ADULT

Lesson CommentarySummer Quarter, 2018

CONTENTS

About the Writers 3Introduction to Jeremiah 5 Lesson 1 Jeremiah’s Call 7 Jeremiah 1:1-19; 2 Kings 24:1-5

Lesson 2 God’s Message of Love to His People 14 Jeremiah 2:1-37; 2 Kings 24:6-10

Lesson 3 God’s Offer of Forgiveness 25 Jeremiah 3—6; 2 Kings 24:11-16

Lesson 4 The Destruction of Judah 38 Jeremiah 7—12; 2 Kings 24:17-20

Lesson 5 The Sin That Brought Destruction 51 Jeremiah 13—15; 2 Kings 25:1-21

Lesson 6 God’s Judgment on Judah 62 Jeremiah 16; 17; 2 Kings 25:22-30

Lesson 7 God’s Sovereignty over All Nations 70 Jeremiah 18—22; 2 Chronicles 36:1-10

Lesson 8 The Regathering of Israel 85 Jeremiah 23:1-40

Lesson 9 Judah Deported 91 Jeremiah 24:1-10; Lamentations 1—5; 2 Chronicles 36:11-19

Lesson 10 Judgment on Gentile Nations 106 Jeremiah 25; 26

Lesson 11 Submission to God’s Will 115 Jeremiah 27; 28

Lesson 12 The Return from Captivity 122 Jeremiah 29—31; 2 Chronicles 36:20-23

Lesson 13 The Restoration of Israel 134 Jeremiah 32—52Bibliography 159

Vol. 19, No. 1, Summer Quarter, 2018. Editor in Chief: Kyle W. Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org Business Manager: Wayne Sewell, wayne.sewell@bogardstore.org © 2018, Bogard Press, 4605 N. State Line Ave., Texarkana, TX 75503-2928 www.bogardpress.org; 1-800-264-2482

American Baptist AssociationThrough-the-Bible Series Sunday School Lessons

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19

John 11—21Ezra; Nehemiah

Habakkuk; HaggaiMalachi; Esther

1 Peter2 Peter

1, 2, 3 JohnJude

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20 Daniel

EzekielZechariah

Revelation 1—11 Revelation 12—22Genesis 1—11

Job

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21

Genesis 12—50 Matthew 1—13 Matthew 14—28 Exodus

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22

RomansLeviticusNumbers

DeuteronomyHebrews

JoshuaJudgesRuth

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23

Acts 1—14 Acts 15—281 Samuel

2 Samuel 1—41 Chronicles 1 —10

Mark 1—8

2024

Mark 9—162 Samuel 5—24

1 Chronicles 11—291 Kings 1; 2

James1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

Psalms 1—72

2025

Psalms 73—150 Galatians

1 Kings 3—222 Chronicles 1—24

2 Kings 1—13Joel; Obadiah

1 Corinthians

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Ephesians1 Timothy2 Timothy

Titus

JeremiahLamentations2 Kings 24; 25

2 Chronicles 36

John 1—10

Winter Spring Summer Fall

2026 Proverbs

EcclesiastesSong of Solomon

Luke 1—13:21 Luke 13:22—24

Hosea; Amos;Micah; Jonah;

2 Kings 14—162 Chronicles 25—28

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27

2 Corinthians

Isaiah 1—392 Chronicles 29—32

2 Kings 17—20Nahum

Isaiah 40—662 Kings 21—23

2 Chronicles 33—35Zephaniah

PhilemonPhilippiansColossians

About the WritersRecognized for their knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the Holy

Scriptures, the writers of the Adult Lesson Commentary are faithful pastors, teachers and spiritual leaders among the Lord’s churches. The following are biographical notes about these men.

David Butimore, Sr. is the writer of the Adult Lesson Commentary narrative. He was born in January, 1951 in Lynwood, California. He graduated from Westminster High School (Westminster, California) in 1969. He attended and graduated (AA degree) from Orange Coast College in 1972. He was saved August 20, 1970, at a Missionary Baptist Encampment in Northern California. He was baptized by the authority of Community MBC, Orange, California. He en rolled at California Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary (CMBI) and graduated with a Doctor of Theology

in 1990. He was ordained by the authority of Olive Hill MBC, Oroville, California (1975), and has held pastorates in California and Washington. He is currently the pastor of First MBC, Fresno. He served as faculty member and administrator of CMBI (1987-1993) and is currently President of Fresno Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary. In the California Association, he has served as moderator, music director and parliamentarian. He has served in the Washington Association as moderator. He has served as Music Director, Assistant Parliamentarian, Parliamentarian, Vice President and President of the American Baptist Association. He is currently serving on the Baptist Sunday School Committee and is Treasurer of the American Baptist Association of Theological Schools. He is the author of six books. He has been married to his wife, Debby, since 1977 and has two sons, a daughter and son-in-law and one grandson. Brother Bultimore may be contacted at brob@bigvalley.net.

Larry Crouch is the writer of the Adult Lesson Commentary mannas. He was born in Toulumne, California in 1942, was saved in 1952 and baptized by the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento. He surrendered to preach on August 4, 1957, at the Bayshore Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo, California. The Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in South Gate, California ordained him in May of 1963. He has pastored in the states of Washington and California. He received his Bachelor of Theology Degree from California Missionary Baptist Institute in Bellflower, California, and his Master and Doctor

of Theology degrees from Fresno Missionary Baptist Institute, in Fresno, California. The school in Fresno also conferred upon him the degree of Doctor

of Divinity in 1998. He is a member of the California and the American Baptist Association History and Archives Committees. He has taught Prison Epistles, Hermeneutics and Journalism. He is currently teaching Systematic Theology, Church History, Major and Minor Prophets and the Pentateuch at the seminary in Fresno. He is the pastor of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Oakhurst, California. He and his wife, Joyce, live behind the church. The mailing address is P.O. Box 3826, Oakhurst, CA 93644. Brother and Sister Crouch have been blessed with three children and six grandchildren. The oldest, Lance, lives in Tennessee and writes and sings gospel music. Kari and her family are members of the Missionary Baptist Church in Antioch, California. The youngest son, Zachary, is the Youth Minister at the Missionary Baptist Church in Ceres, California. Brother Crouch may be contacted at pastorcrouch@gmail.com.

Mark Thornton prepared the Adult Lesson Commentary word studies. He was saved in 1970 and baptized by Emmanuel MBC of Malvern, AR. He surrendered to preach in 1977 at age 16, and has served as pastor: Big Creek MBC of Malvern, AR, 1980-1986 and 2005-present; Liberty MBC of Little Rock, 1986-1997; First Baptist Church of Bryant, AR, 1997-2005. He has taught at the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock since 1989. He teaches Hebrew, Greek and Hermeneutics. He has written for the Searchlight, including a series on “Where We Got Our Bible.”

In 2004 he earned a Doctor of Bible Languages degree from the seminary and attended the University of Haifa in Israel where he studied Hebrew in a summer intensive language school. He has also completed online Hebrew courses from Israel. He and his wife, Brenda, have two sons, Matthew and Steven, and three grandsons, Landon, Luke and Micah. Brother Thornton may be contacted at refthorn@yahoo.com.

Book of JeremiahIntroduction

The prophet Jeremiah was called by the Lord at a young age to prophesy to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been decimated and taken captive by the Assyrian army in 720 BC, some one hundred years before Jeremiah was divinely appointed by the Lord. Jeremiah prophesied during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah: Josiah (640—608 BC), Jehoahaz (608 BC) three months, Jehoiakim (608—597 BC) eleven years, Jehoiachin (also Jeconiah) (597 BC) 3 months and Zedekiah (597—586 BC) eleven years. Jeremiah’s name, not uncommon in Israel’s history, does not have a clear translation. Some have suggested that the name means the Lord exalts, or the Lord casts down. He was born in Anathoth, a city in the land of Benjamin which was a designated place for the Levitical priests. His father was Hilkiah, a priest who was in the priestly line of Levi. Jeremiah was born in such a family, but his purpose in life was changed from that of a priest by his birthright, to that of a prophet as a result of his divine call. He never served in the priestly office since his call from God altered his purpose in life. He was called into the prophetic ministry early in his life. Some have suggested that he was but fourteen years old and began his prophetic ministry during the latter part of the reign of King Josiah in about 628 BC. Josiah was the last of the righteous kings of Judah, having followed the wicked reigns of Manasseh and Amon. The spiritual reforms of the king were short lived, and the rest of Judah’s pre-exilic history is one of ever-increasing wickedness and idol worship. Early in his ministry Jeremiah observed the disintegration of the once mighty Assyrian empire which finally collapsed in 620 BC. Emerging from the demise of the Assyrians, the Babylonians became the seemingly invincible power. At the time, Egypt was attempting a revival of its power. In the years following the death of King Josiah, it appears that there were two factions in Jerusalem. The first may be referred to as the pro-Egypt party which favored aligning with the Egyptians for the survival of the nation of Judah. The second may be referred to as the pro-Babylon party which favored the emergence of the Babylonian empire. In either case, the nation of Judah had turned completely away from the Lord and, thus, were in no spiritual condition to trust Jehovah their God for their prosperity. The prophets of the Lord tried to convince the people of Judah that neither alliance was of any value but encouraged the people to repent and turn back to the Lord in faith. The prophetic ministry of Jeremiah occurred during the period during which the Babylonian empire rose to its worldwide prominence. His ministry

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began during the thirteenth year of the reign of King Josiah, which took place in about the year 626 BC. The nation of Judah was in the midst of a five year revival. Jeremiah’s ministry continued into the beginning years of the exile in Babylon. The prophet died in Egypt not many years after the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. The legacy of King Josiah’s reign of a temporary revival did not continue with his wicked sons or grandsons. After a three month rule, Jehoahaz was taken captive into Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh-necho who believed he was a pro-Babylonian sympathizer. Neco made Jehoaikim king, who reigned for eleven years. He was a brutal ruler full of wickedness and tried on a number of occasions to silence the prophet Jeremiah. During his fateful reign, the Battle of Carchemish took place in 605 BC during which Egypt was vanquished by the Babylonians under the military might of Nebuchadnezzar who eventually became the emperor. After that fateful battle, the Babylonians overtook Palestine. Several able artisans and counselors of Judah, such as Daniel, were deported to Babylon. In the midst of the Palestinian takeover, King Jehoiakim was killed during a coup. His son, Jehoiachin, succeeded his father. The prophet Jeremiah referred to him as Jeconiah. After further attacks on Jerusalem, the Babylonians captured Jehoiachin in 597 BC along with additional craftsmen and other notable Hebrew people. He was confined in a Babylonian prison for thirty-seven years but was later released. After the Babylonians assumed the rule in Palestine, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, to rule the nation of Judah as a puppet monarch. Even though he was a vassal king under the authority of the Babylonians and possessed an extremely weak character, he preserved the life of the prophet Jeremiah by protecting him against the aristocrats and actually had confidence in his counsel. Ultimately, Zedekiah was moved toward rebellion against the Babylonians, and during the ninth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar began his final military siege of Jerusalem. In 587 BC, the city was captured and completely destroyed. Zedekiah was blinded and taken captive into Babylon along with most of the people of Judah. In chapters 40—45 of Jeremiah’s prophecy, we have the exclusive account of the final years of the nation. After the capture of King Zedekiah, the remaining Hebrew people were under the appointed governor, Gedaliah. After his assassination, many of the remaining Jews sojourned to Egypt, including the prophet, where he died. The conclusion of the book of Jeremiah brought the epoch of the Davidic dynasty to a temporary end. However, it will find its glorious resurgence when King Jesus assumes the throne of David at the conclusion of this current age.

Introduction The early ministry of Jeremiah, who was raised in the household of the priest Hilkiah of Anathoth, was commissioned by God for a prophetic ministry. Because of the call to ministry, he never assumed any priestly duties. His special call from the Lord was specifically for the unenviable task of proclaiming a message of the destruction of the Southern Kingdom of Judah by a formidable foe from the north. He was, as a result, a very unpopular prophet, considering the fact that the people of Judah were spiritually apathetic and had long before abandoned their exclusive relationship with Jehovah their God. The Hebrew word translated “words” in verse 1 is from the Hebrew word davar which usually is restricted to words, but in this particular con-text, it refers to the words and the deeds of the prophet which proceeded from his prophesying. Anathoth was a city in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin which had been set aside for the Levites, especially those of the priestly line. It was located approxi-mately two and a half miles northeast of Jerusalem. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah early in his life, thus eliminating him as a practicing Levitical priest. God’s prophetic call

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Lesson 1 June 3, 2018

Jeremiah’s Call

Jeremiah 1:1-19; 2 Kings 24:1-5

Manna

The Background of Jeremiah (Jere-miah 1:1): Jeremiah means Jehovah will rise or Jehovah exalts. Jeremiah was born in Anathoth about 646 BC. Ana-thoth was a Levitical city in Benjamin about three miles northeast of Jerusa-lem (Joshua 21:3, 17, 18). Jeremiah’s father was Hilkiah which means por-tion of Jehovah. He was from the line of Abiathar, who was exiled by Solomon to Anathoth for helping Adonijah (1 Kings 2:26). During the time of Jeremiah, the nations of the Middle East were prepar-ing for war, and Judah was caught in the crossfire. To the north was Assyria who attempted to keep a firm hand on the land in the Northern Kingdom of Israel; to the east was Nabopolassar and Babylon; to the south lay Egypt which was once again hungry for power. During these turbulent times, God called Jeremiah to warn the peo-ple of Judah of the impending doom that was to befall them because of their national apostasy.

was a lifetime appointment and pre-cluded any potential of his service as a priest. Jeremiah’s ministry began during the thirteenth year of the reign of King Josiah, the last good king of the nation, who had brought in a number of spiritual reforms and revival. Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, reigned in his place, but three months later he was taken captive by Pharaoh-necho of Egypt. His wicked brother Jehoiakim came to the throne and immediately reinstituted the paganism his father had worked so hard to destroy. Obviously, the righteous prophet of God had absolutely nothing good to say about him. He was forced to pay tribute to the Babylonians after Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem. He later rebelled and was brought to a very violent end after eleven years of a godless rule. His uncle, Zedekiah, was the last king of Judah and was another of Josiah’s sons. He was an extremely weak ruler and the vast majority of the Hebrews living in Judah were taken captive around 586 BC. His reign of eleven years was

brought to an abrupt end with the siege and destruction of both the city of Jerusalem and the Solomonic Temple.

Jeremiah’s Divine Call Jeremiah 1:4-10 Unlike the means whereby God called others by means of a vision, Jeremiah’s call was through the actual hearing of the Lord’s divine word. The call of God was upon Jeremiah before the prophet was even conceived in his mother’s womb. Jeremiah was born after the fact of God’s call, consecration and appointment to the prophetic office. The ministry of the prophet was so important that the Lord equipped him completely to accomplish that task. From a divine perspective,

8 / Jeremiah 1:1-19; 2 Kings 24:1-5

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The Kings in the Days of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:2, 3): Jeremiah was called during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, who was twenty-one years old. This was the year 628 or 627 BC. Jeremiah ministered during the reign of Josiah, who reigned from 640 to 610 (2 Kings 22:1—23:30). During Jeremiah’s ministry, he would have been a con-temporary with the prophets Zepha-niah and Habakkuk. During this time, there was a prophetess named Huldah (2 Chronicles 34:14-33). Jehohaz reigned for three months, and there is no proph-ecy recorded from Jeremiah during this time. Jehoiakim reigned from 609 to 598 BC, and Daniel began his ministry. Jehoiachin also reigned for three months when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jeru-salem and carried him and the Temple treasures back to Babylon (2 Kings 24:8-16). Zedekiah was the last king to reign in Judah before the final deportation 597-587 BC. During this time, the minis-try of Ezekiel began among the captives in Babylon.

Sanctified Word Study #6942

Jeremiah 1:5. This word means to be holy God made or caused Jeremiah to be holy or set apart, consecrated or dedicated for service Jeremiah was set apart to serve the Lord before he was born This speaks of the omniscience and sovereignty of an all-wise God

Jeremiah’s Call / 9

God’s infinite foreknowledge enabled Him to call, commission and equip His servant immediately for the specific purpose God intended. It should be pointed out that Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry has a worldwide and timeless scope. He, indeed, prophesied to the nation of Judah concerning their soon coming demise, but his message was given to the nations at large. In spite of the special call of God upon his life, the prophet was absolutely terrified with the magnitude of the task. As a result, he pled with the Lord concerning his youth and lack of experience. The Hebrew word for “child” (verse 7) is na‘ar and does not really specify an actual age. The word may have been chosen with respect to the length of his ministry which would put Jeremiah’s possible age at approximately twenty years. While the prophet Isaiah considered himself to be unclean when the Lord called him, Jeremiah’s concern with respect to his call was one of inadequacy, much like Moses felt when the Lord called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Beginning in verse 7, the Lord dismissed the fact that Jeremiah was a youth and simply appealed to His own sovereign will in His divine call. Whether then or now when the Lord calls someone to serve Him in a special capacity, it needs to be pointed out that when God calls, He provides and equips His servants with everything they need to fulfill their particular ministry. Most important is the fact of God’s presence to encourage and protect His servants. The Lord’s presence enabled Jeremiah to overcome his fears so that his hesitation would cease. Even though the prophet would be slandered, persecuted and terribly oppressed by his own people, the Lord would provide the courage he needed to continue in the midst of such attacks. With that assurance, Jeremiah was divinely enabled to

MannaGod’s Answer to Our Excuses (Jer-emiah 1:6, 7): In answer to God’s call, Jeremiah pleaded that he had limited abilities. Here we are privileged to wit-ness the grace of God and the humility of Jeremiah. Jeremiah pleaded, “I am a child.” The Hebrew word for child in this verse is na‘ar. It does not identify a definite age. Within the context either youth or young man would, perhaps, be the best use. The Lord does not make mistakes in choosing for His service. He provides the things that are needed for His ser-vants to be successful. The Lord’s reply to Jeremiah’s excuses was immediate and full of assurance. Jeremiah’s youth would not be a problem. He was guar-anteed divine sufficiency to complete the Lord’s purpose. Jeremiah’s early ministry, no doubt, found great joy when he served alongside the young and godly Josiah. Jeremiah was encour-aged when the Lord told him, “Say not, I am a child.”

Ordained Word Study #5414

Jeremiah 1:5. This is the word nathan in Hebrew and means to give, to deliver, to appoint, to set or to place God gave or appointed Jeremiah to be a prophet or to function as a spokesman for God to the nations, not only to Israel

speak the words of God to His people; a message that was sorely needed. In verse 9, the word “touched” is translated from the Hebrew word nagah and refers to the idea of being touched for the purpose of being equipped to perform a particular ser-vice. In this context, the Lord pro-vided the necessary evidence that He had personally empowered Jeremiah to perform the tasks of the divine call which he had received. The actual words of the Lord were imparted to him and he was, therefore, completely equipped to do exactly what God had called him to do. In verse 10, the Lord shared the overriding importance of the mes-sage the prophet was to declare. It far exceeded the powers and authorities of the entire earth. God’s special cov-enant people were to hear His words

regarding the soon and swift destruction of the nation of Judah and their sev-enty year captivity in Babylon. Even with the sheer negativity of those events being declared, the mercy of God was duly noted concerning the eventual res-toration of the nation and the messianic element of Israel’s future destiny. Because of the importance of Jeremiah’s mission, the authority of God’s words in his mouth were carried out in perfect fulfillment.

Two Preliminary Visions Jeremiah 1:11-19 In order to lend further authentication to his divine call, two visions were immediately given to Jeremiah. The visions are relatively simple to under-stand as their explanations are also given, both related to judgment. The first

vision was that of the rod of an almond tree. Almond trees blossom much ear-lier than other trees which remain dor-mant until many months later. Almond orchards were plentiful in the region in which Jeremiah was born and raised, namely, Anathoth. When the Lord made inquiry as to the vision of the rod of the almond tree, the prophet was able to iden-tify it probably due to his familiarity with almond trees and blossoms. The presence of almond blossoms was one of the signs

10 / Jeremiah 1:1-19; 2 Kings 24:1-5

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God’s Words in Our Mouths (Jer-emiah 1:9): The One who formed Jeremiah put forth His hand and touched his mouth. Here, human met with divine. Jeremiah’s lack of speech would not be a problem, for his mes-sage would be the words the Lord put in his mouth. Is any stronger language needed to show that Jeremiah spoke and wrote by divine inspiration? Jer-emiah’s message was the Lord’s mes-sage. The Old Testament prophets used the phrase “thus saith the Lord” three hundred forty-nine times. The desire and aim of every God-called preacher should be for the message to truthfully declare, “Thus saith the Lord” (Jer-emiah 2:2).

Almond Tree Word Study #8247

Jeremiah 1:11. This word refers to the fruit tree as well as the kernel of the fruit of the tree known as almond The idea of the word is to watch, watch over, be wakeful It is used of the almond tree because it is the first tree to wake up or bloom out of the long winter sleep

Jeremiah’s Call / 11

that the winter season was coming to an end and spring was soon approaching. The almond trees are said to be watching over the whole matter as though they anticipate the coming change of season. Sometimes, the Hebrew language has an interesting play on words. The word translated “almond tree,” shaquedh in verse 11, is similar to the word “hasten” in verse 12 which is translated from the word shaquadh. The play on words (or paranomasia) is lost in English but served as a vital impact for the vision in the original language. The emphasis was on the reality that the judgment predicted in previous prophetic utter-ances was just about to come to pass. The second vision, as found in verses 13 through 19, was that of a seething or boiling pot. Since the words a “second time” are used, it shows the connection of the two visions relating to the same events about to transpire. The first vision had to do with the timing of the pending judg-ment, whereas the second had to do with the fierceness of God’s judgment which had previously been poured out upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel. However, the seething cauldron of judgment was about to be turned to the south where its boiling contents would ravage the nation of Judah. It would originate in Baby-lon from the north. An interesting note regarding the geographical location of the two nations is that even though Babylon was actually east of Palestine, the Arabian Desert was virtually impassable and any military campaigns actually took place from the north of Palestine. The impending judgment would be so devastating that the entire land of Judah would be destroyed. This included Jerusa-lem and the Solomonic Temple. The inva-sion from the north by the Babylonians would eventually be complete providing them an undeniable victory. Beginning in verse 15, the prophet declared that the once grand nation of Judah would be overcome by countries and kingdoms which could not be stopped. The seat of Judah’s government, the throne of Judah’s king in Jerusalem, would fall prey to the demands of the invading armies of the north. They set up their encampments in the places where the citizens of Judah carried on their normal business activities. There would be undeniable subjugation. History shows that after Jehoiachin was taken

Seething Pot Word Studies #5301, 5518

Jeremiah 1:13. A boiling pot or seething expresses the idea of puff-ing, blowing, breathing or exhaling In context, boiling is intended A caldron, pan or pot of water over the fire will eventually puff or exhale This is what Jeremiah saw—a pot of boiling water

Incense Word Study #6999

Jeremiah 1:16. “Have burned incense” comes from one Hebrew verb meaning to offer a smoke offering, or to cause to go up in smoke It is used in reference to offering sacrifices and suggests making something go up in smoke, whether a sacrifice to God or to false gods This is not only a reference to the incense or fragrance used in some sacrifices but also generally all sacrifices that go up in smoke

captive to Babylon, his uncle, King Zedekiah, was a puppet king placed on Judah’s throne by Nebuchadnezzar. When he was later taken captive himself, the governor of Judah Gedaliah would serve the interest of the king of Babylon. From the beginning of his ministry, Jeremiah’s prophecy was that of judgment and destruction for the nation of Judah. The Lord revealed the reasons judgment was coming upon Judah, and Jeremiah shared those details with the people. First, the people had for-saken the exclusive worship and service of Jehovah, their God. Second, they

burned incense to the pagan deities of their Gentile neighbors, just as their brethren to the north had done. The first two sins were interrelated. They refused to worship the true God Jehovah, and they followed that with worshiping false, non-existent gods. Third, they worshiped idols that they made with their own hands, a clear sin of disobedience and blasphemy as stated in the Mosaic Law. In verses 17-19, the prophet was given further encouragement from the Lord to be faithful in fulfilling the tasks he had been assigned. He was given a cautionary admonition. Because he would be delivering a most unwelcome and unpopular message to the citizens of Judah which would largely be rejected, he was not to fear those rejecters since the Lord had promised His presence and His power to Jeremiah. Such would require com-plete commitment to the Lord on his part knowing that the strength of

the Lord would ultimately be sufficient. With his dependence on the Lord, the prophet could be sustained and would succeed in his mission. The Lord fur-ther commanded him to prepare vigorously for the task at hand. According to verse 18, he was going to be challenged by four different classes of the people of Judah: kings, officials, priests and the people at-large. During the course of his prophetic ministry, one or more of these groups opposed him at every turn. In spite of the incredible challenges facing him, and as long as Jeremiah placed his faith in the Lord, he would prevail. Of course, the true test of a prophet has to do with the accuracy of his prophecies. He prevailed over all his enemies. Every single one of his prophecies were completely verified, thus, giving testimony that he was a true prophet of God and that his divine calling was, likewise, true.

12 / Jeremiah 1:1-19; 2 Kings 24:1-5

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God’s Protection of His Servant (Jer-emiah 1:17): How was such a young prophet to meet the challenge of pre-senting such a message? The Lord called upon Jeremiah to take courage. “Gird up thy loins” is an imperative, declaring the importance and urgency of the message. It is as though the Lord told Jeremiah to brace himself for what lay ahead. The words “dismayed” and “confound” are from the same Hebrew word. The verb chathath (khaw-thath’) means to prostrate, to break down, either by violence or by confusion and fear: to be or make afraid, to discourage, scare or terrify. One can only imagine the feelings Jeremiah experienced as he stood before the wicked kings and peo-ple. Yet, the Lord’s admonitions were not be terrified, do not let them beat you down and do not become discour-aged because of them.

Jeremiah’s Call / 13

The Evil Reign of King Jehoiakim 2 Kings 24:1-5 After the defeat of the combined armies of the Assyrians and Egyptians at the Battle of Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar was concerned about the nation of Judah due to the fact that it strategically stood between Egypt and Assyria both of which had reputed military powers. Nebuchadnezzar swiftly sought to make the nation of Judah and its king Jehoiakim a subservient nation and vassal king, a virtual pawn in his overall plans of becoming a world power. Judah had sought on several occasions to succeed in attaining alliances with the king of Egypt. Because of that, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to be sure that Jehoiakim would be loyal to him. He served the Babylonian prince for three years but sought to rebel against him to return to his preferred alliance with Pharaoh-necho of Egypt. After additional military campaigns between the Babylonians and the Egyptians, the armies of Babylon had to increase, so King Jehoiakim ceased in his loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar in what he thought was his opportunity to assume Judah’s national sovereignty. Babylon was not only Judah’s enemy, but it was also raised by the Lord as the means to bring chastisement upon His disobedient people. In addition to Babylonia, the Lord raised up a number of other nations who were moved to exact vengeance upon Judah. Since the countries comprising the Transjordan plain were also vassal nations to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar sent them to raid Judah. Because of the sins of the tribe of Manasseh in which they killed the innocent people among the Hebrews who were committed to Jehovah, they were to receive the vengeance of the Lord by way of the marauding armies of the Syrians, Ammonites and Moabites. They were only too willing to serve at the bidding of the prince of Babylon, all of which was orchestrated by God Himself.

Conclusion The nation of Babylon was on its way to achieve world domination. World history records that they were one of the most dynamic forces the world had ever known. The true history, as recorded in the book of Jeremiah and 2 Kings, shows that the God of the Hebrews had actually raised up Gentile powers to affect His chastisement upon His wayward people, Israel and Judah. No doubt, the Gentile nations of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon really did not know how or why they were used by the Lord, but they certainly were used to accomplish God’s overall purposes for His people. Every single nation that opposed Israel and, later, Judah, endured the sure judgment of God. Israel and Judah, in spite of their grievous acts of sin, were still God’s covenant people.