Calvary
Chapel Bible College
August
26, 2020
About the class
This will be a mostly “lecture” class.
Your homework each week (listed on syllabus and under “assignments” will basically to read a portion of Jeremiah as well as
memorize a selected verse.
To make sure you are paying attention, I’m going to give you a couple of
“key words” during our time that you can use to answer the question at the end
of each class… I’m trying something new.
Let’s take a minute to get to know each other
My background.
Can you tell us your name and why you are taking a class at a Bible
College?
Into Jeremiah…
Personal Background
His name means “Yahweh appoints”
Jeremiah was the chief prophet during the days of the destruction of the
nation of Judah. There were other
prophets around at the time as well:
Daniel, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, but Jeremiah was the main
prophet. His ministry began about 60 years after the death of the prophet
Isaiah.
Jeremiah was born into a family of priests, but he would function more as a
prophet.
His ministry was destined from the beginning to be a ministry of
“failure”. The people were not going to
pay attention to him. The people were on
the way downhill and destined for judgment.
One of Jeremiah’s nicknames is the “weeping prophet”.
It’s possible this nickname comes from the book of Lamentations,
also written by Jeremiah.
Lamentations is Jeremiah’s weeping over the destruction of
Jerusalem.
It’s not a bad thing to keep in mind though as you read this book. We don’t often hear the “emotion” of the
writer as we read.
National Background
The northern kingdom of Israel was taken away by the Assyrians in 722 BC,
during the reign of King Hezekiah in Judah, while Isaiah was the prophet.
King Hezekiah was followed by his son Manasseh who led the nation down a
rabbit hole of idolatry. Manasseh was
king for 55 years.
Manasseh was followed by his son Amon, who ruled two years before he was
assassinated.
Amon’s son, Josiah was crowned king when he was only eight years old.
Josiah was a good king who reigned for 31 years.
He brought a measure of revival to the land before its final slide into
idolatry and judgment.
It’s in the 13th year of Josiah’s reign that Jeremiah begins his
ministry (627BC).
That’s 41 years before Jerusalem’s destruction.
World Background
Jeremiah had a long ministry, and he would see many political changes in
his lifetime.
When Jeremiah began his ministry, the Assyrians had been the world
dominating empire, including the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel
(722BC)
Assyria is now on the decline, losing battles with the Babylonians first at
Nineveh (612BC), then Haran (see map) (609BC), and were now centered in
Carchemish.
Babylon was now the big boy on the block.
The Egyptians saw this as a chance to expand and sent an army north to help out the Assyrians.
King Josiah of Judah thought he would intervene and help the Babylonians by
attacking Egypt as it passed through his land.
A battle occurred at Megiddo, and Josiah was killed.
When the Egyptians continued to Carchemish, they got there too late. The Assyrians had been defeated by the
Babylonians in 605BC.
There became a tug-o-war between the Egyptians and the Babylonians over the
little nation of Judah as these world powers kept putting their favorite men on
the throne of David.
During these times, various groups were taken captive off to Babylon. All happened in Jeremiah’s lifetime.
The first group that was taken in 605 BC included royal family and captives
like Daniel.
A second larger group containing 10,000 captives was taken in 597 BC and included
the King Jehoiachin and Ezekiel the prophet.
In 588 BC, a new Pharaoh in Egypt put together an alliance with Judah, Tyre, and Ammon.
They rebelled against Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar came down quickly to deal with the revolt and by
July/August 586 BC, Judah and Jerusalem was wiped out. More captives went to Babylon.
Outline (I’ll post my notes online after class)
I. Introduction (chap. 1)
II. Prophecies concerning Judah (chaps. 2-45)
A. Thirteen prophecies of divine judgment on Judah (chaps. 2-25)
B. Jeremiah’s troubles as a result of his
prophecies (chaps. 26-29)
C. Future comfort for Israel and Judah (chaps. 30-33)
D. Jeremiah’s ministry before, during and after the fall (chaps. 34-45)
III. Prophecies concerning the
Nations (chaps. 46-51)
A. Egypt, Philistia, various nations (chaps. 46-49)
B. Prophecy against Babylon (chaps. 50-51)
IV. Conclusion / fulfillment (chap. 52)
The chapters aren’t in chronological order (see chart).
Jeremiah will date many of his prophecies, but there is apparently some
sort of logic to the order other than chronological.
Jeremiah 1
1:1-3 Introduction
:1 The words of Jeremiah
the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of
Benjamin,
:2 to whom the word of
the Lord came in the days of
Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
:1 Hilkiah – probably not the same as Hilkiah the high priest (2Ki.
22).
:1 Anathoth – ‘Anatowth – “answers to prayer”
It’s a small village (now Palestinian) about three miles northeast of
Jerusalem, a city that belonged to the priests.
:2 in the thirteenth year … – He started his ministry in 627
BC.
Josiah was the last of the good kings.
Josiah’s reforms began in the fifth year of his reign.
By the time Jeremiah came around much of the outward idolatry had been
taken away, but the people’s hearts were still hooked on the other gods.
Jeremiah’s persecutions don’t really begin until the death of Josiah.
:3 It came also in the
days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the
eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying
away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
:3 the carrying away of Jerusalem
The fall of Jerusalem was in July/August 586 BC. Jeremiah would actually continue his ministry
past the fall of Jerusalem to at least 582 BC as he was with some of the people
who went down to Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem.
His ministry spanned the last fifty years of the nation of Judah and in a
sense he was there when the nation died.
What happened to Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem?
The book of Jeremiah records that he was taken down to Egypt with some of
the refugees after the governor was killed.
After that … nothing but goofy stories.
There are some other goofy stories –
Some say that Jeremiah took the Ark of the Covenant with
him to Egypt. There are apparently
references in the apocrypha to this extent, but the Bible doesn’t tell us this.
There is another story that Jeremiah took one of the young
princes with him to Egypt and then afterward took the young prince to the
British Isles. There are those who then
claim that the monarchy in Great Britain are a direct descendant of this
prince, being descendants of the throne of David. These are also the people that claim that
much of Europe are descendants of the lost tribes of Israel – like the
“Danish”, being descendants of the tribe of Dan, with “ish”
being the Hebrew word for “man”, thus a “Danish” person is a “man from
Dan”. The “Irish”, the “British” are all
from the tribes of Israel. I like what
Pastor Chuck says, that these folks forget that the word “foolish” also has the
“ish” in it.
We really don’t know what happened to Jeremiah from there, though another
tradition has it that he was killed in Egypt.
1:4-10 Jeremiah’s call
A word about pericopes…two
pericope assignments…
:4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
:5 “Before I formed you
in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a
prophet to the nations.”
:6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord
God! Behold, I cannot speak, for
I am a youth.”
:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you
God knew Jeremiah before he was born.
I’d say this has implications in the abortion argument.
For Jeremiah, his call began even before he was born.
:6 I am a youth
Jeremiah has objections to God’s call.
He didn’t feel he was old enough to speak an influence others.
We think he was in his late teens to early twenties.
It’s not uncommon for a person who is called by God to be a little
reluctant to go.
Lesson
Excuses
THIS is one of two weekly quiz words – write it down. I’m experimenting on ways to make sure you
pay attention.
Moses had his excuses as well when God called him:
(Exodus 4:10 NLT) But Moses pleaded with the Lord,
“O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even
though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”
God replied that He was the one who made Moses’ mouth.
God made you. He
made you exactly like He wanted you to be.
God doesn’t make mistakes.
Just like Jeremiah, God has plans for you as well.
(Ephesians
2:10 NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in
them.
And just like Jeremiah, we need to be careful that we don’t let things like
youth or inexperience keep us from stepping out and following Jesus. Paul wrote to his younger son-in-the faith
Timothy –
(1 Timothy
4:12 NLT) Don’t let anyone think less of you because you
are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live,
in your love, your faith, and your purity.
:7 But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am
a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command
you, you shall speak.
God’s answer to Jeremiah:
It doesn’t matter who you are as long as God sends you.
Jeremiah doesn’t have to worry about what he’s going to say. He only has to say what God tells him to say.
When God calls you, He also equips you.
:8 Do not be afraid of
their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah will not be liked. People
will make plenty of faces at him.
:9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my
mouth, and the Lord said to me:
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
God’s touch put the words in Jeremiah’s mouth
:10 See, I have this day
set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
:10 To destroy … and to plant
Lesson
Toxic waste
Jeremiah’s ministry would have two different kinds of results.
Some come into judgment (root out, pull down, destroy, throw down)
Some would be blessed (build, plant)
It’s interesting that the destruction comes before the building.
Sometimes things are so corrupt, so bad, that before you can build, you
need to tear things down.
Years ago in Fullerton a toxic waste dump was discovered
underneath a whole neighborhood of new condos.
It took a lot more work to clean it up than if they had dealt with the
toxic waste before.
In our personal lives, don’t try to cover up the toxic
waste from our days before meeting Jesus.
Let Him do His full work in you, dealing with things that will one day
come to the surface.
God doesn’t tear things down in our lives except to one day build things
back up.
(Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Sometimes before the “good” can be done, the bad needs to
be rooted out.
1:11-16 Almond Tree and Boiling Pot
:11 Moreover the word of
the Lord came to me, saying,
“Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
:11 almond tree – shaqed – almond
tree, almonds.
The word comes from comes from shaqad, to wake, watch, awake, be alert.
The almond tree was named “the awake tree“ because in Palestine it is the
first tree in the year to bud and bear fruit. Its blooms precede its leaves, as
the tree bursts into blossom in late January.
There’s going to be a Hebrew play on words here.
:12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well,
for I am ready to perform My word.”
I am ready – shaqad – to wake, watch, awake, be alert
This is that play on words – “almond” and “ready”
“I will awake over My Word to perform
it”
:13 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time,
saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing
away from the north.”
A boiling pot that was about to be poured out, but facing north
:14 Then the Lord said to me: “Out of the north
calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land.
Even though we think of Babylon being east of the land of Israel, the
armies don’t cross the desert, but go around the desert, and would be arriving
from the north.
The Babylonians would come and destroy everything.
:15 For behold, I am
calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord; “They shall come and each one set
his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all
around, And against all the cities of Judah.
:16 I will utter My
judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have
forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own
hands.
Archaeologists have uncovered houses in Jerusalem that date back to
Jeremiah’s day. In the rubble of the
houses they are discovering lots of little idols. Multitudes of idols in each house.
NOTE: One of the ways
Jeremiah heard God speaking was through life around him.
God used an almond tree to remind him that God is awake to fulfill His
Word. A boiling pot spoke of the boiling
turmoil about to come... from the north.
Some would say that Jeremiah was schizophrenic, hearing voices – because
that’s what a person with this disease does.
But a schizophrenic person won’t bear the same kind of fruit that a
spirit-led person will bear.
Jeremiah predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, and it happened.
Example – sometimes I’m driving down the road, see a familiar looking car,
and it prompts me to pray for the person whose car it reminds me of. Or I’ll see someone who looks like a friend, and it reminds me to pray.
Learn to listen to the Spirit
speaking.
1:17-19 Be strong Jeremiah
:17 “Therefore prepare
yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be
dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them.
:17 prepare yourself – literally, “gird up”
Tie up your tunic for actions. This
is God speaking to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah needed to be ready for the challenges ahead.
It’s easy to get “dismayed” when you look at people’s faces. It’s easy not to say what you should.
:18 For behold, I have
made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against
the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its
priests, And against the people of the land.
:19 They will fight
against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,”
says the Lord, “to deliver you.”
:18 I have made you this day a fortified city
God would protect Jeremiah through all his difficulties.
Lesson
God’s protection
There’s no safer place to be than in the center of God’s will for you.
This doesn’t mean that Jeremiah won’t have problems.
It means that God will protect.
Does following Jesus mean that you’ll never have problems?
No. But He’ll be with you to protect
you.
(John
16:33 NKJV) These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome
the world.”
Jeremiah 2
This begins a section where Jeremiah records 13 prophecies of judgment
against the nation of Judah. (chaps. 2-25)
2:1-3 When Judah was pure
:1 Moreover the word of
the Lord came to me, saying,
:2 “Go and cry in the
hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When
you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.
Israel was like a young bride to the Lord.
Israel followed after God as she was brought through the wilderness to the
Promised Land.
This was the time of their “first love”.
:3 Israel was
holiness to the Lord, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will
offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ”
All that tried to hurt Israel had to face God.
:3 holiness to the Lord
In the past, The High Priest wore a plate of gold on his turban…
(Exodus
28:36 NKJV) “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and
engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO
THE LORD
He represented Israel to the Lord.
But the people are no longer “holy”.
There will one day be a time when Israel will again be “holy” to the Lord
(Zechariah 14:20–21
NKJV) —20 In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the
bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s
house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, every
pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts…
2:4-8 Leaders have left God
:4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the
families of the house of Israel.
:5 Thus says the Lord: “What injustice have your fathers
found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have
become idolaters?
God is saying, “What did I do to deserve this?”
:6 Neither did they say,
‘Where is the Lord, Who
brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of
death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?’
Why aren’t the leaders crying out to God, reminding Him of His faithfulness
in bringing the people out of Egypt? (this is what godly leaders do –
Jehoshaphat, 2Chr. 20)
:7 I brought you into a
bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you
defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination.
God brought them to a good land and they walked away from Him.
:8 The priests did not
say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed
against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that
do not profit.
priests – spiritual religious leaders
rulers – civilian leaders, government leaders – the judges and then
the kings
prophets – guys who were to speak for God spoke for Baal
instead.
Baal was a Canaanite god of fertility.
2:9-13 God’s charge: You’ve left
God
:9 “Therefore I will yet
bring charges against you,” says the Lord,
“And against your children’s children I will bring charges.
:9 plead – riyb – to strive, contend.
The language sounds like the indictment of a prosecuting attorney.
:10 For pass beyond the
coasts of Cyprus and see, Send to Kedar and consider diligently, And see if
there has been such a thing.
:11 Has a nation changed its
gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what
does not profit.
Cyprus – Kittim –
“bruisers”; a term for the island of Cyprus; a general term for all islanders
of the Mediterranean Sea
Kedar – Qedar – “dark”;
the north Arabian desert tribes.
God is asking the people to look all around them to see if anyone has done
what they’ve done.
No other nation changes their gods.
And their “gods” are really nothing at all.
:12 Be astonished, O
heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the Lord.
:13 “For My people have
committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And
hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
:13 living waters … cisterns
The two evils:
1) Leaving a stream of living water
Living water was a term used for flowing water, a spring, a stream, or an
artesian well rather than a stagnant pool.
Living water is the best. It’s
clean. It’s fresh. It tastes good.
2) Made cisterns that don’t hold
water
A cistern was a reservoir dug out of the solid rock. In ancient Israel, one of the ways of getting
water was to dig out a cistern and then divert rain water into the cistern.
Water from a cistern wasn’t as nice as living water, but it was better than
nothing.
But if the cistern didn’t hold water, it was no good.
Lesson
Gospel Power
The people had abandoned God for things that did them no good at all.
(Romans 1:16 NKJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power
of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for
the Greek.
The gospel has the power to save people and change lives.
Illustration
The following is from the life of pastor Harry Ironside:
from Random Reminiscences From Fifty Years of Ministry
by H. A. Ironside (New York: Loizeaux Bros., 1939)
(turn of the century) For nearly a year after I left the Salvation Army and
launched out in evangelistic work in fellowship with the Christians commonly
known as “Brethren,” I lived in the San Francisco Bay region. One Lord’s Day
afternoon as I was walking up Market Street, I saw a large group gathered at
the corner of Market and Grant Avenue. When I heard the sound of music and
singing, I realized in a moment that it was a meeting of my old Salvationist
friends, and went over to enjoy it. They had a splendid brass band. There were
perhaps sixty soldiers in all, who had formed a large circle round which some
three or four hundred people were gathered. I pushed my way through to the
front of the crowd, and was almost immediately recognized by the little lassie
captain who came over and asked me if I would not like to give a testimony. Of
course I was pleased to do this, so when opportunity presented itself, at her
suggestion I stepped into the ring and tried to give a gospel message based on
my own personal experience of Christ’s saving grace.
While I was speaking, I noticed that a well-dressed man of medium build and
intelligent countenance who was standing on the curb took a card from his
pocket and wrote something on it. Just as I was concluding my talk, he stepped
forward, politely lifted his hat, and handed me the card. On one side I read
his name. I realized at once who he was, for I had seen his name in the public
press and on placards as one who had been giving addresses for some months all
up and down the West Coast from Vancouver to San Diego. He was an official
representative of what was then called the I. W. W. Movement — that is, the
“Industrial Workers of the World,” though opponents of its socialistic
principles generally interpreted the mystic letters as standing for “I Won’t
Work.” He held meetings among laboring men, seeking to incite them to class
hatred and to organize with a view to overthrowing the capitalistic system.
Turning the card over, I read on the opposite side, as nearly as I can now
remember, the following challenge: “Sir, I challenge you to debate with me the
question ‘Agnosticism versus Christianity’ in the Academy of Science Hall next
Sunday afternoon at four o’clock.
I will pay all expenses —.”
I read the card aloud, and replied somewhat as follows: “I am very much
interested in this challenge. Frankly, I am already announced for another
meeting next Lord’s Day afternoon at three
o’clock, but I think it will be possible for me to get through with
that in time to reach the Academy of Science by four, or if necessary I could
arrange to have another speaker substitute for me at the meeting already
advertised. Therefore I will be glad to agree to this debate on the following
conditions: namely, that in order to prove that Mr.—has something worth
fighting for and worth debating about, he will promise to bring with him to the
Hall next Sunday two people, whose qualifications I will give in a moment, as
proof that agnosticism is of real value in changing human lives and building
true character. First, he must promise to bring with him one man who was for
years what we commonly call a ‘down-and-outer.’ I am not particular as to the
exact nature of the sins that had wrecked his life and made him an outcast from
society — whether a drunkard, or a criminal of some kind, or a victim of any
sensual appetite — but a man who for years was under the power of evil habits
from which he could not deliver himself, but who on some occasion entered one
of Mr.—s meetings and heard his glorification of agnosticism and his
denunciations of the Bible and Christianity, and whose heart and mind as he
listened to such an address were so deeply stirred that he went away from that
meeting saying, ‘Henceforth, I too am an agnostic!’ and as a result of imbibing
that particular philosophy he found that a new power had come into his life.
The sins he once loved, now he hated, and righteousness and goodness were
henceforth the ideals of his life. He is now an entirely new man, a credit to
himself and an asset to society — all because he is an agnostic.
“Secondly, I would like Mr.—to promise to bring with him one woman — and I
think he may have more difficulty in finding the woman than the man — who was
once a poor, wrecked, characterless outcast, the slave of evil passions, and
the victim of man’s corrupt living.” As I spoke I was within perhaps a stone’s
throw of San Francisco’s infamous Barbary Coast, where so many young lives have
been shipwrecked; and so I added, “Perhaps one who had lived for years in some
evil resort on Pacific Street, or in some other nearby hell-hole, utterly lost,
ruined and wretched because of her life of sin. But this woman also entered a
hall where Mr.—was loudly proclaiming his agnosticism and ridiculing the
message of the Holy Scriptures. As she listened, hope was born in her heart,
and she said, ‘This is just what I need to deliver me from the slavery of sin!’
She followed the teaching until she became an intelligent agnostic or infidel.
As a result, her whole being revolted against the degradation of the life she
had been living. She fled from the den of iniquity where she had been held
captive so long; and today, rehabilitated, she has won her way back to an
honored position in society and is living a clean, virtuous, happy life — all
because she is an agnostic.
“Now, Mr.——,” I exclaimed, “if you will promise to bring these two people
with you as examples of what agnosticism will do, I will promise to meet you at
the Hall at the hour appointed next Sunday, and I will bring with me at the
very least one hundred men and women who for years lived in just such sinful
degradation as I have tried to depict, but who have been gloriously saved
through believing the message of the gospel which you ridicule. I will have
these men and women with me on the platform as witnesses to the miraculous
saving power of Jesus Christ, and as present-day proof of the truth of the
Bible.”
Turning to the little Salvation Army captain, I said, “Captain, have you
any who could go with me to such a meeting?” She exclaimed with enthusiasm, “We
can give you forty at least, just from this one corps, and we will give you a
brass band to lead the procession!”
“Fine!” I answered. “Now, Mr.——, I will have no difficulty in picking up
sixty others from various Missions, Gospel Halls, and evangelical churches of
the city, and if you promise faithfully to bring two such exhibits as I have
described, I will come marching in at the head of such a procession, with the
band playing ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers,’ and I will be ready for the debate.”
I think Mr.—had quite a sense of humor, for he smiled rather sardonically,
waved his hand in a deprecating kind of way as much as to say, “Nothing doing!”
and edging through the crowd he left the scene, while that great crowd clapped
the Salvation Army and the street-preacher to the echo, for they well knew that
in all the annals of unbelief no one ever heard of a philosophy of negation,
such as agnosticism, making bad men and women good, and they also knew that
this is what Christianity has been doing all down through the centuries.
Our gospel proves itself by what it accomplishes, as redeemed people from
every walk of life, delivered from every type of sin, prove the regenerating
and keeping power of the Christ of whom the Bible speaks.
One of the greatest arguments for the gospel is the change that happens in
a person’s life when they choose to follow Jesus.
Yet the nation of Judah had abandoned the True God, they had abandoned what
“worked”, and had followed after things that didn’t work.
2:14-37 Israel’s backsliding
The rest of the chapter describes how Israel has fallen away from the Lord.
Just like Ironside’s story, they have left the power of the gospel for
things that cannot save.
It’s just like our present society – going after anything and everything
else rather than God.
We won’t read through this – you can download my notes if you want more
detail…
:15 The young lions
roared at him, and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are
burned, without inhabitant.
:16 Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes Have broken
the crown of your head.
Noph – Noph – “presentability”; another name for ‘Memphis’ the capital city of
Egypt
Tahapanes –Tahapanes – “thou will fill hands
with pity”; a city in Egypt; modern ‘Tel Defenneh’ or
‘Tel Defneh’ located approx
18 miles (29 km) east southeast from Tanis
broken – some translations have “shaved”
There were a couple of times in history when Egypt came up and caused
problems to Jerusalem, or “shaved” their head.
:17 Have you not brought
this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the Lord your God When He led you in the way?
Haven’t you figured out that you’ve abandoned God?
:18 And now why take the
road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the River?
Sihor – a branch of the Nile river in Egypt.
the River – the Euphrates River, connected to Assyria
(Jeremiah
2:18 NLT) “What have you gained by your alliances with
Egypt and your covenants with Assyria? What good to you are the streams of the
Nile or the waters of the Euphrates River?
They had forsaken Living Water for water from the Sihor and Euphrates …
:19 Your own wickedness
will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see
that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the Lord your God, And the fear of Me is
not in you,” Says the Lord God of
hosts.
(NLT) Your own wickedness will punish you.
We often get plenty of punishment from simply backsliding.
Judah’s falling away from the Lord is now compared to several things:
:20 Adultery
:20 “For of old I have
broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, ‘I will not
transgress,’ When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down,
playing the harlot.
God had delivered them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Israel promised to follow the Lord.
Yet now Israel worships all these other gods at every chance it gets.
harlot – God’s relationship with Israel is seen as a marriage. When Israel goes to follow other gods, it’s
like being a harlot or like committing adultery.
Some of you have been through the pain of a broken relationship. God understands.
:21 Bad vine
:21 Yet I had planted you
a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me
Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?
Israel is often compared to a vineyard or a vine. Yet it had grown into a wild plant.
:22 Bad stain
:22 For though you wash
yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before
Me,” says the Lord God.
nitre – nether – natron, carbonate of soda
soap – boriyth – lye, potash, soap, alkali (used in
washing)
marked – katham –
(Niphal) to be stained, be defiled, be deeply
stained
Their sin was like a horrible stain.
The best soaps of the day could not get the stain out.
Aren’t you glad we have something to wash away our sin? The blood of Jesus.
(1 John 1:7-9
KJV) But if we walk in the light, as he
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. {8} If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. {9}
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
:23-25 Animal in heat
:23 “How can you say, ‘I
am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals’? See your way in the valley;
Know what you have done: You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her
ways,
dromedary – camel
:24 A wild donkey used to
the wilderness, That sniffs at the wind in her desire; In her time of
mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary
themselves; In her month they will find her.
:25 Withhold your foot
from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘There is no
hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.’
Judah’s backsliding is being compared to female donkey in heat. The animal goes crazy to find a male
donkey. The people have gone crazy for
their other gods.
:26 “As the thief is
ashamed when he is found out, So is the house of Israel ashamed; They and their
kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets,
:27 Saying to a tree,
‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ For they
have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time
of their trouble They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’
Israel knows its shame like a thief that is caught.
They have the stupidity of bowing down to a piece of wood or a piece of
stone. They talk to the wood and stone.
Yet when Israel gets into trouble, they turn around and expect God to help
them.
Lesson
All or nothing
God’s desire is not that He be the one who bails us out of jail, but then
we turn around and do our own thing.
He wants us to follow Him. He wants
us to buy into what He has for our lives.
He wants us in it for the long haul, not just when disaster strikes.
:28 But where are
your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save
you in the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your
cities Are your gods, O Judah.
Let all the other gods save you then.
Each city had its own “god”. Often
the god was named “Baal-(city name)”
like “Baal-Fullerton”.
Baalpeor; Baalgad; Baalathbeer; Baalhermon; Baalberith; Baaltamar; Baalhazor; Baalzebub; Baalshalisha;
Baalmeon …
:29 “Why will you plead
with Me? You all have transgressed against Me,” says the Lord.
The nation was trying to make a case against God, like they were bringing a
case against God.
It’s kind of like those cases where a thief breaks into a person’s house
and hurts himself during the robbery and afterwards tries to sue the people who
own the house.
We were told that we shouldn’t put a chain on the back door of the
sanctuary when we lock up because if a thief breaks into the building, and a
fire breaks out, and if the only door he can get to was the door with the
chain, we might have a lawsuit on our hands.
In reality, it was the people who had broken the Law.
:30 “In vain I have
chastened your children; They received no correction. Your sword has devoured
your prophets Like a destroying lion.
When God sent a prophet to correct the nation, they only responded by
killing the prophet.
:31-37 Confess
:31 “O generation, see
the word of the Lord! Have I been
a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are
lords; We will come no more to You’?
(NLT) Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God! We
won’t have anything to do with him anymore!’
:32 Can a virgin forget
her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me
days without number.
maid … ornaments … bride … attire – for us, a bride wears a gown at
her wedding, a husband or a wife wears a wedding ring to remind themselves and
others that they are married. Israel was
like a bride who kept forgetting who she was married to.
:33 “Why do you beautify
your way to seek love? Therefore you have also taught The wicked women your
ways.
God is saying that the prostitutes could learn a few lessons from watching
how Israel is unfaithful to the Lord.
:34 Also on your skirts
is found The blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by
secret search, But plainly on all these things.
(NLT) Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and
the poor. You killed them even though they didn’t break into your houses!
:35 Yet you say, ‘Because
I am innocent, Surely His anger shall turn from me.’ Behold, I will plead My
case against you, Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
The people are claiming that they are innocent, but their claim only makes
God more determined to show them what they’ve done wrong.
Lesson
Confess
Relief doesn’t come from making excuses.
Forgiveness comes when we confess our sins, not hide them.
(Psa 32:1-5 NLT) Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is
forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! {2} Yes, what joy for those whose
record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
{3} When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned
all day long. {4} Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My
strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude {5} Finally, I
confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself,
"I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my
guilt is gone. Interlude
:36 Why do you gad about
so much to change your way? Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were
ashamed of Assyria.
:37 Indeed you will go
forth from him With your hands on your head; For the Lord has rejected your trusted allies, And you will not
prosper by them.
Instead of asking God for help, the nation kept switching alliances from
one nation to another, from Assyria to Egypt.
Yet God says that they will be just as ashamed of their alliance with Egypt
as they had been with Assyria. They will
still be carried away as captives with their hands over their heads. God has
rejected these nations, so trusting in them isn’t going to help.
Jeremiah 3
3:1-5 Spiritual adultery
:1 “They say, ‘If a man
divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he
return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have
played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the Lord.
:1 May he return to her again?
In the laws concerning divorce, when a man divorces a woman, then she
remarries and divorces a second time, she can’t go back to the first husband:
(Deuteronomy
24:4 NKJV) then her former
husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has
been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on
the land which the Lord your God
is giving you as an inheritance.
And notice, the land is polluted by this.
Yet God has in a sense broken His own law by taking the Jews back over and
over again.
Lesson
God’s jealousy
There is a sense in which jealousy is very appropriate.
If a husband says something like, “Well, I’m not a jealous man”, there is a
sense in which that isn’t a good thing for the wife. I think that a wife ought
to know that her husband wants her for himself, and vice versa …
Illustration
A Second Wife
One Father writes, “When our second child was on the way,
my wife and I attended a pre-birth class aimed at couples who had already had
at least one child. The instructor raised the issue of breaking the news to the
older child. It went like this: “Some parents,” she said, “tell the older
child, ‘We love you so much we decided to bring another child into this
family.’ But think about that. Ladies, what if your husband came home one day
and said, ‘Honey, I love you so much I decided to bring home another wife.’”
One of the women spoke up immediately. “Does she cook???””
There is such a thing as an unhealthy jealousy – where a husband won’t let
his wife out of the house unless she has a bag over her head and body – but
that’s not what I’m talking about.
It’s okay for a husband not to want to share his wife with another man.
That’s the way God feels about us.
:2 “Lift up your eyes to
the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the
road you have sat for them Like an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have
polluted the land With your harlotries and your wickedness.
the Arabian – the robbers lying in wait in the desert.
:3 Therefore the showers
have been withheld, And there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s
forehead; You refuse to be ashamed.
:4 Will you not from this
time cry to Me, ‘My Father, You are the guide of my youth?
:5 Will He remain angry
forever? Will He keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and done evil
things, As you were able.”
:3 no latter rain
Israel had two rainy seasons, an “early” rain and a “latter” rain. Both were needed for the crops to be fully
grown at harvest time.
God’s judgment sometimes came by withholding needed rain.
This was part of God’s “early warning system”, letting the people know that
they had fallen away from Him:
(Leviticus 26:18–19
NKJV) —18 ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you
seven times more for your sins. 19 I will break the pride of your
power; I will make
your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.
3:6-10 Judah hasn’t learned from Israel’s judgment
:6 The Lord said also to me in the days of
Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone
up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the
harlot.
Israel – talking about the northern kingdom, which has already been
destroyed and taken into captivity by the Assyrians.
The places of worship were set up on the mountains and hills.
The worship of Ashtaroth, goddess of fertility, sexual immorality involved.
:7 And I said, after she
had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And
her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Judah – the existing southern kingdom to whom Jeremiah is speaking
to.
:8 Then I saw that for
all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put
her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister
Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.
:8 her treacherous
sister Judah did not fear
Lesson
Learn from history
Judah saw what happened to the northern kingdom, but didn’t learn any
lessons from it.
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to re-live it”
I remember growing up and watching my oldest sister go down the wrong path
of life.
I knew that I didn’t want to go down that path.
Paul wrote,
(1 Corinthians
10:11–12 NKJV) —11 Now all these things happened to
them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends
of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall.
That’s one reason why we study all of the Bible. We want to learn from those before us.
But Judah didn’t learn it’s lessons.
:9 So it came to pass,
through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery
with stones and trees.
:10 And yet for all this
her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in
pretense,” says the Lord.
:10 Judah has not turned to Me
There was a revival in Josiah’s day, but we see here that for many it was
only “surface” deep.
Illustration
A little push
A man is in bed with his wife when there is a rat-a-tat-tat on the door. He
rolls over and looks at his clock, and its half past three in the morning. “I’m not getting out of
bed at this time,” he thinks, and rolls over. Then, a louder knock follows.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” says his wife. So he drags himself out of
bed and goes down stairs. He opens the door and there is man standing at the
door. It didn’t take the homeowner long to realize the man was drunk. “Hi
there,” slurs the stranger. “Can you give me a push??” “No, get lost. It’s half past three. I was in bed,” says
the man and slams the door. He goes back up to bed and tells his wife what
happened and she says, “Dave, that wasn’t very nice of you. Remember that night
we broke down in the pouring rain on the way to pick the kids up from the babysitter
and you had to knock on that man’s house to get us started again? What would
have happened if he’d told us to get lost??” “But the guy was drunk,” says the
husband. “It doesn’t matter,” says the wife. “He needs our help and it would be
the Christian thing to help him.” So the husband gets out of bed again, gets
dressed, and goes downstairs. He opens the door, and not being able to see the
stranger anywhere he shouts, “Hey, do you still want a push??” And he hears a
voice cry out, “Yeah please.” So, still being unable to see the stranger he
shouts, “Where are you?” And the stranger replies, “I’m over here, on your
swing.”
God is looking for sincere repentance, not just playing around.
3:11-20 Return and restored
:11 Then the Lord said to me, “Backsliding Israel
has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
Judah is in a more precarious state than Israel because she should have
known better.
:12 Go and proclaim these
words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to
fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever.
:12 Return, backsliding Israel
Even though the northern kingdom had been wiped out, there was still a
remnant living in the land.
Josiah had even gone into the northern kingdom and removed the altars that
Jeroboam had set up years before.
(2 Kings
23:15 NKJV) Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and
the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made,
both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and
crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image.
(2
Chronicles 34:33 NKJV) Thus Josiah removed all the
abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of
Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All his days they did
not depart from following the Lord
God of their fathers.
God’s mercy
If you turn around, He will be merciful.
:13 Only acknowledge your
iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God, And have scattered your charms To alien
deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.
:13 Only acknowledge your iniquity
Confession of sin
(Proverbs
28:13 NKJV) He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever
confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
(1 John 1:9 NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
:14 “Return, O
backsliding children,” says the Lord;
“for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a
family, and I will bring you to Zion.
God loves His people. He wants a
marriage built on love.
Illustration
Thelma
Even at the age of 75, Thelma was very vivacious and full of life. When her
husband passed away, her children suggested that she move to a “senior living
community.” A gregarious and life-loving person, Thelma decided to do so.
Shortly after moving in, Thelma became a self-appointed activities director,
coordinating all sorts of things for the people in the community to do and
quickly became very popular and made many friends. When Thelma turned 80, her
newfound friends showed their appreciation by throwing a surprise birthday
party for her. When Thelma entered the dining room for dinner that night, she
was greeted by a standing ovation and one of the coordinators led her to the
head table. The night was filled with laughter and entertainment, but throughout
the evening, Thelma could not take her eyes off a gentleman sitting at the
other end of the table. When the festivities ended, Thelma quickly rose from
her seat and rushed over to the man. “Pardon me,” Thelma said. “Please forgive
me if I made you feel uncomfortable by staring at you all night. I just
couldn’t help myself from looking your way. You see, you look just like my
fifth husband.” “Your fifth husband!” replied the gentleman. “Forgive me for
asking, but how many times have you been married?” With that, a smile came
across Thelma’s face as she responded, “Four.” They were married shortly after.
By Shari Smith from A 4th
Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield, Mark
Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty & Meladee McCarty
God has His eye on you. He wants a
relationship with you.
God doesn’t want us to relate to Him out of outward religious duty. He wants a relationship with us built on
love.
:15 And I will give you
shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and
understanding.
shepherds – leaders like the kings and priests
A pastor is also a shepherd, and should feed the people with knowledge and
understanding.
:16 “Then it shall come
to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says
the Lord, “that they will say no
more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’
It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it,
nor shall it be made anymore.
:16 increased in the land in those days
They won’t be talking about the Ark of the Covenant (those “good ol’ days”) because they’ll have the New Covenant, Jesus
Christ.
Lesson
Good old days
Has there ever been a more exciting time in your walk with the Lord than
now?
(Revelation 2:4–5
NKJV) —4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left
your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you
have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly
and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
Jesus tells the church to do three things:
Remember – think back to when you were closer to the Lord.
Repent – Turn from the things that have taken you away from the Lord.
Re-do – do the kinds of things that you used to do – read the Word, pray,
talk about Jesus, serve others.
:17 “At that time
Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord,
and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they
follow the dictates of their evil hearts.
:18 “In those days the
house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come
together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an
inheritance to your fathers.
:18 In those days
This speaks of the restoration of the nation
This could be a prophecy about the restoration of the nation after the
Babylonian captivity.
It could be a reference to modern Israel.
It’s most likely a reference to the kingdom that Jesus is going to one day
set up.
:19 “But I said: ‘How can
I put you among the children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage
of the hosts of nations?’ “And I said: ‘You shall call Me, “My Father,” And not
turn away from Me.’
:19 My Father
In the Old Testament, the famous saints were called “servants” of God. Abraham was called God’s friend. But none of them called God their “Father”,
and He didn’t call them His sons.
Yet when Jesus came, things changed.
Over 70 times Jesus refers to God as “Father”.
God called Jesus His “Son”.
(Matthew
3:17 NKJV) And suddenly a voice came from heaven,
saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus has taught us to call God our “Father”
(Matthew 6:9 NKJV) In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be
Your name.
This comes because we have been “born again” through Jesus
Christ. We now have an intimate
relationship with God.
:20 Surely, as a
wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously
with Me, O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
3:21-25 High places
:21 A voice was heard on
the desolate heights, Weeping and supplications of the children of
Israel. For they have perverted their way; They have forgotten the Lord their God.
desolate heights – places of idolatry
The people are weeping and crying out to their false gods at the high
places.
:22 “Return, you
backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.” “Indeed we do
come to You, For You are the Lord
our God.
:23 Truly, in vain is
salvation hoped for from the hills, And from the multitude of
mountains; Truly, in the Lord our
God Is the salvation of Israel.
The people had been turning to the idols and “gods” of the hills, the high
places.
:24 For shame has
devoured The labor of our fathers from our youth— Their flocks and their herds,
Their sons and their daughters.
:25 We lie down in our
shame, And our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, We and our fathers, From
our youth even to this day, And have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
This week assignments:
Read Jer. 1-13 in ESV (each week a different version).
Memorize
(Jeremiah
2:13 NKJV) “For My people have committed two evils: They have
forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn
themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
I’ve got a “quiz” for you – Do you remember those two “words”? (Excuses,
Growth)