Jeremiah at a glance

JEREMIAH

 

This is the 24^th book of the OT that is written by the Prophet Jeremiah. It was written during his ministry years, which would be approximately 627-586 BC. Jeremiah was called the weeping or lamenting prophet because God was extremely mad during the time that Jeremiah prophesied. Therefore the prophet was literally weeping over Jerusalem who was on a fast track to destruction. His ministry was to plead with God’s people to turn from their sin and turn back to God. The messages spoken were directed to the inhabitants of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and its capital Jerusalem. It should be noted that there are no stories in this book, just prophecies.

 

The purpose of this writing:  As stated in the opening paragraph, the entire purpose of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry was to strongly urge God’s children to turn from their sinful ways and redirect their focus on service to the Lord God.

 

Important Points from Jeremiah: 

 

1) “Jeremiah was nearly 20 years old when he began to prophesy. He prophesied for the rest of his adult life. He would generally be considered a failure as a prophet because no one listened to him and repented. However, the failure is not on his part, but on the citizens of the southern kingdom, for they had no intention of turning back to God at that time.”

 

2) “Jeremiah prophesied to a nation that was behaving terribly, and judgment from God was on its way. The Kingdom of Judah had watched as the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. They feared the Babylonians who would eventually overpower them and take them away into exile. But rather than ask God for help and repenting, they continued to hurt others and themselves.”

 

3) “Jeremiah also makes great references to the new covenant God intended to have once Christ came to earth. This new covenant would be the means with which He would restore His relationship with mankind. Jeremiah wrote that God would write His law in our hearts, and we would worship God directly and not through priests.”

 

            Next up is the book of Lamentations. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible & The Bible at a Glance.