Introduction to Jeremiah

Jeremiah’s ministry follows Isaiah’s chronologically and in many ways simply reaffirms all that Isaiah had just recently declared.  The fact that God sent Jeremiah to proclaim basically the same message and offer yet another chance of repentance demonstrates the grace of God.  Unfortunately, the people continued to refuse to turn from their sin and idolatry so as a result judgment came on the nation during Jeremiah’s lifetime.  Jeremiah begins his ministry during the reign of Josiah, one of the godliest kings in the history of Judah.  Josiah’s father and grandfather had been extremely evil and re-instituted idol worship and even child sacrifices in Israel.  Josiah began to reign when he was only eight years old and was used of God to bring about great reforms in the nation.  The reforms were short lived as his son did not follow in his ways and his grandson refused to listen to Jeremiah’s warnings and was taken into captivity in Babylon.  Jeremiah’s message was never a very popular one as it clearly predicted the fall of the nation.  However, Josiah received the message and did all he could to promote revival in the nation.  When Josiah died, Jeremiah’s life became much more miserable as his message was no longer tolerable to the evil kings and leaders.  Jeremiah’s life was threatened and he was imprisoned multiple times.  However, Jeremiah’s message was not all gloom and doom.  He also spoke of Judah’s future hope and the establishment of a New Covenant that would bring about physical security as well as spiritual revival in the nation.  His message was also not limited to Judah.  Much like Isaiah, Jeremiah warns the surrounding nations not to become prideful because they too would come under God’s wrath.  Jeremiah’s ministry was also directed towards those who survived the attack of Babylon and remained in the land.  His message was hopeful and urged the people to stay in the land and not flee to Egypt.  Per usual, his warnings were not followed and the people kidnapped Jeremiah and took him with them to Egypt where they would eventually suffer extermination but where Jeremiah most likely finally had time to write the book that is before us now.

THE RELUCTANCE OF JEREMIAH: As is the case with many of God’s servants; Jeremiah was very reluctant to accept the call of God in his life to become a prophet.  The first chapter of the book records a series of exchanges between God and Jeremiah where God must convince Jeremiah to follow his calling on his life.  Jeremiah presents a series of excuses to God ranging from his young age to his inability to speak in public.  The exchange is reminiscent of the discussion between Moses and God in the wilderness when God called Moses to go confront Pharaoh and liberate the children of Israel from Egypt.  God assures Jeremiah that He will equip him for the work to which he was being called.  We often have a tendency to consider the work of the Lord to be beyond our ability to accomplish and we are absolutely correct.  However we must never forget that God is always more than capable of equipping us to do that which He calls us to accomplish.  His work is done by Him through us.  Inability and inexperience should never be used as an excuse for not ministering to other people.  God calls us to trust Him as we step out in obedience to do the work of the ministry.  He blesses and multiplies our efforts in supernatural ways that exceed our understanding.  God is not looking for super-stars that depend on their own abilities; He is looking for men and women who are available and willing to trust and obey Him.  Humility and availability are essential characteristics for the servants of God.  Those who are self-reliant and self-absorbed must be transformed before they can become useful in the Lord’s work.  Only God is capable of changing lives but He calls us to be instruments in His hands as we are used to bring about the transformations that He desires in the lives of one another.  

THE REJECTION OF JUDAH: The message God called Jeremiah to proclaim was not an easy or popular message.  Jeremiah was called to warn the nation of Judah that they were going to be judged by God.  He gives a series of fourteen messages to the nation, all of which are messages of judgment from God letting them know that they have been rejected by God because of their rebellion and idolatry.  God’s judgment on the nation is due to their refusal to recognize God as their Liberator and Leader.  God had sent them free from slavery in Egypt and brought them into a prosperous land in a miraculous way.  But instead of being thankful and submissive to Him; the people turned their backs on God and followed the idols of the people God had used them to conquer.  God promises to contend against the people instead of contending for the people.  God calls the nation to repent from its faithlessness and stop committing spiritual adultery with the gods of man’s making.  Jeremiah demonstrates how Israel has repeatedly given herself over and over again to worship idols.  Despite God’s blessings, Judah has turned away from Him; and yet God offers them the opportunity to repent.  Unfortunately, the call to repentance was unheard so Jeremiah informs the people that God will call the nation of Babylon to invade Judah and take Israel into captivity.  Israel will no longer enjoy the super-natural empowerment of God.  Instead God will rise up an enemy that He will strengthen in order to judge Judah.  The nation will be ravaged and left as a barren waste-land that will become the habitat for wild animals.  Judah’s heart was made into stone and the truth of God would no longer penetrate this hard heartedness.  They refused to repent and so God refused to forgive their sin.  Instead they would be judged by a cruel and blood-thirsty nation.  God warns the people to flee for safety because He will no longer fight to protect them.  There will be no more peace in the land.  These warnings fell upon deaf ears and the people preferred to torture the messenger instead of taking the message to heart.  God tried in multiple times and in multiple ways to call the nation back to Himself.  Unfortunately, these warnings went unheard so God rejected His nation and gave them over to judgment.  It is a terrible thing to fall under the judgment of God.  He gives all of us the opportunity to repent of our sin and trust in Him.  He would much rather bless us than to chastise us but He is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to transform our hearts.  Suffering is usually the most effective instrument in God’s hands to bring about the transformation He desires. 

THE RESTORATION OF JUDAH: Despite God’s repeated warnings and Judah’s refusal to heed those warnings; God still has a message of hope and promise for the nation.  Jeremiah demonstrates that God is always faithful to keep His Word.  God promises to restore the nation through the process of discipline they will face.  God does not discipline us simply for the purpose of punishment.  His discipline always has the goal of transformation for the purpose of reconciliation.  God’s judgment of Judah is secure but also will be effective at bringing about true and lasting change to their hearts.  Jeremiah reveals God’s intention to establish a New Covenant with the nation.  This covenant is superior to covenant made through Moses as the people were entering the land.  The covenant God made with Israel as they were entering the land was a conditional one that required the people’s submission.  This covenant was made as the people were leaving the land in chains but it was an unconditional promise of restoration.  God will use these series of judgments on the land and the people to bring about true transformation.  Their hearts of stone will be taken away and replaced with hearts of flesh that delight in and submit to the Word of God.  The Law of the Lord will be printed on their hearts and they will delight to obey Him.  This covenant was not made because the people had earned it but because God desires to defend His own name before the nations of the world.  When we as God’s children do not obey Him it mars His reputation in the world.  God is zealous for His own glory above all else.  He has determined to demonstrate His power and strength by transforming nations and individuals through His might.  None of us have sinned beyond God’s ability to save.  He delights is demonstrating His glory through the transformation of our lives.  We do not deserve this grace but He bestows it upon us for His own glory.  God has a plan for the nation of Israel and He has a plan for every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  God’s plan is one of transformation through spiritual rebirth.  The message of the Gospel is a message of transforming sinners into saints.  God has determined to save the nation of Israel from sin and extend that same grace to include parts of every nation of the world.  Through Israel’s spiritual revival and restoration God intends to bless all the nations just as He promised to Abraham in the beginning.  Jeremiah assures us that God does have a purpose and plan for the history of this world.  All circumstances and every one of us are under His sovereign control.  He will be glorified through us in either our judgment or our justification through Christ.  God’s promise to Israel is that they have the hope of one day being restored and reborn with a new heart and that they will enjoy eternal security and prosperity in the land that God has promised them.  Jeremiah has two distinct messages.  His first message is one of hardship for the current generation but his second message is one of hope for a generation to come. The people of Jeremiah’s day were not at all happy with these messages and took their wrath out on him.  He was imprisoned, threatened and even left to die at the bottom of a well.  God spared Jeremiah’s life and spoke through Him to the people and to us with a message of salvation and restoration through repentance and submission.  

THE REPERCUSSIONS IN THE NATIONS: God would use the nations of the world as means of disciplining His chosen people, Israel.  These nations were idolatrous and in many cases were the reason that Israel and Judah strayed into idolatry.  God was now going to use them to bring about His judgment on Israel but that does not mean that these nations would escape from God’s judgment themselves.  In fact, just the opposite was true.  Their cruelty and wickedness would be demonstrated on Israel and would then be used as evidence against them as God condemns them for their evil deeds and wicked hearts.  Jeremiah systematically and very thoroughly goes down a long list of the surrounding nations and pronounces God’s condemnation of each and every one of them.  These nations were instruments of God’s judgment on His chosen people Israel; but they were also the objects of His judgment due to their sinfulness.  God’s intention was to demonstrate His power and glory through a submissive, obedient and blessed nation of Israel.  This demonstration was designed to attract the surrounding nations to God that they too might experience the joy of Gods’ blessing through the revelation they received through Israel.  We see this beginning to happen in the days of Solomon but this reality was very short lived.  Due to Israel’s sinfulness and rejection of God’s Word, they ended up being drawn away into idolatry with the surrounding nations.  Instead of being an influence they ended up being influenced.  Israel’s knowledge of the true God was spurned because of their rebellion which resulted in the knowledge of God being hidden from the surrounding nations as well.  Just as Israel’s obedience should have brought blessing to the surrounding nations; Israel’s rebellion brought judgment to the surrounding nations.  The nations were guilty in and of themselves for having rejected God’s general revelation as seen in creation and experienced in their own God given consciences.  However, they clearly would have benefitted from Israel’s obedience just as all the nations today would greatly benefit from the obedience of the church.  God’s desire is to draw all nations to Himself through the witness of the church.  Unfortunately, many believers today are drawn to the pleasures and prosperity that the world offers making us ineffective at the task of reaching the nations with the Gospel.  God desires for His glory to be spread throughout all the nations of the world.  In order to make that happen it was necessary for the idolatrous nations surrounding Israel to be judged.  However, just as Israel will eventually be restored and experience a spiritual revival; there is great hope for these nations to finally come to Christ as God’s children finally submit to the Lord and allow all of the nations of the earth to be blessed through them.

THE RANSACKING OF JERUSALEM: The final chapter of the book is dedicated to describing the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s message of judgment on Jerusalem.  Just as God had promised, Babylon came down from the north and overthrew the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah.  The city was torn down, the temple was destroyed and all of the golden utensils of the temple that were to be used in worshiping the Lord were carried off as plunder to be used in the worship of idols.  The people were taken captive and deported to the nation of Babylon where they became slaves.  The king was taken into captivity as well but was eventually released from prison and given the opportunity to participate in the palace life of the Babylonian nobility.  He had no power but He was spared from the intense suffering associated with prison.  In fact the nation of Israel ended up having an astounding influence on Babylon through many of the captives.  In many ways Israel was much more effective at impacting the nation of Babylon through their captivity than they were when they had liberty.  Men like Daniel were greatly used of God to transform the nation and have a profound impact on the leaders of the nations that ruled over Israel.  This is yet another illustration of God’s sovereignty and a wonderful reminder of the way that God uses suffering and hardship in the lives of His children in order to make them more effective at promoting His glory in the nations of the world.