JEREMIAH---DESTRUCTION AND DELIVERANCE

INTRODUCTION

1.    More is known of Jeremiah than any other prophet.

A.   His name means “Jehovah forms, or casts”.

B.   He was a priest. (1:1)

C.   He was chosen to preach before he was born. (1:5, cf. Gal. 1:15,16)

D.   He was told not to marry. (16:1-4)

E.   He was hated by his people and ultimately forced to go to Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem. (43:1-7)

F.    He had a very sensitive spirit. Known as the “weeping prophet”. (9:1; cf. book of Lamentations)

2.    Jeremiah prophesied from the reign of Josiah to the fall of Jerusalem.

A.   His ministry began in 626 B.C., in the 13th year of the reign of Josiah (1:2)

B.   His ministry lasted until after the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.).

C.   He was the last major voice before God gave his people into the hands of the Gentiles.

D.   Zephaniah and Habakkuk were contemporaries of his early ministry, Daniel of his later ministry.

E.   Ministered under five kings: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah

3.    When Jeremiah began his ministry, Assyria was the leading world power, but Egypt and Babylon were rapidly gaining strength. In 607 B.C. the Babylonians took Nineveh and destroyed the power of Assyria. Babylon then turned to Judah, and Judah’s leaders advised the king to seek an alliance with Egypt. Jeremiah was always against such a pact. He knew that Judah’s only hope was the Lord; but her sins were so great she had lost the blessing of the Lord. Babylon finally did capture Judah and take Jerusalem. (606 - 586 B.C.)

4.    “It was Jeremiah’s lot to prophesy at a time when all things in Judah were rushing down to the final and mournful catastrophe; when political excitement was at its height; when the worst passions swayed the various parties; and the most fatal counsels prevailed;....to see his own people whom he loved with the tenderness of a woman, plunge over the precipice into the wide, weltering ruin.” --Dr. Moorehead

5.    Taking the usual formula for prophetic utterance, “The word of the Lord came”, as a guide, there appears to be 51 distinct prophecies in this book.

A.   The prophecies were “world-wide” in scope.

B.   Besides Judah, Jeremiah prophesied against Egypt (46), Philistia and Tyre (47), Moab (48), the Ammonites and their cities (49:1-6), Edom (49:7-22), Damascus (49:23-27), Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor (49:28-33), Elam (49:34-38), and Babylon (50:1-51:58).

6.    Jeremiah’s ministry was to root out and destroy pride and idolatry.

KEY WORDS

1.    Backslide - The nation had turned her back on the Lord and was following the false prophets who led them to worship idols. (2:19; 3:6; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7)

2.    Repent - Eleven times the word is used by the prophet, but the nation did not repent. (4:28; 18:8,10; 26:3,13; 42:10)

KEY VERSES: 3:12,22 and 31:3

PURPOSE OF THE BOOK (warning to Judah)

1.    Judah is going to be destroyed by Babylon (the lion out of the north: 4:7; 6:22).

2.    If Judah will repent, God will save her from Babylon.

3.    Later, if Judah will only yield to Babylon, she will be spared.

4.    Judah, destroyed, shall recover and yet guide the world.

5.    Babylon, her destroyer, shall be utterly destroyed and completely disappear.

MESSAGES OF THE BOOK

1.    All national deterioration and disaster is due fundamentally to the disregarding and disobeying of God. (2:8,18,35)

2.    The curse and danger of backsliding (cf. 2 Tim. 4:10)

3.    The utter uselessness of a life not in fellowship with God (6:26-30)

4.    Idolatry breeches our relationship with the Lord. (7:18; 2:10-13; 2:20-37)

5.    The rejection of the Word of God is the source of all our difficulties. (6:10,19; 8:9)

6.    God will punish sin even though He loves the sinner. (44:26-28)

FUTURE PROPHECIES

Jeremiah saw far beyond the judgments of the near future to a brighter day when the eternal purposes of divine grace would be realized. The book, therefore, emphasizes the future glory of the kingdom, the millennial reign of Christ. The prophet saw in this future glory:

1.    The salvation of a righteous remnant (4:27; 5:10; 30:11)

2.    The restoration of a remnant to the land (16:14,15)

3.    The rise of a new Jerusalem where God would dwell (33:16)

4.    The new covenant of pardon and grace (31:33,34; 32:40; 33:8)

5.    The presence of Jehovah among His people (3:16)

6.    The coming of the Messianic King (23:4-6; 30:9)

7.    The turning of the nations to Jehovah (3:17; 4:2; 16:19; 33:9)

OUTLINE

  I.   WORDS FOR JUDAH AND JERUSALEM (1-45)

A.   The prophet and his call (1)

B.   Eight messages of sin and repentance (2-20)

C.   Messages of captivity and blessing (21-39)

D.   Messages to the remnant (40-45)

 II.    WORDS FOR THE NATIONS (46-51)

       (See “Introduction”, paragraph 5)

III.   WORDS VINDICATED (52)

A.   The capture of Jerusalem (vs. 1-11)

B.   The destruction of Jerusalem (vs. 12-23)

C.   The captives from Jerusalem (vs. 24-34)