Survey of the Bible: Jeremiah

Text: Jeremiah 7:23-24

 

I.         The book of Jeremiah is an autobiography of a prophet who lived at the time of fall of Judah to Babylonia

            A.        For forty years Jeremiah warns a people who would not listen and watches as his beloved country is ruined as a result.

            B.        Jeremiah prophesied about 100 years after Isaiah

            C.        Jeremiah was a contemporary of Ezekiel, Daniel, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah

II.        Historical context

            A.        He taught beginning in reign of the last good king of Judah, Josiah, in 627 BC - Jeremiah 1:1-2

                        1.         It was toward the end of Josiah’s reign that Nebuchadnezzar had overthrown Assyria in 612 BC

                        2.         Josiah died in 609 BC in a battle against Pharaoh Necho

            B.        Jehoahaz was the next king, but only lasted 3 months before being captured by Pharaoh Necho.

            C.        Jehoiakim followed him, reigning as a vassal of Egypt from 609 BC to 605 BC

                        1.         Egypt was defeated by Babylon in 605 BC

                        2.         It was at this time that Nebuchadnezzar took the key people from Judah captive, including Daniel.

                        3.         Jehoiakim became a vassal of Babylon.

                                    a.         Despite warnings from Jeremiah, Jehoiakim rebelled in 601 BC and was removed

            D.        Jehoiachin was his replacement in 597 BC, but lasted on 3 months before Nebuchadnezzar deported him to Babylon.

                        1.         This was the second wave of captivity

            E.        Zedekiah was set up as king in 597 BC but he tried to form an alliance with Egypt against Babylon and was overthrown in 596 BC

            F.        Gedaliah was then put in power as governor of Judah.

III.       Overview

            A.        The book of Jeremiah is not in chronological order

            B.        At the start Assyria and Egypt ruled this part of the world

                        1.         Jeremiah announced that an upstart nation - Babylon would overthrow both Assyria and Egypt both of whom had stood for thousands of years.

            C.        Jeremiah’s message is to tell the people of their sins and that they would be destroyed by Babylon.

                        1.         If they would submit to Babylon, then destruction would be less

                        2.         As a result Jeremiah is labeled a traitor

                        3.         He is also offered a place of honor by Nebuchadnezzar - Jeremiah 39:11-14; 40:1-4

            D.        Not that Jeremiah supported Babylon. He told of its sins and foretold its fall.

IV.      The contents

            A.        The call of Jeremiah - Chapter 1

                        1.         The task - Jeremiah 1:4-19

            B.        Prophecies to Judah - Chapters 2-45

                        1.         Condemnation of Judah, a series of 12 sermons - Chapters 2-25

                                    a.         Judah willfully sinned - Jeremiah 2:1-3:5

                                    b.         Judah will be judged - Jeremiah 3:6-6:30

                                    c.         Judah’s hypocritical worship - Jeremiah 7-10

                                                (1)       God’s plea for reform unheard - Jeremiah 7:3-15

                                                (2)       The weeping prophet - Jeremiah 9:1-11

                                    d.         Judah has broken the covenant - Jeremiah 11-12

                                    e.         Judah’s revived relationship - Jeremiah 13

                                    f.         Jeremiah’s intercession - Jeremiah 14-15

                                    g.         Judah’s sins - Jeremiah 16-17

                                                (1)       Jeremiah spared some pain - Jeremiah 16:1-13

                                    h.         The Potter’s House - Jeremiah 18-20

                                                (1)       God’s rights - Jeremiah 18:1-10

                                                (2)       Jeremiah put in stocks for his message - Jeremiah 20:1-2

                                    i.         Messages against Judah’s Kings - Jeremiah 21:1-23:8

                                    j.         Message against the false prophets - Jeremiah 23:9-40

                                                (1)       Jeremiah is opposed - Jeremiah 23:9

                                    k.         The two baskets of figs - Jeremiah 24

                                    l.         The 70 year captivity - Jeremiah 25

                        2.         The sufferings of Jeremiah - Chapter 26-29

                                    a.         Conflict with the nation - Jeremiah 26

                                                (1)       Killing of prophets - Jeremiah 26:20-24

                                    b.         Conflict with the false prophets - Jeremiah 27

                                                (1)       Jeremiah to wear a yoke - Jeremiah 27:2

                                    c.         Conflict with Hananiah - Jeremiah 28

                                                (1)       Interfered with Jeremiah’s prophecy - Jeremiah 28:10-11

                                                (2)       Died as evidence that he was false and Jeremiah true - Jeremiah 28:15-17

                                    d.         Conflict with Shemaiah - Jeremiah 29

                                                (1)       A false prophet in Babylon who corresponds with Jeremiah

                        3.         The future restoration of Jerusalem - Chapters 30-33

                                    a.         Restoration of the land - Jeremiah 30

                                    b.         Restoration of the nation - Jeremiah 31

                                    c.         Rebuilding Jerusalem - Jeremiah 32

                                    d.         The branch, the promised Messiah - Jeremiah 33

                        4.         The fall of Jerusalem - Chapters 34-45

                                    a.         Warnings before the fall - Jeremiah 34-36

                                                (1)       Attempt to destroy God’s word - Jeremiah 36:20-31

                                    b.         Zedekiah and Jeremiah’s imprisonments - Jeremiah 37-38

                                    c.         The fall of Jerusalem - Jeremiah 39

                                    d.         Messages after the fall - Jeremiah 40-44

                                    e.         Message to Baruch - Jeremiah 45

            C.        Prophecies to the Gentiles - Chapters 46-51

                        1.         Egypt - Jeremiah 46

                        2.         Philistia - Jeremiah 47

                        3.         Moab - Jeremiah 48

                        4.         Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam - Jeremiah 49

                        5.         Babylon - Jeremiah 50-51

            D.        Reflections on the fall of Jerusalem - Chapter 52

                        1.         Same as II Kings 24-25

V.        The book starts, continues, and ends with the message of Jerusalem’s fall

            A.        There are promises that it would not be forever, that Jerusalem would be restored

            B.        But the constant drum beat is the fall of a sinful nation