The Bible Series Jeremiah
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Notes
Transcript
In Jeremiah 7:26- 27 it reads…
“Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers. “You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not answer you.
My prayer as we look at this book of Jeremiah today is that we will:
Have reflective hearts,
Be willing to hear what God is saying,
Have eyes that look to our own hearts… sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Judah finds itself in a similar state as we find our own nation, our own community, and yes… even in our church.
Apostasy, idolatry, perverted worship, moral decay are addressed
When it is addressed we are quick to look at others
Comfortable comparing ourselves to others
Or… in arrogance look at those who do not know God and smugly think ourselves better.
Jeremiah was called to the heartbreaking and unpopular ministry of declaring the certain judgment of God against the nation. Jeremiah faithfully ministered in spite of rejection and persecution, and the dreaded day finally came.
They had allowed their IDOLATRY to take them away from God!
Idolatry
Idolatry
Webster defines “Idolatry” this way:
1: the worship of a physical object as a god
2: immoderate attachment or devotion to something
Judah was plagued with this… they had left the Creator God for something made from His creation, by human hands, carved away… Essentially they gave up the Creator for the Creation!!!
When God brought them out of Egypt He stated: Exodus 19:5-6; 20:2-5
‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
They had given themselves over to worshiping “puny gods” unable to do anything
Idol Worship… we do the very same thing in our day and age… our gods just look different
An Idol is SERVED, WORSHIPED, TIME is given to it!!!
What or who do you serve?
Where is your affection given
Where is your time invested
How do you spend your time and resources???
This can be an indicator where your heart and affection lies
Has this become Idolatry for you?
We have taken Idol and zoomed in on the “I”…
We have bought into self worship, shelf idolizing, self help, taught to be self aware, self motivated… take care of yourself, watch out for number ONE… be self confident!
I know me… I need someone greater than myself, my confidence has to be in someone greater more powerful, more capable, we need to be AWARE of our CREATOR, it is His love, His Grace, His Word that should motivate our lives and actions!
To those who had replaced God with an IDOL… Jeremiah is called to preach against…
Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Jeremiah was called at a young age… I love the examples of how God is willing and desires to use our young people!!! Jeremiah 1:5-8; 17-19
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.
“Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. “Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. “They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah ministers to his people and the surrounding nations for forty years!
Jeremiah was the most persecuted OT prophet, stocks, beatings, cistern, humiliation… flees to Egypt
Jeremiah never marries as a vivid picture commanded by God
Jeremiah is commanded not to celebrate festivities nor to grieve or attend funerals
He was the only prophet forbidden to pray for his nation (Jeremiah 7:16–27)
He was the only prophet to record an eyewitness account of Jerusalem’s fall (Chapter 39)
Jeremiah contains the Bible’s most extended and detailed prophecies about Babylon, mentioning it 164 times—more than in all the rest of the Bible.
Jeremiah’s message was needed… God remains God even when not worshiped!!!
He has divine control over ALL His Creation
He will judge sin
This is illustrated with a potter and clay...
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
Jeremiah weeps for the people…
While pottery is wet it is still repairable, able to be molded
But dry, marred and cracked vessels are only good fro the trash heap
We see such a sad transition and contrast as we read through Jeremiah...
Contrast
Contrast
Reformation… Retrogression
Assyria is in power… Babylon is in power
Jews live in the land… Jews deported to captivity
Jeremiah is in Jerusalem… Jeremiah is in Egypt
Jeremiah addresses the masses… Jeremiah addresses the remnant
David’s throne is occupied… David’s throne is empty
The book of Jeremiah is not so much linear, rather it conveys the depravity and moral spiral of God’s people…
Jeremiah Overview
Jeremiah Overview
Jeremiah is tasked with declaring God’s curse on the people of Judah… kings, nobles, priest, prophets, and all the people…
Chapters 2-24 (45)
Describes and illustrates the peoples IDOLATRY
The sad scenes are described over and over the deaf ears the message falls on
The imagery of their hardened hearts is depicted…
Jeremiah declares God’s hurt and heart in the imagery of “adultery”
God declares they “do not even blush” at their sin and idolatry
Chapters 25-51 (46)
It is now too late… the consequence is set!
They even show contempt for the Scriptures burning the scroll of Jeremiah!!!
Babylon will come in and take them captive!
Jeremiah declares this will be for 70 years Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah speaks God’s message that they are to build homes, marry, have children, plan to stay a while.
Don’t dwindle away! Plan to return!!
Look at the blessed promise God gives His people through Jeremiah 29:10-14
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
Apparently chapter 52 was appended to Jeremiah’s prophecies by the same writer who compiled the Book of Kings. The chapter was added to show that Jeremiah’s words of judgment had been fulfilled and that Jehoiachin’s release foreshadowed God’s promises of restoration and blessing.
Until that time… it was now too late… JUDGMENT & CONSEQUENCES had come...
Too Late!
Too Late!
God deals with sin…
God gave opportunity but He was rejected
God dealt with sin ONCE for ALL at Calvary
Those who reject Him may find themselves recognizing it is too late!
Illustrate friend in High School
YET OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL AND HE IS FERVENTLY SEEKING MANKIND...
But God…
But God…
Would spare line of David even with the curse upon King
Talk thru the Bible (Christ in Jeremiah) “Wilkinson”
The curse on Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah) meant that no physical descendant would succeed him to the throne (22:28–30). Matthew 1:1–17 traces the genealogy of Christ through Solomon and Jeconiah to His legal (but not His physical) father Joseph. But no son of Joseph could sit upon the throne of David, for he would be under the curse of Jehoiachin. Luke 3:23–38 traces Christ’s lineage backward from Mary (His physical parent) through David’s other son Nathan (Luke 3:31), thereby avoiding the curse. The Righteous Branch will indeed reign on the throne of David.
Focus on Heart in Jeremiah 31 shows that God had a plan… His Son Jesus Christ who would come His law would be upon the hearts of His people!
God’s Wrath on Sin
God’s Judgment
God’s Cleansing
God’s Message… so easy to find ourselves, deaf to the message, looking at others rather than our own hearts
Psalm 46:10 Be Still & “KNOW”
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
With a book like Jeremiah may we rather find ourselves quiet before God… reflective upon our hearts, sensitive to His message… May we seek to KNOW HIM GREATER AND HEED HIS WORDS!