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The Power of God's Word: Jeremiah Speaks to Kenya Today

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The Power of God's Word: Jeremiah Speaks to Kenya Today Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Master of Art Theology Thesis Concordia Seminary Scholarship 5-1-2018 The Power of God’s Word: Jeremiah Speaks to Kenya Today Jared Otieno Magero Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/ma_th Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Magero, Jared Otieno, "The Power of God’s Word: Jeremiah Speaks to Kenya Today" (2018). Master of Art Theology Thesis. 87. https://scholar.csl.edu/ma_th/87 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Art Theology Thesis by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD: JEREMIAH SPEAKS TO KENYA TODAY A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Exegetical Theology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts By Jared Otieno Magero May 2018 Approved by Dr. Paul Raabe Advisor Dr. Timothy Saleska Reader Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs Reader © 2018 by Magero Jared Otieno. All rights reserved. ii I dedicate this work to my lovely wife Molly Akinyi, who bore all the parental duties while I was away for studies. To my children Magi, Jerim, and Jerome for bearing my fatherly absence. To my parents and siblings who missed my presence. To my church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya, for recommending me to pursue studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. To all my friends who stood by me and my family in any hour of need. To you all I owe this dedication. iii Thus says Yahweh: “Stand in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh, and you shall speak concerning all the cities of Judah who come to worship in the house of Yahweh all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not hold back a word. Perhaps they will listen and return each person from his evil way and I will repent concerning the evil that I am planning to do to them because of their evil deeds” —Jeremiah 26:2–3 iv CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... x ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... xi ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ xiii INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD: JEREMIAH SPEAKS TO KENYA TODAY ................................................................................................................. 1 EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN KENYA AND KENYA'S SITUATION .... 1 THE PROPHET JEREMIAH ............................................................................................... 7 The Word of God in Jeremiah ..................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER ONE .......................................................................................................................... 11 THE CALL OF JEREMIAH TO BE THE PROPHET AND PROCLAIMER OF THE POWERFUL WORD OF GOD: AN EXEGETICAL LOOK AT JEREMIAH 1:4–12; 7:27; 15:16–21 ............................................................................................................................. 11 JEREMIAH 1:4–12............................................................................................................. 11 Introduction................................................................................................................ 11 Translation ................................................................................................................. 11 Notes ................................................................................................................. 12 The Narrative Analysis .............................................................................................. 15 Meaning and Message ............................................................................................... 17 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 22 JEREMIAH 7:27................................................................................................................. 24 Introduction................................................................................................................ 24 Translation ................................................................................................................ 24 Notes ................................................................................................................. 24 v Narrative Analysis ..................................................................................................... 24 Meaning and Message ............................................................................................... 25 JEREMIAH 15:16–21......................................................................................................... 27 Introduction................................................................................................................ 27 Translation ................................................................................................................. 27 Notes ................................................................................................................. 28 Narrative Analysis ..................................................................................................... 30 Meaning and Message ............................................................................................... 31 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER TWO ......................................................................................................................... 34 THE CHALLENGES AND PERSECUTION THAT JEREMIAH FACED AS A MESSENGER OF YAHWEH: AN EXEGETICAL LOOK AT JEREMIAH 20:1–18; 26:1–24 ............................................................................................................................... 34 JEREMIAH 20:1–18........................................................................................................... 34 Introduction................................................................................................................ 34 Translation ................................................................................................................. 34 Notes ................................................................................................................. 36 Narrative Analysis ..................................................................................................... 38 Meaning and Message ............................................................................................... 40 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 43 JEREMIAH 26:1–24........................................................................................................... 44 Introduction................................................................................................................ 44 Translation ................................................................................................................. 44 Notes ................................................................................................................. 46 vi Narrative Analysis ..................................................................................................... 48 Meaning and Message ............................................................................................... 49 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 52 JEREMIAH VERSUS FALSE PROPHETS AND THEIR POPULARITY: AN EXEGETICAL LOOK AT JEREMIAH 14:13–18; 23:9–32; 28:1–17 .............................. 52 OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 52 JEREMIAH 14:13–18......................................................................................................... 52 Introduction................................................................................................................ 52 Translation ................................................................................................................. 53 Notes ................................................................................................................. 53 Narrative Analysis ..................................................................................................... 54 Meaning and Message ............................................................................................... 55 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 56
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