OVERVIEW: God’s call of Jeremiah (1:1–19); God’s explanation that Israel was an unfaithful spouse (2:1–3:5); God’s explanation that there was still time for Israel to repent (3:6–4:4); God’s warning of judgment for Israel’s refusal to repent. (4:5–31)
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
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, they, of course, were overthrown by the Babylonians.
According to 1:2, Jeremiah’s ministry actually began in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (627 B.C.), who ruled for 31 years. (2 Chr. 34:1) His ministry continued through the reigns of the last four kings of Judah (Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah), all of whom were wicked, as we saw coming through 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings. As Jeremiah reveals in 1:3, his ministry concluded with “the carrying away of Jerusalem captive,” 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), and Israel’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, the sad reality is, Judah never did. There was certainly no Old Testament prophet who 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)
As we make our way through this Book, it will be important to realize that the Book of Jeremiah is not necessarily arranged in chronological order but by similar subject matter. By presenting the truth of Jeremiah by similar subject, it helps us to more clearly see 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)
As mentioned above, Jeremiah details in verses 2 and 3, of chapter 1, that the period in which he prophesied was approximately between 627–587 B.C. His ministry spanned from Judah’s last RIGHTEOUS king (Josiah — 640–609 B.C.) to Judah’s last ACTUAL king (Zedekiah — 597–587 B.C.). Verse 3 lets us know that Jeremiah lived to see Jerusalem destroyed by the Babylonians; an event he both prophesied and lamented.
God’s call upon Jeremiah, as it is revealed in chapter 1, forever settles the question of when life actually begins. The Bible is very clear that life begins BEFORE our actual BIRTH (Jer. 1:5; Psa. 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 before his birth! He tells Jeremiah that even before forming him in his mother’s womb: He “knew” him; He “sanctified” him; and He “ordained” him to be “a prophet unto the nations”. The same thing could be said about God’s purposes for our lives!
In similar fashion to Moses’ response to God’s call (Exo. 3:11), Jeremiah’s initial response to God’s call on his life 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 is! He tells Jeremiah: “I’ll send you…I’ll tell you what to say…I’ll put My very words in your mouth…and when the people don’t like it, I’ll deliver you…because I have set you over the nations and the kingdoms.” (1:7–10)
God goes on to tell Jeremiah that his actual ministry would be six-fold. It would be:
1) “To root out.”
2) “To pull down.”
3) “To destroy.”
4) “To throw down.”
5) “To build.”
6) “To plant.”
Interestingly enough, two-thirds of Jeremiah’s preaching 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 His side against the people who had turned away from Him. Obviously, there were other implications, but that’s it in a nutshell! Do note, the ministry of the Old Testament prophet is not much different than what God intends for a New Testament preacher! God said through Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:2, that a preacher of the Word must “reprove” (negative), “rebuke” (negative), and “exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (positive). Once again, God’s instruction is that two-thirds of the preaching is to be negative! 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! In the Laodicea Church Period (1901 – Rapture), just as in Jeremiah’s day, “God’s side” is a far cry from His “people’s side”! (Rev. 3:14–22)
Notice in 1:17–19, God didn’t tell Jeremiah that his task would be easy! In fact, He warned that it would be very intimidating (“be not dismayed at their faces” — 1:17c), and that it would be a constant battle (“they shall fight against thee” — 1:19a). Amidst the difficulty, however, God commanded Jeremiah to “man up” (i.e. “gird up thy loins” — 1:17a), and promised His abiding presence and power. (“I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee” – 1:19c). Wow! How much difficulty and adversity do you think you could endure in your mission with a promise like the one Jeremiah received?! But, may I remind you of God’s promise to us in our mission?! Jesus said in Matthew 28:18–20: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye THEREFORE (Note that He’s implying 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 2:1–3:5, 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. In 2:1–3, He tells Jeremiah that Israel had forgotten her devotion to Him in her “youth” (when God had first delivered them out of Egypt — i.e. her “first love” — Rev. 2:4); that she had become ungrateful (2:4–8); that she had changed her God (2:9–13); that she had ignored God’s discipline (2:14–19); that she had denied any wrongdoing (2:20–28); that she had mistreated the poor (2:29–37); and that, spiritually speaking, she 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, having put away her other lovers. (3:6–4:4) What an incredibly merciful and gracious God we serve!
In 4:5–31, God tells Jeremiah that, though Israel has time to repent, He is only providing a window of opportunity 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 call Jerusalem the 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 — Jeremiah 2:13 (John 7:37; John 4:1–26)