Jeremiah Introduction

Jeremiah was the second of the Major Prophets. His name literally means, "Jehovah establishes" or "lifts up". He was born about 640 BC, began his ministry about 624 BC and died about 587 BC at the age of 53. He lived approximately 100 years after Isaiah, during the final days of Jerusalem and Judah. He died shortly after the Babylonians or Chaldeans destroyed Jerusalem.
There are two stories about his death.

One tells of Jeremiah at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, took the Ark of the Covenant and the Alter to Mt. Nebo and hid them in a cave, taking the information of his death and their location to the grave with him.
Others believe that at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem Jeremiah escaped to Egypt where he was later stoned to death for his condemnation of the Egyptians. Tradition had it that he was buried in obscurity until Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, had his bones dug up and moved them to the City of Alexander where they were buried.

Jeremiah began prophesying when he was a young man, about 16 years old. He was sent of God to tell Judah about their sins and to warn them about God's judgments. His style was rough and plain. He was called the "Weeping Prophet" because he wept over the sins of God's people. Matthew Henry, in his commentary, says, "He was more of an 'oak' than a 'weeping willow'. He was persecuted by his own people more than any other Prophet. He was probably a Benjaminite, born in the town of Ana-thoth in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He lived most of his life in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, mostly in Jerusalem.
He condemned his hometown people, the Temple Priests, the false Prophets, the unfit rulers and the military authorities. His constant attacks only made life almost unbearable for him and he longed for a peaceful place to lay his head. He actually cursed the day he was born. He disliked his "combative" nature but this was the quality that the Lord needed and he could not put out the "fire" that was in him.
Jeremiah dictated the book to his secretary, Ba-ruch, who wrote it down on papyrus. Ba-ruch's legalistic and deuteromic dictation can be detected through out the book.
Jeremiah was probably one of the first to realize that it was only a matter of time before the Temple, and it's mode of worship, would cease to be. He had discovered God in his own heart and he knew that that's where God would be found in the future rather than Jerusalem or the Temple. Jesus was thought by some to have been Jeremiah returned from the dead, because of the similarity of their teachings.
The Book can be divided into 4 parts:

Chapters 1 thru 25 The Words of Jeremiah.
Chapters 26 thru 45 Biographical materials about Jeremiah.
Chapters 46 thru 51 Oracles against foreign nations by Jeremiah.
Chapter 52 A historic appendix.

A Study of the Book of Jeremiah

Subject Chapter

Jeremiah, Predestined 1

Jeremiah's First Sermon 2

Jeremiah's Sermon Continued 3

Jeremiah's Warning to Judah 4

Jeremiah's Warning Continued 5

Prophesies of Jerusalem's Destruction 6

The Temple Would not Protect Them 7

Atrocities on Jerusalem 8

Jeremiah Mourns Jerusalem 9

Instructions on Bondage 10

Conspiracy Against Jeremiah 11

Jeremiah's Discouragement 12

Two Parables 13

The Record of a Great Draught 14

Jeremiah Complains 15

Temporary Quarters 16

The Sin of Idolatry 17

God's Sovereignty 18

Judgment Foretold in the Valley of Tophet 19

Jeremiah's Public Embarrassment 20

A Message from the King 21

Previous warning to the Kings 22

Wicked Prophets and Priests 23

Jeremiah's Vision 24

Nebuchadrezzar's Introduction 25

Jeremiah's Faithfulness 26

Jeremiah's Advice 27

Jeremiah's Adversary 28

Jeremiah's Letter to the Captives 29

Jeremiah Prophesies Good Things 30

Good Things Continued 31

Jeremiah Looks to the Future 32

Future Promises Continued 33

Two Messages From Jeremiah 34

God's Wrath Proclaimed 35

A Book of Jeremiah's Sermons 36

Jeremiah's Arrest 37

A Private Conference with the King 38

Jeremiah's Prophesies 39

The Plot Discovered 40

The Plot Executed 41

Jeremiah's Advice to Johanan 42

Johanan Disregards the Advice 43

Jeremiah's Awakening Sermon 44

Prophesy Concerning Baruch 45

Prophesy Concerning Egypt 46

Prophesy Concerning Philista 47

Prophesy Concerning Moab 48

Prophesies of Other Nations 49

Prophesies Concerning Babylon 50

Babylon's Destruction 51

A Historical Appendix 52

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