Jeremiah2-2

1. How do you think Jeremiah felt about having to tell the king he would be

defeated?

2. How would this word both alarm and comfort the king?

3. Look up 2 Kings 25:7 to see how this being fulfilled wasn't good.

C. Comment:

Nebuchadnezzar is rampaging through the countryside, and Jerusalem and two other cities are the only ones holding out. God's word comes to Jeremiah that Zedekiah will be captured and will be taken before king Nebuchadnezzar. Such a word would challenge Zedekiah's pride. Kings don't like to admit failure.

Why should God bother to tell Zedekiah this? First, so that everyone knows that this is God's activity and not mere chance. Second, perhaps, to allow Zedekiah to humble himself and surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. If he had done that then perhaps he would have been allowed to remain in Jerusalem without losing his sight. Even when the Lord declares bad news it is to allow us the opportunity to repent, so that there may be a change of heart and change of outcome.

We should always remember that there is good news and bad news in the Gospel. The good news is that salvation is possible. The bad news is that refusal to receive it means the judgement of God! It's also that God requires us to die to self if we're to be saved!

D. Application:

1. Look up Ezek 18:32. Are we convinced that it is God's desire to bring

LIFE when there is repentance?

2. Are we alert to the opportunities the Lord gives us to put right wrong

things in our lives?

Chapter: Jer 34

Passage: Jer 34:8-22

A. Find Out:

1. What had everybody done at first? v.10

2. But what had they then done? v.11

3. What did the Lord say they had done? v.16a

4. What ‘freedom' was He now proclaiming for them? v.17

5. Who was He going to do this to? v.18a

6. How was He going to do this? v.21b,22

B. Think:

1. How had Israel first done what is right?

2. Why was changing their mind so abhorrent to the Lord?

3. What did the Lord keep referring back to?

C. Comment:

The king and the people first released all their slaves. This was the first time they had ever done this despite the fact that God's laws said they should release, every seven years, any person who had sold himself into slavery.

Previously they had disdained the Lord but now they had put things right. However, having done that they then disdained the Lord further by taking their slaves back again. What was so terrible about this was that originally they could, perhaps, have claimed ignorance of God's laws. Now, having conformed to those laws, they showed their awareness of them. Turning away from them now indicated that, despite being aware of them, they just didn't care what the Lord thought about it. That is just abuse of the Lord!

So, in return, the Lord said He would give them over to the enemy as punishment. The picture He uses is that of the covenant meat that was used. An animal was cut in two and the two covenanting people walked between the two halves. The meat was then left to the birds. Israel , the Lord says, will be like that meat!

D. Application:

1. Read Gal 6:7a. Do we understand that God cannot be mocked, or do we

“try to get away with it” in respect of the “little things” in our lives?

2. Read 1 Jn 1:9 & 1 Cor 11:28 ,29 - and do it!

Chapter: Jer 35

Passage: Jer 35:1-11

A. Find Out:

1. In whose reign did this happen? v.1

2. What did the Lord tell Jeremiah to do? v.2

3. Why did they refuse wine? v.6

4. What sort of lifestyle did they have? v.7

5. Who were they following? v.6,8,10

6. Why were they in Jerusalem ? v.11

B. Think:

1. Why was Jeremiah “interviewing” this family?

2. What do you think the Lord was doing?

3. What sort of people were this family?

C. Comment:

We backtrack now to an incident that occurred earlier in Jeremiah's ministry, during Jehoiakim's reign. The Lord, it seems, is about to give an object lesson of some kind using this family.

He tells Jeremiah to invite this family to come and drink wine in the temple of the Lord, so this Jeremiah does. When the family come they politely refuse the wine and explain why. Apparently their forefather, Jonadab, had instructed them never to drink wine and never to settle in one place.

All we know of this family is that Jonadab (Jehonadab) was around at the time of king Ahab of Israel (2 Kings 10:15 ), and was possibly a Levite who was a temple scribe (1 Chron 2:35 ). If they were Levites that would perhaps explain why they didn't have a territory of their own.

The fact that their forefather made them abstain from wine and instructed them not to settle seems to indicate that he was calling them to greater dedication and availability to the Lord. We'll see tomorrow what the Lord has to say about them.

D. Application:

1. Are we people of conviction like this family?

2. Are our lives clearly set apart for the Lord, not doing what the rest of

the world is doing, pandering to desire with static unchanging lives,

having little impact?

Chapter: Jer 35

Passage: Jer 35:12-19

A. Find Out:

1. How did Israel differ from the Recabites? v.14,16

2. Through whom had God spoken to Israel ? v.15a

3. What had they said to Israel ? v.15b

4. What was the Lord therefore going to do? v.17b

5. What therefore was Israel 's main sin? v.17c

6. What did the Lord promise the Recabites? v.19

B. Think:

1. How was the Lord able to use the Recabites as an example?

2. Why would Israel have no excuse by the time the Lord brought

judgement on them?

3. What lesson do we gain from this?

C. Comment:

Having confirmed the testimony of obedience by the Recabites, the Lord is able to take their testimony and use it as an illustration to Israel of those who are obedient. This family had simply been obedient to their earthly forefather. Israel had not been able to be obedient to their heavenly Father, God. The contrast is clear.

The Lord pointed out to Israel that He had spoken many, many times to them, very clearly through the various prophets He had sent. They had come and called and called the people back to God but to no avail. The people stubbornly refused to respond. Tragic!

When God's judgement comes, therefore, the people had no excuse or room for complaint that God was being unfair. He had warned and warned and warned them, and now the time was drawing near for the fulfilment of those warnings.

The truth is that the Lord warns and warns and warns EVERY man, many times throughout his life. At the end of his life, if his end is hell he has no excuses.

D. Application:

1. Do we hear the warnings of God that come, through His word, through

His Spirit within us, and through the circumstances of our lives?

2. Do we heed such warnings?

Chapter: Jer 36

Passage: Jer 36:1-10

A. Find Out:

1. What did God want Jeremiah to do? v.2

2. What did He hope? v.3

3. Who did Jeremiah use to help him? v.4

4. Where did he ask him to go? v.6

5. When was he to go? v.6b,9

6. What was he to do? v.6c,10

B. Think:

1. How was God making His intentions even more clear to His people?

2. How was mercy and grace bring revealed before judgement?

3. How was Jeremiah's life seen to be restricted at this time?

C. Comment:

We see in this passage the grace and mercy of God as He calls Jeremiah to take His word to His people yet again. This time He wants Jeremiah to actually write down His words and then have them read out to the ‘apparently' God-fearing people in the city.

The Lord wants Jeremiah to ensure His words are read, a) at the temple and b) on a day of prayer and fasting. In such a way they should be heard by the most pious people who, God hopes, will respond with repentance, and perhaps even intercession for Jerusalem .

It is clearly God's heart to give opportunity for judgement to be avoided. He wants the people to return to Him. It is NOT His desire to bring judgement. As we read these passages we will never be able to say that God was a harsh, condemning God who delighted in judgement. He did all He could to again and again steer His people away from it all - to no avail!

The tragedy of this passage is that the word of God came to the people at the temple and while they were fasting, i.e. to a people showing a form of piety, a religious people who you would expect to be those who would respond. Are we that sort of people?

D. Application:

1. Thank the Lord for His love and mercy that is seen in His patience as He

calls yet again and again to His people.

2. Thank Him for His patience with you.

Chapter: Jer 36

Passage: Jer 36:11-26

A. Find Out:

1. Who did Micaiah tell? v.11,12

2. What did they instruct? v.14,15

3. What was their response to what they heard? v.16

4. What did they tell Baruch to do? v.19

5. What did they then do? v.20,21

6. What was the king's response? v.23,24

B. Think:

1. What had been God's intention in having this message written down?

(look back to v.3)

2. Did the officials respond as God had hoped?

3. Did the king respond as God had hoped?

C. Comment:

Yesterday we saw how the Lord had instructed Jeremiah to write down His warning of destruction, in the hope that those who read or heard the words would repent and turn back to the Lord. The message was about God planning judgement if the people would not respond.

Today we see Baruch reading it but we are not told of the response of the general people to it. Instead one person goes to the palace and tells the officials and the officials, in turn, tell the king.

In each case there is no sign of repentance. The fear the officials show may be more about their concern as to what the king will say or do when he hears they have been reading it, so to forestall any negative response from the king, they tell him immediately.

This foolish king openly displays his contempt for God's word. He could not be more graphic in his rejection of the Lord. Sometimes the heart of people is not always clear. That is not so here! Perhaps the Lord knew the king's heart and had wanted him to have an opportunity to display his foolishness. He did!

D. Application:

1. Do we always respond wisely and with obedience to the Lord's word to

us?

2. What sort of heart is revealed in us by our words and deeds?

Chapter: Jer 36

Passage: Jer 36:27-32

A. Find Out:

1. What had just happened? v.27a

2. So what did the Lord say to do? v.28

3. What had Jeremiah previously written? v.29b

4. So what does the Lord say would happen to the king? v.30

5. What does the Lord say He is doing? v.31

6. So what did Jeremiah do? v.32

B. Think:

1. What do you think the king thought and hoped when he burnt the first

scroll?

2. How does the Lord show this will not be so?

3. How would the producing of the second scroll be seen by the people

when they heard what had happened?

C. Comment:

The king had callously cut up and destroyed the first scroll that Jeremiah had written. His rejection of its message meant he didn't want it or believe it would happen. Destroy the scroll and you destroy the possibility of it happening. Foolishness!

The Lord is not put off! Just write again, Jeremiah. The king must learn that he could not just shrug off God's word. It will come to pass. Not only that, we will add more detail. God's judgement will come against this foolish king. It will not be put off merely because the king tries to ignore it!

Even if we ignore Him, He is still God. He will still be Himself and do what He, in His perfect wisdom, has decided shall be done. Many people in the world hope that God will go away if they ignore Him. They think that if they don't think about judgement, it won't happen. Simply because people are silly in their thinking, God won't change His declared will.

D. Application:

1. Do we try to ignore God's word in the hope that it will go away when it is

    uncomfortable.

2. Pray for those around you who foolishly try to pretend that God is not

    there.

Chapter: Jer 37

Passage: Jer 37:1-10

A. Find Out:

1. How did Zedekiah respond to the Lord's word? v.2

2. What did he ask nevertheless? v.3

3. What was Jeremiah's position? v.4

4. Why was Jeremiah reprieved? v.5

5. What did the Lord say would happen? v.7c,8

6. What might the king be deceived into thinking would happen? v.9

B. Think:

1. How does this passage show we can be both apparently spiritual but also

disobedient?

2. The Bible says (Gal 6:7), “A man reaps what he sows”. How does this

passage show that this may not be so instantly?

3. Why should we not reply on present circumstances?

C. Comment:

First we see the king, Zedekiah, completely disregarding God's words. Next we see him asking for prayer. This leads us to believe either that his request for prayer was insincere and a mere appearance of being religious, or that he was sincere but couldn't see the contradiction in his attitude. To disregard God on the one hand and then ask for His help on the other is selfish hypocrisy.

In response to all this the Lord speaks. He reveals the king's heart. It is clear that the king, watching what is happening outside the city, believes the crisis has passed. The Babylonians were apparently packing up and leaving to go and face the threat of the advancing Egyptian army. Zedekiah can afford to appear religious - he thinks! But, says the Lord, don't kid yourself, they will be back and they will overcome Jerusalem . God is going to deal with this city and this evil king. There will be no escape. In our foolishness, because the threat is not immediate we think we can escape punishment. Wrong!

D. Application:

1. Zedekiah deceived himself with outward appearances. Do we sometimes

do the same?

2. Zedekiah though he could “get away with it” because the threat lessened

for a while. Do we do the same sometimes?

RECAP - "Warnings" - Jeremiah 34-37

SUMMARY :

In this second group of 8 studies we have seen :

- Zedekiah being warned about his capture

- The people disdaining the Lord over their slaves

- The Recabites used as an example of obedience & zeal

- Jeremiah having God's word written on a scroll

- Jehoiakim destroying the scroll

- The scroll being rewritten

- Zedekiah disregarding God but asking for prayer.

COMMENT :

God's warnings have come to king Jehoiakim, the people of Judah and to king Zedekiah. Foolishly they all try to either suppress God's word or ignore it, but God is not deterred.

He repeats and repeats His word. People will never be able to say they didn't know. These kings will have no excuses. God's judgement on them will simply be justice. They deserve what they get.

LESSONS?

1. God, in His mercy, gives opportunity after opportunity to us, to put things right in

our lives.

2. God will hold us to the law that man will reap what he sow.s

3. God warns us through His word and through circumstances.

4. God is looking for obedience and zealousness.

5. God patiently calls and calls again.

6. Men in their foolishness try to ignore God's uncomfortable words or just appear

religious with no inward change.

PRAY :

Ask the Lord to help you be one who is wholeheartedly committed to hearing and obeying His word

PART 3 : "Jeremiah in Trouble"

In this next Part we will see a mixture of activity. Much of it shows the tough times that Jeremiah went through as God's mouthpiece being rejected by men, and we see all they did to him. But we will also see something marvellous: God delivering him when the enemy comes.