The Prophet Jeremiah Warned, Prayed and Offered Truth

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Bible Study Guide - Jeremiah
The Prophet Jeremiah Warned, Prayed and Offered
Truth
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Jeremiah was a prophet of God who ministered to
Judah beginning in the reigns of Josiah,
Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah,
until just after the Babylonian captivity,
spanning over 40 years of Judah's shameless
rebellion and rapid spiritual decline. But in
contrast to the warnings of coming judgment from
Isaiah, the message of Jeremiah was a desperate,
heartfelt cry one last opportunity for God's
people to repent before it was too late.
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During Josiah's reign, God called Jeremiah to be
His prophet. King Josiah was the grandson of
Manasseh, the most evil king of Judah. Under
Manasseh's reign, Judah did more evil in the
sight of the Lord than under any other king
before him. Manasseh reversed the reformations of
his father, Hezekiah, re-instated pagan worship,
and built altars to Baal in every corner and high
place of Judah. He practiced witchcraft,
divination, consulted mediums, and desecrated the
things of God by erecting a carved image in the
temple. And throughout his evil escapades,
Manasseh seduced all of Judah to follow in his
footsteps. Josiah, however, made right the wrongs
done by Manasseh, tearing down the high places,
and turning the nation back to God.
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But his reformations only lasted until his death.
Josiah's three sons, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim and
Zedekiah, along with his grandson, Jehoiachin,
all succeeded him on the throne. But all proved
to be weak replacements for their determined,
God-fearing forefather. Under these kings, the
entire nation spiraled into a black hole of jaded
foreign alliances, and increased rebellion and
idolatry. Their evil influences over the people
eventually sealed the fate of Judah. It was this
end that Jeremiah warned against.
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God's judgment is described in graphic detail in
the book of Jeremiah I will make this city
desolate and a hissing everyone who passes by it
will be astonished and hiss because of all its
plagues.
And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their
sons and the flesh of their daughters, and
everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the
siege and in the desperation with which their
enemies and those who seek their lives shall
drive them to despair. (199)
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Likewise, the fate of the next generation was
certain They shall die gruesome deaths they
shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried,
but they shall be like refuse on the face of the
earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by
famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the
birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth.
(164)
Nonetheless, Jeremiah endured endless persecution
and abuse, as well as tremendous heartache over
the condition of the people.
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Although he came to be known as the Weeping
Prophet, Jeremiah prophesied that a day was
coming when weeping would end and God's people
would no longer fall under the hands of their
enemies. A Branch of Righteousness was coming,
from the line of David, One who was unlike the
wicked leadership of Judah. (235-6)
God had not forgotten His promise for a Redeemer,
the Promised Seed of Genesis.
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But in the meantime, Jeremiah mourned over how
vulnerable the people of Judah were they were
sheep guided by corrupt and self-seeking
shepherds. Like a lamb to the slaughter, they
were led right into their destruction.
As recorded throughout the book of Jeremiah, the
prophet gave scathing rebukes to the various
kings, priests and false prophets who continually
ruled the people with deception and malice.
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And though Jeremiah was a youth when God called
him to preach his message of repentance, he
displayed courage beyond mere human capability.
He used various props to perform vivid imagery
and demonstrations, adding emphasis to his
messages of impending doom. He both buried and
uncovered a linen sash to illustrate God ruining
the tremendous pride of Judah.
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By breaking an earthen flask, he demonstrated God
dashing Judah and its inhabitants to pieces. And
by wearing a wooden yoke, he showed that the
surrounding territories, including Judah, were
going to be submitted to the Babylonians, the new
upcoming world power.
Throughout Jeremiah's ministry, he shed many
tears for the people of Judah, knowing that they
could not escape destruction without an upright
covenant relationship with God expressed by
obedience.
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It was to this end that Jeremiah prayed,
interceding for the people, and speaking truth
despite the intense persecution he experienced.
Unfortunately, his efforts did not bring about
reformation in Judah, and God eventually handed
them over to the Babylonians. The next book,
Lamentations, shares the agony and anguish that
Jeremiah experienced over the destruction of the
beloved city of Jerusalem.