Jeremiah:Jeremiah:Profile of CourageProfile of Courage

Chapters 46-52Chapters 46-52

““God’s Justice Among Nations”God’s Justice Among Nations”

Jeremiah - Spring 2013 Week Topic

Mar 6 Dark Prophecies: Introduction and Jeremiah 1-6

Mar 13 Dark Prophecies: Jeremiah 1-6 continued

Mar 20 False Worship: Jeremiah 7-10

Mar 27 Broken Promises, Shattered Pride: Jeremiah 11-15

Apr 3 Sin Carved on the Heart: Jeremiah 16-17

Apr 10 The Potter, Pot, and Fire: Jeremiah 18-20

Apr 17 A Scattered Flock: Jeremiah 21-24

Apr 24 God’s Law on the Heart: Jeremiah 25-33

May 1 Broken Covenants: Jeremiah 34-35

May 8 God’s Indestructible Word: Jeremiah 36-38

May 15 Judgment and Justice: Jeremiah 39-45

May 22 God’s Justice Among Nations: Jeremiah 46-52

May 29 Summary of Jeremiah

Today’s Objectives• Review last week’s lesson• Provide overviews of Jeremiah 46-52• Understand Babylon’s role with Israel• Examine God’s messages to Egypt and the

other nations in the region• Sense the hope of restoration behind God’s

discipline• Appreciate the power of random acts of

kindness

Review of Last Week’s Lesson

• Provided overviews of Jeremiah 39-45

• Examined how the Babylonians finally conquered Jerusalem and what this meant to Jeremiah

• Understand why Gedaliah was assassinated

• Learn what happened to King Zedekiah and Jeremiah

• Empathized with the agonizing emotions of those headed for exile

Date of Chapters 46-52• Chapter 46-50: Around 605 B.C.

– “In the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah…”

• Chapter 51: After the fall of Jerusalem (560 B.C.)– “Tell everyone in Zion! The LORD has taken revenge

for what Babylon did to us.”

• Chapter 52: 560-538 B.C.

– After the fall of Jerusalem, perhaps after Jeremiah’s death (see 51:64 – 586 B.C.)

– Prior to Babylon’s defeat by Persians (538 B.C.)– After Evil-Merodach freed Jehoiachin (560 B.C.)

Last Five Kings of JudahName Father Reign (B.C.) What happened?

Josiah Ammon 640-608 Killed at Megiddo

Jehoahaz Josiah (4) 608 Pharaoh Necho II carried him into exile

Jehoiakim Josiah (2) 608-597 Rebelled against Babylon and killed

Jehoiachin Jehoiakim 597 Exiled to Babylon

Zedekiah Josiah (3) 597-586 Sons killed, blinded, then exiled to Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar's Attacks on Jerusalem

Date Extent Result

605 B.C. Quick strike Sons of noble families deported for civil service (including Daniel)

597 B.C. Major Attack King Jehoiachin deposed; leading families and skilled workers deported (Ezekiel included)

588-586 B.C. Total Destruction City and temple destroyed; King Zedekiah blinded; all but the poor deported

Key People• Jeremiah

– Served the last five kings of Judah

– Confidant of King Josiah (639-608 B.C.), King Jehoiakim (608-597 B.C.), and King Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.)

– Member of a priestly family and was from Anathoth

– Fled to Egypt with Beruch upon destruction of Jerusalem

• King Jehoiakim– King of Judah, 608-597 B.C., corrupt and wicked

– Carried off in first Babylonian captivity (2 Ch 36:6)

• King Zedekiah– Gained the throne at age 21

– Last king of Judah, then Sent into exile

– His sons were killed and then he was blinded

Key People• Nebuchadnezzar

– Became King of Babylon in 605 B.C.

– Son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its dependence on Assyria and laid Nineveh in ruins

– Greatest and most powerful of all the Babylonian kings– Defeated Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II at Carchemish– Died in 562 B.C.

– Succeeded by his son Evil-Merodach (562-560 B.C.)

Egypt’s Defeat at Carchemish (46:1-12)• Jeremiah’s first prophecy

• Fourth year of King Jehoiakim

• Temptation of Egypt– Military strength– Tempted the kings of Judah – how?– Tempted the people of Judah – how?– No place for God’s people

• Egypt’s defeat at Carchemish– Jeremiah describes the humiliating defeat– Brought Egypt’s domination in the region to an end– Describes the terror Egyptian soldiers faced

• Jeremiahs second prophecy– Fate of Egyptian cities

• Migdol

• Memphis

• Tahpanhes

– Warned about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar– God would use the Babylonians to defeat the Egyptians– References Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel– Metaphors used by Jeremiah

• Heifer and bull

• Stampede

• Snakes

• Wood cutters

Egypt’s Defeat at Home (46:13-24)

• Jeremiah’s Third Prophecy– Concerning Egypt– Immediate threat of destruction by Babylon– Future of hope for Egypt and Israel– Nations that blessed Israel would be blessed– Nations that cursed Israel would receive God’s curse– Egypt had done both

• Egypt’s curses– Enslaved Israelites (Deut. 16:12)– Seduced the Israelites (Num. 11:5-6)

Hope for Egypt and Israel (46:25-28)

• Egypt’s blessing– Welcomed Jacob and his sons (Exod. 1:1-7)

– God’s mercy (Isa. 19:24 and Ezek. 29:13-16)

• Punishment would come first– All that counted on Egypt would be punished

– Babylon’s reach would extend to Thebes

– Focus on the two major cities in Upper and Lower Egypt

Hope for Egypt and Israel (46:25-28)

• Prophecies against other nations– Philistia– Moab– Ammon– Edom– Damascus– Kedar and Hazor– Elam

• Babylon would also be judged (Ch 50-51)– Bring the Medes to destroy Babylon– With other countries of the north

Jeremiah 47:1-52:27 In Brief

• Summary of events for forty years– Someone other than Jeremiah was the author– 626 B.C. to 586 B.C.– Jeremiah had warned of God’s coming judgment– Near duplicate of II Kings 24:18-25:21

• Three separate deportations: 597 B.C., 586 B.C., and 581 B.C.

• Evil-Merodach’s release of Jehoiachin

Judah in Captivity (52:27-34)

Review• Review last week’s lesson• Provided overviews of Jeremiah 46-52• Understand Babylon’s role with Israel• Examine God’s messages to Egypt and the

other nations in the region• Sense the hope of restoration behind God’s

discipline• Appreciate the power of random acts of

kindness• Next week: Review