Jeremiah 1-2: The Call and Message of Jeremiah

The Call and Message of Jeremiah

Chapters 1-2 

Introduction: Jeremiah is a unique prophet in many ways. God called him when he is young, at least in his early twenties. He is called to live a hard and difficult life. He is hated by his own people, and kings desired to kill him in spite of the fact that his message was intended to save them. 

The heart of Jeremiah is what is most moving. In reading the book, it is not long before your heart becomes wedded to his and that every emotion he feels and every hurt he endures, becomes your emotion and your hurt. Soon you realize that what you are experiencing is not just Jeremiah’s heart, but the heart of God himself reflected in his prophet. 

Please participate in the readings this year. You will travel through great valleys, but in the end you will ascend to the mountain top with God.

1. Overview of the last kings of Judah during Jeremiah’s ministry
   1. Reigns of the final kings of Judah 
      1. Manasseh: 696–642
      2. Amon: 642–640
      3. Josiah: 640–609
         (Jeremiah’s ministry begins in the 13th year of Josiah: 627–586)
      4. Jehoahaz: 609 (3 months). Deported to Egypt by Pharaoh Necho
      5. Jehoiakim:  609–597 
         1. Put on the throne by Necho
         2. 605: Babylon defeated Egypt at the battle of Carchemish
      6. Jehoiakim served Nebuchadnezzar until 597 when he rebelled and is killed
      7. Jehoiachin 597 (3 months): taken and imprisoned in Babylon for 35 years until Evil-merodach mercifully freed him (2 Kings 25:27)
      8. Zedekiah 597–586: Puppet king to Nebuchadnezzar. Rebels in 588 and after an 18 month siege, Jerusalem and the temple are overthrown.
   2. Though the first half of Jeremiah’s ministry is during Josiah’s reforms, it is evident by Jeremiah’s message that the heart of the people is unchanged. The message: External reforms did not achieve the change of heart God demands. 
   3. The last half of Jeremiah’s ministry (chapters 21ff) are the worst for him since he is now dealing with the wicked sons of Josiah as kings.
      1. Jeremiah is treated as a traitor and accused of treason for urging Zedekiah to submit to Nebuchadnezzar according to the word of the Lord.
      2. But Zedekiah’s advisors believe that Jerusalem cannot be conquered, and therefore their rebellion becomes the demise of the nation.
2. Key Messages & Lessons: Chapter One
   1. 1:4 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…I consecrated you…”
      1. Do you believe that could be said of you? Has God formed you, knew you, and consecrated you before you were born? 
      2. “…even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4-6)
      3. Go home and look in the mirror. Look deeply and carefully. You have a purpose. You were created for a purpose. Consider the amazing blessing God desired for you and planned for you. He specially appointed and chose you to be a part of an eternal plan and to exalt you above the angels. 
      4. You may look in the mirror and see someone you do not like, someone who you know has failed the purpose for which God created you. We’ve all been there. Now is the time to step up and meet that purpose. One day at a time, rebuild your life to please God. 
      5. The above is so easily said, but the effort needed is very difficult, especially in the beginning as you change old habits. Here is a “simple” daily schedule that must be followed if you are to succeed:
         1. Prayer! “Ask and you will receive…” 
         2. Read one chapter a day with a pencil, with notes of discoveries in a journal. Uncomfortable at first? Yes, if you’ve never done it. But this is absolutely necessary if God is going to renew your mind!
   2. 1:6-8 “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth…do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”
      1. God accepts no excuses! Jeremiah was young, very young—barely in his twenties. He had a lot of reasons why he shouldn’t be the one who challenged kings. But that is the point! God never has looked for the “mighty” and the “talented.” God uses those who know that the power resides in God alone. We are nothing. But with God and the faith of the grain of mustard seed, mountains are moved.
      2. Do not look to yourself. That will only demoralize you and cause you to lose hope. Look to God. There is no failure with God. Never has been! 
   3. 1:16 “And I will declare my judgments against them; for all their evil in forsaking me.” It is important that we always ask ourselves this question: Am I forsaking the Lord? There is a simple rule of thumb here—when our hearts are turned to other things, and the Lord is not our priority, we are forsaking him. The only outcome is our own failed idolatry.
3. Key Messages & Lessons: Chapter Two
   1. 2:1-3 The violation of love and the marriage covenant
      1. This is a picture of love and the initial covenantal marriage of God with Israel. It is important to feel the Lord’s heart and love as he looks back on the time in which he called the to follow him and be wedded to him. It is a heart-breaking scene.
      2. “Israel was holy…” This statement indicates the special purpose God had for Israel. They are set apart beyond all other nations. They are intended to display the holiness of God so that the nations would also turn to him.
      3. “…the firstfruits” changes the metaphor to picture why Israel was chosen. “Firstfruits” were a special offering to God of thanksgiving. “All who ate of it incurred guilt…”— thus Israel is God’s and enemy nations would not be allowed to devour them. To be “Israel” was truly an unparalleled blessing.  “Firstfruits” also indicated a greater harvest to come. What could this greater harvest be? It is the nations—a picture of God’s promise to Abraham that through his offspring all nations would be blessed.
      4. The failure of Israel should be a strong reminder to us of our calling and purpose. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
      5. The failure of Israel should also remind us of the deep love God has for us and the extreme hurt we cause the Lord when our love for him wanes in favor of following earthly and worldly desires. To emphasize this God even required Hosea to endure the adulteries of his wife so that he could relate to Israel the deep hurt and anger God felt by Israel’s adulteries.
   2. Summary of God’s Message
      1. God remembers these early days in which he delivered them from bondage and made them is own at Sinai. Their hearts had trembled when he spoke to them and they made a promise to him that all he commanded they would do.
      2. But the contrast is seen in the rest of the chapter. They completely turned away, from kings, to priests, to prophets (2:8), “on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore” (2:20).
      3. 2:11-13 It is unheard of that a nation would change gods. But Israel was unique among the nations, not only changing gods but rejecting the true God who done so much for them in favor of gods that cannot give them anything. They gave up the fountain of living waters and instead dug out cisterns that cannot hold water.
         1. Will we learn from this? How foolish to turn to the worldly, idolatrous desires that are based on the weakness and do not last and reject the God who has never failed us and brings us through every trial. 
         2. Question: Are you drinking from the fountain of living waters? Did you drink from that fountain each day last week? Or are you digging your own cistern and expecting your thirst to be quenched? 
         3. 2:26-27 is a vivid illustration of this foolishness. God is our Creator. Should not that which is created turn to the One who formed him?
         4. 2:27-28 illustrates the day of need and calling to God for help. Ha! Turn to the idols you have served and see if they can save you!
         5. 2:34-35 The callousness of sin is illustrated by their claim of innocence in spite of their utter wickedness and murder.
   3. 2:23-25 A good illustration of the addictiveness of sin.
      1. Israel is like a restless camel, never content.
      2. She is like a wild donkey in heat sniffing the wind and eager to mate with any males that are willing—it will not be difficult to find her. Look at her! A holy nation turned to animal instincts! 
      3. When Israel is told to repent, her answer is that it is hopeless, she loves strangers and after them she will go. This is exactly what Satan does to us when we persist in sin! It doesn’t have to be “a lot of sins.” Just one sin will do. Just one sin that eats at our minds and corrupts our hearts. Soon we look at ourselves and say, “It is hopeless. I am what I am and I cannot turn away!”

Conclusion: Just as in Jeremiah’s day, it is time to make a choice. Judgment is coming. In spite of Israel’s many denials that the Babylonians would enter the city and massacre them, God’s word held true. Will we ready ourselves for our coming Judgment? Or will we keep living in denial? 

Berry Kercheville

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