#1045 Intro to Jeremiah "Jehovah Throws" the Weeping Prophet

 

1These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 3and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.… Jeremiah 1: 1-3

Jeremiah on GTY

I would encourage you to read the link above, as it is thorough and I will use it as a point of reference, touching on some points but mostly printing the associated scriptures. Jeremiah gives a lot of information about himself throughout the book bearing his name. 

Mention of Jeremiah elsewhere in Scripture:

25Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the choirs of men and women sing laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Book of Laments. 26As for the rest of the acts of Josiah, along with his deeds of loving devotion according to what is written in the Law of the LORD—… 2 Chronicles 35: 25-26

11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke for the LORD. 13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.… 2 Chronicles 36: 11-13

22In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: 23“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up.’ ”… 2 Chronicles 36: 22-23

1In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.… Daniel 9: 1-3

…1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: 2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.… Ezra 1: 1-3

16When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”… Matthew 2: 16-18

13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”… Matthew 16: 13-15

…8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “ They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel, 10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.”… Matthew 27: 8-10

Quoting Jeremiah:

…30It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:31

…16so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory. 17Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.… 2 Corinthians 10: 16-18

7For if that first covenant had been without fault, no place would have been sought for a second. 8But God found fault with the people and said: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 9It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide by My covenant, and I disregarded them, declares the Lord.…

…10For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. 11 No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”… Hebrews 8: 7-12

…16“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.” 17Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 18And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer needed.… Hebrews 10: 16-18

Jeremiah was from a town called Anathoth, now known as Anata, located in the tribal inheritance of Benjamin. He, however, was not a Benjamite, because he was not just a prophet, but also the son of a priest, which would make him a Levite. He was known as the weeping prophet, and the things he saw and had to say would not have been popular. His was a 40 year ministry that saw no lasting revival, some outward reforms during Josiah's reign, but the people's hearts had not changed. The message he had to give was one of coming judgment and the people's need to repent, and their response was to put him on trial and seek out prophets who would scratch their itching ears. I'm excited to dive into this, Jeremiah had to confront many of the same things we deal with in our day only we give it different names. They had child sacrifice which we call abortion and choice these days. People worshiped the "queen of heaven", and this has found it's way into the so called "Christian" cults of Roman Catholicism with their worship of Mary, and many evangelical cults with their adoption of the feminist movement, rejecting God's word in regards to marriage, human sexuality and the gospel. If you are going to preach like Jeremiah, then be prepared for the world to hate you, and much of the so called church.