Jeremiah - a courageous man

To understand Jeremiah, we must understand his people, his message, and his problems. He has many important messages for his generation and fervently warns them of impending doom. Compared to Isaiah, however, he offers little hope for future restoration. In his time, especially after Josiah's death, judgment is inevitable. In an effort to turn his generation back to God, Jeremiah focuses mainly on the issues of his time. Jeremiah, who for forty years of Judah's national existence as a kingdom brought vital messages to the people, speaks of his personal experiences more than any other Old Testament prophet.

Forty years of service

Approximately at the time when Manasseh announced the birth of the crown prince Josiah, Jeremiah's birth in Anathoth went practically unnoticed. Jeremiah was raised in a village forty-five kilometers northeast of the capital and was therefore well acquainted with the events that shook Jerusalem.

Josiah became king at the age of eight when Amon was killed (640 BC). During eight years, the sixteen-year-old king clearly cared about obeying God. After another four years, Josiah took the first positive steps to cleanse the nation of idolatry. In Jerusalem and other cities from Simeon in the south to Naphtali in the north, shrines and altars for foreign gods were destroyed. As a young man not yet twenty, Josiah heard many conversations in his priestly home about the religious zeal of the new king.

During this nationwide reformation, around 627 BC, Jeremiah was called to prophetic service. Chapter 1 does not record where he was at the time or how he was called. Unlike the majestic vision of Isaiah or the thorough and detailed prophecy of Ezekiel, Jeremiah's calling is remarkable for its simplicity. Yet Jeremiah was well aware that God had called him to be a prophet. This calling is confirmed in two simple visions. An almond branch signified the certainty with which the prophetic word would be fulfilled, and a boiling pot illustrated the nature of his message. Jeremiah realized that he would face strong opposition, but God also assured him that He would give him the strength to repel any attacks and that He would save him in case of danger.

296 The Old Testament Speaks

VII.

Table of JEREMIAH'S TIME

650 — Jeremiah's birth - approximate date

648 — Josiah's birth

641 — Amon's accession to the Davidic throne

640 — Josiah's accession

632 — Josiah begins to seek God

628 — Josiah initiates reformation

627 — Jeremiah's calling to prophetic service

626 — Nebopolassar's accession to the Babylonian throne

622 — the book of the law found in the temple - celebration of the Passover

612 — fall of Nineveh

610 — Haran captured by the Babylonians

609 — Josiah killed - three-month reign of Jehoahaz Assyrian-Egyptian army abandons the siege of Haran and moves to Carchemish Jehoiakim replaces Jehoahaz in Judah

605 — at the beginning of the year, the Egyptians from Carchemish at Quramati defeat the Babylonians Babylonians in a decisive battle defeat the Egyptians at Carchemish first captivity of Judah - Jehoiakim swears allegiance to Babylon Nebuchadnezzar's accession to the Babylonian throne

601 — indecisive battle of Babylonians with Egyptians

598 — Jehoiakim dies - siege of Jerusalem

597 — after three-month reign Jehoiachin captured second captivity - Zedekiah king

588 — January 15 begins the siege of Jerusalem accession of Apries to the Egyptian throne

586 — July 19 Babylonians enter Jerusalem August 15 temple burned Gedaliah killed - migration to Egypt

19. Chapter 297

From the first eighteen years (627-609) of Jeremiah's service, we learn little from biblical records. Neither the prophet himself nor contemporary historians mention whether he was publicly involved in Josiah's reformation, starting in 628 and culminating with the Passover in 622. When the book of the law was found in the temple, it was not Jeremiah who interpreted it to the king, but the prophetess Huldah. However, from the simple statement that Jeremiah mourned Josiah's death in 609 [2Chr 35:25 ] and from the interest in religion shared by both the prophet and the king, we can logically assume that Jeremiah actively supported Josiah's reformation.

It is difficult to determine exactly in how many of Jeremiah's prophecies, recorded in his book, Josiah's time is reflected. The indictment of Israel for apostasy [Jer 2:6 ] is mostly dated to the early years of his service. Although the masses had not yet engaged in national revival at that time, it is probable that during Josiah's reign, Jeremiah encountered minimal opposition.

Even though national problems, linked to Assyrian interventions in internal Judean politics, receded into the background and Judah enjoyed extraordinary independence under Josiah, developments in the Tigris-Euphrates region were watched with tension in Jerusalem. The optimism associated with Josiah's reformation undoubtedly mitigated the fear that the Babylonians would rise to power in the east. The news of Nineveh's fall in 612 was probably welcomed in Judah and understood as the end of Assyrian interventions in Judean politics. However, the fear of the rise of Assyrian power prompted Josiah to stop the Egyptians at Megiddo (609 BC) and prevent them from aiding the Assyrians retreating before the advancing Babylonian army.

The sudden death of Josiah marked a critical turning point in events for Judah and personally for Jeremiah. While the prophet mourned the loss of a pious king, the nation was plunged into a whirl of international conflicts. Jehoahaz ruled for only three months and fell into the hands of the Egyptian Necho. Necho then placed Jehoiakim on the Davidic throne in Jerusalem. The sudden turn of events not only left Jeremiah without any political support but also exposed him to the ruthless machinations of apostate leaders who enjoyed Jehoiakim's favor.

The most critical years 609-586 cannot be compared with any other Old Testament period. Politically, the sun was setting on Judah's national independence, and international conflicts, which eventually brought Jerusalem to ruins, cast deadly shadows over Judah. In the religious sphere, old crimes that Josiah had eradicated returned under Jehoahaz. After Josiah's funeral, Canaanite, Egyptian, and Assyrian idols were restored to their old places. Jeremiah fearlessly and tirelessly warned the people of the impending catastrophe. However, his own people persecuted him because he served an apostate nation led by ungodly leadership. Compared to the continuous suffering and anxiety that Jeremiah endured while serving among a people whose nation was falling apart, a martyr's death would have been a relief for Jeremiah. Instead of listening to the message that the prophet brought them from God, the people persecuted the prophet.

298 The Old Testament Speaks

Judah was struck by crisis after crisis until it was almost brought to ruin, but no one paid attention to Jeremiah's warnings. The year 605 BC marked the beginning of the Babylonian captivity of some Jerusalem citizens, yet Jehoiakim swore allegiance to the attacking Babylonians. In the Egyptian-Babylonian struggle, which continued in the remaining years of Jehoiakim's reign, Jehoiakim made a fatal mistake: he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, hastening the crisis of 598-597. Not only did Jehoiakim's reign suddenly end with his death, but his son Jehoiachin and approximately ten thousand leading Jerusalem citizens were taken into exile. The city retained only the semblance of national existence because the government was in the hands of lower social classes led by a puppet king, Zedekiah.

The religious and political struggle continued for another ten years, and Judah's national hopes crumbled. Although Zedekiah was occasionally interested in Jeremiah's counsel, he mostly yielded to the pressure of the pro-Egyptian party in Jerusalem, which advocated rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, Jeremiah suffered along with the people during the last siege of Jerusalem. The faithful prophet saw with his own eyes the fulfillment of prophecies so often spoken by prophets before him. After forty years of patient warning, Jeremiah witnessed the cruel outcome: Jerusalem was left in smoldering ruins, and the temple was leveled to the ground.

Jeremiah faced stronger opposition and more numerous enemies than any other Old Testament prophet. Note how he suffered for the messages he prophesied. When he broke a clay jar at a public gathering of priests and elders in the Valley of Hinnom, he was arrested in the temple courtyard. The priest Pashhur had him beaten and put in stocks [Jer 19-20]. On another occasion, he declared in the temple courtyard that the sanctuary would be destroyed. The priests and prophets rose against him en masse and demanded his execution. Ahikam and other princes defended him and saved his life, but Jehoiakim instead shed the blood of Uriah, another prophet proclaiming the same prophecy [Jer 26:1 f].

In the person of Hananiah, Jeremiah encounters a false prophet [Jer 28]. Jeremiah publicly wears a wooden yoke, symbolizing Babylonian captivity. Hananiah breaks it off him and denies the message. Jeremiah withdraws temporarily but then reappears as the Lord's spokesman. In accordance with his prediction, Hananiah dies by the end of the year.

In Jerusalem and among the captives in Babylon, other prophets opposed Jeremiah and his prophecies [Jer 29]. Among them were Ahab and Zedekiah, who incited the exiles to act against Jeremiah's advice and not settle and prepare for seventy years in captivity. One of the captives, Shemaiah, even writes to Zephaniah and other priests in Jerusalem to accuse and imprison Jeremiah. Other passages reflect the opposition of various unnamed prophets.

Even the people of his hometown turned against Jeremiah. This is reflected in brief mentions in [Jer 11:21 -23]. The citizens of Anathoth threatened Jeremiah with death if he did not stop prophesying in the name of the Lord. 19. Chapter 299 Lastly, among his enemies were also the leaders of the people. Among Jeremiah's experiences, the confrontation with Jehoiakim is well known. One day Jeremiah sent to