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JEREMIAH – INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION:

 The Book of Jeremiah is about a man of God who desperately tries to spare his people from destruction due to their own disobedience.  This noble work produces only loneliness and frustration in a compassionate spokesman of God.  Mingled with the pleading cries and expressions of doom are uplifting words of hope for the remnant of God’s people.  

I. AUTHOR OF THE BOOK – JEREMIAH

A. Jeremiah – the name “Yahweh loosens (the womb)” or “Yaweh exalts”

1. Common name in Judah – two, possibly three Jeremiahs among David’s mighty men of war (I Chron. 12:4, 10,                 13).

2. Two other Jeremiah are mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah.

a. A Rechabite (35:3)

b. Grandfather of King Zedekiah (52:1; 2 Kings 24:18)

B. Son of Hilkiah of the priests…(1:1)

1. Jeremiah was of priestly decent.

2. Hilkiah was a common name – probably not the son the High Priest who in 622 B.C. found the “book                             of the law” in the temple (2 Kings 22:8).

C. Of Anathoth (1:1)

1. Located 3 miles northeast of Jerusalem – about an hour’s walk.

2. One of the Levitical cities (Joshua 21:18)

3. Jeremiah did not grow up in Jerusalem, but in sight of it.

D. Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry spans more than 40 years.

1. Began in 13th. year of Josiah’s reign – 626/627 B.C. (1:2)

2 Final recorded prophecy after siege of Jerusalem by Babylon – 586 B.C. He is in Egypt (43:7-44:30).

E. Jeremiah paid the cost for speaking God’s truth to the people.

1. Life threatened after preaching in temple – (7:2-15; 26:1-7; 8-24)

2. Beaten, then imprisoned down in a dungeon of mire (37:15; 38:6).

3. Mocked constantly even by friends (20:7-9)

II. THE TIMES OF JEREMIAH (2 Kings 21-25; 2 Chron. 33-36).

A. Jeremiah was probably born in the latter part of Manasseh’s evil reign (642 B.C.)

B. Tried to help in reform during Josiah’s reign (641/640 – 610 B.C) (2 Chron. 34:3, Jer. 1:2)

C. Spoke out during evil reign of Jehoikim (Eliakim) – 610/609 – 598 B.C.)

1. An evil man (2 Kings 23:37)

2. Vain, ambitious, covetous, blood thirsty, violent oppressor and tyrant (2 Kings 23:35, Jer. 22:13-17).

3. Hated and killed the prophets (Jer. 26:20, 23)

4. Burnt Jeremiah’s scroll and sought to kill him (Jer. 36:22-26)

D. Suffered in the fall of Jerusalem during Zedekiah’s reign (597-586 B.C.) (Jer. 39:2)

1. Tries to strengthen those left in Jerusalem after the siege (586 B.C.)

2. Small remnant fears reprisal from Babylon after Gedaliah is murdered by Jewish conspirators.  They flee to Egypt against Jeremiah’s prophecies (Jer. 40-44).

E. Jeremiah contemporary with the prophets Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Ezekiel.

F. Jeremiah is known as:

1. “The prophet of doom” – because of his bold declarations of doom to an impenitent people (Jer. 15:1-4).

2. “the weeping prophet” – because of his compassion and seeing the sins and consequent judgment on his people (Jer. 9:1, 14:17).  

III.  FEATURES OF THE BOOK

A. Symbolic actions accompany spoken word.

1. Jeremiah doesn’t marry – 16:1-3.

2. Jeremiah could not go into the house of mourning – 16:5-7.

3. Jeremiah forbidden to participate in the ordinary festivities of life –  16:8-9.

4. Broken potter’s vessel – 19:10-11.

5. Lesson of obedience to Father from abstaining Rechabites – 35:1-19

6. Jeremiah wears a yoke – 27:1-15; cf. 28:1-4, 28:12-14.

7. Jeremiah buys a field at Anathoth while shut up on Jerusalem – 32:15.

8. Jeremiah’s command to Seraiah to cast into the Euphrates a scroll containing a statement of evil coming on Babylon – 51:59-64.

9. Jeremiah takes large stones and buries them in entrance of government building in Tahpanhes – Babylon will come and set up throne – 43:8-13.

B. “the foe from the North” – Babylonians (25:9, 46:24-26, etc. )

C. Jeremiah’s first and second scrolls – foundation for Jeremiah’s prophetic book (Jer. 36).

D. The nature of true repentance emphasized – Return to Jehovah and put away sins (4:1, 18:11, 24:7, etc.)

E. Demands of “Covenant” – hear and do (Jer. 11:6).

1. A new covenant to be established (Jer. 31:31-34, Heb. 8:8-12).

F. The feelings of an inspired prophet revealed (Jer. 15:10-18, 20:9, 14-18).

IV. MAJOR DIVISIONS OF BOOK

A. The call of Jeremiah and the two visions (1:1-19)

B. The Divine Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem (2:1-25:38).

C. Jeremiah’s Controversy with False Prophets (26:1-29:32)

D. The Book of Consolation – Hope (30:1-33:26)

E. Events from the Days of Jehoikim and Zedekiah (34:1-39:18).

F. Jeremiah’s experiences after the fall of Jerusalem – 586 B.C. (40:1-45:5)

G. Oracles against the Nations (46:1-51:64)

H. Appendix: the Fall of Jerusalem (52:1-34)

NOTES: