WRITER: Jeremiah, “the prophet of the broken heart”
HIS LIFE:
His book is partly autobiographical since he gave us so much of his personal history.
1. Born a priest in Anathoth, north of Jerusalem (Jer_1:1).
2. Chosen to be a prophet before he was born (Jer_1:5).
3. Called to the prophetic office while very young (Jer_1:6).
4. Commissioned (Jer_1:9-10).
5. Began his ministry during the reign of King Josiah and was a mourner at his funeral (2Ch_35:25).
6. Forbidden to marry because of the terrible times (Jer_16:1-4).
7. Never made a convert, and was rejected by his people (Jer_11:18-21; Jer_12:6; Jer_18:18), hated, beaten, put in stocks (Jer_20:1-3), imprisoned (Jer_37:11-16), and charged with being a traitor.
8. His message broke his own heart (Jer_9:1).
9. Wanted to resign but could not (Jer_20:9).
10. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity, and was permitted to remain in the land by the captain of the Babylonian forces. When the remnant wanted to flee to Egypt, Jeremiah prophesied against it (Jer_42:15-43 :3), was forced to go with the remnant to Egypt (Jer_43:6-7), and died there. Tradition says that he was stoned by the remnant.
HIS PERSONALITY:
God chose this man, who had a mother’s heart, a trembling voice, and tear-filled eyes, to deliver a harsh message of judgment. The message that he gave broke his own heart.
One author has written, “He was not a man mighty as Elijah, eloquent as Isaiah, or seraphic as Ezekiel, but one who was timid and shrinking, conscious of his helplessness, yearning for a sympathy and love he was never to know — such was the chosen organ through which the Word of the Lord came to that corrupt and degenerate age.”
The Lord Jesus Christ, weeping over Jerusalem, was a perfect fulfillment of Jeremiah.
HIS MESSAGE:
The message of Jeremiah was the most unwelcome ever delivered to a people. He was called a traitor because he said that they were to yield to Babylon (34; Jer_38:17-23). Isaiah, almost a century before him, had said to resist. Why this change? In Jeremiah’s day there was only one thing left to do — surrender. In the economy of God the nation was through (Jer_15:1), and the “times of the Gentiles” had already begun with Babylon, the head of gold (cf. Daniel 2).
Jeremiah predicted the 70-year captivity in Babylon (Jer_25:9-12). However, he saw beyond the darkness to the light, and no prophet spoke so glowingly of the future as did he (Jer_23:3-8; 30; 31; Jer_33:15-22).
The message of Jeremiah was not only unwelcomed, but it was rejected by the nation (Jer_26:8-16).
KEY WORDS:
Backsliding — occurs 13 times (used only 4 other times in the Old Testament [Proverbs once, Hosea three times])
Babylon — occurs 164 times (more than in the rest of Scripture combined)
OUTLINE:
(Difficult to outline because there is no logical or chronological order)
I. Call of prophet during reign of Josiah, Chapter 1
II. Prophecies to Judah and Jerusalem prior to Zedekiah’s reign, Chapters 2 — 20
A. Twofold condemnation of Judah, Chapters 2 — 3:5
1. Rejected Jehovah
2. Reared their own gods
B. Charge of backsliding during reign of Josiah, Jer_3:6 — Jer_6:30
C. Warning delivered in the gate of the Lord’s house, Chapters 7 — 10
D. Israel disobeyed God’s covenant made in wilderness, Chapters 11, 12
E. Parable in action — the linen girdle, Chapter 13
F. Backsliding nation judged by drought and famine, Chapters 14, 15
G. Jeremiah forbidden to marry, Chapters 16 — Jer_17:18
H. Message to king in the gate, Jer_17:19-27
I. Sign at the potter’s house, Chapters 18, 19
J. Jeremiah’s persecution, Chapter 20
III. Prophecies during reign of Zedekiah, Chapters 21 — 29
(Leads to destruction of Jerusalem)
A. Answer to Zedekiah re: Nebuchadnezzar, Chapters 21, 22
B. A bright light in a very dark day, Chapter 23
C. Parable of two baskets of figs, Chapter 24
D. God spells out 70-year captivity, Chapter 25
E. Message in temple court during reign of Jehoiakim, Chapter 26
F. Parable of the yokes, Chapters 27, 28
G. Message of hope to first delegation of captives, Chapter 29
IV. Prophecies re: future of 12 tribes and Judah’s near captivity, Chapters 30 — 39
A. Coming of Great Tribulation, Chapter 30
B. The “I will” chapter, Chapter 31
C. Jeremiah imprisoned, buys real estate, Chapter 32
D. Coming kingdom as promised to David, Chapter 33
E. Zedekiah’s captivity foretold, Chapter 34
F. Rechabites obey God, Chapter 35
G. Jehoiakim destroys Word of God with knife and fire, Chapter 36
H. Jeremiah imprisoned again, Chapters 37, 38
I. Judah goes into captivity; Jeremiah released from prison, Chapter 39
V. Prophecies to remnant left in land after destruction of Jerusalem, Chapters 40 — 42
VI. Prophecies during Jeremiah’s last days in Egypt, Chapters 43 — 51
A. To remnant in Egypt, Chapters 43, 44
B. To Baruch, Chapter 45
C. To Egypt, Chapter 46
D. To Philistia, Chapter 47
E. To Moab, Chapter 48
F. To Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor and Elam, Chapter 49
G. To Babylon, Chapters 50, 51
VII. Fulfillment of prophesied destruction of Jerusalem, Chapter 52
COMMENT:
I. Call of prophet during reign of Josiah, Chapter 1
Jer_1:1 — Jeremiah is the son of Hilkiah, the priest of Anathoth. Evidently this was the Hilkiah who found the book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses, which sparked the revival during the reign of Josiah (2Ki_22:8; 2Ch_34:14-21). Anathoth was a few miles directly north of Jerusalem.
Jer_1:2 — Josiah, 8 years old when he came to the throne, reigned 31 years. Jeremiah began his ministry when Josiah was 22 years old, and he prophesied during 18 years of Josiah’s reign. Jeremiah was a mourner at his funeral (2Ch_35:25).
Jer_1:3 — Jehoahaz, a son of Josiah not mentioned here, reigned 3 months. Then the king of Egypt placed another son, Eliakim (Jehoiakim), upon the throne, and he reigned 11 years. When he rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took him captive to Babylon and placed on the throne at Jerusalem Jehoiachin, who reigned 3 months and 10 days. Nebuchadnezzar took him captive to Babylon and placed Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, on the throne, and he reigned 11 years. When Zedekiah rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed Jerusalem, slew the sons of Zedekiah, put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and took him captive to Babylon.
Jeremiah continued his ministry to the remnant left at Jerusalem. The remnant forced him to go with them when they fled to Egypt, and this is where he died.
Jer_1:4-5 — Jeremiah was called to the prophetic office before his birth. The Lord told him this to give him courage and conviction.
Jer_1:6 — Notice the reluctance and hesitation of Jeremiah. “Child” is “young man”; he was about 20.
Jer_1:7-10 — God empowered Jeremiah and put His words in his mouth.
Jer_1:11-12 — Sign of a rod of an almond tree — the almond tree is called “waker” because it wakes first from the long night of winter to bloom in the spring. Jeremiah was to be an alarm clock to wake the nation from a life of ease, luxury, and indifference to the coming danger. An alarm clock is never popular when it is ringing early in the morning.
Jer_1:13-18 — Sign of the seething (boiling) pot in the north — Egypt and Assyria were no longer a danger to the southern kingdom of Judah, but the boiling pot in the north was the rising power of Babylon, which eventually would destroy the nation.
Jer_1:19 — Jeremiah was to alert the nation to the new danger, but they would resist and reject his warning — in fact, they would attempt to destroy him.
II. Prophecies to Judah and Jerusalem prior to Zedekiah’s reign, Chapters 2 — 20
A. Twofold condemnation of Judah, Chapters 2 — 3:5
1. Rejected Jehovah
2. Reared their own gods
Chapter 2
Jer_2:1-7 — God asks His people to remember the springtime of their relationship to Him. They loved and served Him. God blessed them and gave them a good land. Then they turned from Him.
Jer_2:8 — The reason: the priests no longer knew God and turned to Baal.
Jer_2:9 — The Lord would not give them up.
Jer_2:13 — They reared up their own gods and followed their own devices. People may reject God, but they cannot get rid of their need for Him — they must substitute something.
Chapter 3
Jer_3:1 — Judah played the harlot, yet God asks her to return to Him.
Jer_3:3 — God judges her by withholding rainfall.
B. Charge of backsliding during reign of Josiah, Jer_3:6 — Jer_6:30 Backsliding is mentioned 7 times in chapter 3 (more than half the number in the entire book).
Jer_3:6 — Pagan gods and heathen altars are placed on the mountaintops and under trees in groves. Israel had turned from the living God to these.
Jer_3:14 — Israel belongs to Jehovah by the right of redemption out of Egypt. She is the wife of Jehovah in a spiritual relationship. Jehovah looks to the future — “I will bring you to Zion.”
Jer_3:15-18 — “In those days” is a reference to the millennial kingdom. This is the first of a long list of prophecies filled with glorious prospects for the future.
Jer_3:19 — In that day the nation Israel will call Jehovah their Father — that which they have never done before.
Jer_3:23 — See Psa_121:1.
Chapter 4
Jer_4:6-8 — Jeremiah continues to warn of the coming invasion by Babylon. He urges the nation to return to God.
Jer_4:22 — This is God’s charge against His people.
Chapter 5 — Jeremiah spells out the specific sins of the people.
Jer_5:1 — This reminds us of Diogenes who went through the streets of the city with a lantern looking for an honest man. Jeremiah says that they are scarce in Jerusalem.
Jer_5:8 — Adultery is the prevalent sin.
Jer_5:23 — The people revolt against God.
Jer_5:27 — They have become great and rich, but their homes are honeycombed with deceit.
Chapter 6 — Conclusion of message against the backsliding nation.
Jer_6:1 — The tribe of Benjamin is warned to flee from Jerusalem before the fatal blow falls upon the city.
Jer_6:10 — The word of warning is unheeded.
Jer_6:13 — The entire nation is obsessed with covetousness.
Jer_6:14 — The propaganda of this day promises peace (1Th_5:3).
Jer_6:16 — God urges them to return to the old paths of blessing, but they refuse.
Jer_6:22 — The enemy from the north was surely coming.
C. Warning delivered in the gate of the Lord’s house,
Chapters 7 — 10
Chapter 7
Jer_7:1-2 — Jeremiah is now to carry his message to the people who are coming to the Lord’s house to worship. If anyone in the nation should listen, it would seem that these would be the people. But their worship is formal ritualism with no life or meaningful message for their hearts.
Jer_7:3-4 — Jeremiah implores them not to depend on a dead religion to deliver them from coming judgment.
Jer_7:9-10 — Their lives deny the religion they profess.
Jer_7:11 — This is the same charge that the Lord Jesus will make later on when He cleanses the temple.
Jer_7:16 — God says that it is no longer useful to pray for the people. They are too far gone — gone too far away from God.
Jer_7:20 — A severe warning.
Jer_7:23 — The nation is commanded, “Obey my voice.”
Jer_7:24-27 — Although the message will go unheeded, Jeremiah’s responsibility is to deliver it.
Jer_7:34 — Judgment is coming to Jerusalem.
Chapter 8 — The theme is still the backsliding of the people of Jerusalem.
Jer_8:9 — The crowning sin is that they reject the Word of the Lord.
Jer_8:11 — False prophets are like quack doctors who offer only temporary relief instead of real or permanent healing.
Jer_8:12 — The nation not only indulged in sinful acts, but was doing them unblushingly — with no shame.
Jer_8:13, Jer_8:17 — The emphasis is upon the Word of the Lord — “saith the LORD.”
Jer_8:20 — The accepted time and day of salvation were slipping away, and it would soon be too late for their deliverance.
Jer_8:22 — God had made adequate provision, but they refuse the remedy.
Chapter 9 — The emphasis is on the Word of God — “saith the LORD” (Jer_9:3, Jer_9:6, Jer_9:9,