JEREMIAH. The Book of Chastisement (52 chapters; 1,364 verses; 3 ¾ hours to read) A N A L Y S I S O F T H E B O O K

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1 JEREMIAH The Book of Chastisement (52 chapters; 1,364 verses; 3 ¾ hours to read) A N A L Y S I S O F T H E B O O K Period Covered: 1. Jeremiah was called in the 13th year of Josiah (627 B.C.), according to 1:2, and prophesied until after the fall of Judah in 586 B.C. His ministry may have extended through the assassination of Gedaliah, the Babylonianappointed governor of Judah, ca. 582 B.C. 2. Jeremiah s call coincided closely with the death of the last great Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal, an event which triggered the disintegration of the Assyrian Empire and permitted Josiah to achieve a measure of independence, after nearly a century of subjection to Assyria. Within a generation, however, the most catastrophic reversal of fortune in Judah s history resulted in destruction, captivity and deportation at the hands of the Neo-Babylonians in 586 B.C. Key Idea: Final Effort to Save Jerusalem Key Personalities: Kings of Judah 1. King Josiah B.C. (31 years) Successor of one of Judah s worst kings, Manasseh ( B.C.); assumed the throne as a boy of 8 and was a good king; a friend to Jeremiah; led in a great reformation (628 B.C.), but apparently it was only outward and people inwardly remained idolatrous. 2. King Jehoahaz 609 B.C. (3 months) Son of Josiah; called Shallum in Jeremiah; deposed by Egypt; carried to Egypt where he died; the first Judean king to die in exile. 3. King Jehoiakim B.C. (11 years) Son of Josiah; brother to Jehoahaz; bitter enemy of Jeremiah; boldly pro-idolatry; rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and was executed in the 11th year of his reign, as predicted by Jeremiah (22:18-19). 4. King Jehoiachin 598 B.C. (3 months) Son of Jehoiakim; grandson to Josiah; called Jeconiah or Coniah in Jeremiah; taken captive to Babylon where he lived in exile for 37 years. 5. King Zedekiah B.C. (11 years) Son of Josiah; respected Jeremiah; was a weak and unsteady king; rebelled against Babylon and was taken captive at the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.; he was blinded and carried away to exile; the last of Judah s kings and last ruler of the monarchies of Israel and Judah that had lasted 500 years. 6. Gedaliah (586-?) Appointed governor by king of Babylon; assassinated by pro-egypt sympathizers, who afterward fled to Egypt, forcing Jeremiah and Barach to accompany them.

2 Jeremiah, the Prophet 1. Jeremiah is the most autobiographical of the prophets, and we know more about him personally than any other Old Testament prophet. 2. His name means Yahweh hurls. 3. Grew up in a priestly family in Anathoth (about 2-3 miles northeast of Jerusalem). 4. Was a person of considerable culture and nobility; appears to have been very gentle and shy; thus he recoiled against a ministry which forced him into the limelight. 5. Was forbidden to marry (16:1-4); his heartache, though, only drove him closer to God, in whom he found close companionship. 6. Jeremiah was a careful student of Scripture: quotes Deuteronomy 86 times, quoting 68 passages, as well as widely from Job, Psalms and, especially, earlier prophets. 7. He was given to visions, images and prophetic symbolism. Among his best known are the images of the unfaithful wife, the ox that breaks its yoke, the vine that bears strange fruit, the stain that will not wash away, and the acted signs of the purchase of a parcel of land while the Babylonians encircled Jerusalem, the potter s house, the broken jar, and the bonds and yokes he wore. 8. Jeremiah encountered more opposition from more enemies than any other OT prophet. Much of it stemmed from the fact that he continually preached one theme: unconditional surrender. Had not the Lord protected him, he would have been martyred. There are six distinct attempts upon his life in the book. 9. His prophetic contemporaries were Ezekiel (preaching to the captives in Babylon), Daniel (preaching in Nebuchadnezzar s palace), and Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Nahum, and Obadiah (preaching with him in Jerusalem). 10. Some thought Jesus was Jeremiah come back from the dead (Matthew 16:14). Their similarities are remarkable. 11. According to rabbinic tradition, Jeremiah was the author of the book that bears his name as well as 1-2 Kings and Lamentations. 12. He has been called a weeping prophet to a wayward people. John Bright credits Jeremiah with the survival of his people after the Fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and calls him the savior of the Jews. The Expositor s Bible Commentary says, In his day he was unquestionably the greatest spiritual personality in Israel. He has also been characterized as the most Christlike of the prophets. William Petersen titled his book about Jeremiah The Prophet Who Wouldn t Quit. Baruch, the secretary of Jeremiah (36:17-18; 45:1). Jeremiah s secretary provided the prophet with much assistance in writing and arranging his book. He was to Jeremiah what Luke was to Paul: his companion, amanuensis, and biographer. Key Word Return (used 47 times) Key Themes 1. Judah has forsaken the Lord and substituted ritual for relationship. 2. Judgment is coming from the north.

3 The Structure of Jeremiah 1. Its arrangement is by no means chronological. It was written in stages, but not chronologically. 2. It is among the least read and least understood of the Old Testament prophets, probably because of the lack of a clear arrangement and its reliance upon extra biblical, contemporary history. 3. The book evidently went through several editions. For example, according to chapter 36, Baruch, Jeremiah s secretary, first wrote down his prophecies (ca. 604 B.C.). These were burned by Jehoiakim and were dictated again with additions. 4. Both prose and poetry are used, in roughly equal instances. Each verse seems to be wrung from Jeremiah s own heart agony. Among his writings are some of the most tender and sympathetic passages in the Bible. 5. There are several large groupings of material within Jeremiah s prophecy. Jeremiah s 13 messages of judgment on Judah (chapters 2 25) Account of the people s response to Jeremiah and his message (chapters 26 29; 34 36) Jeremiah s messages of future hope (chapters 30 33) Events before, during and after the fall of Jerusalem (including Jeremiah s sojourn in Egypt (40-44), arranged largely in chronological order (chapters 37 45) Prophecies concerning other nations (chapters 46 51) Conclusion: Account of the destruction of Jerusalem and deportation of captives, drawn from 2 Kings 24:18 25: Jeremiah never deviated from the position that Judah and Jerusalem were to be destroyed by a nation from the north and the people carried into captivity (4:5-9; 6:22-26). The threatening invasion of the northern enemy gave urgency to his warnings. 7. Jeremiah spoke more about repentance than any other prophet. 8. In his famous temple address (chapters 7, 26), Jeremiah indicated that only faithfulness to God guarantees a nation s security. Judah has proven unfaithful to God and the temple would be destroyed. 9. He aroused bitter opposition to himself and his message from all segments of the nation including his own family. Sad and despairing because of the rejection of his message, he yet loved, prayed for, and agonized over his people. No greater and truer Jewish patriot ever preached the truth to them. 10. The Lord gave Jeremiah no miraculous signs or miracles to confirm the validity of his predictions. 11. There are at least 40 allusions to Jeremiah in the New Testament, more than ½ of them in Revelation. OUTLINE OF JEREMIAH 1. Prophecies from the Reign of Josiah (1:1 20:18) 2. Prophecies from the Reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah (21:1 39:18) 3. Prophecies from after the Fall of Jerusalem (40:1 45:5) (1) Ministry to the Survivors in Judah (40:1 42:22) (2) Ministry among the Refugees in Egypt (43:1 44:30) (3) Message to Baruch (45:1-5) 4. Prophecies Concerning the Surrounding Nations (Egypt; Philistia; Moab; Ammon; Edom; Demascus; Kedar and Hazor; Elam; Babylon) (46:1 51:64) 5. Historical Supplement (52:1-34; cf. 2 Kings 24:18 25:30) which records events to the 37th year of Jehoiachin s captivity and ultimate restoration.

4 APPLICATION OF THE BOOK 1. God never sends us to accomplish His will without promising to accompany us and deliver us (1:7-8). 2. Though people tend to value novelty, often the old ways are the best, not because they are old, but because they have been tested and proven sound. (6:16). 3. The only valid reason for glorying is not our wisdom of power or riches - but that we personally know the Lord (9:23-24). 4. A bad habit, regularly practiced, is almost as difficult to change as the color of the skin or the spots of the leopard (13:23). 5. God cannot ultimately be defeated. He has a purpose. It can be resisted, and such rebellion may bring about rejection and/or destruction, but then God moves on, using another instrument to accomplish His will (chapter 18). 6. God s word in our hearts is like a burning fire and we cannot hold it in, even when we are weary and discouraged. (20:9) 7. Jeremiah opposes those who only use other people s messages or testimonies and have none of their own (23:30). 8. The new covenant God made with His people is described by Jeremiah as inward (in the heart) and not outward; personal and not national; spiritual and not legal (23:31-34). The NT shows us how deeply this truth entered into the work of our Lord. 9. The thing that sustained Jeremiah through nearly a half-century of grief and opposition was his undying confidence in God and his promises (18:7; 29:14; 32:1-15). 10. No greater insult can be offered God than to represent him under the form of dead idols. Idolatry was the special sin Jeremiah tirelessly preached against. 11. Jeremiah preached that judgment was inescapable. God had already used drought, famine, and foreign invaders (14:1-6; 4:11-22); he would yet bring the culminating visitation through Nebuchadnezzar (25:9). 12. Probably the outstanding emphasis in Jeremiah s ministry was the priority of the spiritual over everything else. His overarching concern at all times was the condition of the individual heart. 13. Nothing is more revealing of a man of God than his prayer life. Jeremiah was so committed to prayer for his wayward people that God had to proscribe such activity by him (7:16; 11:14; 14:11). He included himself in his prayers: 11:18-20; 12:1-4; 15:10, 15-18; 17:14-18; 18:19-23; 20:7-11, are passages known as the Confessions of Jeremiah.

5 Important Dates for Jeremiah Years Event References 643 Probable date of Jeremiah s birth 640 Josiah becomes king of Judah at age 8 2 Chron. 34:1 628 Josiah begins his reforms 2 Chron. 34:3 627 Jeremiah begins his ministry Jer. 1:2; 25:3 626 Nabopolassar founds the Neo-Babylonian Empire 622 The book of the Law discovered in the temple 2 Chron. 34:8, The fall of Nineveh, Assyria s capitol 609 Josiah killed in battle by Egyptians at Megiddo 2 Chron. 35:20-25 Jehoahaz reigns over Judah for 3 months 2 Chron. 36:1-3 Jehoiakim made king of Judah by Pharaoh Neco 2 Chron. 36:4 605 Nebuchadnezzar defeats the Egyptians at Carchemish Jer. 46:2 The first deportation of exiles (inc. Daniel) to Babylon Dan. 1: Jehoiakim burns Jeremiah s first scroll Jer Jehoiakim rebels against Babylon 2 Kings 24:1 598 Jehoiakim is deposed and dies 2 Chron. 36:3 Jehoiachin reigns over Judah for 3 months 2 Kings 24:8 597 The second deportation of exiles (inc. Jehoiachin) to Babylon 2 Kings 24:12-16 Zedekiah made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar 2 Kings 24: Zedekiah summoned to Babylon Jer. 51: Zedekiah is besieged in Jerusalem for treachery Jer. 52: Fall of Jerusalem Jer. 39 Gedaliah appointed governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 40:5-6 Gedaliah assassinated by Ishmael Jer. 41:2 Judean refugees flee to Egypt taking Jeremiah Jer The third deportation of exiles to Babylon Jer. 52: Nebuchadnezzar invades Egypt Jer. 43:8-13; 46: Jehoiachin released from prison in Babylon Jer. 52: Fall of Babylon to Cyrus the Persian Dan. 5: Cyrus issues his decree allowing the Jews to return 2 Chron. 36:22-23