Jeremiah Study by Tim Haile Introduction to Jeremiah

Jeremiah Study by Tim Haile

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • The Book of Jeremiah Concerns the People of Judah (With Special Emphasis Upon the Fate of Jerusalem) – Because of Moral & Spiritual Corruption, God Would Punish Judah As He Had Punished Israel

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • Moses Had Warned That Siege & Captivity Would Be Used As Punishment For Wickedness (Deut. 28: 49 -ff) – An “Eagle” Would “Swoop Down” Which Would Destroy Property and Subjugate People

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • The “Swooping Eagle” Was: – ASSYRIA (Hos. 8: 1), As God’s “Rod of Anger” (Isa. 10: 5) In Punishing the Northern 10 Tribes of Israel (Samaria Fell in 721 BC) – BABYLON (Jer. 48: 40), As God’s Instrument Against Moab, Judah and Others (Jer. 46 -49)

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • Involved Deportation, Captivity: – ISRAEL (2 Kgs. 17: 23), “…So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there. ”) – JUDAH (Jer. 20: 4, 5; 25: 11) Carried to Babylon and Remain For Seventy Years (29: 10 -14)

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • Jerusalem After 100 Years: – Sennacherib Arrived At Jerusalem (701 BC) After Conquering All Other Fortified Cities of Judah (Annals Claimed to Have Conquered 46) (Isa. 36: 1) – Hezekiah Was King, Isaiah Was a Prophet

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • Jerusalem After 100 Years: – Sennacherib Boasted of His Victories, Threatened Jerusalem, and Insulted God (2 Kgs. 18) – As Prophesied by Isaiah, the Assyrian Army Was Miraculously Defeated (2 Kgs. 19: 35): Sennacherib Later Killed by His Own Sons (2 Kgs. 19: 36, 37)

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • Key Differences Between the Jerusalem of 701 and the Jerusalem of 605: – Hezekiah Feared and Served God – Isaiah Was Respected And Heard – The People Humbled Themselves and Turned From Evil (reforms) – In 100 Years This All Changed!

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • Josiah Was Devoted: Others Were Not (2 Chron. 34: 31 -33): – “Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. ”

Introduction to Jeremiah Background to the Book of Jeremiah: • “Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand {with him. } So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the LORD God of their fathers” (2 Chron. 34: 32, 33)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah Was From Anathoth (One of the 4 Priestly Cities of Benjamin) – The Men of Anathoth Later Conspired To Kill Jeremiah (Jer. 11: 18 -23) – Ezekiel (Ezek. 1: 3) and Zechariah (Zech 1: 1) Also Prophet and Priest

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Though a Priest, The Time Came When Jeremiah Was Instructed By God To No Longer Pray For the Good of His People (Jer. 7: 16; 11: 14; 14: 11) – Jeremiah 18: 20 Indicates That He Had Earlier Prayed For the People

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah Began His Prophetic Work In The 13 th Year of Josiah (Jer. 1: 2; 25: 3 - 626 BC) • Jeremiah Was Forced To Go To Egypt (Daphne) With Rebellious Jews (Jer. 43) - He Continued His Teaching There (Jer. 44)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah’s Contemporaries: – Zephaniah (Early) – Habakkuk – Daniel (carried away in 1 st deportation - 605 BC) – Ezekiel (carried away in 2 nd deportation - 597 BC) – Nahum (against Nineveh)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Kings During Jeremiah’s Work: – Josiah (13 th Year, killed in 609 BC by Necho) – Jehoahaz-Shallum (609) – Jehoiakim (609 -598) – Jehoiachin (Coniah, Jeconiah, 597, 598) – Zedekiah (597 -586)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah Felt Inadequate - “I am a child” (Jer. 1: 6 - about 20 -25) – Similar To Moses (Ex. 4: 10) – Jeremiah Was Helped By Divine Inspiration (Jer. 1: 9) – God Strengthened and Assisted Jeremiah (Jer. 1: 17 -19)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • The “Weeping Prophet” – “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? ” (Jer. 8: 22) – “Oh that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people” (Jer. 9: 1)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah: the Hated Prophet: – Death Threat From The Men of Anathoth (Jer. 11: 18 -23) – People of Jerusalem: “They said, ‘Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah: for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will council from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says’” (Jer. 18: 18)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah: the Hated Prophet: – Beaten & Bound By Pashhur (Jer. 20: 1 -6) – People, Prophets and Priests: Seized Jeremiah and Said, “You must die… This man must be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city…” (Jer. 26: 8, 11)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah: the Hated Prophet: – Beaten & Imprisoned in Jonathan’s Prison - Accused of Desertion (Jer. 37: 11 -21) – Accused of “Discouraging the Soldiers” With His Warnings of Jerusalem’s Destruction - Thrown in a Cistern - Sank in Mud (Jer. 38)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah: a Conflicted Prophet: – Jeremiah Prophesied At a Time of Extreme Rebellion Against God: The Judgments He Pronounced Were Therefore Very Strong/Condemning – Prospect of Suffering and Destruction Very Disturbing (cp. Rev. 10: 9 -11)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah: a Conflicted Prophet: – Sometimes Complained About God’s Tolerance and Timing (Jer. 12: 1 -4) - God Warned and Informed Him (vs. 5 -ff) – Complained About God’s Ways (Jer. 15: 16 -18) - God Told Him to Repent (vss. 19 -21)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah’s Confessions: – Wished For God’s Vengeance Upon Those At Ananthoth Who Conspired to Kill Him (Jer. 11: 20) – “Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror; Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction” (Jer. 17: 18)

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah’s Confessions: – Jer. 18: 19 -23 - “Do give heed to me, O Lord, and listen to what my opponents are saying! Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before you to speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away your wrath from them. Therefore, give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed…

Introduction to Jeremiah The Prophet Jeremiah: • Jeremiah’s Confessions: – “Let their men also be smitten to death, Their young men struck down by the sword in battle. May an outcry be heard from their houses, when you suddenly bring raiders upon them; For they have dug a pit to capture me And hidden snares for my feet. Yet you, O Lord, know all their deadly designs against me; Do not forgive their iniquity or blot out their sin from your sight. But may they be overthrown before you; Deal with them in the time of your anger!” (Jer. 18: 19 -23)