Jeremiah:Jeremiah:Profile of CourageProfile of Courage

Chapters 11-15Chapters 11-15

““Broken Promises, Shattered Broken Promises, Shattered Pride”Pride”

Jeremiah - Spring 2013 Week Topic

Mar 6 Dark Prophecies: Introduction and Jeremiah 1-6

Mar 13 Dark Prophecies: Jeremiah 1-6 continued

Mar 20 False Worship: Jeremiah 7-10

Mar 27 Broken Promises, Shattered Pride: Jeremiah 11-15

Apr 3 Sin Carved on the Heart: Jeremiah 16-17

Apr 10 The Potter, Pot, and Fire: Jeremiah 18-20

Apr 17 A Scattered Flock: Jeremiah 21-24

Apr 24 God’s Law on the Heart: Jeremiah 25-33

May 1 Broken Covenants: Jeremiah 34-35

May 8 God’s Indestructible Word: Jeremiah 36-38

May 15 Judgment and Justice: Jeremiah 39-45

May 22 God’s Justice Among Nations: Jeremiah 46-52

May 29 Summary of Jeremiah

Today’s Objectives• Review last weeks lesson, including

historical setting• Learn about breaking of the covenant in

Judah • Learn about the plot to end Jeremiah’s life• Grasp the significance of Jeremiah’s visions

of a linen belt and filled wineskins• Appreciate the importance of obeying God’s

will

Review

• Historical setting

• Examined the false securities of the Judahites, their sinfulness, and God’s vows of destruction

• Sensed the value of clearing sinfulness and hypocrisy out of our own lives

• Learned about false gods that Judah worshiped

• Compare the fate of Solomon’s temple with tabernacle in Shiloh

Historical Review• Prophecy is placed sometime between 626-586 B.C.

• Political background– Assyria was the regional power rising to dominance in

911 B.C. until around 612 B.C. – Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. – Babylon, subject to Assyria, began to become a

dominate regional power in 625 B.C.

– Nineveh (Assyria) fell in 612 B.C. against a coalition of Medes (Persian precursor), Babylonians, and Scythians

– Egypt attempted to regain regional power until 605 B.C.,

allying with Assyria against Babylon – Persia captured Babylon, Greeks captured Persians

Key People• Jeremiah

– Served the last five kings of Judah

– Confidant of King Josiah (639-609 B.C.), King Jehoiakim (609-597 B.C.), and King Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.)

– Member of a priestly family and was from Anathoth

– May have descended from Abiathar, a distrusted priest

– Fled to Egypt with Beruch upon destruction of Jerusalem

• King Josiah – “Great Reform” (2 Ki 22-23, particularly 2 Ki 23:3)– 639-609 B.C.

– Foremost among all the kings for unswerving loyalty to God

– Rebuilding of the temple

– Discovery of the law of Moses (Book of Deuteronomy)

Key People• King Jehoiakim

– King of Judah, 608-597 B.C., corrupt and wicked

– Carried off in first Babylonian captivity (2 Ch 36:6)

• King Jehoahaz and King Jehoiachin – Two kings of Judah with short reigns before and after Jehoiakim

• Nebuchadnezzar– Babylonian King from 605-652 B.C.

– Military commander that defeated Egypt in 605 B.C.

– Conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

• Baruch– Jeremiah’s scribe who read Jeremiah’s prophecies in the temple

• King Zedekiah– Last king of Judah

Warning to the Covenant Breakers (11:1-8)

• Honor the Covenant (vss. 1-3)– Early in Jeremiah’s ministry– Probably during King Josiah’s reforms– Referencing the Law of Moses (II Chron

34:14)

• Terms of the Covenant (vss. 4-5)– Obey Me and do as I command– I will fulfill My oath

• God’s charge to Jeremiah (vss. 6-8)– Proclaim these words

• Ancient covenants (Deuteronomy)– Preamble identifying the king (vss. 1:1-4)– Historical prologue about the king’s past relations with

the people (vss. 1:5-4:43)– A catalog of the demands placed on the people and

obligations of the king (vss. 4:44-26:19)– Ratification ceremony detailing blessings for obedience

and curses for disobedience (vss. 27:1-28:29)– List of witnesses and directions for implementation (vss.

4:26; 31:26)

Threat to the Covenant Breakers (11:9-17)

• People hiding idolatry– Conspiracy (vs. 9)

– Judah, like Israel, broke the covenant (vs. 10)

– Cannot escape the disaster (vs. 11)

– False gods would not save them (vs. 12, 13)

• God’s command to Jeremiah– Do not pray for them (vss. 14, see also 7:16)

– Shame of idolatry and refusal to repent was so great that prayer for them was improper

Threat to the Covenant Breakers (11:9-17)

• Peoples plot to murder Jeremiah – God’s revelation to Jeremiah (vs. 18)– Men of Anathoth (vs. 21)– Lamb led to slaughter, destroy the tree and its fruit (vs.

19), but why?

• Jeremiah’s call for God’s vengeance (vs. 20)

• God’s promise to Jeremiah– To punish the men who threaten him (vs. 22a)

– Their young men will die by the sword (vs. 22b)

– Not even a remnant will be left (vs. 23)

Danger to the Prophet (11:18-23)

• Jeremiah’s complaint (vss. 1-4)– Why does the way of the wicked prosper? (vs. 1)– Why do the faithless live at ease? (vs. 1)– Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! (vs. 3)

• God’s Answer (vss. 4-17)– If men on foot have worn you out, how can you compete

with horses? (vs. 5)– God forsakes His house, abandon His inheritance (vs. 7)– God will uproot the people that seize Judah and then

bring His people back (vs. 14-15)

Ultimate Justice (Chapter 12)

• 1st Parable: Linen belt– God tells Jeremiah to wear a linen belt (vss. 1-2)– Later He told Jeremiah to hide the belt at Perath,

thought to be near Carchemish (vss. 3-4) – God later sent Jeremiah back to Perath to retrieve the

belt (vs. 6)– Jeremiah found it useless (vs. 7)– Just as the belt was ruined, so to would the pride of

Judah (vs. 8)

• Theme of rejected intimacy– God seeks intimacy with us; however, other things

distract us and the closeness is lost

Worthless Pride (13:1-11)

Helpless Confusion (13:12-14)

• 2nd Parable: Wineskin– Wineskin – large, earthenware jug, some held as much

as 10 gallons– God states that every wineskin should be filled with

wine (vs. 12)– Using the metaphor, God was describing the helpless

confusion that results from drunkenness (vs. 13)– Judah was rushing to judgment with no more concern

than a nation of drunken fools – No pity or mercy for Judah (vs. 14)

Consequence of Idolatry (13:15 to 15:21)

• Three warnings about the consequences of idolatry (vs. 13:15-27)– Deeping spiritual gloom (vs. 13:16)– King and his mother would be carried away (vs.

13:18)– National time of trouble (vs. 13:21)

• Prospects of famine and invasion coming to the land of Judah (Ch 14 and 15)– Jeremiah pleads with God (vs. 14:7-9)– God answers his plea (vs. 14:10)– Power of God’s determination (vs. 15:1-4)

Review• Review last weeks lesson, including

historical setting

• Learned about breaking of the covenant in Judah

• Learned about the plot to end Jeremiah’s life

• Grasp the significance of Jeremiah’s visions of a linen belt and filled wineskins

• Appreciate the importance of obeying God’s will, even when all others fail

• Next week: Jeremiah 16-17