Jeremiah - Introduction

Introduction

Author

BEFORE HE WAS CALLED AS A prophet of the Lord, Jeremiah was a priest “living in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin” (1:1). He began prophesying “in the thirteenth year of the reign of” Judah’s King Josiah and continued into Judah’s exile in Babylon (1:2-3). Thus, Jeremiah’s ministry started in about 626 BC and continued for several years after 586 BC. Jeremiah saw the downfall of Judah, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile of God’s people. Because of the tremendous sorrow this caused him (9:1), he is often referred to as “the weeping prophet.”

Historical Background

Jeremiah’s ministry began during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. Unlike his wicked father Amon and grandfather Manasseh, Josiah followed the Lord (see 2 Kgs 22:2). He even led the people to renew their covenant with God. He also brought about many reforms in Judah, including repairing the temple, removing pagan idolatry from the land, and observing the Passover. Although Josiah did much good, he could not ultimately overcome the great evils done by the kings who had gone before him—especially Manasseh’s. Therefore, God was determined to bring his anger down on Judah and Jerusalem (see 2 Kgs 23:26-27).

Josiah died in a battle with Pharaoh Neco of Egypt in 609 BC. His son Jehoahaz was king for only three months before Neco imprisoned him and made Josiah’s son Jehoiakim king in his place. In 605 BC, Neco was defeated by the Babylonians, and Judah fell into the hands of Babylon by the next year. When Jehoiakim rebelled against Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar in about 600 BC, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem. He deposed Jehoiakim in 598 BC, carried his son Jehoiachin into exile in 597 BC, and made Zedekiah—another of Josiah’s sons—king of Judah. Then, in 588 BC, Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon. And as a result, Nebuchadnezzar ravaged Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and carried many of Judah’s inhabitants (including Zedekiah) into exile in 587–586 BC.

Message and Purpose

Jeremiah brought a lot of emotion to his prophetic role, earning him the name “the weeping prophet.” As judgment was being prepared for the sinful kingdom of Judah through the Babylonian Empire, Jeremiah was called to announce the rightness of that judgment because of Judah’s great sin against God. His daunting task was to bring this message of rejection to God’s people. But in the midst of that, Jeremiah also issued a call to the people to repent so that their situation might be reversed, and another call to the people who would not be taken into captivity in Babylon to repent so that things wouldn’t become worse but better.

God commanded Jeremiah not to marry as an illustration of the isolation God was feeling from his sinful people. And yet, it is in Jeremiah that God reveals a new kingdom covenant he would make with his people to cleanse them, give them new hearts, and restore them to himself. The good news of Jeremiah is that despite our sin, God offers us restoration if we will repent and return to him.

VIDEO INTRO

Outline

1. Jeremiah’s Call to Ministry (1:1-19)
2. Prophecies about Judah and Its Fall (2:1–45:5)
   1. Judah’s Sin and Faithlessness (2:1–3:5)
   2. Call to Repentance in Light of Coming Judgment (3:6–6:30)
   3. Jeremiah’s Temple Sermon (7:1–10:25)
   4. Judah’s Covenant Violations (11:1–13:27)
   5. Judah’s Drought and Jeremiah’s Response (14:1–15:21)
   6. Jeremiah’s Restrictions and Judah’s Sins (16:1–17:27)
   7. The Potter’s Jar and Jeremiah’s Persecution (18:1–20:18)
   8. Final Messages of Judah’s Judgment (21:1–25:38)
   9. Jeremiah’s Conflict with Judah (26:1–29:32)
   10. Judah’s Hope of Future Restoration (30:1–33:26)
   11. Events Surrounding the Fall of Jerusalem (34:1–45:5)
3. Prophecies Against Various Nations (46:1–51:64)
4. Conclusion and Historical Supplement (52:1-34)