Supplemental Notes: The Books of Jeremiah & Lamentations Compiled by Chuck Missler © 2007 Koinonia House Inc. Audio Listing Jeremiah Chapter 1 Introduction. Historical Overview. The Call. Jeremiah Chapters 2 - 5 Remarriage. The Ark. Return to Me. Babylon. Jeremiah Chapters 6 - 8 Temple Discourses. Idolatry and the Temple. Shiloh. Acknowledgments Jeremiah Chapters 9 - 10 These notes have been assembled from speaking notes and related Diaspora. Professional Mourners. Poem of the Dead Reaper. materials which had been compiled from a number of classic and con- temporary commentaries and other sources detailed in the bibliography, Jeremiah Chapters 11 - 14 as well as other articles and publications of Koinonia House. While we have attempted to include relevant endnotes and other references, Plot to Assassinate. The Prosperity of the Wicked. Linen Belt. we apologize for any errors or oversights. Jeremiah Chapters 15 - 16 The complete recordings of the sessions, as well as supporting diagrams, maps, etc., are also available in various audiovisual formats from the Widows. Withdrawal from Daily Life. publisher. Jeremiah Chapters 17 - 18 The Heart is Wicked. Potter’s House. Jeremiah Chapters 19 - 21 Foreign gods. Pashur. Zedekiah’s Oracle. Page 2 Page 3 Audio Listing Audio Listing Jeremiah Chapter 22 Jeremiah Chapters 33 -36 Throne of David. Shallum. Blood Curse. Concludes Book of Consolation. Laws of Slave Trade. City to be Burned. Rechabites. Jeremiah Chapter 23 Jeremiah Chapters 37 - 38 A Righteous Branch. Against False Prophets. Jeremiah’s experiences during siege of Jerusalem. Jeremiah Chapters 24 - 25 Jeremiah Chapter 39 Two Baskets of Figs. Ezekiel’s 430 Years. 70 Years. Fall of Jerusalem. Zedekiah’s Prophecy fulfilled. Jeremiah Chapter 26 Jeremiah Chapters 40 - 44 Events after the Fall. Ishmael’s treachery. Gedaliah is warned. Flight Trial for Heresy. Urijah the Prophet. to Egypt. Accusation on Baruch. Jeremiah Chapters 27 - 29 Jeremiah Chapters 45 - 47 Message to Ambassadors. Nebuchadnezzar, God’s Servant. Temple Ten Nations Judged. Egypt. Philistia. Tyre & Sidon. Vessels. Hananiah. Letters. Jeremiah Chapters 48 - 49 Jeremiah Chapter 30:1 - 31:30 Nations Judged. Moab. Ammon. Edom Damascus. Kedar & Hazor. Elam. Nebuchadnezzar. Time of Jacob’s Trouble. David’s Throne. Jeremiah Chapters 50 - 51 Jeremiah Chapter 31:31 - 40 Against Babylon. Everlasting Covenant. Vengeance by the Kinsman. New Covenant in Contrast with Old. Jeremiah Chapter 52 Historical Appendix. Zedekiah. Evil-Mardoch. Jeremiah Chapter 32 Lamentations Chapters 1-2 Ancient Title Insurance. Lev 25:23. Buy a Field. Title Deed to the Earth. Deut 13. Introductions and Background. Structure of Book. Lamentations Chapters 3-5 Jeremiah’s Afflictions, Hopes and Prayers for Israel. Page 4 Page 5 Jeremiah nology of this day is very well documented, which will turn out to be very meaningful for the Believer, as dates will become very significant (May 1948 and June 1967). Introduction Read 2 Chronicles (34, 35) and 2 Kings (22, 23, 24) for historical Jeremiah: longest book in the Bible; probably the most misunderstood background. Also suggested: read a book that has nothing to do with and therefore the least read. Many scholars consider Jeremiah the most Jeremiah, and yet may have everything to do with God’s purpose of this spiritual person in the Old Testament. study: The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall and David Manual. Jeremiah = “the Lord hurls” (often used for “exalts,” “lifts up,” “holds high”); Ex 15:1. Arrangement of the Book We know more about Jeremiah than any other Old Testament prophet. Jeremiah: one of the most revered prophets; his book is one of the We know him as the “Weeping Prophet” (and indeed, if the reader most autobiographical in the Bible; hence, we know a great deal about touches his work, there is very deep feeling). It is also regarded by this man. He is a model for us to follow in the sense that he is deeply many scholars as the most difficult book in the Old Testament for a spiritual and uncompromising—with himself and his nation Israel (more number of reasons, not the least of which is the arrangement of the specifically, the tribe of Judah). chapters. The chapters are more topically arranged than chronologically: Chapters 46-51 occur before the fall of Jerusalem (which is mentioned Historical Overview in Chapter 39); Chapters 37 - 44 seem to be consecutive; Chapters 50 & 51 have special problems (which will be dealt with); and there is Time frame: civil war divided Israel into two houses—Israel to the north a very special problem in Chapter 52. There are some scholastic ar- and Judah to the south. The subsequent kings, particularly in the north, rangement problems, however the answer is simple: to take it chapter went from bad to worse. The Northern Kingdom, denotatively called by chapter and don’t struggle with the arrangement, but struggle with Israel, fell into ruin, idolatry, and finally the Assyrians took them captive. what he is saying! Judah to the South survived longer, and Judah will be our focus in this book. (The author might mistakenly use the name Israel, but should There is a lot of historical background needed, which is well documented be mindful of the fact that he is speaking of the House of Judah, the in the Scripture and through all sorts of archaeological discoveries. It is Southern Kingdom—the Southern half of the kingdom—recognizing pretty well understood what happened in that period. When the reader that the Northern half has already fallen slave to the Assyrians.) understands the flow of the kings and the powers, the book of Jeremiah will have more significance. Ultimately, the Babylonians accomplish two things: they conquer the Assyrians; Nebuchadnezzar is used by God to take Judah captive. In the Hebrew canon the Old Testament is divided into three groups: Jeremiah is in the strange position of admonishing his country to sur- The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Prophets were divided render and to yield to the Gentile ruler since, Jeremiah says, this is the into the “Former Prophets” (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) and the instrument of God for the judgment of the nation. He was treated as “Latter Prophets” (Major and Minor Prophets except Lamentations a treasonous person. It is during Jeremiah’s time that Judah falls and and Daniel), but at the head of the scroll of the Latter Prophets was the Babylonian captivity begins—one of the most important portions Jeremiah (re: Mt 27:9). of Old Testament history, with lots of relevance historically as well as prophetically. It becomes a very crucial period of time, as it is the time of Daniel and Ezekiel and many prophets. It is a period of some Style power changes that have profound implications on our understanding of Jeremiah’s style is quite opposite to that of Isaiah, whose style was the Bible in general (also a period of time that will lend itself to some elegant and lofty—a fabulous writer, but with a very high style. In incredible discoveries relative to our day and Israel today). The chro- Page 6 Page 7 contrast, Jeremiah is very direct, very simple, but as a result, very by tradition, to have sawn Isaiah in half. When Josiah became king, vivid, incisive and clear. He uses a lot of poetry, and is very lyrical, his reign was positive. After he had reigned about 10 years, Jeremiah but still direct. Heavy use of nature, he is a man of the earth. He is is called; he was about 20 at the time. called the “Weeping Prophet” as he is tender, sympathetic and will almost continually express a deep anguish of soul. This is not casual Idolatry Introduced stuff; it is in the very fiber of his being and will come through even in the translations. Time B.C. Reign Events They came from an apostate background. The previous kings were 639-609 Josiah idolatrous and there was a reform. One of the things that happens dur- 629 Fall of Jerusalem ing the reform: in one of the storeroom chambers, tucked away and lost, 612 Fall of Ninevah was the discovery of the Law (which the author believes is the book 609 Death of Josiah of Deuteronomy). That discovery has had a big impact. The book of At Megiddo Jeremiah has 66 passages from Deuteronomy, and also references to Job 609 Jehoahaz (3 month reign) and Psalms (in effect), and lots of indebtedness, in the minds of some 609-597 Jehoiakim scholars, to Hosea. The book of Jeremiah is quoted over fifty times in 605 Battle of Carchemish the New Testament, and over half of those references are in the book Fall of Assyrians of Revelation. He is regarded by some scholars as one of the greatest 1st Siege of Jerusalem spiritual giants of all time. (Daniel Exiled) 597 2nd Siege of Jerusalem Prophetic Background (Ezekiel Exiled) 597 Jehoiachin From 800 to 650 B.C. there was a galaxy of prophets in Israel. Zepha- (Coniah, Jeconiah) niah, Obadiah, and a woman by the name of Huldah, the prophetess; 3 month reign each were contemporaries of Jeremiah in Judah. Huldah shows up in 2 597-586 Zedekiah Kings 22:14 and 2 Chronicles 34:22; she’s a very well known prophetess 588-586 Final (or 3rd) Siege of in Jerusalem. Jeremiah was from Anathoth and, in the early stages, not Jerusalem in the limelight. During the captivity there were also three prophets: 586 Assassination of Gadaliah Ezekiel, Daniel and Jeremiah. Daniel was deported as a teenager, Ezekiel in the second siege, and then, of course, Jeremiah. There are apparently Babylonian Rulers: about 18 points of contact between Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Nahum and Habakkuk were contemporaries, approximately, of this time.