Cloud of Witnesses // Prayers of Jeremiah

Biblical Character Texts: 2 Chronicles 35-36, Jeremiah, & Lamentations.

Brief History Before Jeremiah’s Time

1. 4000 BC // God created Adam and Eve

2. 3000 BC // Noah and the flood

3. 2000 BC // Call of Abraham

4. 1500 BC // Moses and the deliverance of Israel

5. 1300 BC // Joshua, Moses’ successor conquers Jericho and Canaan, and thus, Israel is established as a country and ruled by Judges/Prophets.

6. 1050-1010 BC // Saul reigned as the first king of Israel

7. 1010-971 BC // David reigned as the second king of Israel

8. 971-931 BC // Solomon reigned as third king of Israel

9. 931 BC // Jeroboam rebels against Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) and divides the Kingdom into Judah (with Benjamin) and Israel (the remaining ten tribes).

10. 931-722 BC // For 209 years 19 kings rule Israel, southern kingdom, until the Assyrian captivity because of Israel’s sins, Hosea 2:13 & 2 Kings 15:27-31.

11. 931-586 BC // For 345 years 20 kings rule Judah, northern kingdom, until the Babylonian captivity because of Judah’s sins, Jeremiah 25:1-14 & 2 Kings 25.

12. 627-586 BC // For over 40 years Jeremiah was a prophet to Judah during the reigns of  King Josiah through King Zedekiah.

13. Great timeline of all the kings & prophets, click here.

Major Highlights of Jeremiah’s Life

1. The Bible tells more about Jeremiah’s personal life than any other prophet.  The book of Jeremiah is the second largest book in the Bible, Psalms is the first.  Plus, Jeremiah also wrote 1-2 Kings and Lamentations.

2. Jeremiah (Hebrew, “May Yahweh Establish”) was born in 650 BC to a priestly family and called to be a prophet at the age of 24 years old.  He had a prophetic ministry for over 40 years even after the fall of Jerusalem (586 BC).

3. Jeremiah’s prophecies were based on the blessings and curses of the Deuteronomic law given by God in the covenant He made with Israel, Jeremiah 11.

4. He was known as the “weeping prophet” because of the many tears he wept for his people, Jeremiah 9:1-3.

5. God in His prophecies had Jeremiah oppose the present day priests (Jer. 8:8-10), Judah’s kings (Jer. 21:1-23:8), the false prophets (Jer. 23:9-40), the people (Jer. 24:1-25:38), and all the people’s false beliefs (Jer. 26:1-29:32).

6. Because of Jeremiah’s strong opposition against Judah he was beaten and put into stocks by the head priest Pashhur (Jer. 20:1-6), was threatened to be put to death by all the priests and prophets (Jer. 26:1-8), King Jehoiakim burned his prophecies (Jer. 36:22-32), he was imprisoned and put in a dungeon by King Zedekiah (Jer. 37:16-21), thrown in a waist high mud pit without water or food, i.e. “a cistern” (Jer. 38:6), and remained imprisoned until the fall of Jerusalem (Jer. 40:1-6).  Sad but true, it was the Babylonians who appreciated his prophecies and let him go free (Jer. 40:2-4).

7. Though Jeremiah prophesied “terrifying judgment,” he also gave “tremendous hope” to the people of their restoration to the land after 70 years of captivity (Jer. 25:12-14) and these prophecies were used by Daniel to predict the return of Israel from Babylon in 516 BC (Daniel 9:1-3).

8. All that God had spoken through Jeremiah came to pass in 586 BC when King Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon conquered and took Judah into captivity, (Jer. 39).

9. It was believed Jeremiah died in Egypt around the age of 70, 580 BC.

10. More great information on Jeremiah, click here.

The Major Mistakes of Jeremiah’s Life

1. Doubt: When God called Jeremiah he said he was just a child and didn’t know how to speak, Jeremiah 1:6-7.

2. Complaining:  Both in the beginning and middle of Jeremiah’s ministry when he faced opposition he complained to God about his troubles, Jeremiah 12:1-7; 20:7-9.

How Jeremiah is Viewed in the New Testament

1. A Great Prophet: Matthew 2:17-18; 16:14.

2. A Forbearer of the New Covenant:  Hebrews 8:8-13 & Jeremiah 31:31-34.  For more insight on Jeremiah and the New Covenant, click here.

Today’s Focus on Jeremiah’s Prayers, “A Broken Heart for Broken People”

Sermon Text: Jeremiah 8:20-9:3

1. God will Judge His People 
(a) For forsaking Him, Jer. 2:13
(b) Losing their awe of God, Jer. 2:19
(c) Prostituting after idols, Jer. 2:20-25
(d) Not responding to correction, Jer. 2:30
(e) Denying their sin, Jer. 2:35
(f) Loving evil, Jer. 3:5
(g) Being foolish, Jer. 4:22
(h) Following false prophets, Jer. 5:31
(i) Being Offended By God’s Word, Jer. 6:10-11
(j) Having Greedy Hearts, Jer. 6:13
(k) Lacking any shame for their sin, Jer. 6:14-15
(l) Making His temple a “Den of Robbers,” Jer. 7:9-11
(m) Forgetting God’s laws, Jer. 8:4-8

2. God will Judge the Whole World for the Same Things He Judges His People
(a) Jeremiah 25:29-32
(b) Revelation 19:11-21

3. Jesus, by way of the New Covenant, is the Only Hope for All People
(a) Jeremiah 31:31-34
(b) Hebrews 8:6

4. Pray Like Eternal Souls are in the Balance- Because They Are!
(a) Jeremiah was told not to pray in Jer. 7:16 because judgment was coming.
(b) Jeremiah kept praying during judgment, Lamentations 3:8.
(c) After judgment God heard the people’s prayers because they came with repentance, Jeremiah 29:11-14.
(d) We are told to pray for all to be saved now until Jesus comes, 1 Timothy 2:1-6.

Sunday Sermon