1. Outward Circumstances Two Types of hurts Hurts in Our World 1) inflicted by others 2) self-inflicted Background of Jeremiah (627-575 BC) Northern Kingdom – Assyrian captivity in 722 BC Southern Kingdom – Babylonian captivity in 605BC Moral Evils 597BC Wickedness, evil, perversion, greed, 586 BC deceit, stubborn rebellion, talebearers, Corruption, disobedience Social Injustice & Social Sins Murdered the innocent, Oppressed the alien, orphan & widow Steal, rob, lie / Adulterers Spiritual Evils Forsook God, forgot God Refused to serve or worship Him Sinned, transgressed, rebelled against God Idolatry / Harlotry Served other gods, Baal & the queen of heaven Worshiped trees & stones, the sun, the moon & all the host of heaven Worshiped graven images & foreign idols Burnt their sons & daughters in the fire Set their detestable things in God’s house/defile it Political Sins Rulers transgressed against God Going to Egypt & Assyria for help Religious Sins False prophets prophesy falsely Priests rule on their own authority God’s people love it so They devise their own way of repentance They are self-deceived (2:23,27,34-35; 3:1,4-5; 6:20; 7:8-10,14; 8:8) They are fatalistic (2:25; 8:14) WHY AM I HURTING? Inward Attitudes No fear of God No dread of God Accepted no chastening Stubborn Willfully disobedient Refused to be ashamed Refused to repent Refused to take correction No delight in God’s Word Didn’t know how to blush Stiffened neck Did more evil than fathers No Knowledge of God 2:8 – priests didn’t ask for God 2:8 – those who handle the law didn’t know God 4:22 – foolish people who didn’t know God 4:22 – stupid children with no understanding (5:4-5) 6:10 – no delight in God’s word 6:19 – have not listened to God’s words 6:19 – rejected God’s law 7:24 – walked in own counsels & stubbornness of evil heart 8:8 – scribes lie about God’s word 8:9 – wise men rejected God’s words Consequences of Sin WAR – land devastated, cities destroyed, people killed Shame / Exile No rain / Earthquakes Loss of everything – harvest, food, children, flocks, vines, fig trees, cities, houses, wives Weeping & Supplication REMEDY return to God (3:12,14,20) with all your heart (3:10) only acknowledge your iniquity (3:13) be fed on knowledge & understanding (3:15) must put away idols (4:1) live in truth, justice & righteousness (4:2) break up fallow ground & don’t sow among thorns (4:3) circumcise yourselves to the Lord (4:4) wash your heart that you may be saved (4:14) don’t trust in deceptive words (7:4,8) truly amend your ways & deeds (7:5-6) Copyright © Cecilia Perh 2004

2. The Sin of the People Jeremiah 2:4-8 Israel’s Apostasy 2:5 – went far from God – walked after emptiness became empty 2:6 – didn’t seek after the Lord 2:7 – defiled the land – made God’s land an abomination 2:8 – priests & scribes didn’t seek God, didn’t know God – prophets prophesy by Baal Specific Sins 2:11 – changed their glory for that which does not profit 2:13 – committed 2 evils * forsook God, the fountain of living water * hewed cisterns that don’t hold water 2:17 – Have you not done this to yourself by forsaking the LORD? 2:18 – seeking help from Assyria 2:19 – your own wickedness will correct you – your own apostasies will reprove you – no dread of God 2:20 – was a harlot (3:6, 13) 2:22 – stain of iniquity is before God 2:23 – self-deceived – “I am not defiled; I have not gone after the Baals” 2:25 – willful disobedience – refused to turn to God 3:1-2 – polluted the land with harlotry & wickedness 3:3 – refused to be ashamed 3:5 – spoken & done evil things 3:20 – dealt treacherously with God 3:21 – perverted their way / forgotten God 4:17 – rebelled against the Lord 4:22 – foolish – do not know God – stupid children – have no understanding – shrewd to do evil, don’t know how to do good 5:1 – none who does justice or seek truth 5:2 – swear falsely (7:9) 5:3 – refused to take correction, refused to repent 5:4-5 – poor & rich do not know the way of the Lord or the ordinance of their God (8:7) 5:6 – transgressions are many, apostasies are numerous 5:7 – forsaken God (5:19) – sworn by those who are not God (5:19; 7:6) – committed adultery 5:7 – “Why should I pardon you?” 5:9 – “Shall I not punish these people?” 5:29 – “Shall I not avenge Myself?” 5:11 –dealt very treacherously 5:12 – lied about the LORD 5:13 – prophets are as wind 5:23 – have a stubborn & rebellious heart – have turned aside & departed 5:25 – your iniquities turned showers away – your sins withheld good from you 5:26-27 – wicked men get rich thro’ violence, plunder & deceit 5:28 – excel in deeds of wickedness – do not plead cause of the orphan & the poor 5:31 – prophets prophesy falsely – priests rule on their own authority – God’s people love it so! 6:6 – only oppression in the land 6:7 – keep fresh her wickedness – violence & destruction is in her 6:10 – their ears are closed, they can’t listen – no delight in the word of the LORD 6:13 – everyone greedy for gain (8:10) – everyone deals falsely (8:10) 6:14 – superficial healing (8:11) 6:15 – not ashamed at all (8:12) – don’t even know how to blush 6:17,19 – will not listen to God’s watchmen 7:4,8 – trusting in deceptive words 7:6 – oppress the alien, orphan & widow – shed innocent blood 7:9 – steal, murder, commit adultery, offer sacrifices to Baal, – walk after other gods 7:18 – children, fathers, mothers worship other gods 7:24 – didn’t obey or incline ear (7:26) – walked in own counsels & stubbornness of their evil heart 7:26 – stiffened their neck – did more evil than their fathers 7:28 – did not accept correction – truth has perished 7:30 – set detestable things in God’s house 7:31 – burnt their sons & daughters 8:2 – loved, served & worshiped sun, moon & all host of heaven 8:5 – turned away in continual apostasy – hold fast to deceit 8:6 – spoken what is not right – no man repented of his wickedness 8:8 – scribes made God’s word a lie 8:9 – rejected the word of the LORD 8:14 – sinned against the LORD 8:19 – provoked God with their idols Copyright © Cecilia Perh 2004

3. The Consequences of Sin 2:9 – God will content with them and their children 2:14 – Israel became a slave & a prey 2:15 – land a waste, cities destroyed, without inhabitant (4:7), devastated (4:20), whole land a desolation (4:27) 2:26,36 – shamed by Egypt & Assyria 2:37 – exile 3:3 – showers withheld, no spring rain (5:25) 3:24 – labor of fathers consumed 4:6 – God is bringing evil from the north & great destruction (6:1) 4:11-12 – a strong scorching wind 4:19 – war (6:4) 4:27 – every city forsaken 5:6 – slain & destroyed by lion, wolf & leopard 5:10 – vines destroyed, branches stripped 5:15-17 – Babylonians will devour your harvest, food, sons & daughters, flocks & herds, vines & fig trees 5:17 – they will demolish your fortified cities 6:2 – daughter of Zion will be cut off 6:6 – city besieged / to be punished 6:11 – children, young men, husband & wife, the aged & very old taken 6:12 – houses, fields, wives turned over to others (8:10) 7:14 – temple to be destroyed as Shiloh 7:15 – cast out of God’s sight as Ephraim 7:20 – God’s anger poured on man, beast, trees, & fruit of the ground 7:29 – the Lord has rejected & forsaken the generation of His wrath 7:32-34 – great slaughter, no more joy & gladness 8:17 – serpents & adders will bite you Emotional and Mental Consequences 3:21 – weeping & supplication 4:9 – hearts fail, priests appalled, prophets astounded 4:31 – anguish (6:24) 6:24 – terror on every side 6:26 – mourning & lamentation (7:29) 8:3 – death will be chosen over life The Remedy for Sin 3:12,14 – return (3:22) 3:12 – only acknowledged your iniquity 4:1 – return to God – put away your detested things & don’t waver 4:2 – swear in truth, justice & righteousness 4:3 – break up your fallow ground – do not sow among thorns 4:4 – circumcise yourselves to the LORD – remove foreskins of your heart 4:14 – wash your heart from evil 6:16 – stand by & ask for the ancient paths, – walk in the good way 7:3,5 – amend your ways & deeds 7:4,8 – do not trust in deceptive words 7:5 – truly practice justice 7:6 – do not oppress the alien, orphan or widow – do not shed innocent blood – do not walk after other gods 7:23 – obey God’s voice – walk in all He commands Blessings of Obedience 2:3 – God’s protection 3:14 – brought back to Zion – given shepherds after God’s heart who will – feed them on knowledge & understanding 3:16 – multiplied & increased in the land 3:17 – Jerusalem = “The Throne of the LORD” – all nations gathered to Jerusalem – won’t walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart 3:18 – house of Judah & Israel united 3:19 – given a pleasant land – won’t turn away from God 4:3 – escape God’s wrath 5:1 – pardoned by God 6:16 – rest for their soul 7:7 – allowed to dwell in the land 7:23 – God will be their God, they His people – will be well with you Copyright © Cecilia Perh 2004