Jeremiah

The Weeping Prophet Who Takes a Stand for Truth

The book of Jeremiah is the longest book in the Bible and is often misunderstood, which contributes to it being one of the least read. It features an autobiographical narrative that serves as a model for us to follow. Jeremiah is deeply spiritual and uncompromising, both in his personal life and towards his nation, Israel. He demonstrates a strong passion for remaining faithful to God.

In contrast to the elegant and lofty flow of Isaiah, Jeremiah is straightforward, vivid, incisive, and clear. With heavy use of nature, he is a man of the earth. He is tender, sympathetic, and will almost continually express a deep anguish of soul.

The people repeatedly rejected a decisive spiritual leader, Jeremiah, and continued to turn their backs on God's Word. He warned them multiple times to repent and turn back to God, but they wouldn't listen.

Two Ways Contrasted

Jeremiah 17:5-6 This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind, who makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the desert, and he won't see when good comes. He will dwell in parched places in the wilderness, a land of salt, without inhabitants.

Vs 7-8 Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord, making the Lord his trust. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by a stream. He won't fear when the heat comes, and his leaves will be green. In a year of drought, he won't be concerned, nor will he stop producing fruit.

Galatians 6:7-8 Stop being deceived; God is not mocked. A person harvests whatever he plants: The person who sows through human means will harvest decay from human means, but the person who sows in the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit.

God is a God of love, mercy, compassion, and kindness; however, He is also a God of holiness, righteousness, and justice. He must punish sin or violate His nature, which He cannot do.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that God's righteousness would be produced in us.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I'll answer you, and will tell you about great and hidden things that you don't know.

The fundamental premise of Jeremiah is that only faithfulness to God can ensure a nation's security. Idolatry is consistently linked with immorality. When idolatry takes root in the land, immorality follows, and vice versa.

Scarlet Thread

Jesus:

• A descendant of David
  • Jeremiah 23:5-6 The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I'll raise up a righteous branch for David. He will be a king who rules wisely, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In His time, Judah will be delivered and Israel will dwell in safety. This is the name by which He will be known: The Lord Our Righteousness.

• Would survive a plot against His life as an infant
• • Jeremiah 31:15 - A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter crying. Rachel is crying, and she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no longer alive.Would establish a new covenant
  • Jeremiah 31:31-33 Look, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I'll make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It won't be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. They broke my covenant, although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. Rather, this is the covenant that I'll make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I'll put my law within them and will write it on their hearts. I'll be their God and they will be my people.

• His covenant would be everlasting.
  • Jeremiah 32:40 I'll make an everlasting covenant with them that I won't turn away from doing good for them. I'll put the fear of me in their hearts so they won't turn away from me.
  • Jeremiah 50:5 They'll ask the way to Zion, turning their faces in that direction. They'll come and join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that won't be forgotten.