Jeremiah The Prophet

Jeremiah Author: Jeremiah. Content and Background: The book preserves an account of the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah, whose personal life and struggles are shown to us in greater depth and detail than those of any other Old Testament prophet. Date: Jeremiah's prophetic ministry began in 626 B.C. and ended sometime after 586.

Jeremiah Jeremiah is the longest book in the Bible, containing more words than any other book. Jeremiah is not arranged in chronological order.

Jeremiah Call of the Prophet (Chapter 1) Warnings and Exhortations to Judah (Chapters 2-35) – Conflicts with false prophets (Chapter 28) Sufferings and Persecutions of the Prophet (Chapters 36-38) – Burning Jeremiah's Scroll (Chapter 36) – Imprisoning Jeremiah (Chapters 37-38) The Fall of Jerusalem and Its Aftermath (Chapters 39-45) – Migration to Egypt (Chapters 41: :13) – Prophecy against Those in Egypt (Chapter 44) Judgment against the Nations (Chapter 46-51) Historical Appendix (Chapter 52)

Jeremiah Background: Jeremiah prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah. He told him that evil would come from the north. He wondered why Israel had strayed and killed her prophets. Judah still stood because God was merciful. Israel was like a woman who had dealt treacherously with her husband, God. God would make the land desolate. He would bring a foreign nation to rule over Israel. This nation would come out of the north. If the people would keep the commandments they would be preserved. Wealth and graven images had to be abandoned. Jeremiah asked the people to turn to God before they were overrun by people from the north and Babylon. All must pledge themselves to God or suffer.

Jeremiah Background: Jeremiah was imprisoned and God promised that Judah would fall to Babylon. God told him that a man will come to him asking to buy a field. Jeremiah was to keep the evidence of the purchase. The rest of the city was to fall to the enemy. He remained in prison and continued to prophesy. Babylon laid siege to Judah and the house of Josiah was destroyed. Jeremiah was loosed from his chains.

Jeremiah Background: All the countries around them were to suffer. Even Babylon was destined to fall to an enemy. Beasts and men would be slain. A great nation would come from the north and be the most powerful. The nations would fall and Judah would be ruined. The last king of Judah was taken to Babylon and made to watch his sons die. Babylon burned the house of God and destroyed the city.

Jeremiah The meaning of his name is uncertain. Jeremiah was a member of the priestly household. God made him a prophet from birth. The Lord commanded Jeremiah not to marry and raise children. Primarily a prophet of doom, he attracted only a few friends. How and when Jeremiah died is not known; Jewish tradition, however, states that while living in Egypt he was put to death by being stoned.

Jeremiah Given to self-analysis and self-criticism, Jeremiah has revealed a great deal about himself. Although timid by nature, he received the Lord's assurance that he would become strong and courageous. In his "confessions" he laid bare the deep struggles of his inmost being, sometimes making startling statements about his feelings toward God. On occasion, he engaged in calling for redress against his personal enemies. Jeremiah, so often expressing his anguish of spirit and has justly been called the "weeping prophet." But it is also true that the memory of his divine call and the Lord's frequent reaffirmations of his commissioning as a prophet made Jeremiah fearless and faithful in the service of his God.

Jeremiah Although a number of chapters were written mainly in prose, most sections are predominantly poetic in form. Jeremiah was often instructed to use symbolism to highlight his message: a ruined and useless belt, a smashed clay jar, a yoke of straps and crossbars, large stones in a brick pavement. Symbolic value is also seen in the Lord's commands to Jeremiah not to marry and raise children, not to enter a house where there is a funeral meal or where there is feasting, and to buy a field in his hometown. Similarly, the Lord used visual aids in conveying his message to Jeremiah: potter's clay, two baskets of figs. Jeremiah's poetry is lofty and lyrical. A creator of beautiful phrases, he has given us an abundance of memorable passages.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah lived and wrote in a dark time. For over 250 years God had been sending prophets to warn his people to change their ways. And for over 250 years the prophets were ignored, persecuted or killed. God had already sent the northern half of the kingdom into exile a hundred years previously. For the southern kingdom, Jeremiah was their last messenger, their very last chance to turn things around.

Jeremiah The thundering message of judgment. The message of the prophets as they proclaimed the coming judgment is a message of love. You will get a glimpse of what it is like to have a personal relationship with God. You will see a message of love that grows from a relationship of love.