The Book of JeremiahPage | 1
The Book of Jeremiah
Background
In the seventh century BC, the prophet Jeremiah began his prophetic ministry,which lasted into the first part of the sixth century. According to thetext of Jeremiah, his prophetic career covered forty years (627–587 BC), anumber that would have had symbolic value for his audience (e.g., forty daysand nights on the ark, forty years in the wilderness, etc.). However, manyscholars believe that his prophetic activity covers a much shorter time period, perhaps only 609–587 BC. Jeremiah delivered words of judgment andhope, first to the people in Jerusalem and then to those who escaped toEgypt. He is often known as the prophet of woe, because of the hardships hefaced in life and his tendency to complain. Jeremiah’s message was not receivedwell by those who were in power in Jerusalem. He was even imprisonedfor sedition. In the end, Jeremiah was taken to Egypt and likely lived hislast days there.
The Political Climate DuringJeremiah’s Time
During the seventh century BC, Assyria reached its zenith of power in theancient Near East, but then its influence began to decline. For a brief periodthe Egyptians tried to regain some political control, but they were ultimatelydefeated by the Babylonians in 605 BC at the Battle of Carchemish.This was also a time of unrest in Judah, which now stood without the northernkingdom of Israel. A bright spot during this century were the reformsby King Josiah. Under this king, there was a move to reestablish properworship in the Temple, which had becomea place of religious syncretism. Whileworkers were cleaning out the Temple, ascroll was found and declared to be the“book of the Law” by Huldah the prophetess(2 Kings, chapter 22; 2 Chronicles, chapter 34).When Josiah heard the words of the scroll,he realized how far from the Covenant withGod the people had strayed. He gatheredeveryone together to have the scroll readaloud. When the people heard the words,they were also struck by their unfaithfulness,and they repented of their sins andvowed to live according to the teachings ofthe Lord.
Unfortunately, Josiah’s reforms did notlast very long. After his death in 609 BC,there were various kings on the throne inJerusalem. None of them was concernedwith proper worship. Under King Jehoiakim,the royal palace was made moreluxurious using forced labor by the citizensof Judah (2 Kings 23:36—24:5). In 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon,laid siege to Jerusalem and took some ofits inhabitants into Exile in Babylon, includingthe current king, Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim’sson (2 Kings 24:8–17). In Judah,Zedekiah sat on the throne as a puppetruler for the Babylonians, until he decidedto rebel against their authority. This actioncaused Nebuchadnezzar to march again onJudah. This time Jerusalemwas conquered,the Temple was destroyed, and anothergroup was taken into Exile. Judah, aswell as all of the Promised Land, was nowin the hands of a foreign power (2 Kings25:1–11).
The Prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah is identified in the beginning ofthe book as being from a priestly familyin the town of Anathoth. It is quite possiblethat he was a priest himself. Like mostprophets, Jeremiah was reluctant to acceptthe call of God upon his life. He tried to useevery excuse to get out of the mission forwhich he had been chosen. Yet, God didnot accept any of his excuses and promisedto be with Jeremiah, putting God’sown words in Jeremiah’s mouth (Jeremiah 1:9).Jeremiah’s mission was to be one of bothjudgment and hope: “To root up and to teardown, / to destroy and to demolish, / tobuild and to plant” (1:10). Jeremiah livedthrough the reforms of Josiah and thedownfall of Judah, even seeing the destructionof the Temple. He was very supportiveof what Josiah had done but sawthat it was ultimately too late for Judah tobe spared.
In the early years of his prophetic ministry,Jeremiah spoke out against social injusticeand the false assumption thatproper worship was adequate for the peopleto maintain their covenantal relationshipwith God and with one another.However, it was during the reign of Jehoiakimthat Jeremiah’s more caustic anddirect messages were spoken. He denouncedthe king and the people for theiridolatry and their injustice. In his famousTemple sermon (chapter 7), he left no oneunscathed. This outspoken critique of thegovernment continued when Zedekiahcame to the throne in Jerusalem. In fact,Jeremiah’s words were so scandalous thathe was arrested and imprisoned. Ultimately,Jeremiah was taken to Egypt by a groupof refugees. It was from there that hewrote words of comfort and hope, afterthe destruction of Jerusalem and of theTemple.
The Messages ofJeremiah
As both a pre-exilic and a post-exilicprophet, Jeremiah delivers basicallytwo types of messages. During his pre-exilicperiod, he speaks words of judgmentand condemns both the rulers and thecommunity for a lack of faithfulness. AfterJerusalem falls, Jeremiah’s message becomesone of hope and encouragement.Like all true prophets, Jeremiah spokewhat the people needed to hear, not whatthey wanted to hear. When, after Josiah’sreforms, the kings of Judah neglected thedemands of the Covenant, and the peoplefollowed, Jeremiah was called to “teardown” the pride and idolatry he saw inJerusalem (1:10). However, to those livingin the ruins of Jerusalem and those outsideof Judah, he began “to build and to plant”(1:10). Obviously, the prophecies he deliveredduring the last years of his ministrywere received with a stronger welcomethan were those of his early years.
Throughout the Book of Jeremiah, certainthemes emerge and unite what wouldotherwise be a disjointed text. Jeremiahdescribes God as a God who knows, remembers,sees, and acts. These verbs arereminiscent of the description of God providedin Exodus 2:24–25, prior to God’s callof Moses to lead the Israelites out of slaveryin Egypt to freedom in the PromisedLand. Once again a parallel is made betweenJeremiah and the great prophet Moses.This God—who knows, remembers,sees, and acts—is also described by Jeremiahas a spring of water and a righteousjudge. However, once God has forgiven thesins of the people, God no longer rememberstheir sins. After the consequences forbreaking the Covenant have been endured,God holds out to the people a future.There is assurance that just as Godhas judged and punished Judah, so willother nations be judged and held accountablefor their wrongdoings.
Two texts within the Book of Jeremiahstand out as representative of his mixedprophetic career of judgment and hope:the Temple sermon (chapter 7) and the book of comfort (chapters 30—33).Jeremiah’s famous sermon, delivered inthe court area of the Temple during a festivalcelebration, contains some of his mostcondemning words. The leaders and thepeople commit theft, murder, and adultery;they bear false witness against their neighborsand follow other gods. Yet, despitetheir sinful behavior, they are confidentthat no harm will befall them because theyare in Jerusalem and have the Temple.God would never allow the Temple to bedestroyed, they tell themselves. When Jeremiahcritiques their false assurance, thepeople respond that another prophet (Micah)had prophesied the fall of Jerusalem,and he was wrong (26:18). Yes, the citywas besieged by the Assyrians, but Jerusalemwas not taken. Why should they fearJeremiah’s predictions? This public sermonbegins the stories of Jeremiah’s rejection and suffering.
The book of comfort is found in Jeremiah, chapters 30—33. HereJeremiah’s message is one of return andrestoration. Although things seem hopeless,Jeremiah declares to the people thatGod is still in control and that there will bebetter days ahead. He affirms that God hasnot forgotten the people; once they returnto God, all of Israel will be restored to atime of prosperity, happiness, and security.One of the most poignant descriptions ofthis future promise is found in Jeremiah, chapter 31, which begins with a series ofshort affirmations of Israel’s restoration.Then the prophet provides the image ofGod’s love as being like that of a motherweeping for her children (31:15). This eternallove of God will bring about a newthing, a renewed community and a renewalof the Covenant. In verses 31–34, Godspeaks of making a different kind of covenantwith the people than the one Godhad made with the Israelites in the wilderness.The content of the covenant will remainthe same, but how it will be knownhas changed. Instead of needing the covenantwritten in stone, this new one will bewritten upon the people’s hearts. It will beinternalized, and there will be no need toteach it to others; the covenant will be revealedin how they live their lives. Yet, theend result of the covenant is the same asthe one made at Sinai: “I will be their God,and they shall be my people” (31:33).
(This article by Lisa W. Davidson is from The Saint Mary’s Press® College Study Bible, New American Bible, ed. Virginia Halbur, Winona, MN: Saint Mary’s Press, 2006, pages 1107–1109.)