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St. Mina Coptic ChurchHamilton, On

Jeremiah

About the Prophet JeremiahBegan young, and could say, from his own experience,

that it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth, the yoke both of service and of affliction

God touched Jeremiah’s mouth, who was yet but young, nothing was said of the purging of his iniquity (1:9), reason of his tender years, he had not so much sin to answer for

Continued long a prophet, 50 years Began in the thirteenth year of Josiah, when things

went well under that good kinghe continued through all the wicked reigns that

followed

About the Prophet Jeremiah A reproving prophet, sent in God’s name to tell Jacob of

their sins To warn them of the judgments of God that were coming

upon themA weeping prophet; commonly calledA mournful observer of the sins of his people and of the

desolating judgments that were coming upon themThose who imagined our Saviour to be one of the prophets

thought him to be Jeremiah (Matthew 16:14), because he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief

Persecuted by his own people more than any of the prophets

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Outline of the Book The Call of Jeremiah (1) Prophecies to Jerusalem and Judah (2-35)

Warnings and Exhortations to Judah Promises of Restoration

The Sufferings of Jeremiah (36-38) The Fall of Jerusalem Prophecies to Foreign Nations (46-51) Historical Appendix (52)

Introduction “’This is the covenant I will make with the house of

Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts I will be their God, and they will be my people’” (31:33)

Jeremiah means (“Yahweh lays a foundation.”)Date: 626 BC ~ sometime after 586Written, was destroyed (by King Jehoiakim), rewritten in a

state of constant turmoil and dangerTheme: The Judgment of God

Kings Josiah (640-609) Jeremiah came in the 13th yr of his reign Jehoahaz (609) Jehoiakim (~597): A king under Egypt and Babylon.

Revolted against Nebu. Died in captivity.Burned the scroll of God’s word. (36)

Jehoiachin (597) A political prisoner in Babylon for 37 yrsZedekiah (~587)

Jeremiah pleaded to submit to Babylon. Caused a famine. (32:36)

Imprisoned Jeremiah. Jeremiah prophesies 70 yrs of exile (25).

His sons were slain and his own eyes were put out. Carried in chains to Babylon.

Invasions Josiah (640-609) Jehoahaz (609) Jehoiakim (~597)

Babylon becomes a super power nation.Babylon’s 1st invasion (606) – Daniel…

Jehoiachin (597)Babylon’s 2nd invasion (598)

Zedekiah (~587)Babylon’s 3rd invasion (588)The Fall of Jerusalem (586) – Jeremiah…

ProphetsContemporary Prophets

Beginning: Nahum, Zephaniah, and HabakkukEnd: Daniel and Ezekiel

There were false prophets Preached good things to the people (14, 23, 30-34)Prophesied lies in God’s name.People loved to hear them.

Prophets were persecuted and killed i.e. Uriah prophesied against the people of Judah and fled in fear to Egypt.

But he was caught in Egypt and brought back. The king Jehoiakim had him struck down with a sword.(26)

PropheciesJudah’s Forsaking God / Idolatry God forsakes them.Coming Destruction Warnings RepentanceThe Broken CovenantDrought, Famine, Sword, and CaptivityMessages about Egypt, the Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Edom,

Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam, and Babylon (46-51)

Judah In PropheciesIdolatry: sacrifices to other gods (7:18), idols inside the

temple (7,32)Sacrificed their own children!!! (7:31)No One Is Upright (5:1) Godless and Lying Priests & Prophets (23)“Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” (8:11)Use their power unjustly (23:10)Prophesied by Baal and led people astray (23:25)

Judah In Prophecies (cont.)Kings, priests, and his people refused to accept Jeremiah’s

message.“They made their faces harder than stone and refused to

repent” (5:3)“A wild donkey sniffing the wind in her craving -- in her

heat…” (2:24)An unfaithful wife (3:20) Well fed lusty horses (5:7-9)

PropheciesPromises of the Messiah “’when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,’”

(23:5)“I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s

line;” (33:15)“The LORD Our Righteousness” (23,33)Restoration & Deliverance (30,33)

Fulfillments of PropheciesAs a result…

Jerusalem was besieged by Babylonian army (588-586)

By the sword, famine and plague the city of Jerusalem was destroyed

The fall of Jerusalem (586)Judah went into captivity. (3,023 people including

King Zedekiah)

Fulfillments of PropheciesRestoration & Deliverance

Zerubbabel (538 BC)Ezra (457)Nehemiah (445)

The temple was rebuilt (515)Eventually by the Messiah (Righteous Branch)

Jeremiah – The Man Seventy years after the death of IsaiahA native of Anathoth, from a priest’s familyA priest and prophetWhen he was very young, God called him.(1:5,6)Ordained by God1:17~19 imply how hard his life of mission would be. Single (16:2)Forty years with great faithfulness (626 BC ~ sometime after

586)

Jeremiah’s StruggleNo prophet wrote much about his own agony except

Jeremiah. (12, 20) “O Lord , you deceived me, and I was deceived; you

overpowered me and prevailed.” (20:7)“Cursed be the day I was born!” (20:14)

But “You are always righteous, O Lord” (12)“But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior” (20:11)

Jeremiah = WeCalled when we were very young.Kingdom of priests – Bible teachersCarrying unpopular messagesRejected and ignored many times

Jeremiah – His SufferingsThreatened and persecuted by people

“Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands” (11:21)

Social rejection, Betrayed by his own relativesMocked and ridiculed by people.Accused of treason, beaten, and imprisoned Thrown into a muddy cistern, sank in the mud, and left

starving for dead(Stoned to death in Egypt tradition)

God In Jeremiah“Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” (12)Creator of all things (10:12-16; 51:15-19) Omnipotent (32:27; 48:15; 51:57) Omnipresent (23:24) Sovereign Deliverer (20:11, 32:17-25) Lord of the Nations (5:15; 18:7-10; 25:17-28; 46-51): The

Potter and the Clay(18)

What I learnPeople like good things to hear. They deceive themselves

having false security. (military power & economy)How terrible idolatry is! It brings God’s wrath!Importance to accept the messages of warning and repentanceHaving spiritual insight about my life and the world.Jeremiah’s life of mission

- used wholly as God’s instrument.- delivered messages from God to his people faithfully- Obedience to the will of God until he died

God’s yearning heart toward Judah“Obey me and I will be your God and you will be my people”

(7:23)

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