ECC IJMTII ISSIJB1 Prophels' JeremiahSpeahs Out Again.to Oft'er Vlslon: Promiseof-a New Covenant'on Hearts' A NewCovenant JERUSALEM,on a da, in the )-ear 597 BCE or .ro-"The Lord hasspoken to me. Thereis hopefor thepeople of Cod," said theprophet Jercmiah as he walkedthrough the desolatesFeets of Jerusalemearly this moming. The peoplehave heardhim with mixed€motions. Jeremishoffered rhe hopethat Cod would makea newcovenant wilh thc house of lsraeland the houseof Judah."It will not be a covenadtlike the onemade with theirancestors when they werc brought out of theland ofEgypt. This covcnant will b€ wriltenon the heansof the pcople,"said the prophet. This prophet,who spokethe word of God from his you8, foretold the greatdis- asterthat came upon Jerusalem. He urged the king of Judahto surenderto the king of Babylonso that no halmwould come to the city. Bur the king and the orher nobles theprophet: wouldnot listen,and so thecity is now in "I rememberhow we sDentmonths nrins. writing down whal rhe Lord had told Who is this man.Jeremiah, who predict- Jeremiah.Jeremiah would diclare.and I ed the fall of Jerusalemand now offers would write it down word-for-wordon a SbcllYc,r- Id.rn.diri., hopeto the peoplewho a.releft here? scrcll,Wlen we finished,Jeremiah said I EpiscopdChil&.n's Jeremiahis theson of Hilkiah.lhe Driest wasto readit to the people. Cuniculun in Anathoth(a city in theland ofBenj;rnin, CopyrighlOl993 "I went to the houseof the Lord and Virginh Tt6lori.|l nortbeastof Jerusalem). stoodat the entry of the New Gate.It wasa Scnirry ad Morlhou. "I was called by God, when I wasjusr a day of fasting,and manypeople had come hbll$ir8 boy,"said Jeremiah. "Cod touchedmy to the temple.While I was readingfrom the mouth.and it is God'swords that I hav€ scroll, a messengerwent to the officials of spokenever since." the city andtold lhem whatI wasdoing. "The officialsinsisted rhat I readit to Baruch Wrote for the Prophet them as well. After t finished, they ques- Baruch,a longtimefriend of Jeremiah, tionedme aboutthe scrolland the words sharcdsome events in the colorfullife of Coatinuedon Pagc 2 Jerusalembe broken into manypieces. ''Jeremiahwent lo greatlengths to make JeremiahSpeaks Out the peopleunderstand what hc wassaying. Continuedfrom pageI To showthe peoplethat they mustsubmit to the )oke of Babylonin orderto savethe city. he rvalkediround \*,itha yokeon his $ritten on il. I rcld ftem ftat Jeremiai.the shoulders.Yes. it wasa )'okelike the ones prophet,had diclated fie wordi l(] me.and used10 lead oxen. I wrote(hcnr in ink uponthc scroll.Thcy "Whenanothef prophet heard Jer€miah rook the scroll.sr)'ing lhe [ing musl hear (cllinSu,hat would happen to theciry. he rhis.Then they rold me t()tokc Jcremiah took$c yokeand broke it. Thatdidnl stop andgo andhide. lelting no oneknow JcremiahlHe thenpul on ! )oke m.rde from iron nd continuedlC) speak to the ''Laler we hcffd thal the king burnedrhc pcople- scroll in his brazicr.section by section.as it ''of course.Jcremirh was bound to gel was read ro him. None ol rhis borhered inro troublcr\ ith the king fof whathe was Jcrcmiah.Hc \impl) besanagain to dictalc tcllince\crlorc. First the kinS put him in r secondscroll. In this onc. Jerenliah iril. butrhen lcr him out.Another time warnedKing Jchoaikim.who had bumed somenoblcs pu( him in a wcll. Throughthe lhe first scroll,lhrt (bc kinS ol Babylon kindnessof oncol lhe kinSs servants. woulddeslroy hinl. Jeremirhwas l.ecd.S rely hc lvouldhave ''Anothcrlinre. Jeremiah wcnt ro a poc diedthe.e in lh t cold.dark. damp place-' tcr'\ shop and boughl an crnhcnwnreju8. So Jcfcmiilh.r\ ho preachedthe destruc- He took thcjug to the cily garccalled thc tionofrhe cil\. is no\r rhc onc who is offcr' "fi.reflashing PotsherdG:llc. There he sm0shedthe juSi ing hoperhrr rhc Lord \\ill nrakea ncw Hc told lhc pcoplcthat just rs thcjuB had covcnanrlvith rh. peopleol Judahnnd rhc forth,' been shaltered,\o would thc cit] ol pcopleof I\rrcl. creatureswl.th wlngs,and a BzekielAlso Predicted a NewCovenant "wheel wl.tbln The prophcrE/ckicl wils ir youngman cxilc in Brbllon $ith manyolhc, caplives. a wbeel" who grew up aroundrhc rcnrpleol' ln the 'elr 59J BCE. durin8o tbunder- Jerusalem.!rherc his lathcr\ra\ priest. slorrn,Ezckicl rcceived his llrst rision and Ezekielwa\ probablyin lrxininglbr lhc hi\ call fron Cod. He saw a cloud with priesthoodcl th.' linre Jerusalcnwr\ cap' grcrt fire llu\hing forth. crcalureswith luredby Nebuchadrezzrr.Since he $as $in8s.and a $hcel withina whcel. This llom an uppcr-classfumily. hc wnsled inlo !ision nladchinr sufchc was calledto prophcst to thc peoplc ol God in exilein Brb)lon. MicahForesaw Messiah's Birth in Bethlehem Ezckicl.like Jcrcmiah.said thar God l|ould make a ncw covenanl lilicah was a prophelfrom the fsrmingcommunity of Moresheth.He IYlloved rhe p€oplehe grew up with. The) tendedthe sheepand rhe wilh (he peopleof Israel.11 rvould be fields.He mayhave heard about the prophet Amos, a breederof sheepin a coven nl ol peaceand be everlasl- the neighboringtown of Tekoa.who hadb€en called by God someyears in8-1br thcir childrens children. earlier. Ezekicl r.rid. Da\id shall be king After he receivedthe word of the Lnrd, Micah relucrandylook up the over them:and they shullhave one work of a prophet.He joumeyedfi$t to Samaria,rhe capiral oi lsrael, \hepherd.' wherehe wa&edthe people that Israel would be desfoyedby tribesto the Ezekiel becameknown for his north. ecslalicvisions and trance-like expe- After lhe fall of Israelto the Assyrials,Micah tumedtoward Judah riences.During these times, he saw vilid picturesof seeminglyimpossi- with his prophecy.He tnveled lo Jerusalem,where he wamedthe leaders '\'xlley that their greedand power would be their ruin. ble eleDlr \uch as the of the Micah'shope for God'speople was thatthe.e would be a remnantof dryboncr.' Israel-peoplewho would be strongand who would help to restorethe Wordstionr this visionof Ezekiel areuscd in therefrain of a folk song: nation.From that groupof Isneliteswould comea leader.to be bom in ''Ezekiel Bethlehem.Micah said. The Ieader would b€ a descendanlofDavid. cried. DemdD boneslOh. hearthe$ordoffte Lord.' Page2 II- l AdventSeason Begins New Church Year dvent is the firsl seasonof the The readingsfrom Scriplureduring Church Year and begins on the Adventare aboul bolh kinds of waitingand Sundaynearest S1. Andrew s Day p.eparing.The prophetsof the Hebreu (November30) lhe fburthSunday beibre Scripturesfo.etold the coning of a Chrisrmas. Messiah."the anointedone who wouldbe The word Adventcomes from the Lalin a Saviorof thepeople of Cod.In Gospel wordz/./renrr.r. wtich nreansconling. ln readinBs.vre heur aboul John rhe Baptist Advent we are lvaitinS.rnd prepnrinS fbr who alsospokc of theconring of Chrisl. thccoming ol Christin r\';oways: (Theword Chrisa is Greekfbr "Anointed Firsr.we preparctbr the ChrisIChild to One.) comeinto our livcs rgain al Christmas.We The color lbr Adycnt is sometinrespur- Sonol Cod rememberhow Jesus\r'as born in ple. becluseduring lhis time \\'e expericncc Bcthlehcnrto Mary andJoseph..rnd this a quieltinlc ol .cilecrionnnd praycr similrr helpsus rc understandthrt Jesuscame into lo Lcnt. ln tacl Advent is oftencalled a thc\rorld as a humanbein€t. littleLent." In morerecent times. lhe color Sccond.wc rcnrcnrbcrthal we ifc to S.lrunrbl c is usedto dislinguishAdvcnl wail fbr lhc sccondcoming ot Christas fronr Lent. This bluc is associatedwilh predicledin theScripturcs. Christ will ful Marn.lhcmother ol Jesus. fill hispronisc lo rclurnin powcrand glory. MBMORYCHATTBNGE Symbolsfor theFour Bvangelists The symbol for Madhew the Evargelist or Gospel writer is a gold€n man with wings, or an angel.This syrnbol came about becausethe Gospel of Matthew pdmarilytells us about Jesus as a humanbeing. The symbol for Mark the Evangelist is a winged lion. The lion is an ancient symbol for royalty, It is often displayedon the coat of ams for a king and is a Hebrew symbol for David, the great King of tbe United Kirgdom of Israel. The gold lion with wings indicatesthat Ma* told of the loyal dignity of Chdst. Tho symbol for Luke the Evangelist,writer of the third Gospel,is I gold ox with wings. The ox was an animal of sacrifice in alcient times. In the Gosoelof Luke. t]te idea of Jesus'life as a sacrificc for thi sins of humaoityis said to be the primary theme. The fourth Evangelistis John, whose syhbol is a winged eagle.The eagle,whose eyes can seotiny speckson the horizon,is said to be ableto se€irto the mysteriesof heayen.This Gosp€lrcvea.ls the divinity of Christ and gives the readera glimpse into the Khgdom ofGod. As you read and hear the four Gospels,see if you aFee with the symbols qeat€d by the Church long ago-and how they interpret the life of Jesusin dif- fercntways. Sh. Y.m lnr.'medde. EpLrop.lc cor\.!hr 3 q'r3\ nlrinir1h(i rjlr Scmrrn $d tir.hds! PuhL'\hmg II- l Pracl $CRAMBI,.E Namesfor theMessiah FOODSONG NGTIEVRELARFHSAIE MELUANME GINKKOFSING___ VRISOA DOORLLDSOFR_ _ _ OONEINTEADN_ __ _. CINREPFACEPOE___- HESSMIA LUFREDSOUNELCORNOW UnitIl: LEANNINGSCRIPTTJRE Sessionl| Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 31:33b Session2t lsaiuhI l:l -2: 10:l TEARNING Session3r Prarr 40r8;Lrle I :30 SCRIPTURE Sessionq Lukel:17;2:11 Session5t lsoitlt 60:l; Malthev S€ssionI 2:1lL "For a child hasbeen bom for us, a son givento us; authorityrests upon his Session6: ^did, J5:5-6iMdIk shoulden; andhe is namedWonderful Counselor, Migtrty God, EverlastingFather, 10:52a funce of Peace."-/Jdiai 9;6 (NRSV) Session1 : Jerentiolt I 7: I I ; Mark 2:12b "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their heafls;and I will be Session8: Luke17:19; John theirGod, and they shall be my people."-Jeremid, J1.3J, (NRSV) ll:25-26a Session9: ReviewSessions 1-8 Page,+II-l ECC TJNITII ISSUE2 IsaiahPredicted the Birth of Immanuel Isatah's Whilein Dialoguewith Judah'sKing Ylslon: JERUSALEM,around 735 BCE---'fhe beliefthat faith in God is sufficientfor Sal don prophetIsaiah has madean importanl divineprotection.