Jeremiah is best known for his role as a prophet to Judah before the fall of Jerusalem. He warned Israel’s Sothern Kingdom of Judah of its pending doom. He loved Gods people and hated to see them turn away from God, from what was ultimately best for them.

However, the people of Judah not only ignored Jeremiah and did what they wanted to, they also abused God’s messenger. They did not want to hear what God had to say. They thought they knew what was best.
Well, that was until Jeremiah’s prophesy came true and Babylon destroyed the city and took them captive.
He is known as the weeping prophet, a person who hurt not so much for himself but for his people. For the way God’s people responded to God.

Jeremiah’s Family background

Jeremiah was born about 657BC in the village of Anathoth, about 3 miles NE of Jerusalem under King Manasseh.
It is very likely that His father is the one who found the ‘Book of the Law’ and helped King Josiah bring about a revival.
His name means “The Lord throws” which is fitting for a priest and a prophet.

God informed Jeremiah that he had consecrated and appointed him before birth.
This was a bit overwhelming to Jeremiah and at first he shrank from the task saying
“I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” 1:4-5

But God is not one you easily say no to. God assured him that he would have words to speak and guidance for the way. – 1:7
To demonstrate this:
God touched his mouth, showing that his words would be inspired. 1:9
Then he has a vision from God, of a branch from an almond tree. This meant that God was watching to see that his threats are carried out. 1:11-12
The third sign was a boiling pot facing north, picturing the source and the fury of impending disaster. 1:13

So what did God ask of Jeremiah?
He said tell the nations and kingdoms that they will destroyed and demolished! 1:10
God said “"Stand at attention while I prepare you for your work. I'm making you as impregnable as a castle,Immovable as a steel post, solid as a concrete block wall.You're a one-man defense system against this culture,Against Judah's kings and princes, against the priests and local leaders.They'll fight you, but they won't even scratch you.I'll back you up every inch of the way."  18-19 Message

So the tone of his life ministry was set: judgment, disaster, danger, defeat, and impending death to the nation. What a Job!

1-19
It all started when his father discovered the forgotten Book of the Covenant in temple debris. King Josiah, along with the priests, started a reformation in Judah. 15:16 , 11:5
The messages Jeremiah gave during his first 5 years of ministry may have been instrumental in this revival in 622BC.

During the reign of Josiah, he was able to speak without as much fear of persecution as he would later find in his ministry.

But not all were inspired by Jeremiah’s messages. They had become attached to their idols and shameful ways. People in his home town plotted to kill him if he continued to prophesy in the name of the Lord. 11:21

Jeremiah used many illustrations, symbols, and even places to get his point across. Lets look at 2 great examples that are found in Jeremiah 18 1-10 and 19:1-11

Chapter 18:1-10 The Message

The Lord said to Jeremiah: Go to the potter’s house and watch what he is doing
Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. ….
Then God's Message came to me: "Can't I do just as this potter does,…
"Watch this potter.
In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel.
At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. But if they repent of their wicked lives, I will think twice and start over with them.

Chapter 19:1-11

The Lord told Jeremiah, “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take with you some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders of the priests. ….. “Now break the jar in front of those who have come here with you. Tell them the Lord who rules over all says, ‘I will do just as Jeremiah has done. I will smash this nation and this city as though it were a potter’s vessel which is broken beyond repair.

Let’s continue our quick tour of Jeremiah’s ministry now under the rule of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son.
Early in the reign of King Jehoiakim, God asked Jeremiah to preach in the temple. He called them to repent and act on what they had heard from the Book of the Law. If they would stop their evil ways God would stop the plans to destroy them.

The People did not respond well to his message. A riot breaks out against Jeremiah. People wanted to kill him for speaking against Temple. This King was of no help, and refused to listen to Jeremiah as well. So they convened a court and put Jeremiah on trial.

Listen to Jeremiah’s defense: 26:12-24
“The Lord sent me to prophesy everything you have heard me say against this temple and against this city. But correct the way you have been living and do what is right. Obey the Lord your God. If you do, the Lord will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would. As to my case, I am in your power. Do to me what you deem fair and proper. But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”

Being driven more by fear than by truth, they feared disaster by killing a prophet of God, and let Jeremiah go.

Did the king get it? Did He listen?

No! King Jehoiakim hears about a reading of Jeremiah’s scroll from Jeremiah's scribe, Baruch,
The King requests to hear it for himself and then rips and burns the scroll, even before he had heard it all ! – 36:23-25
Then Jeremiah re-writes God’s message and adds a judgment on Jehoiakim, predicting his death. 36:27-31
In 599BC Nebuchadnezzar kills Jehoiakim in a raid, just as Jeremiah prophesied

In 598BC Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Jerusalem.
The siege did not last very long. The new king, Jehoichin, was only 18, and knew resistance was futile. He surrendered quickly and along with his family, court and other “important” people were taken to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah to govern what was left.

Jeremiah took up his thankless ministry, calling on the Jews to Believe God, obey the laws of Babylon, and reject false hopes in Egypt. The Lord will take care of Babylon in due time, put your trust in the Lord not Egypt.

Zedekiah did not listen, preferring to listen to counselors that told him more of what he wanted to hear.

During this time, Jeremiah received a vision of two baskets of figs. One basket had very good-looking figs in it. They looked like those that had ripened early. The other basket had very bad-looking figs in it, so bad they could not be eaten.
He explained it this way:
The Jews carried off to Babylon were like good figs,. Zedekiah and those who were left behind and trusted Egypt were like rotten figs. 24:1-8

In the middle of all the gloom and doom Jeremiah writes two chapters about hope that is still used by Jews and Christians today. These are found in chapters 29 and 30. It is the perspective of a father who loves his children but knows he needs to discipline them as part of that love.

29:10-14 “For the Lord says, ‘Only when the seventy years of Babylonian rule are over will I again take up consideration for you. Then I will fulfill my gracious promise to you and restore you to your homeland. For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,’ says the Lord.

30:11 For I, the Lord, affirm that I will be with you and will rescue you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will indeed discipline you, but only in due measure. I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.”

30:22 Then you will again be my people and I will be your God.

The people refused to listen and put their faith in Egypt and plotted against Babylon. Jeremiah was beaten and placed in a dungeon, and then later kept as a prisoner in the court of the guard.

In 588BC the Babylonians were determined to crush the Jews. They cut off all supplies. Food and clean water became scarce, disease spread,
Jeremiah appealed for the city to surrender.
But instead of surrendering to God’s plans for them, they feared them and looked elsewhere, but to no avail.

In 586BC the walls of the city fell to the Babylonians. A month after the fall of Jerusalem, the city was burned and the wall torn down.

Jeremiah returned to Jerusalem and took up his home in a cave. It is here that he wrote Lamentations.

Lamentations is where he get’s his name of the weeping prophet. It shows that it is OK to be honest with the Lord, In many places we see where Jeremiah was very real with the Lord and the Lord encouraged it. Sometimes people suffer for doing what is right and these passages are of great comfort.

After the burning of Jerusalem, the remaining people headed for Egypt. On the way they ask Jeremiah for direction from God, and they promise to obey. Could it be people were finally ready to listed to the Lord?
Jeremiah advises that they stay and not go to Egypt. Again they trusted their fear and not God. They ran to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them. 41:16-43:7

Jeremiah last recorded act was in Egypt. He continued to preach to deaf ears about their idolatry. Jeremiah condemned them for their blindness and stubbornness and as a sign he predicted that Pharaoh would be assassinated.
This prediction came true in 466BC 44:30

Though Jeremiah suffered continued rejection during his life, he remained faithful to his mission. He is remembered as the one who held to the truth while his adversaries are long forgotten. It is likely that Jesus spoke of Jeremiah in Matthew 23:29-31 “You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. …..you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.”
Net Bible
While at times Jeremiah struggled with his role as a prophet, his driving force was his sincere love for the Lord and the people of Israel.
He became what the Lord said he would be. “impregnable as a castle, Immovable as a steel post, solid as a concrete block wall.”

11/10/2008 Kirk Bleavins

NIV Study Bible
Ilumina Bible version 1.1
Nelsons Illustrated Bible Companion
The Net Bible
The Message

By Kirk Bleavins

Jeremiah The Man and His Mission

Israel, you are going the Wrong Way
Abused by the very people he prayed for
The Weeping Prophet

Jeremiah - The Man and His Mission

Born in Anathoth
Father is Hilkiah, a priest from the tribe of Benjamin
His name means “The Lord throws”

Jeremiah’s Family background

God Calling
God would not accept No
Three signs of assurance

Jeremiah’s call

Mission: Tell Kingdoms of their doom
You will be made impregnable as a castle, Immovable as a steel post,     solid as a concrete block wall.
Judgment, disaster, danger, impending death to the nation.
The perfect Job!

Job Description

Finding of Forgotten Laws
Revival
Trouble starts early

Early Ministry – Under King Josiah

Potters clay
Smashed clay jar

Symbols – Get the word Across

Potters clay

Smashed clay jar

Preach in the Temple
Riot
Jeremiah Defense

During reign of Jehoiakim

Reading of the Scroll
Jehoiakim’s fate

King’s Jehoiakim’s Response

Nebuchadnezzar Attacks
Jeremiah’s Advice
Selective hearing

During reign of Zedekiah

2 baskets of figs

Hope that is still used by Jews and Christians today.
Chapters 29 & 30
“I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.”
“I will be with you and will rescue you. “
“Then you will again be my people and I will be your God.”

Eternal Hope

Why should we listen to you?
Driven by fear
I told you so

People refused to listen

The weeping prophet

Lamentations

Remaining headed for Egypt
Jeremiah’s last prediction

After fall of Jerusalem

Semper Fi (Always Faithful)
Mournful but not resentful

Summary

NIV Study Bible
Ilumina Bible version 1.1
Nelsons Illustrated Bible Companion
The Net Bible
The Message

References