the Lord”
3:18– “in those days” (specifically, the Tribulation Period)
4:9 – “at that day”
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS – Jeremiah2:13(John7:37, 4:1-26).