Road To Revelation: The Prophets - Jeremiah (Not the Bullfrog)

The next major prophet up to bat is Jeremiah “the weeper” *insert last name here*. He was a priest, like Isaiah, and he also loves the temple. He served the  Lord for 40years before Babylon invaded and for some years during and after the invasion.

Jeremiah; much like his predecessors Moses and Isaiah felt unworthy to serve the Lord (aren't we all??) but it doesn't matter! The Lord had chosen him! (aren’t we all??).

Jeremiah’s life was not an easy one. His lot in life was a classic case of “shoot the messenger”. He only had bad news for the people of Israel and Judah who had rejected the Lord in favour of their idols and therefore he was not warmly received shall we say... (see ch.2:5-6 and 13-14) He did his best in chapters 3-10 to warn the people and their leaders that their breaking of the covenant with their God would result in the invasion of Babylon an the destruction of the temple but it fell on deaf ears and they planned to kill him for his trouble (ch.11)

But being the stubborn man he was he continued to try. He used pictures (his belt ch.13, a potter’s house 18), pleading (ch 15-19) and strong warnings (16-18) but again, he was not listened to and instead left beaten and put in the stocks (20). His strongest words of rebuke were for the spiritual leaders of Israel and Judah. They had utterly failed in their job as spiritual caretakers of God’s people and Jeremiah warned them of their destruction. But finally, he brings some good news! (only had to wait 22 chapters…) There is another! God will not abandon his people and leave them without someone to lead them to himself; he will send a good leader, a good shepherd, a righteous branch (vs. 5-7).

Then more sort of good news… The captivity in Babylon will not be permanent. Only a mere 70 years people! And when it is over, so will their enemies be defeated... Babylon will fall too (25).

But it’s not what anyone in Judah wants to hear and so there are plots to kill Jeremiah and end his annoying reminders of their sins. They are almost successful (gasp!) but Jeremiah escapes to prophecy another day and tell King Zedekiah that sadly he will no longer rule Judah, but will serve Nebuchadnezzar; ruler of Babylon.

28 Then he beats the false prophet Hananiah in an epic “prophecy off”. KO!

All of us probably would have given up by now and gone to live a quiet life in the country, shaking the dust from out sandals as we left but not old Jere. He remains faithful to the Lord and writes a letter to the exiles in Babylon. This time he doesn’t rebuke them, but gives them words of comfort and hope; build houses, make lives for yourselves there, pray for your enemies, do not be afraid but stay faithful to the Lord and you will return to the land in 70years. He reminds the people that God keeps his promises and the land will be given back to his people. This is not the only thing Jeremiah wants them to look forward to though—he has even better news!! God is working on something new; a new covenant with his people; a better covenant; an eternal covenant; one not dependent on human works, but on the works of the Lord! One where their sins will not be merely covered over with the blood of animals, but will be completely washed away and forgiven! Forgiven!!!

31:31-34 Does this passage remind any of you of Hebrews 8? (it should, it quotes this passage haha) Or Jesus at the last supper? Just me?

32 And so with this good news in mind, Jeremiah buys himself a field. He puts his money where his mouth is so to speak.

Unfortunately Zedekiah is up to his old tricks and still refuses to listen to anything Jeremiah has to say. He burns the scroll Jeremiah gives him and puts him in prison. But he will not stop bugging the king about his sin so they throw him down a well. But God is with Jeremiah and rescues him from the well and takes him to Egypt (Jesus as a boy!) while Jerusalem crumbles and burns behind him as Nebuchadnezzar invades. (34-39)

Jeremiah has words to say to the surrounding nations too (40-49) for they too are under God’s law and welcome to receive God’s promises (if they repent). Then he turns to Babylon... (50)

Jeremiah’s last prophecy is in chapter 51 and the final chapter describes how Jerusalem fell. Not a happy day.

Takeaway: The law is good. It is the Lord's desire that none shall perish but that all shall come to repentance and escape judgement. The Lord didn't have to warn the people but he loved them and so he did. It is only when we realise that we are in grave danger that we cry out for rescue. God's law shows us our predicament [that we have offended our Holy Creator] so that we will cry out to him for rescue, and he has done it already himself! (See Jesus' death and Resurrection)

Jeremiah 52:12-27 / 2 Kings 24:14—In the 19th year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign the king burned down the temple, the palace and all Jerusalem’s important buildings. He exiled the rich and left the poor. He took the treasures from the temple and took the high priest and gatekeepers of the temple and killed them. Jeremiah wept.

And now we wait… 69 years, 364 days to go...