Through The Bible

Session #21

Jeremiah / Lamentations, part 1

November 6, 2002

Overview of the Book

• The longest of the major prophets.
• The book can be hard to read because there’s no chronological sequence to the book.  It’s grouped more thematically than chronologically.
• Utterances of wrath, the intent and threat of destruction, are more frequently expressed in Jeremiah than any other prophet.  Jeremiah often called a prophet of wrath.

Chapters 1-25

Largely poetic

From 1^st two decades of his ministry

Focus is the sin of Israel and the nations failure to maintain a covenant faith.

National evil will result in divine judgment.

Proclamation of impending disaster and the fall of Jerusalem.

Personal confessions (his call – 1.1; inner struggles – 15.10-12; 20.10-18).

Chapters 26-45

Largely prose

Focus is a series of historical events in the life of the prophet.

We see his ministry and opposition at work here.

References to his aide – Baruch.

Chapters 45-51

Series of oracles and messages addressed to foreign nations.  We find parallels to these in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and other prophetic books.

There’s an understanding here that God cannot be contained by national boundaries.

Chapter 52

Parallels 2^nd Kings 24.18-25.30

It’s the historical summary of all that preceded.

The man Jeremiah

• He came from the small village of Anathoth – 2-3 miles north of Jerusalem.
• Probably born shortly before 640 BC during the last years of the reign of Manasseh.
• His family was a priestly one from the line of Abiathar.  Remember Solomon removed them from priestly authority (1 Kings 2.27) so Jeremiah’s family heritage was very humble.  Jeremiah chose not to become a priest but a prophet.
• He received his call to minister in the 13^th year of Josiah’s reign (627 BC).
• His prophetic career ran through the reigns of Johoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah and into the Babylonian exile (587 BC).  He consistently announced Yahweh’s word to the people during this time.
• Jeremiah saw both the high point in national life during Josiah’s reforms (probably around 622 BC) and the lowest point (from 596-586 BC).
• His last recorded message (Jeremiah 52) is the release of Jehoiachin from prison by Evil-Murodach of Babylon in 562 BC.  This would have meant that Jeremiah was between 85-90 at this time.

The historical situation of Jeremiah’s time

• Must begin with the end of Josiah’s reign

Josiah died in battle with the Egyptians (2^nd Kings 23.29).

Josiah was a wonderful king (see 2^nd Kings 23:24-26 for summary of Josiah’s reign).

Josiah’s successors were not.

• Jehoahaz was Josiah’s successor

Reign lasted 3 months (609 BC).  He was 23 years old at the beginning of his reign.  See 2^nd Kings 23.31-33; 2^nd Chronicles 36.1-3.

Pharaoh Neco removed Jehoahaz and sent him into detention in Riblah.  Mostly likely it was because Jehoahaz had some anti-Egyptian views. Pharaoh Neco then put his brother Jehoiakim in charge.

• Eliakim (his Egyptian given name was Jehoiakim).

He was Josiah’s eldest son and Pharaoh Neco felt he would be better suited as the oldest to be in charge of Judah.

His name was originally Eliakim.  Why was it changed?  Maybe for no other reason than because Pharaoh had the power to do so. 

His main task as an Egyptian puppet king was to raise money to pay the heavy tribute to Egypt.

He ruled for 12 years (609-597 BC).  See 2^nd Kings 23.34-24.7; 2^nd Chronicles 36.4-8.

Babylon begins it’s rise on the national scene and begins to assert itself against Egyptian domination.

In a huge battle between a young commander named Nebuchadnezzar and Neco, Egypt was soundly defeated and Babylon gained control over Palestine.

Jeremiah had little respect for Jehoiakim.  See Jeremiah 22.19 for how Jeremiah said he would be buried – “With the burial of a donkey...”

Jehoiakim made the huge blunder of building a new palace in the midst of such an uncertain political situation and heavy taxation.  See Jeremiah’s words about this in 22.15-17 and 22.13-14.

Jehoiakim disliked Jeremiah too.  He took his knife and cut up Jeremiah’s scroll (see Jeremiah 36) and had them burned in the fire.

Jehoiakim rebelled in 597 BC and he hoped Neco would come to the rescue.  That didn’t happen.

Jehoiachin died (either in battle or at the hands of his own people) and Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, put on the throne.

• Jehoiachin

He was placed on the throne in late 598 BC.  (see 2^nd Kings 24.8-16; 2^nd Chronicles 36.9-10).

His reign lasted only 3 months.

Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and took over without any interference from the Egyptians.  Jehoiachin and much of his family taken to Babylon.  Ezekiel the prophet also taken (see Ezekiel 1.1-3).

• Zedekiah

Jehoiachin’s uncle, Mattaniah (who is also Josiah’s third son), installed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar.  Nebuchadnezzar changed his name to Zedekiah – again, asserting control.  He ruled until the fall in 587 BC.

See 2^nd Kings 24.17-25.21; 2^nd Chronicles 36.11-21; Jeremiah 39.1-10. 

The general population never really accepted Zedekiah as king.  Note the reference in Ezekiel 1.2 where it’s still called the reign of Jehoiachin even though he’s in exile in Babylon.

Zedekiah didn’t know whether to listen to the pro-Egyptian advisors who wanted to seek help from Egypt or the pro-Babylonian advisors who encouraged submission to Babylon.  Zedekiah feared both his advisors and the people (see Jeremiah 38.14).

In his 4^th year of reign, he sent a delegation to Babylon to display his loyalty (Jeremiah 29.3; 51.59) but he eventually gave in to the anti-Babylonian side and formed a new coalition (Edom, Moab, Ammon, Phoenicia) against Babylon.  He decided to rebel somewhere around the 9^th year of his reign.

False prophets said the Babylonian yoke would end soon further compounding the problem (see Jeremiah 28.2-4).  Jeremiah said it wasn’t over yet (Jeremiah 29.4-8a).

Jeremiah’s message

• See 2^nd Kings 22-25 for historical context of Jeremiah’s time (TTB, p. 79).
• Isaiah insisted that Jerusalem would withstand the onslaught of foreign power but Jeremiah and Micah were told to prophesy that the enemies of Judah would overwhelm Jerusalem.  See 1.14.  Judah had forfeited the privilege of God’s protection.
• He advised Judah to yield without rebellion to the Babylonians but his advice was ignored and so Babylon descended 3 times on Judah (606 BC, 598 BC, and 587 BC).  Jeremiah continued to counsel Zedekiah to submit to Babylon but since Zedekiah had no backbone, his counsel did not prevail.  Because Jeremiah advised submission to Babylon, he was imprisoned.
• Despite Jeremiah’s message to submit to Babylon, he did not believe evil was inevitable.  Cf. 3.12.  Yet the people did not listen.  Abraham J. Heschel says of Jeremiah: “Jeremiah’s soul was in pain, stern and gloom.  To his wistful eye the city’s walls seemed to reel.  The days that were to come would be dreadful.  He called, he urged his people to repent – and he failed.  He screamed, wept, moaned – and was left with a terror in his soul.”
• Jeremiah suffered severely just before the final attack and deportation to Babylon.
• God’s wrath:

7.29

7.18-19

11.17-18

23.19-20

25.6

30.23-24

44.3-8

• God’s love of Israel:

31.2-3

2.1-3

31.9

3.19

31.32

Some other important features of Jeremiah’s prophetic career and message:

See 6.11.

Abraham J. Heschel says, “The ultimate purpose of a prophet is not to be inspired, but to inspire the people; not to be filled with a passion, but to impassion the people with an understanding for God.”

The prophet did not only proclaim his message, he lived it.

See 15.17

Jeremiah’s activity seemed both futile and distasteful.

He tried to abstain from conveying his message.  See 20.9.

Jeremiah used the language of fire to communicate both destruction and anger (see 21.14; 43.12; 48.45; 4.4; 17.4; 21.12, etc.).

Jeremiah not only saw how Judah was behaving, but also how God was feeling.

See 13.1-11.  The prophet had to learn to feel God’s intimate attachment for Israel.  He had to experience it.

Jeremiah suffered because he was torn between God and the people.

See 23.9

Jeremiah hated the message he was called to deliver.

See 20.7-8.