JEREMIAH The Weeping Prophet 1 JEREMIAH The Weeping

JEREMIAH The “Weeping” Prophet 1

JEREMIAH The “Weeping” Prophet • • • What does this book teach? What was the OCCASION? When was it written? • The last chapter records the fall of Jerusalem • The story of Jehoiachin is about 560 BC 2

What questions were being asked in 560 BC? WHY? Whose fault? Is God vengeful towards Israel? Did they really deserve this? What kind of God would allow this to happen to his people? 3

Jeremiah’s Big Idea: Is God vengeful & sadistic to Israel? Absolutely not: God only reluctantly carried out the ultimate curse of the Law (exile) after the people forced him to by their conscious and continuous rejection of Jeremiah. 4

2 A, 1 B, 1 C General Messages 3: 6 -11, How does Judah compare with Israel? 6 During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. 8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and 5 committed adultery.

2 A, 1 B, 1 C General Messages 3: 6 -11, How does Judah compare with Israel? 9 Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she (Judah) defiled the land committed adultery with stone and wood. 11 The LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. ” 6

1 A Jeremiah’s Call 1: 10 What’s the percentage of positive to negative? ? Jeremiah 1: 10 “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant. ” 7

1 A Jeremiah’s Call 1: 10 What’s the percentage? 1: 17 -20 What’s the prediction? 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land: against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, ” declares 8 the LORD.

1 C General Messages. . . 12: 1 -2, J’s discouragment 1 You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? 2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. d e y o Ann 9

1 C General Messages. . . 15: 10, 17 -21, J’s complaint d e s s e r p De 10 Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me. Jeremiah 15: 17 -18 17 I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails? h t i w y r Ang God 10

Jeremiah 15: 19 -20 19 Therefore this is what the LORD says: (to Jeremiah himself) “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. 20 I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you, ” declares the LORD. 11

1: 17 -20 What’s the prediction? Jeremiah 1: 17 -19 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land: against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, ” declares the LORD. 12

The Point? • The peoples’ continuous, and harsh rejection of Jeremiah has driven the man to distraction, and basically caused him to forfeit his ministry! • Now God tells JEREMIAH to repent! And graciously re-installs him to his prophetic office! • What does this ultimately tell you about the people of Judah? 13

Bernie (friend of Jeremiah, and aspiring song-writer) frogs Jeremiah 14

2 A 2 B 3 C 2 D Contempt for Prophecy: Jehoiakim and the Scroll, 36: 23 -26 Jeremiah 36: 23 -24 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 15

Jeremiah 36: 25 -26 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them. What would you have done with these people if you were God? 16

2 A 2 B 2 C The book of Consolation, 30 -33 1 D Section #1, the promise in poetry, 31: 31 -34 17

Jeremiah 31: 31 -32 “The time is coming, ” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, ” declares the LORD. 18

Jer 31 49 15 12: 1 -3 3: 15 Jer 31 Mosaic Covenant 1 Sided 2 Sided UNconditional Conditional 19

31: 33 -34 “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, ” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD, ’ because they will all know me, . . . “For I will forgive their wickedness. . . 20

Jer 31 Mosaic Covenant 21

Notice Jesus’ words at the last supper • Luke 22: 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. ” • 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 22

So is the New Covenant given to the Church instead of Israel, and has the Church actually replaced Israel? • The Peppermint gum principle – God can give New Covenant blessings to the Church without taking them away from Israel. • Partial blessing now (AD 33 --2015) ( i. e. , indwelling Spirit to the Church). . . • Does not preclude full New Covenant blessing to Israel in the future. 23

And now for 10, 000 bonus points • Where was this New Covenant theology, so clearly described by Jeremiah, FIRST mentioned ? ? 24

5 A The Address of Moses 2 B A Vision of Ultimate Realization of. . . Deut 30: 1 -6 When all blessings curses I and have set 3 6 then Lord The thethese Lord will circumcise your God and will your restore heartsyour fortunes the before you come upon on youyou and yougather takemay them to and hearts have of your compassion descendants, soand that youlove again heartwith wherever Lord your God disperses from him all the all nations yourthe heart where and he with scattered all your soul, you and live. among nations, 4 Eventhe if you have been banished to the most and when and your children to the Lord distant land you under the heavens. . return. your God and obey him with all your heart and with all our soul acording to everything I command you today 25

Deut 28 Married Divorced Covenant Relationship No Covenant Relationship Marriage refused No Covenant Relationship New Covenant Relationship People Nation? Nation! 2000 BC 1446 586 33 2015? Abe Moses Exile Jesus? Jesus! Deut 30 Re-Married 26

4 A, 2 B, Things Preserved for Future “Planting” 52: 31 -34 31 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month. 32 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 28

33 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 34 Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death. Matthew 1: 12 -16 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, . . . 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 2 Sam 7 49 15 12: 1 -3 3: 15 29

• Notice its dependence upon Deuteronomy – The exile is not an accident, but a fulfillment • Notice its acrostic form – As the alphabet is exhausted, our grief and destruction is complete. The ultimate & final curse of the law (exile) has happened. • Notice the hope – In the worst part of the pain, chapter 3 30

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