The Fellowship Residency Program has introduced me to the idea of reading commentaries alongside scripture. By August of 2019, I will have read through the entire Bible as well as The King in His Beauty, our selected commentary. As I am reading, I am writing a little bit about each of the books of the Bible so you and I can have a more thorough understanding of the scriptures. I invite you to follow along with me as we learn the Bible in its entirety from Genesis to Revelation. This summary does NOT encompass the entire book, but it is a good place to start. I encourage you to read for yourself and begin your own Biblical journal along the way. To read any of my other Residency related posts, click here.
Introduction – The book spends a majority of its time discussing how the wicked will be punished and God’s people will experience salvation. Themes throughout surround judgment and restoration. Jeremiah prophesized from 626BC until Judah is exiled in 586BC though the book closes with Jehoiachin’s release in 562BC. God is sovereign in Jeremiah’s ministry, and both his words and actions are powerful. He can speak to both the judgment of Judah and the rebuilding.
Judgment– Immediately Jeremiah is seen prophesizing that enemies from the north will come to destroy Judah and Jerusalem. He even predicts that it will be Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon. The theme of judgment is not only discussed with regards to Israel. Babylon is also predicted to suffer as a result of their evil acts and prideful natures. Many are prone to ask why Judah suffered so greatly in the time of judgment and exile? Jeremiah answers that question by discussing the covenant violation of Israel. They have forsaken the covenant’s outline seen in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy and, therefore, must suffer the consequences accordingly.
Israel failed to recognize their God as the one true God who is to be feared. Instead, they perverted His law, worshiped other gods, and failed to cling to Yahweh. The judgment they experienced was, in a sense, a deconstruction of creation to desolation. Even after experiencing the punishment of judgment, Israel was not yet willing to follow God’s prompts.
Jeremiah and the Leaders of Israel – Jeremiah experiences a great deal of conflict between himself and leaders of Israel. Kings, priests, prophets, and the so called “wise” all play a role in leading people away from trusting in God. Zedekiah as king, for example, was more afraid of the people of Judah than he was of the Lord. Therefore, he suffered greatly. The leaders did not seek God’s will for Judah, the priests were ungodly, and the prophets were prone to lie. Unfortunately, the religious leaders at the time were the least tuned into the Lord’s words. Those who were considered “wise” were only wise in doing evil and are, in all actuality, fools who reject the word of God.
Jeremiah is most angered by the prophets. They were ungodly, spoke lies that gave false comfort, sought popularity over truth, and often gained financial and social rewards for their lies. It is promised that these prophets will be judged appropriately. Conversely, Jeremiah was faced with great resistance as he spoke of a future devastation. He was “full of the wrath of the Lord” and not well received. However, he was also overcome with grief over the fate of his own people and is believed to be expressing the Lord’s grief as well. Jeremiah is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ministry in which both the message and the life of the messenger are crucial to the ministry’s expression. Jeremiah both mourned Judah’s impending disaster and yet prayed for vengeance for the unrighteous. He praises God for deliverance from the enemies yet curses the day he was born. His despair is similar to that of Judah, but his survival forecasts hope and preservation for God’s people. Again, representing ministry through his life as well as his words.
Repentance and Salvation – We are also reminded that judgment is not permanent for God’s people, and if they will repent, then they will be saved. God calls them to return to himself with their hearts and admit they have broken the covenant. Jeremiah also imagines what it will be like when repentance becomes a reality for God’s people. He imagines a newer and better reality where Yahweh reigns over Jerusalem and includes all the nations in His kingdom. Evil will be no more. Jeremiah then begs the Lord to remember his covenant with the people and preserve them for the covenant’s sake. Hope comes when we are reminded that there will be a new exodus and even Israel’s enemies will experience the opportunity for salvation. Israel will return after the exile, and Yahweh will redeem and restore His land and the people. Finally, the Lord’s people will know Him deeply, and the law will be written on their hearts. This transformation will be fundamentally based on the forgiveness of sins. “The old covenant had faulty mediators, but the new covenant will have a mediator who is without sin.” Though Jeremiah knows the promises, he has trouble believing them to be true. As a result, the Lord reminds Jeremiah that nothing is impossible or too difficult for God. The book hints that the necessary righteousness will come from the future Davidic king.
Conclusion – The OT promises led the reader to believe that Israel will be a mighty and successful nation, but everything seems to fall apart due to their sin. Israel abandoned their God, and therefore they were threatened with exile. The Lord followed through on the threats, and Israel suffered for their transgressions. Yet still, God’s promises are not revoked. Instead, a new covenant is coming in which sins will be completely forgiven and a new David will sit on the throne.
Themes: The concept of both judgment and salvation. God is sovereign in Jeremiah’s ministry. God grieves judgment of his people. Judgment is not permanent for God’s people. Repentance saves one from judgment. God will redeem and restore.