It’s taken me much longer than anticipated to finish the Book of Jeremiah (approximately three times as long as it took to finish the Book of Isaiah). My goal was to read at least a chapter a day; some days I read more than a chapter, but (more often) some days I read less. This isn’t a dig on Jeremiah. It’s an excellent book and worthy of thoughtful study. In this post I’m going to give a bare-bones sketch of the prophet Jeremiah. His book is interesting because, unlike with Isaiah, it’s about dead-even between stereotypical prophecies and narratives of Jeremiah’s life.
The Person of Jeremiah
Jeremiah’s name means ‘Yahweh will raise’ or ‘Yahweh will cast down,’ an apt name because Jeremiah prophesies the ‘casting down’ of Jerusalem followed by its ‘raising up’ afterwards. He lived between 640-609 BC and has been called the ‘Isaiah of the 7th Century’ (Isaiah prophesied in the 8th century). Jeremiah’s also known as ‘the weeping prophet,’ for his life was one bathed in tears. God commanded him not to marry and not to party, for these actions (or, rather, inactions) served as signposts to the bitter reality coming on Jerusalem: it was no time to marry and have children, nor was there anything to celebrate. On top of this self-imposed bachelor life of drudgery, Jeremiah was persecuted, beaten, and even mocked by little children. More than once he cried out to God in bitter tears. Jeremiah’s life is ripe with emotional up-and-downs, and some scholars have speculated that he suffered major depression or even bipolar disorder. His message, repeated again and again, is clear and succinct: ‘Jerusalem will be stricken by a power from the north; this will be an act of divine judgment, Yahweh’s judgment against rebellious Judah. Egypt – though a familiar ally in chaotic times – will not be able to help; nor will Judah’s ‘beloved’ idols be able to save you! Only repentance can avert you from destruction, but your repentance must be NOW, for the drums of war are already beating!’
Jeremiah was born in the poverty-stricken town of Anathoth, north of Jerusalem, in the sad little territory of Benjamin. He grew up in a desert land, and his purpose in life had been thwarted by his ancestor Abiathar. By birth Jeremiah was of priestly lineage and had been called by God to serve in holy activities amongst the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple; but his ancestor Abiathar had teamed up with David’s son to try and steal the throne from Solomon. Because of this betrayal and failed coup, Abiathar and his ancestors were cursed and forbidden to live out their priestly purpose. Thus Jeremiah grew up as a boy without purpose; however, God had a purpose for Jeremiah, and had set Jeremiah out for this purpose before the day he was born (Jer 1.4-5). Jeremiah was a man of spiritual maturity: he was dedicated to the will of God no matter what, and he was willing to preach an unpopular message to very volatile and very powerful people (including kings). His book shows that he had a deep, warm devotion for God, and he was fully committed to his calling (though, at times, because of the great suffering he experienced, he was on the verge of quitting; however, he stuck with God and fulfilled his duties). He was also a man of courage, as is shown in the fact that he was willing to preach an unpopular message to a people who absolutely despised him; even one of the kings—Jehoiakim—hated him with an undying passion. He was a man of compassion; despite rebuking them for their sin, he wanted them to repent for their own sakes. He was a man of integrity: his word was his bond, his commitment was unchangeable, and he carried out his difficult call despite the countless burdens (emotional sufferings, mocking, beatings, even imprisonment in an ancient sewer!). As aforementioned, one of the most interesting aspects of Jeremiah’s life is his deep emotional trauma. Many scholars have asked the question, ‘Was Jeremiah manic-depressive?’ He often goes from great joys to deep emotional anguish. One minute he is seen exalting God with steady confidence in Him, and the next minute he is complaining to God—even yelling at God—and on the verge of tossing his prophetic career into the ocean. His message was hardhearted, but his own heart cried out in anguish (Jer 9.1, 13.17, 14.17); yet in the midst of this anguish, he found himself rising to great emotional heights (15.16, 20.11).
The Book of Jeremiah
The book of the prophet Jeremiah is one of the greatest prophetic masterpieces, ranking with that of the book of the prophet Isaiah a century earlier. The book uses a vast panorama of exquisite poetry and detailed prose; some parts even detail Jeremiah’s life (most likely autobiographical information written by the prophet himself). The authorship of the book is hotly disputed. The text tells us that Jeremiah’s scribe—a man named Baruch—wrote much of the book, but there are some sections which were most likely written by Jeremiah himself. Scholars have come up with this ‘history’ of the authorship of the book of the prophet Jeremiah:
1) Baruch writes the original text.
2) Jeremiah adds to the original text
3) Following Jeremiah’s death, Baruch edits the text and adds a historical appendix (Ch 52)
4) Many years later, Alexandrian Jews, influenced by Greek philosophy, rearrange the order of the text to make it more logical
The book of the prophet Jeremiah is not written in chronological order. Where many of the chapters fall into the periods of Jeremiah’s life is disputed, though one of the most conservative and widely-appreciated views (pressed forth by Dr. Young) is this:
The Reign of Josiah – Ch 1-20
The Reign of Jehoahaz – Nothing
The Reign of Jehoiakim – Ch 25-27, 35, 36, 45, possibly 46-49
The Reign of Jehoiachin – Nothing
The Reign of Zedekiah – Ch 21-24, 28-34, 37-39, possibly 50-51
The Reign of Gedaliah – Ch 40-42
Jeremiah in Egypt – Ch 43, 44, possibly 50-51
Historical Appendix (added by Baruch after Jeremiah’s death?) – Ch 52
A simpler outline, proposed by some scholars, looks like this:
Judah Before the Fall of Jerusalem – Ch 1-38
Judah During/After the Fall of Jerusalem – Ch 39-45
Jeremiah’s Oracles Against the Foreign Nations – Ch 46-51
Historical Appendix – Ch 52
Jeremiah is also known for his popular use of object lessons. Here are a few:
The branch of an almond tree (1.11-12): “God will carry out his threats of punishment.”A boiling pot tilting away from the north (1.13): “God will punish Judah.”A ruined linen belt (13.1-11): “Because the people refuse to listen to God, they have become useless, good for nothing, like a ruined linen belt.”Potter’s clay (18.1-17): “God can destroy His sinful people if He wants to.” This is a warning to them to repent before He is forced to bring judgmentBroken clay jars (19.1-12): “God will smash Judah just like Jeremiah has smashed broken clay jars.”Two baskets of figs (24.1-10): “The good figs represent God’s remnant. The poor figs are the people left behind.”The yoke (27.2-11): “Any nation who refuses to submit to Babylon’s yoke of control will be punished… And this includes Judah!”Large stones (43.8-13): “These stones mark the place where Nebuchadnezzar will set his throne when God allows him to enter Egypt!”A scroll sunk in the river (51.59-64): “Babylon will sink and rise no more!”
Scattered throughout Jeremiah’s prophecies are hints about the coming Messiah and the new covenant this Messiah would inaugurate. One of Jeremiah’s infamous prophecies is found in Jeremiah 31, and others are found in chapters 21, 30, and 33. The prophecy in Jeremiah 21 takes place during the reign of Jehoiakim of Judah. Jeremiah predicts that Jehoiakim will die, and his son Jehoiachin will ascend the throne. However, Jehoiachin will be taken in chains to Babylon and will die absent an heir on the throne. In his place ‘a righteous Branch’ will shoot up and be the means of saving God’s people and keeping the covenant promise alive. The Messiah – whom Christians understand to be Christ – came from the Davidic line; he ‘shot up’ and is the hope of eternal life and salvation for all who come to him in faith and repentance; it is through Christ that God’s covenant promises to Abraham and David are kept furnished and breathing.
The messianic prophecy in Jeremiah 30 takes place during the reign of King Zedekiah. Jeremiah gives this message to the people concerning their coming judgment: ‘Your injury is incurable! It is a terrible wound. There’s no one to help you, no medicine to make you healthy again. All your allies have left you. They can’t save you, and it is I who have done this to you? I’ve done it because your sins are countless, and your guilt reaches to the heavens. Why do you protest your punishment? This is what you deserve! I am a just God, and I have to punish you because of your many sins and unfathomable guilt.’ The scene looks bleak, but God’s word continues: ‘But all those who devour you shall be devoured. All of your enemies will be sent into exile. I’ll give you back your health, and I’ll heal your wounds. Right now you’re called an outcast. People mock you, saying, “No one cares about them!”’ Such was Judah’s condition, but God continues, ‘You will not always be in captivity! Your punishment will not last forever. I will bring you home to Jerusalem and restore your fortunes. Jerusalem will lie in ruins, but it will be rebuilt. All the sorrow will be replaced with joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply My beloved people. I will honor them and not despise them. Their children will prosper, and I will establish them as a nation before Me. Anyone who harms them shall be punished!’ This prophecy regards the intertestamental period, the time following the exile and leading up to the coming of Christ. Jeremiah then gives this prophecy: ‘You will have your own ruler again, and he will come from your own people.’ This ruler is Christ, and he ‘shot up’ from the line of David. ‘I will invite them to approach Me, for who would dare to come unless invited?’ Approaching the throne of God is a terrifying thing, but Christ invites us to know God intimately. ‘You will be My people, and I will be your God.’ An intimacy will exist between the people and their God thanks to this coming ruler.
In Jeremiah 31, another prophecy during the days of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah prophesies the inauguration of a new covenant. Most of this prophecy regards the remnant returning to Judah following the Babylonian exile, but the latter part of the prophecy is one of the richest prophecies regarding the New Covenant. This covenant will be radically different than the former that God established with Israel; under this covenant, God’s instructions will be written on the hearts of His people (the work of the Holy Spirit), people will know God not only logically but also intimately, and sins will be forgiven, never to be remembered! God swears He will bring this about: ‘I am as likely to not do this as much as I am likely to abolish the laws of nature! There’s no way that I would even consider casting My people off, even for all the evil they’ve done!’ In other words, the New Covenant will certainly come!
The last messianic prophecy we’ll look at is from Jeremiah 33 (again, during the reign of King Zedekiah). In the midst of prophesying the coming prosperity for God’s people following Babylonian captivity, and speaking of the intertestamental period, Jeremiah gives this prophecy of the coming Messiah: God says, ‘I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.’ Jesus of Nazareth came from the line of David. ‘He will do what is just and right throughout the land.’ Christ is God in human form; he is just and righteous. ‘In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety.’ This speaks of the coming salvation and the protection in the arms of God that Messiah will offer. ‘And this will be Jerusalem’s name: Yahweh is our Righteousness.’ Our righteousness doesn’t come from our own actions but from Christ’s righteousness put on our account before God.
The Life of Jeremiah
Jeremiah was a contemporary of other prophets of this century, such as Nahum, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk. He ‘outlived’ them all. Jeremiah goes through several ‘phases’ in his prophetic career. In order to study the life and prophecies of Jeremiah accurately, one would do well to examine these phases one-by-one, paying particular attention to the historical context, what Jeremiah taught, and the cycles of life that Jeremiah experienced. A simple outline of the ‘phases’ of Jeremiah is given below, and they’re links to a more in-depth look at Jeremiah’s life (and, at times, teachings) during these historical periods.
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