CONCEPT PAPER

IN
THEOLOGY II
PROPHET JEREMIAH
SUBMITTED BY:

Romarie E. Ibe
BSAT-1

SUBMITTED TO:

Mr. Ramonito Perez

TITLE
The title of this book derives from its writer, the early seventh and late sixth-century B.C.
Judean prophet: Jeremiah. The book occupies the second position in the Latter Prophets
section of the Hebrew Bible after Isaiah and before Ezekiel, which accounts for its
position in the Septuagint and most modern translations.
The meaning of "Jeremiah" is not clear. It could mean "Yahweh founds (or establishes),"
"Yahweh exalts," "Yahweh throws down," "Yahweh hurls," or "Yahweh loosens (the
womb)." According to Nichol (1976:565) the Hebrew name of Jeremiah is Yirmeyah or
Yirmeyahu which means Yahweh is exalted or Yahweh strikes
INTRODUCTION
A prophet, the son of Hilkiah, a priest of Anathoth, a city of the priests located in
Benjamins territory less than 5 km (3 mi) NNE of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Thompson (1980:95) subscribes to the same view saying, He was born into a priestly
family some three miles north-east of Jerusalem. Jeremiahs father, Hilkiah, was not the
high priest of that name, who was of the line of Eleazar. Jeremiahs father was very likely
of the line of Ithamar and possibly descended from Abiathar, the priest whom King
Solomon dismissed from priestly service.
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet when a young man, in 647 B.C.E., in the
13th year of the reign of King Josiah of Judah (659-629 B.C.E.). Jehovah told him:
Before I was forming you in the belly I knew you, and before you proceeded to come
forth from the womb I sanctified you. Prophet to the nations I made you. (Jer 1:2-5) He
was therefore one of the few men for whose birth Jehovah assumed responsibility
intervening by a miracle or by a guiding providencethat they might be his special
servants. Among these men are Isaac, Samson, Samuel, John the Baptizer, and Jesus.
When Jehovah spoke to him, Jeremiah showed diffidence. He replied to God:
Alas, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah! Here I actually do not know how to speak, for I am but
a boy. (Jer 1:6) From this remark of his, and comparing his boldness and firmness
during his prophetic ministry, it can be seen that such unusual strength was not a thing
inherent in Jeremiah, but actually came from full reliance on Jehovah. Truly Jehovah was
with him like a terrible mighty one, and it was Jehovah who made Jeremiah a fortified
city and an iron pillar and copper walls against all the land. Jer 20:1. Jeremiahs
reputation for courage and boldness was such that some during Jesus earthly ministry
took him to be Jeremiah returned to life.
Jeremiah was a researcher and a historian as well as a prophet. He wrote the book
bearing his name and is also generally credited with writing the books of First and
Second Kings, covering the history of both kingdoms (Judah and Israel) from the point
where the books of Samuel left off (that is, in the latter part of Davids reign over all
Israel) down to the end of both kingdoms. His chronology of the period of the kings,
using the method of comparison or collation of the reigns of Israels and Judahs kings,
helps us to establish the dates of certain events with accuracy. After the fall of
Jerusalem, Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations.

Jeremiah was no chronic complainer. Rather, he showed himself to be loving,

considerate, and sympathetic. He exercised fine control and marvelous endurance and
was moved to great sadness by the conduct of his people and the judgments they
suffered.Jer 8:21. Actually, it was Jehovah who made the complaint against Judah,
and justifiably so, and Jeremiah was under obligation to declare it unremittingly, which
he did. Also, it must be borne in mind that Israel was Gods nation, bound to him by
covenant and under his law, which they were grossly violating. As basis and solid ground
for Jeremiahs denunciations, Jehovah repeatedly pointed to the Law, calling attention to
the responsibility of the princes and the people and recounting wherein they had broken
the Law. Time and again Jehovah called attention to the things he, through his prophet
Moses, had warned them would come upon them if they refused to listen to his words
and broke his covenant. hat the prophet Jeremiah according to Stulman(1998:12)
participates in the anguish of God and in the death of Judahs world. In the book of
Jeremiah the chosen race is punished for swinging like a pendulum between blessing
and curse, between monotheistic Yahwism and pluralistic idolatry.
Jeremiahs courage and endurance were matched by his love for his people. He
had scathing denunciations and fearful judgments to proclaim, especially to the priests,
prophets, and rulers and to those who took the popular course and had developed an
enduring unfaithfulness. Yet he appreciated that his commission was also to build and
to plant. He wept over the calamity that was to come to Jerusalem. In spite of cowardly,
vacillating King Zedekiahs treacherousness toward him, Jeremiah pleaded with him to
obey the voice of Jehovah and continue living. Furthermore, Jeremiah had no selfrighteous attitude but included himself when acknowledging the wickedness of the
nation. After his release by Nebuzaradan, he hesitated to leave those being taken into
Babylonian exile, perhaps feeling that he should share their lot or desiring to serve their
spiritual interest further.
At times in his long career Jeremiah became discouraged and required Jehovahs
assurance, but even in adversity he did not forsake calling on Jehovah for help. Through
all of his more than 40 years of prophetic service, Jeremiah was not abandoned.
Jehovah was with him to deliver him from his enemies. Jeremiah took delight in
Jehovahs word. He avoided association with those who had no consideration for God.
He found good associates among whom he could do building up work, namely, the
Rechabites, Ebed-melech, and Baruch. Through these friends he was assisted and
delivered from death, and more than once Jehovahs power was manifested in protecting
him.
Jeremiah performed several small dramas as symbols to Jerusalem of her
condition and the calamity to come to her. There was his visit to the house of the potter,
and the incident of the ruined belt. Jeremiah was commanded not to marry; this served
as a warning of the deaths from maladies of the children who would be born during
those last days of Jerusalem. He broke a flask before the older men of Jerusalem as a
symbol of the impending smashing of the city. He repurchased a field from his paternal
uncles son Hanamel as a figure of the restoration to come after the 70 years exile,
Jeremiah was acknowledged as Gods true prophet by Daniel, who, by a study of
Jeremiahs words concerning the 70 years exile, was able to strengthen and encourage

the Jews regarding the nearness of their release. Ezra called attention to the fulfillment
of his words. The apostle Matthew pointed to a fulfillment of one of Jeremiahs
prophecies in the days of Jesus young childhood. The apostle Paul spoke of the
prophets, among whom was Jeremiah, from whose writings he quoted, at Hebrews 8:812. Of these men, the same writer said, the world was not worthy of them, and they
had witness borne to them through their faith.Heb 11:32, 38, 39.
OUTLINE OF JEREMIAH
Jer 7:23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your
God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you,
that it may be well unto you. Jer 7:24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but
walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward,
and not forward.
Part One: The Call of Jeremiah (1:1-19)
I. Jeremiah's Call.. 1:1-10
II. Jeremiah's Signs..1:11-16
III. Jeremiah's Assurance..1:17-19
Part Two: The Prophecies to Judah (2:1-45:5)
I. The Condemnation of Judah..2:1-25:38
A. Jeremiah's First Sermon: Judah Sinned Willfully.. 2:1-3:5
B. Jeremiah's Second Sermon: Judah to Be Judged..3:6-6:30
1. Judah Ignores Israel's Example..3:6-10
2. Judah Is Called from Backsliding..3:11-4:4
3. Judah's Destruction from the North..4:5-31
4.
Judah's Sins..5:1-31
5.
Jerusalem to Be Destroyed..6:1-30
C. Jeremiah's Third Sermon: Judah's Hypocrisy in Worship..7:1-10:25
1. Judah's Sin of External Religion..7:1-8:3
2. Judah's Judgment Imminent..8:4-17
3. Jeremiah's Lament for Judah..8:18-9:8
4. Judah's Judgment Is Described..9:9-26
5. Judah's Futile Idolatry..10:1-18
6. Jeremiah's Prayer for Correction..10:19-25
D. Jeremiah's Fourth Sermon: Judah's Breach of the Covenant....11:112:17
1. Judah's Curse Because of the Broken Covenant..11:1-17
2. Anathoth's Conspiracy Against Jeremiah.....11:18-23
3. Jeremiah's Complaint to God..12:1-4
4. God's Reply to Jeremiah..12:5-17
E. Jeremiah's Fifth Sermon: Judah's Revived Relationship..13:1-27
1.
Sign of the Marred Girdle..13:1-11
2.
Sign of the Wine Bottles..13:12-27
F. Jeremiah's Sixth Sermon: The Dearth in Judah..14:1-15:21

G.
17:27

H.

I.

J.
K.

1.
Judah's Dearth Is Describe..14:1-6
2.
Jeremiah's First Intercession..14:7-12
3.
Jeremiah's Second Intercession14:13-18
4.
Jeremiah's Third Intercession..14:19-15:9
5.
God Encourages Jeremiah..15:10-21
Jeremiah's Seventh Sermon: Jeremiah's Unmarried State.....16:11.
Jeremiah Is Not to Marry..16:1-9
2.
Judah's Idolatry..16:10-13
3.
God's Promise of Judah's Restoration..16:14-21
4.
Judah's Sins Are Listed..17:1-18
5.
Jeremiah's Call for Sabbath Observance..17:19-27
Jeremiah's Eighth Sermon: Sign of the Potter's House..18:1-20:18
1.
Sign of the Potter..18:1-23
2.
Sign of the Broken Bottle.19:1-15
3.
Jeremiah Is Persecuted by Pashur.20:1-6
4.
Jeremiah Complains to God..20:7-18
Jeremiah's Ninth Sermon: Against Judah's Kings..21:1-23:8
1.
Message Against Zedekiah..21:1-22:9
2.
Message Against..2:10-12
3.
Message Against Jehoiakim..22:13-23
4.
Message Against Coniah (Jehoiachin)..22:24-30
5.
Message of the Righteous King..23:1-8
Jeremiah's Tenth Sermon: Against Judah's False Prophets..23:9-40
Jeremiah's Eleventh Sermon: The Two Baskets of Figs..24:1-10

L. Jeremiah's Twelfth Sermon: The Seventy-year Captivity..25:1-38

II. The Conflicts of Jeremiah..26:1-29:32
A. Conflict with the Nation..26:1-24
B. Conflict with the False Prophets..27:1-22
C. Conflict with Hananiah..28:1-17
D. Conflict with Shemaiah..29:1-32
1.
First Letter to the Exiles29:1-23
2.
Letter from Shemaiah29:24-29
3.
Second Letter to the Exile..29:30-32
III. The Future Restoration of Jerusalem..... 30:1-33:26
A. Restoration to the Land..30:1-24
B. Restoration of the Nation..31:1-40
1.
Israel Is Restored..31:1-21
2.
Judah Is Restored..31:22-40
C. Rebuilding of Jerusalem..32:1-44
D. Reconfirming the Covenant..33:1-26

IV. The Present Fall of Jerusalem......34:1-45:5

A. Messages Before the Fall..34:1-36:32
1.
Message to Zedekiah..34:1-7
2.
Message to the People..34:8-22
3.
Message to the Rechabites..35:1-19
4.
Message of the Scroll..6:1-32
B. Events Before the Fall..37:1-38:28
1. First Interview with Zedekiah..37:1-10
2. Jeremiah Is Imprisoned in a Dungeon...... 37:11-16
3. Second Interview of Zedekiah..37:17-21
4. Jeremiah Is Imprisoned in a Cistern...... 38:1-13
5. Third Interview of Zedekiah..38:14-28
C. Events During the Fall..39:1-18
1. Jerusalem Falls39:1-10
2. Jeremiah Is Released..39:11-14
3. Ebed-melech Is Rewarded39:15-18
D. Messages After the Fall..40:1-44:30
1.
Ministry to Remnant in Judah..40:1-42:22
2.
Ministry to Remnant in Egypt43:1-44:30
E. Message to Baruch..45:1-5
Part Three: The Prophecies to the Gentiles (46:1-51:64)
I. Prophecies Against Egypt...... 46:1-28
II. Prophecies Against Philistia ...... 47:1-7
III. Prophecies Against Moab..48:1-47
IV. Prophecies Against Ammon..49:1-6
V. Prophecies Against Edom....... 49:7-22
VI. Prophecies Against Damascus..... 49:23-27
VII. Prophecies Against Kedar and Hazor.....49:28-33
VIII. Prophecies Against Elam.....49:34-39
A. Babylon's Defeat..50:1-20
B. Babylon's Desolation.....50:21-46
C. Babylon's Destiny.....51:1-64
Part Four: The Fall of Jerusalem (52:1-34)
I. The Capture of Jerusalem..... 52:1-11
II. The Destruction of Jerusalem.....52:12-23
III. The Exile to Babylon..52:24-30
IV. The Liberation of Jehoiachin..52:31-34

Discussion

For all times and for every generation God has anointed a prophet to speak to the
nations and kingdoms of the earth. In this passage we will study the calling of Jeremiah.
He was among the thousands of mourners who attended King Josiahs state funeral in
Jerusalem; probably no one was more unnoticed, unhappy, or unsettled than a young
and unmarried son of a priest from the city of Anathoth. He was unnoticed because of
his youth, unhappy because of Josiahs death, unsettled because God had previously
called him to assume the office of a prophet. Never had there been a more unwilling
candidate. His timid protests, however, were of no avail whatsoever. God had, even from
the womb, closely observed and sanctified this young man for special service.
Such was the condition of Jeremiah in the year 610 B.C. After a long, hard, and hectic
ministry, Jeremiah was forced against his will by his own countrymen into Egypt. In
addition to the Books of Jeremiah and Lamentations, the weeping prophet which he
probably wrote and autobiography entitled, Who Have Heard Me, for he prophesied
under Judahs final four kings, plus Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian monarch, and finally
Gedaliah
and
Johnanan,
Judahs
two
post-Captivity
governors.
Jeremiah at first protested this call (as Moses once did, Ex. 3-4), pleading his youth as
an excuse. But he was quickly reassured by God (Jer. 1:4-10). As Jeremiah began his
ministry, God showed him three things, which underlined the nature and importance of
his call. Gods sovereign direction of Jeremiahs life tells us something of the
divine operation of Gods will. God has a master plan for Jeremiah before the prophet
was conceived in his mother womb. Gods call to the prophetic office was effectual;
Jeremiah responded to the sovereign call. God gave Jeremiah all he needed to fulfill his
ministry. Jeremiahs excuses to avoid fulfilling Gods call for his life were silly and
unworthy. Moreover, Jeremiah was not able to keep from prophesying even when he
decided to remain silent (20:9).
Jeremiah either was lacking in confidence or lacking in a willingness to become a
prophet when God called him. His excuse was that he was only a youth (twenty years of
age) A tender age is no reason to refuse to speak for God. Samuel was a mere child
when he conveyed Gods message to Eli.
God showed Jeremiah an almond tree rod. Because it flowered earlier than the other
trees, the almond signified the near fulfillment of Gods proposed judgment. For I will
hasten [watch over] my word to perform it, i.e., I will surely carry out my threats of
punishment, said The Lord.
He saw a pot of boiling water, tipping southward from the north. This vision from the
Lord symbolized the Babylonian invasion.He then saw two baskets of figs in the temple.
One basket had fresh, well-ripened figs, figs, but the other contained rotten ones. God
explained that the fresh figs represented the Israelites in exiles in Babylon (men such as

Daniel and Ezekiel), while the rotten fruit depicted Zedekiah and his corrupt officials.
God informs Jeremiah about his responsibilities. He is told to gird up his loins, i.e., to
free himself from anything that would hinder him in his work of God. He is to declare the
whole counsel of God. Every word from God is weighty; nothing is to be left out. He is to
appear against kings, princes, and priests, thus he has much to fear. But he is not to be
dismayed, for God will be with him. The fear of God is the best antidote against the fear
of man. And he who has the world for his enemy but God for his friend is safe and
secure. God prophesies that Jeremiah will be assaulted by those to whom he preaches,
but he is guaranteed that the enemy will not overcome him. God will deliver him.
Jeremiah was ordered to make a yoke and fasten it on his neck with leather thongs. He
was then to send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon,
through their ambassadors in Jerusalem, warning them that God had given their nations
over to Babylon. Those who submitted and wore the yoke of punishment with true
repentance would be spared, but those who refused would be destroyed. After God had
used Nebuchadnezzar to punish Judah and neighboring nations, He would chastise
Babylonian Captivity and Israel would be gathered back to Jerusalem.
Jeremiah was commanded by God to run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man, if
there be any that executed judgment, that seeks the truth, and I will pardon it (5:1).
God had once made a similar arrangement with Abraham concerning Sodom (Gen 18:2333).
God told Jeremiah that his message would not only be to Judah but also the nations
(Jer. 1:10). His prophetic coin would have two sidesone negative (root out, pull down,
destroyGods judgment) and one positive (build and plantGods mercy). Jeremiah
admitted this dreadful condition existed among the poor and ignorant, but felt he could
find honest men within the ranks of Judahs educated and rich rulers. But they too had
utterly rejected God.
After a fruitful 31-year reign, Josiah died. A weeping prophet attended his funeral.
Judahs last good king had gone, and it would be downhill spiritually from that point on.
When the effects of Josiahs revival wore off, Judah plunged into idolatry and unbelief.
Jeremiah was called to warn the people of impending judgmentthe great theme of his
book. Jeremiah saw Babylon as the instrument of Gods judgment. Judah would be
conquered. Since their sin was indelible, divine judgment was inevitable. The only course
of action, therefore, was to surrender to Babylon. For this Jeremiah was considered

a traitor and persecuted by his friends (Jer. 11:21), the priests and prophets (26:8-9),
the civil leaders (36:19, 26; 38:4) and even his family (12:6).
Jeremiah visited the settlement where the Rachabite families lived. These individuals
belonged to a religious order and were founded by Jonadab, son of Rechab, during the
reign of Jehu (841-814 B.C). They assisted in the eradication of Baalim from Israel.
Avoiding city life, they lived as shepherds, drinking no wine.
God commanded Jeremiah to test them by offering them wine. They immediately refused
saying: We will drink no wine; for Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our father, commanded
us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons forever (Jer. 35:6).
Jeremiah then related this sterling example to Judah and contrasted the obedience of
the Rechabites to the disobedience of Jerusalem. While in prison because he would not
prophesy to King Zedekiah what he would like to hear (Jer. 32:1-5), Jeremiah was
ordered by God to buy a field from his cousin Hanameel. This was to illustrate that in
spite of the advancing Babylonians armies, houses and fields and vineyards shall be
possessed again in this land (Jer. 32:15).
The background of all this was interesting. God told Jeremiah that his cousin Hanameel
was soon to visit him, attempting to sell the prophet a farm he owned in Anathoth.
Jeremiah was to buy it for 17 shekels of silver. Baruch was then to place the sealed
deed in a pottery jar and bury it. All this was to demonstrate that someday people would
once again own property in Judah and buy and sell. Jeremiah was comforted at this time
in prison by Gods gracious promise: Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show
thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not (33:3). These tremendous and
thrilling things were listed in chapters 30-31. They included the following: In spite
of the impeding Babylonian Captivity, the time was coming when God would heal
Jerusalems hurt and give her prosperity and peace; He still loved Israel with an
everlasting love; and Israel would be gathered into Palestine from the earths farthest
ends.They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them; I will cause
them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for
I am a Father to Israel (31:9) Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of
Zion. . . . a watered garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all (v. 12).
The New Covenant of Jeremiah
It would embrace the entire house of Israel and be totally unlike the old Mosaic
Covenant. God would inscribe His laws on their hearts. Israel had always suffered with
self-inflicted spiritual heart trouble. Note the divine diagnosis: The sin of Judah is
written with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond; it is engraved upon the table
of their heart (Jer. 17:1). But under the New Covenant the heavenly Physician would

offer them perfect and guaranteed successful heart transplants. This nation with the
new hearts would then once again become Gods people, and He their God.
The Name of The New Covenant
It will go into effect after those days and following the time of Jacobs trouble. Both
these terms refer to the coming of Great Tribulation. Thus, this New Covenant will begin
to function after the time of Jacobs trouble, at the start of the glorious Millennium.
The Superiority of the New Covenant
It will be immutable, unconditional, and eternal, as opposed to the Mosaic Covenant.
The Old Covenant was the Law covenant grounded in legal observance. The New
Covenant (Heb. 8:8-12) will be entirely on the basis of grace and the sacrificial blood of
Jesus Christ, which will be the foundation of Israels future inward regeneration and
restoration to Gods favor. Israels entering into the blessings of the New Covenant, will
insure her being an everlasting nation.
God himself assured Israel of the duration of this New Covenant when He declared: If
heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also cast off all the seed of Israel (31:31).
Prophet Jeremiah and His Pain
Apostle Paul had his own share of pains and sufferings, for which he wrote to the
Galatians saying, from henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the
marks of the Lord Jesus. In matters of pain and persecution, Jeremiah the prophet may
be considered the Paul of the Old Testament. Perhaps no other pre-Calvary prophet
suffered as much for God as did Jeremiah. The truth is, in many ways his sufferings
foreshadowed the sufferings of the Savior. Consider: both Jeremiah and Jesus were
hated
by
the
religious
world,
both
were
plotted
against
by
the citizens of their own hometowns; both were denounced by the synagogue leaders of
their day; both wept over the city of Jerusalem; both were accused falsely and beaten;
Were Jeremiahs sufferings because of his stand for God worth it? They were indeed.
Surely his conclusion would have been that of Pauls along this line: For I reckon that
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us
The Sufferings of Jeremiah
He was persecuted by his own family. He was plotted against by the people of his
hometown. He was rejected and reviled by his peers in the religious world
Pashure, the chief temple priest, had him whipped and put in stocks. He was almost
murdered by a wild mob of priests and prophets after one of his messages. He
preached a sermon at the temple gate and was nearly killed by an angry mob for
predicting the temple would be destroyed. He was defended by some of Judahs wise old
men who reminded the angry mob that Jeremiahs message was like that of the Prophet
Micah. Jeremiah was accused of lying by a false prophet named Hananiah who had

predicted the Babylonian Captivity would only last for two years and that those already in
exile (such as King Jehoiachin, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc) would be returned along with all the
temple treasury which had been taken. To dramatize his accusation, Hananiah broke the
yoke
worn
by
Jeremiah.
Jeremiah
predicted
Hananiahs
death in the near future by Gods hand for his lying ministry. Within two years, he was
dead.
Jeremiah was threatened By King Jehoiakim
He was Arrested, Flogged and Accused of Treason. Jeremiah attempted to visit the land
of Benjamin on one occasion to inspect some property he had bought. However, a guard
named Irijah arrested him at the city gate and accused him of defecting to the
Babylonians. Jeremiah denied this, but was flogged and thrown into prison he was soon
secretly sent for by Zedekiah the king. Zedekiah placed him in the palace prison instead
of returning him to the dungeon he was in formerly.
Jeremiah was Cast Down into an Empty Filthy Cistern
In the palace, however, pressure from the religious officials who despised Jeremiah
eventually forced Zedekiah to return the prophet to a more crude confinement. This time
he was lowered by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard where he soon sank
down into a thick layer of mire at the bottom. Eventually, an Ethiopian friend, Ebedmelech, persuaded Zedekiah to remove him from this filthy place. It took 30 men to haul
him from the cistern. He was returned to the prison palace. Jeremiah again predicted the
fall of Jerusalem. He remained in prison until the city was taken.
Jeremiah Saw His Original Manuscript Burned By Wicked King Johoiakim
He was ordered to have his scribe, Baruch wrote down all those oral messages he had
been given for the past 23 years. Baruch did this and read them to the people in the
temple. He then was invited to read them to the religious officials. When he finished they
were badly frightened and decided King Johoiakim should hear them. An official named
Jehudi read them to Johoiakim as the sullen king sat in front of his fireplace. As Jehudi
finished reading three or four columns, Jehoiakim would take his knife, slit off the
section of the roll, and throw it into the fire. Finally, the entire scroll was destroyed.
Jeremiah was then commanded by God to rewrite the burned sections plus a good deal
of additional material, including these fearful words: Eaton (2003:320) is precise when
he says, Punishment will be there for the kings who did not keep their side of the
obligation, the Lords commandments.
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll,
and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, "Take thee again
another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which
Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah,
Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein,
saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause
to cease from thence man and beast?" Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king

of
Judah;
"He
shall
have
none
to
sit
upon
the
throne
of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to
the frost. And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will
bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all
the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not. "Then took
Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote
therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of
Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.
After Jehoiakim had burned the scroll, Baruch became despondent. It had probably taken
him a year to write the material. God then warned both and encourage him through
Jeremiah.
Jeremiah Experienced Frustration and Depression
Jeremiah had become frustrated over his inability to call Judah. Then I said, I will not
make mention of Him, now speak any more in His name But His word was in mine heart
as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was wary with forbearing, and I could not
stay. At this time he uttered one of the most despondent prayers in all the Bible:
Cursed be the day wherein I was born. Let not the day wherein my mother bare me be
blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father saying, A man child is
born unto the, making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord
overthrew, and repented not; and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting
at moontide. Because He slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have
been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out
of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Restoring Gods covenant
Jeremiah grew up in a generation that saw the tearing down of the pagan high places of
worshipaltars, pillars, images and even some shrines that dated back to King
Solomon At the start of Jeremiahs prophetic ministry, Judahs King Josiah was only 21
years old. Josiah had already begun to make major reforms in an effort to bring Judah
back to proper religious observance.
Five years later, the long-missing Book of the Law was discovered hidden in the temple
in Jerusalem . Jeremiah devoted himself to preaching the words of this covenant to the
people in Jerusalem and throughout Judah. It was in this same year that the Passover, a
festival of God that had been neglected, was observed by the nation once again.
Jeremiahs challenge
God called Jeremiah to his prophetic ministry about one year after King Josiah began
leading the nation in a great reform from the widespread idolatry promoted by his father,
Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh. About a century earlier King Hezekiah had led
religious reforms in Judah, but his son Manasseh promoted the vile practice of child
sacrifice and worship of the queen of heaven. This continued into Jeremiahs time.

It was against this background that Jeremiah was appointed to reveal the sins of the
people and the grave consequences of ignoring them. Jeremiah was among those who
had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival, but tragedy came when righteous Josiah
died suddenly at the young age of 39. The whole nation mourned his death, as did
Jeremiah.
Ultimately, Josiahs reforms would not be enough to preserve Judah and Jerusalem from
Gods punishment because the sins of Manasseh had become so deeply embedded.
Judgment would now come upon the nation for the sins of the people.
Cause and effect
God told Jeremiah to announce Jerusalems coming destruction by invaders from the
north. Gods people had broken their covenant with God. They had forsaken God by
worshipping the false gods called Baals and even went as far as building altars to Baal
in order to burn their children as offerings.
Jeremiah exposed some of the persistent sins of the people, including pride and
ingratitude toward Gods lovingkindness. Other specific sins he identified included
idolatry (Jeremiah 44:1-30); adultery; oppressing the foreigners, orphans and widows;
lying and slander; and Sabbath-breaking. (How many of these sins are being repeated in
our modern world?)
Jeremiah announced that the effects of sin would be that God would withdraw His
blessings . The nation would now be faced with famine and starvation. Invaders would
plunder them; and finally they would be taken captive into a foreign land.
Jeremiah would witness the fulfillment of Gods warnings of disaster, and he would share
in the sorrow and troubles that would follow the destruction of Jerusalem. In fact, very
soon after Josiah diedwithin the 11 years of King Jehoiakims short reignBabylon
attacked Judahs cities repeatedly until the total destruction of Jerusalem and the
collapse of the Jewish nation came. Jeremiah lived in Jerusalem through this terrible
time, witnessing its siege and destruction at the hands of the Babylonian.
God forbade Jeremiah from taking a wife during his ministry. Apparently, God chose to
spare Jeremiah the additional terror and worry he would have faced had he had a wife
and children during this time (Jeremiah 16:1-6).
Jeremiah is persecuted
When King Josiah died, Jeremiahs hardships as a prophet of God increased. His
message aroused great hostility and death threats, especially in his native city,
Anathoth. Even his own relatives conspired against him and betrayed him.

Diamond (1999:15) coins it more precisely when he says the, The figure of Jeremiah
remains troubled and troubling for the professional interpretive community. His
persecution increased in Jerusalem when a priest named Pashhur sought out Jeremiah
to have him beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin for a day. After
this, Jeremiah lamented the hardship that had come to him for speaking Gods words. It
was difficult to have become a laughingstock to the people and a target of mockery
(verse 7).
Later, spiteful men obtained the kings approval to arrest Jeremiah for prophesying
disaster. These men then lowered Jeremiah by ropes into a cistern, and he sank into a
layer of mud. When another court official learned about Jeremiahs fate, he persuaded
the king to let him rescue Jeremiah before he starved to death at the bottom of the
cistern (verses 7-13).
Yet Jeremiah knew he had to speak the message God had given him. He wrote how, if
he tried to resist speaking what God told him to speak and tried to not even mention
Gods name, Gods words became like fire in his heart. He was unable to hold them in
(Jeremiah 20:9).
God told Jeremiah that if he would boldly speak His words and not shrink back in fear of
the people, He would give him the strength he needed to withstand the persecution. God
told him, I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; and they will fight against
you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you
(Jeremiah 15:20-21).
Gods messages through Jeremiah
The message God sent to the people via His prophet was that the people needed to
return to God. Another message was Gods impending judgment upon Judah. Even
though this punishment would surely come, God also gave the encouraging promise of
restoration in the future messianic Kingdom. And before Judah was destroyed, God
revealed plans that He would protect the Jewish exiles during their stay in Babylon and
that He would cause them to return to Judah after 70 years. Another encouraging
message in this book was Gods willingness to spare and bless the nation if the people
would have repented of their sins. One of the remarkable principles of God is that even
against the backdrop of the punishments He had decreed for Judah, He still offered the
people a way to avert His anger:
The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull
down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I
will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it (Jeremiah 18:7-8).
God reminds us that the opposite is also true: And the instant I speak concerning a
nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so

that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I
would benefit it (verses 9-10).
The Weeping Prophet Conclusions
Jeremiah was called by God to the prophetic office during the darkest days of Old
Testament history. Since his primary message was that of judgment, he was rejected by
the many and received by the few. Because of his immense sorrows over the sinful
people of God, he has been called the weeping prophet. Like many great men,
Jeremiah was despised in life, but applauded in death. He was rejected by family,
friends, and rulers. He suffered more than perhaps any other prophet in the Old
Testament. Jeremiah's suffering does not compare in any way to what Jesus Christ
suffered to redeem us. Jeremiah was simply a true prophet of God, but Jesus is one with
God and our savior. Pashur, the chief of the temple police, arrested Jeremiah after his
message on the Sign of the Porter. Harassment now turned to physical abuse.
Jeremiah was beaten with 40 stripes. In Pauls day, the number of stripes was reduced
for fear of exceeding the legal limits of he law. Jeremiah was then placed in the stocks,
a scaffold affair which half the prisoners hands and legs in a contorted position causing
great pain. The chief governor (Jer 20:1) was the chief officer of the temple in charge of
security. The reaction to Jeremiahs temple sermon was so great that he was nearly
killed by a mob of priests and false prophets (26:1-24). Arrested and falsely accused,
Jeremiah was finally acquitted by the testimony of Ahikam and some of the other wise
court officials. The kings wrath was not yet appeased. He, therefore, vented his anger
against a lesser adversary, the Prophet Urijah, who had fled to Egypt for protection.
Urijah was arrested by Elnathan, returned to Jerusalem, and executed by King Jehoiakim.
When Babylon lifted the siege of Jerusalem for a short time, Jeremiah took advantage of
the reprieve to visit Anathoth, his hometown. He was falsely accused of treason by Irijah,
one of the sentinels, and placed in prison. While in prison King Zedekiah secretly (for
fear of the princes) inquired of Jeremiah if there was any further word from the Lord.
Again , the reply was one of the inevitable judgment. Jeremiah, however, was moved
from the dungeon of Malchiah (38:6). This was one of the cisterns so common in the
ancient Near East, where water was collected during the rainy season to be used during
the long dry summr. There was no water in this cistern, however, and Jeremiah would
have suffocated in the min except for the intervention of an Ethiopian, Ebed-melech.
Jeremiahs persecution was not only physical but also mental. Both message and
messenger had been rejected and persecuted. The most poignant example of the
rejection of Jeremiahs message came during the fourth year of King Jehoiakims reign
(Jer.36:1-32). God had commanded Jeremiah to write down his prophecies. Once
completed, Baruch, Jeremiah secretary, read the scroll to the people at the temple. The
princes then read the scroll to the king, who violently reacted to the prophecy by cutting
each column and burning it in the fire. The winterhouse (v. 22) was the winterized
portion of the palace. In the typical two-story Palestinian house, the ground floor was
used during the winter, while the second floor with its superior ventilation was used
during the long hot summers. The penknife (v. 23) was the typical knife scribes used

for sharpening reed pens and trimming the scrolls. Jeremiahs prophecy had been
rejected, but God told him to compile a new scroll with additional prophecies.
The sufferings of Jeremiah brought on depression. The Word of God, however, was his
comfort and strength. He could not remain silent. He had to declare the Word of the Lord
(20:7-9).
CONCLUSION
The Book of Jeremiah helps us to understand and anticipate that finishing well will not
be easy. Jeremiah told us that the heart is deceitful above all things which means, we
cannot trust the passions and desires of our hearts. You have to trust Gods Word.
Jeremiah also taught us that its possible to start well but not finish well. Jeremiah
brought these words from God to the people. Listen to the passion God has for His
people and His regret over their choice to walk away from Him: I remember the loyalty of
your youth, your love as a bride how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not
sown. Jeremiah 2:2 To all those to whom I shall send you, you should go; and everything that I
shall command you, you should speak. (Jer. 1:7) Jeremiahs life changed forever when he heard
that command from God. From that moment forward, his overwhelming concern was to announce
the word of Jehovah. That phrase appears repeatedly throughout the book of Jeremiah. In
the last chapter, Jeremiah relates the capture of Jerusalem and the exiling of its last king,
Zedekiah. Yes, Jeremiah continued teaching and exhorting the people of Judah to obey Jehovah
until events made it clear that his work was complete. There are many counterparts between
Jeremiahs assignment and the public ministry of Jehovahs Witnesses today. Like him, you
serve the true God during a time of judgment. Other responsibilities require some of your time
and energy; yet the preaching of the good news is by far the most significant work you can do in
this system of things. By means of it, you exalt Gods great name and accept his absolute right
and authority as Universal Sovereign. You also show outstanding love for neighbor by helping
others to know the true God and his requirements for life. Regarding the work that Jehovah gave
him to do, Jeremiah said: Your word becomes to me the exultation and the rejoicing of my heart;
for your name has been called upon me, O Jehovah God of armies. Such rejoicing and
contentment are set before all today whose hearts move them to speak on behalf of the true
God. You thus have good reason to keep proclaiming Jehovahs message, as did Jeremiah.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Based on the Book
Eaton, J 2003. The Psalms. New York: T & T Clark.
Nichol, F D 1976. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary vol.4. Hagerstown:
Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Linington, S 2003. The term berith in the Old Testament. MTh OT3-G,1, 1-20.
Stulman, L 1999. in Diamond, A R, O Connor, K M, Stulman L (ed) 1999. Troubling
Jeremiah, 34-63. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
Thompson, J A 1980. The Book of Jeremiah. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Based on the Internet
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