This slideshow provides information on Jeremiah (Old Testament) to supplement Chapter 5 of Richard A. Brown's "Speak to the Bones: How to Be a Prophetic People in a Time of Exile."

1. Jeremiah:
Plucking Up and Planting (Chapter 5)

2. Jeremiah 1:3 (The Message)
The Message from God to Jeremiah: “Stand in the
gate of God’s Temple and preach this Message. “Say,
‘Listen, all you people of Judah who come through
these gates to worship God. God-of-the-Angel-
Armies, Israel’s God, has this to say to you: “‘Clean
up your act—the way you live, the things you do—
so I can make my home with you in this place.

3. Richard A Brown writes:
“There is little question that the four decades
during which Jeremiah lived marked the most
tumultuous and tragic period in the history of the
southern Kingdom of Judah. By its end the temple
lay in ruins, along with much of the rest of
Jerusalem’s walled city, and many of its citizens
carted off to Babylonian exile.”

4. Richard A Brown writes:
“Foreign dominance shifted from the Assyrians,
who years before conquered the Kingdom of Israel
in the north, to the Egyptians briefly, and then to
the newest superpower, Babylon. Tiny Judah had
the misfortune of being located geographically in
the midst of all that. As such, its kings faced
constantly shifting threats from outside the
country, along with intrigues and rivalries within.
Added to that was Judah’s collective memory of
past glory days and a persistent theological belief
that Yahweh would protect them from any and all
threats.”

5. Have you read the book of Jeremiah?
Are there quotes you remember?
Jeremiah 1:5
• "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." NIV
Jeremiah 29:11
• For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans
to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future. NIV
Jeremiah 31:33
• "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." NIV

6. Have you read the book of Jeremiah?
Are there quotes you remember?
Jeremiah 33:3
• "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and
unsearchable things you do not know.’”
Jeremiah 6:16
• This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and
look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is,
and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" NIV
Jeremiah 1:8
• Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will
rescue you," declares the LORD." NIV

7. Have you read the book of Jeremiah?
Are there quotes you remember?
Jeremiah 29:13
• You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all
your heart. NIV
Jeremiah 17:5
• This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those who trust
in mortals, who depend on flesh for their strength and
whose hearts turn away from the LORD." NIV
Jeremiah 10:10
• But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the
eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the
nations cannot endure his wrath. NIV

8. The Jeremiah Timeline
Date Events
644 BC Jeremiah’s birth, son of Hilkiah (high priest).
640-609 BC King Josiah (last good king) reigns over Judah.
628 BC King Josiah begins the purge of idols from the temple.
627 BC 13th year of reign of Josiah, Jeremiah (age 17) begins
prophesying. King Josiah leads the kingdom into the final spiritual
revival before the kingdom falls.
609 BC King Josiah dies
King Jehoahaz of Judah (younger son of Josiah) reins for 3
months and is deposed by the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II then
taken captive to Egypt (2 Kings 23:31–34)
609-597 BC King Jehoiakim of Judah (second son of Josiah) is appointed king
by Necho II, king of Egypt and reigns for 11 years.

9. The Jeremiah Timeline
Date Events
605 BC Nebuchadnezzar defeats Egypt and Assyria.
In 4th year of King Jehoiakim’s reign (25:1-3), Jeremiah
prophesies of 70 years of captivity (25:8-14) during first year of
the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar
besieges Jerusalem, and Jehoiakim pledges allegiance to the
Babylonian king, thus becoming a vasal king to avoid the
destruction of Jerusalem.
602-598 BC King Jehoiakim rebels against King Nebuchadnezzar
598 BC King Jehoiachin reigns for 3 months. Jeremiah (28-30) refers to
the curse on Jehoiachin (also called) Jeconiah (no descendants
will reign over Judah).
597/8 BC Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem. Jehoiachin (age 18)
surrenders to Nebuchadnezzar, hopes to be named a vasal king
but is deported to Babylon. The second deportation includes the
king’s household and 10,000 Judeans.

10. The Jeremiah Timeline
Date Events
597-586 BC King Zedekiah reigns for 11 years.
593 BC In 5th month of the 4th year of the reign of King Zedekiah, the
false prophet Hananiah predicts captivity for only 2 years (28:1-
9). In the 7th month of the same year, Hananiah dies.
587 BC Zedekiah becomes discontent with his overlords (Babylon) and
invited leaders of other vassal-states to Jerusalem to form an
alliance.
587 BC Nebuchadnezzar and his armies lay siege to Jerusalem for a year
and a half before it falls.
587-6 BC Rebel refugees flee to Egypt taking Jeremiah with them. Third
deportation to Babylon occurs.
586 BC Capture of Zedekiah and destruction of the Jerusalem Temple by
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.

11. Jeremiah: The Crying Prophet
Plucking Up and Planting (Chapter 5 - Continued)

12. Timeline for Jerusalem
Date Event
3500 BC First settlement of Jerusalem
2500 BC First houses built in area
1800 BC Construction of First City Wall
1200 BC Jerusalem is conquered by the Canaanites
1000 BC David designates site as Capital Jewish Kingdom
960 BC Solomon builds First Jewish Temple
721 BC Assyrians conquer Samaria
586 BC Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and Temple
539 BC Persians (Cyrus) conquers Babylon
516 BC Cyrus permits Jews to return from Exile

13. Messages to the Godless
Nations
• Egyptians: Chapter 46
• Philistines: Chapter 47
• Moabites: Chapter 48
• Ammonites, Edomites, Damascus, Kadar,
Hazor and Elam: Chapter 49
• Babylonians, land of the Chaldeans:
Chapter 50

14. The 70 Years? When do they begin & end? (Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10)
Date Years? Who Reigns Events
605 BC 89, 69 or 66 Jehoiakim Nebuchadnezzar II marches to Jerusalem,
took Jews into captivity including Daniel (1:1)
597 BC 81, 61, 58 Jehoiachin 10,000 taken captive and led to Babylon
586 BC 70, 50, 47 Zedekiah Temple destroyed and remaining people
carried off to Babylon
*539 BC Do 70 years
end here?
Cyrus, King of Persia
conquers Babylon
Darius the Median appointed co-regent
(Daniel 5:31)
*536 BC Or here? King Cyrus’ edict 42,000 Jews got ready rebuild Temple
*516 BC Or here? Ezra 5:1, 6:14,
Zechariah 1:12
Rebuilding of Temple completed

15. Order of Chapters of Jeremiah
Chapters Who Reigns Notes
1-20 King Josiah King Josiah only mentioned in 1:1 and 3:6
25-26, 35-36, 45-49, King Jehoiakim Only chapters 25-26, 35-36 and 45 are dated
21-24, 27-34, 37-47 King Zedekiah Dates only mentioned in 21, 27-29, 32-34 and 37
43:7-8, 44 In Egypt
52 After fall of
Jerusalem and the
destruction of the
Temple
Corresponds to 2 Kings 24:18-25, 30
Not in chronological order

16. Jeremiah 1:4-10
The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“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.”
“Now I have put my words in your mouth. See,
today I appoint you over nations and over
kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy
and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

17. Jeremiah 18:19-23 (Bitterness?)
And I said to God: “God, listen to me! Just listen to what my
enemies are saying. Should I get paid evil for good? That’s what
they’re doing. They’ve made plans to kill me! Remember all the
times I stood up for them before you, speaking up for them,
trying to soften your anger?
But enough! Let their children starve! Let them be massacred in
battle! Let their wives be childless and widowed, their friends die
and their proud young men be killed. Let cries of panic sound
from their homes as you surprise them with war parties!
They’re all set to lynch me. The noose is practically around my
neck! But you know all this, God. You know they’re determined
to kill me.
Don’t whitewash their crimes, don’t overlook a single sin! Round
the bunch of them up before you. Strike while the iron of your
anger is hot!”

18. Jeremiah 20:7-10, 18
(Embarrassment/Regret?)
You pushed me into this, God, and I let you do it. You were too
much for me. And now I’m a public joke. They all poke fun at me.
Every time I open my mouth
I’m shouting, “Murder!” or “Rape!” And all I get for my God-
warnings are insults and contempt.
But if I say, “Forget it! No more God-Messages from me!” The
words are fire in my belly, a burning in my bones. I’m worn out
trying to hold it in. I can’t do it any longer!
Then I hear whispering behind my back: “There goes old ‘Danger-
Everywhere.’ Shut him up! Report him!” Old friends watch,
hoping I’ll fall flat on my face: “One misstep and we’ll have him.
We’ll get rid of him for good!”
Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb? Life’s been nothing but
trouble and tears, and what’s coming is more of the same.

19. The Potter & His Clay (18:5-12)
Then God’s Message came to me: “Can’t I do just as this potter
does....Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works
his clay, I work on you…. At any moment I may decide to pull up a
people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. But if they
repent of their wicked lives, I will think twice and start over with
them. At another time I might decide to plant a people or
country, but if they don’t cooperate and won’t listen to me, I will
think again and give up on the plans I had for them.
“So, tell the people…and citizens…my Message: ‘Danger! I’m
shaping doom against you, laying plans against you. Turn back from
your doomed way of life. Straighten out your lives.’
“But they’ll just say, ‘Why should we? What’s the point? We’ll live
just the way we’ve always lived, doom or no doom.’”

20. Jeremiah 30:10-11 (Hope!)
‘So fear no more, Jacob, dear servant.
Don’t despair, Israel.
Look up! I’ll save you out of faraway places,
I’ll bring your children back from exile.
Jacob will come back and find life good,
safe and secure.
I’ll be with you. I’ll save you.
I’ll finish off all the godless nations
Among which I’ve scattered you,
but I won’t finish you off.
I’ll punish you, but fairly.
I won’t send you off with just a slap on the wrist.’

21. Jeremiah 31:10-11 (Repentance!)
“Listen to this! Laments coming out of Ramah, wild and
bitter weeping. It’s Rachel weeping for her children, Rachel
refusing all solace. Her children are gone, gone—long gone
into exile.” But GOD says, “Stop your incessant weeping,
hold back your tears. “They’ll be coming back home! There’s
hope for your children.” GOD’s Decree.
“I’ve heard the contrition of Ephraim. Yes, I’ve heard it
clearly, saying, ‘You trained me well. You broke me, a wild
yearling horse, to the saddle. Now put me, trained and
obedient, to use. You are my GOD. After those years of
running loose, I repented. After you trained me to
obedience, I was ashamed of my past, my wild, unruly past.
Humiliated, I beat on my chest. Will I ever live this down?’

22. How to be God’s People
Jeremiah 21:11-12, 22:1-3
Listen to God’s Message!
‘Start each day by dealing with justice. Rescue
victims from their exploiters.
This is God’s Message: Attend to matters of
justice. Set things right between people. Rescue
victims from their exploiters. Don’t take
advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the
widows. Stop the murdering!

23. God, the Eternal Creator, weeps for
the poor, displaced, mistreated, and
diseased of the world because of
their unnecessary suffering. Such
conditions are not God’s will. Open
your ears to hear the pleading of
mothers and fathers in all nations
who desperately seek a future of
hope for their children. Do not turn
away from them. For in their welfare
resides your welfare.

24. “Peace is more than just an absence of war. True
peace is justice, true peace is freedom, and true
peace dictates the recognition of human rights.”

25. “We are reminded that, in the fleeting time we have
on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status,
or power, or fame, but rather how well we have
loved and what small part we have played in making
the lives of other people better."

26. Richard A. Brown writes:
“The world is not waiting for a church that opens
its door just to talk about Jesus. The world is
waiting for a people who are formed by God, a
people who live out their faith in Jesus Christ in
service to their fellow human beings. This brings us
right back to Jeremiah’s parable of God as potter.
And what God’s intentions are for us right here.”

27. Brown’s Questions:
1. How did Jeremiah try to escape his “career” as a
prophet of God? Why is that important to note
in any discussion of his prophetic ministry?
2. Jeremiah’s long life included some of the most
turbulent and distressing years of Judah’s
existence. How did that background undergird
everything he said and did? Briefly review Judah’s
complicated political and religious situation in
the years leading up to its destruction by
Babylon.

28. Brown’s Questions:
3. Why were the people of Judah so convinced
they were invulnerable to defeat and
destruction? Where did that idea come from?
4. Where does the idea come from that God does
not—or cannot—change? How did the image
and activity of God change and develop from the
early to later parts of the Old Testament?
5. What’s the difference between God’s “plan” and
“intentions”? How does the idea of agency fit in?

29. In Conclusion?
1. What have you learned about
Jeremiah?
2. Does Jeremiah have a message for us
today?

30. Jeremiah:
Plucking Up and Planting (Chapter 5)
Materials in support of Richard A. Brown’s book
Speak to the Bones: How to be a Prophetic People in a Time of
Exile

31. Sources
Jeremiah Timeline
• https://www.bibletales.online/jeremiah-timeline/
• https://www.bibletales.online/chronological-order-of-jeremiah/
• https://bible.wikia.org/wiki/List_of_the_kings_of_Judah
• https://www.complete-bible-genealogy.com/judah_israel_kings.htm
• https://www.gotquestions.org/King-Zedekiah.html
• https://www.studylight.org/commentary/jeremiah.html
Bible verses from
• New International Version (NIV)
• The Message