The bible – Book of Jeremiah

1. The Bible – Book of Jeremiah – 29th
January 2017
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5).
Jeremiahchapter1,verse 1 identifiesthe ProphetJeremiahasthe authorof the Bookof Jeremiah. The
Bookof Jeremiahwaswrittenbetween630 and 580 B.C. The Book of Jeremiahrecordsthe final
JpropheciestoJudah,warningof oncomingdestruction if the nationdoesnotrepent.Jeremiahcallsout
for the nationto turnback to God. At the same time,Jeremiahrecognizesthe inevitabilityof Judah’s
destructiondue toitsunrepentantidolatryandimmorality.
Jeremiahwasaprophetof the seventhcenturyB.C.whocame fromAnathoth,a towna short distance
fromJerusalem.Mostof hispropheticcareerwasspentinthe vicinityof Jerusalem.Jeremiahbeganto
prophesyin the reignof KingJosiahof Judah.Jeremiahwascalledtobe a prophetwhile he wasstill a
youth.Asa signthat there wouldbe nocause for celebrationinJudah,Godcommandedhimnotto
marry. Jeremiahspoke againstthose whothoughtthatTemple worship protectedthemfromthe
consequencesof sin.He wasrepeatedlyarrestedandKingJehoiakimhadhispropheciesburned,but
Jeremiah'sscribe Baruchproducedanew copy.JeremiahremainednearJerusalemwhile the
Babylonians capturedthe city,butlaterhisfriendstookhimto Egyptwhere he spentthe remainderof
hislife.
We can readof keyincidencesfromthe Bookof Jeremiahasfollows:
Jer 1:1-10 - Jeremiah'scall : Jer 7:1-34 - Sermon againstthe Temple : Jer 16:1-4 - Jeremiah not to
marry : Jer 36:1-32 - Jeremiah'sburnedscroll : Jer 43:1-7 - Jeremiah taken to Egypt.
The Book of Jeremiahisprimarilyamessage of judgmentonJudahforrampantidolatry asstatedin
Jeremiah7:30-34; 16:10-13; 22:9; 32:29; 44:2-3. Afterthe deathof KingJosiah,the lastrighteousking,
the nationof JudahhadalmostcompletelyabandonedGodandHiscommandments.Jeremiah
comparesJudahto a prostitute asstatedin Jeremiah 2:20, ““Longagoyoubroke offyour yoke and tore
offyour bonds;you said,‘I will not serve you!’Indeed,on every highhill andunder every spreading
tree you laydown as a prostitute.”
God had promisedthatHe wouldjudge idolatrymostseverely (Leviticus26:31-33; Deuteronomy28:49-
68), andJeremiahwaswarningJudahthatGod’s judgmentwasathand.God had deliveredJudahfrom
destructiononcountlessoccasions,butHismercywasat itsend.JeremiahrecordsKingNebuchadnezzar
conqueringJudahandmakingitsubjecttohim (Jeremiah24:1). Afterfurtherrebellion,Godbrought
Nebuchadnezzarandthe Babylonianarmiesbacktodestroy anddesolate JudahandJerusalem
(Jeremiahchapter 52). Evenin thismostsevere judgment,Godpromisesthe restorationof Judahback
intothe landGod has giventhem:“Thisiswhat the Lord says:“Whenseventy years are completed for
Babylon,I will come to you and fulfill mygoodpromiseto bringyou back to this place. (Jeremiah
29:10).
The book of Jeremiah,amongotherprophecies alsopresentsaprophecyof the comingMessiah,Jesus
Christ. “The daysare coming,” declaresthe LORD, “whenI will raise up for Davida righteousBranch, a
Kingwho will reign wiselyand do what isjust andright in the land. 6
In hisdays Judahwill be saved
and Israel will live in safety.This is the name by whichhe will be called:The LORD Our Righteous
Savior.The prophetdescribes Him as a Branch from the houseof David (Jeremiah23:5-6).

2. The ProphetJeremiahhada mostdifficultmessage todeliver.JeremiahlovedJudah,buthe lovedGod
much more.Aspainful asitwas for Jeremiahtodeliveraconsistentmessageof judgmenttohisown
people,JeremiahwasobedienttowhatGod toldhimto do andsay. Jeremiahhopedandprayedfor
mercyfrom God forJudah,but alsotrustedthat God wasgood,just,and righteous.We toomustobey
God, evenwhenitisdifficult,recognize God’swill asmore importantthanour owndesires,andtrust
that God, inHis infinite wisdomandperfectplan,will bringaboutthe bestforHischildren.AsChristians
we can understandthisfrom Romans8:28, “Andwe know that in all thingsGodworks for the goodof
those who lovehim, who[a]
have been called accordingto hispurpose.”
Some prophecies of Jeremiah
Subject Prophecy Fulfillment
The Messiahwouldbe a descendantof David Jeremiah 23:5-6a Luke 3:23-31
The Messiahwouldbe God. Jeremiah 23:5-6b John13:13
The Messiahwould be both GodandMan. Jeremiah 23:5-6c 1 Timothy3:16
The Messiahwouldbe born ofa virgin. Jeremiah 31:22 Matthew 1:18-20
The Messiahwouldbe the new covenant. Jeremiah 31:31 Matthew 26:28
The Messiahwouldbe a descendantof David. Jeremiah 33:14-15 Luke 3:23-31
Key Verses:
Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all thingsand beyondcure. Who canunderstandit?”
Jeremiah 29:10-11, “Thisis what the LORD says:‘Whenseventy years are completed forBabylon,I will
come to you andfulfill mygraciouspromiseto bringyou back to thisplace. For I know the plansI have
for you,’declares the LORD, ‘plansto prosper youand not to harm you, plansto give you hopeand a
future.’”
Jeremiah 52:12-13, “Onthe tenth dayof the fifthmonth, inthe nineteenthyear ofNebuchadnezzar
kingof Babylon,Nebuzaradancommanderofthe imperial guard,whoserved the kingof Babylon,
came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palaceand all the houses of
Jerusalem.Every importantbuildingheburned down.”