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Jeremiah 20-25

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586

Babylon conquers Judah

Jeremiah’s ministry ends

627

Jeremiah’s ministry begins

538

Jews allowed to return from exile (decree by Cyrus king of Persia)

593

Ezekiel

640

Zephaniah

605

Daniel

723

Assyria conquers Israel

930

United kingdom splits

1046

King Saul

1446

Moses

650

Nahum

612

Habakkuk

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Review

Chapter 1: Call of Jeremiah (627 BC)
Chapters 2-6: Poetry on Israel’s Apostasy (sins, plea for repentance, judgment)
Chapters 7-9: Preaching at Temple Gate, Stubbornness, Coming Judgment
Chapters 10-11: God greater than idols, Broken Covenant, Threat against Jeremiah
Chapters 12-19: Continued wickedness and approaching judgment

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Reading

Jeremiah 19:14-20:6

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Topheth

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Map from https://bibleatlas.org/full/topheth.htm

I wanted to start by reading the tail end of chapter 19 to give us some context for what is going on here. In chapter 19, Jeremiah had been called out to Topheth in the Ben Hinnom Valley. This is just a little south of Jerusalem. We have seen this place mentioned earlier in chapter 7 of Jeremiah, and this is the valley where sacrificial burning of children to Baal had taken place. Jeremiah had been called out here to proclaim the coming destruction on the people using the illustration of the shattering of a clay jar.

Having proclaimed that in Topheth, Jeremiah then returned to the temple courtyard in Jerusalem and then proclaimed a message to the inhabitants. This is what brings us to chapter 20 with Pashhur persecuting Jeremiah.

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Pashhur

Multiple Pashhurs in Jeremiah

Likely not the same person (different people in Jeremiah 20 vs. 21)

He is a priest and chief officer in the temple…

But also persecuting Jeremiah

Told he will be called “Terror on Every Side” (verse 3)

Magor-missabib (https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4036.htm)

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Timeline

Josiah - 640-609 BC

Killed in battle against Pharaoh Neco of Egypt

Jehoahaz - 609 BC

Imprisoned and replaced by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt

Jehoiakim - 609-598 BC

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacks
Jehoiakim becomes vassal for 3 years before rebelling
God sends more armies to Judah to destroy it (per prior prophecy)

Jehoiachin - 598-597 BC

King Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem
Jehoiachin surrenders
Many people (except poorest) and temple treasures taken captive to Babylon

Zedekiah - 597-586 BC

Jehoiachin’s uncle appointed as king by Nebuchadnezzar

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Reading

Jeremiah 20:7-18

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Discussion Question (Jeremiah 20:7-13)

Why does Jeremiah continue on with his preaching?

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Discussion Question (Jeremiah 20:14-18)

Why was Jeremiah (or anyone) born?

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These next few verses are pretty depressing, and I think communicate the state and difficulties Jeremiah was facing. But Jeremiah does end this lament with a question:

Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame? - Jeremiah 20:18 (ESV)

This can be a difficult question. It is certainly applicable to Jeremiah, but the broader question is applicable to everyone.

In Jeremiah’s case, I think it is important to recognize that he was not born only (and I would argue not even primarily) to see toil, sorrow, and experience shame. If we go back to chapter 1, we see at least some specific reasons Jeremiah was born:

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” - Jeremiah 1:4-10 (ESV)

Jeremiah had been created and born with a mission from God to prophesy. And given the holiness of God and sinfulness of the world, there is going to be toil, sorrow, shame involved in that. But that is not the only thing in Jeremiah’s life - God has much more that is good in store for Jeremiah (even if it may only be fully realized for Jeremiah after this life).

There is much more I could speculate on as to why Jeremiah (or anyone) might be born and experience these difficulties, but I am not going to list those here simply because I do not have certainty on all of the specific ways God may intend to work in and through situations like this. However, I am confident that God is doing much more than just these things in Jeremiah 20:18 in anyone’s life, and for the Christian, we can have confidence that God has called us to an eternally glorious purpose for our good that far exceeds any difficulties we may experience in this life (Romans 8:28-30).

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Reading

Jeremiah 21:1-14

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Siege of Jerusalem (~589-586 BC)

And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. - 2 Kings 25:1-3 (ESV)

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Fulfillment of Prophecy

Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. - 2 Chronicles 36:17 (ESV)

Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon. - 2 Kings 25:6-7 (ESV)

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Fulfillment of Prophecy

And he burned the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. - 2 Kings 25:9-12 (ESV)

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Jeremiah 22:1-8

Largely a repeat of Jeremiah 21:11-14 but with some additional elaboration

Emphasizing justice as described in Exodus, Deuteronomy

May still be presenting an opportunity to repent (verse 4)
May be a message earlier than previous chapter

Context of rest of this chapter

Ends with answer to “why” (given to Israelites several times previously):

“‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this great city?” And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”’” - Jeremiah 22:8-9 (ESV)

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Judgment Against Sinful Kings (Jeremiah 22:10-30)

Shallum (Jehoahaz) - Verses 10-12

And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. - 2 Kings 23:33-34 (ESV)

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Judgment Against Sinful Kings (Jeremiah 22:10-30)

Jehoiakim - Verses 13-23

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. - 2 Kings 23:35 (ESV)
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. - 2 Chronicles 36:5-6 (ESV)

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Judgment Against Sinful Kings (Jeremiah 22:10-30)

Coniah (Jehoiachin) - Verses 24-30

In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. - 2 Chronicles 36:10 (ESV)

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Reading

Jeremiah 23:1-8
Jeremiah 23:9-22
Jeremiah 23:23-32
Jeremiah 23:33-40

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Discussion Question (Jeremiah 20-23)

What were these leaders of Judah doing wrong

versus what should they have been doing?

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Discussion Question (Jeremiah 20-23)

Wrong

Refusing to listen to God’s prophets
Persecuting God’s prophets
Arrogance
Oppression
Murder
Greed
Unpaid labor
Leading God’s people astray
Adultery
Abuse of power
Evil even in God’s house
Worshipping other gods
Lie
Strengthen evildoers

Right

Repent
Seek and submit to God
Justice
Treat people well
Obey God
Help poor and needy
Attend to God’s people
Be wise
Live righteously

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Jeremiah 24 - The Good and Bad Figs

and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. - 2 Kings 24:12-16 (ESV)

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Jeremiah 24 - The Good and Bad Figs

Good: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. - Jeremiah 24:5-7 (ESV)
Bad: “But thus says the Lord: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.” - Jeremiah 25:8-10 (ESV)

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Reading

Jeremiah 25:1-14

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Jeremiah 25

Seventy Year Exile (verses 1-14):

4th year of Jehoiakim, 1st of Nebuchadnezzar (~605 BC)
Jeremiah has spoken faithfully for 23 years
Judah did not repent and obey God
Foretells Nebuchadnezzar coming to destroy and exile
After 70 years, punishment will come back on Babylon

Judgments On All Nations (verses 15-38):

For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the Lord of hosts.’ - Jeremiah 25:29 (ESV)

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