As God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem for their sins, is He also with other nations? What sins have the nations committed? Let’s look at Jeremiah 25.
How long did Jeremiah warn Judah and Jerusalem? Did they listen?
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened. And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear.
They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’ Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. (Jer 25:1-7 NKJV)
What would be the divine consequences of not listening to God’s warning and how many years would be the result?
And now the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. (Jer 25:8-11 NLT)
As God would punish Judah, would He later punish their captors?
“It will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says Yahweh, “for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans desolate forever. I will bring on that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings will make bondservants of them, even of them. I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.” (Jer 25:12-14 WEB)
Did God send Jeremiah to nations with a symbolic cup of judgment against them?
This is what the Lord, God of Israel, said to me: Take this seething cup of wine from my hand and make all the nations gulp it down where I’m sending you. They will drink and stagger about half-crazed because of the sword that I am sending against them. (Jer 25:15-16 CEB)
What did Jeremiah do as he went to the kings of various nations?
I took the cup from the Lord's hand, and I went to the kings of the nations and made each of them drink some. I started with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and the king and his officials were removed from power in disgrace. Everyone still makes insulting jokes about them and uses their names as curse words. The second place I went was Egypt, where everyone had to drink from the cup, including the king and his officials, the other government workers, the rest of the Egyptians, and all the foreigners who lived in the country.
Next I went to the king of Uz, and then to the four kings of Philistia, who ruled from Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what was left of Ashdod. Then I went to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, and to the kings of Tyre, Sidon, and their colonies across the sea. After this, I went to the kings of Dedan, Tema, Buz, the tribes of the Arabian Desert, Zimri, Elam, Media, and the countries in the north, both near and far. I went to all the countries on earth, one after another, and finally to Babylonia. (Jer 25:17-26 CEV)
What did Jeremiah pronounce to the kings he visited, and what if they refused to drink?
“Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’ And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: You must drink! 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.’ (Jer 25:27-29 ESV)
What did Jeremiah prophesy to the kings of the nations?
“As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them: The Lord roars from heaven; He raises His voice from His holy dwelling. He roars loudly over His grazing land; He calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth because the Lord brings a case against the nations. He enters into judgment with all flesh. As for the wicked, He hands them over to the sword—this is the Lord’s declaration. This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Pay attention! Disaster spreads from nation to nation. A great storm is stirred up from the ends of the earth.” (Jer 25:30-32 HCSB)
Is God still angry with the leaders of nations today? Are there similar reasons to God’s warnings to the kings of Judah and Jerusalem?
“Those slain by the Lord on that day will extend from one end of the earth to the other. They won’t be mourned for or gathered up or buried. They’ll be like dung on the surface of the ground. Scream, you shepherds! Cry out! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! Indeed, the time for your slaughter and your dispersion has arrived, and you will break like a choice vessel. Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, as will be escape for the leaders of the flock. A sound—it’s the cry of the shepherds and the scream of the leaders of the flock—because the Lord is destroying their pastures. The peaceful meadows are silent because of the Lord’s fierce anger. Like a lion, he has left his den. Indeed, their land has become a waste because of the anger of the oppressor and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.” (Jer 25:33-38 ISV)
How will God judge the last oppressive reign of human civilization, symbolic Babylon, with a similar cup of wine when Christ returns?
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. (Rev 16:19 KJV)
As God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem for their sins, is He also with other nations? What sins have the nations committed? You decide!
Good & Bad Figs (Jeremiah 24)
In a picture of good and bad figs, is there a difference between the hearts of those who love God and those who don’t? Let’s begin in Jeremiah 24.
What did Jeremiah see in two baskets in front of the temple?
After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. One basket contained very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible. The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible.” (Jer 24:1-3 HCSB)
What did the basket of good figs picture and what wholehearted attitude determined their worth?
Then this message from the Lord came to me: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I’ll regard as good the exiles of Judah whom I sent from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I’ll look at them with good intentions, and I’ll bring them back to this land. I’ll build them up. I won’t tear them down; I’ll plant them and not rip them up. I’ll give them the ability to know me, for I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God when they return to me with all their heart. (Jer 24:4-7 ISV)
What character trait determined that the other basket of figs was so bad?
And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. (Jer 24:8-10 KJV)
What is a major difference between the old and new covenants?
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And upon their hearts I will write them. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. (Heb 8:10 LSB)
What is a definitive example of the law written on our hearts?
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God. (Rom 2:28-29 NASB)
What was the inward intended lesson of circumcision of the flesh?
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3 NIV)
In a picture of good and bad figs, is there a difference between the hearts of those who love God and those who don’t? You decide!
What did Jeremiah see in two baskets in front of the temple?
After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. One basket contained very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible. The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible.” (Jer 24:1-3 HCSB)
What did the basket of good figs picture and what wholehearted attitude determined their worth?
Then this message from the Lord came to me: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I’ll regard as good the exiles of Judah whom I sent from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I’ll look at them with good intentions, and I’ll bring them back to this land. I’ll build them up. I won’t tear them down; I’ll plant them and not rip them up. I’ll give them the ability to know me, for I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God when they return to me with all their heart. (Jer 24:4-7 ISV)
What character trait determined that the other basket of figs was so bad?
And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. (Jer 24:8-10 KJV)
What is a major difference between the old and new covenants?
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And upon their hearts I will write them. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. (Heb 8:10 LSB)
What is a definitive example of the law written on our hearts?
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God. (Rom 2:28-29 NASB)
What was the inward intended lesson of circumcision of the flesh?
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3 NIV)
In a picture of good and bad figs, is there a difference between the hearts of those who love God and those who don’t? You decide!
False Teachers (Jeremiah 23)
Do false teachers still exist? What are some indicators that expose their lies? Let’s look at Jeremiah 23.
What did God say to destructive leaders of the nation? Will God raise up faithful shepherds?
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” This is the Lord’s declaration. “Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I will attend to you because of your evil acts”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing.” This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 23:1-4 HCSB)
Would God raise up a righteous descendant of king David to be called the Lord our righteousness? Could that refer to a righteousness not by our effort, but a gift from God, involving a safe relationship with God?
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll raise up a righteous branch for David. He will be a king who rules wisely, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In his time Judah will be delivered and Israel will dwell in safety. This is the name by which he will be known: ‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’ (Jer 23:5-6 ISV)
Will the scattered descendants of Israel be brought back to their own land?
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. (Jer 23:7-8 KJV)
What does God say about corrupt prophets and priests?
As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me; All my bones tremble; I have become like a drunken man, Even like a man overcome with wine, Because of Yahweh And because of His holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil, And their might is not right. “For both prophet and priest are polluted; Even in My house I have found their evil,” declares Yahweh. “Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them; They will be driven away into the thick darkness and fall down in it; For I will bring their evil upon them, The year of their punishment,” declares Yahweh. (Jer 23:9-12 LSB)
Had some prophets created false images of God, tolerated adultery and the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah? Do some today?
“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray. Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in deceit; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah. (Jer 23:13-14 NASB)
Who did God blame for the ungodliness throughout the land?
Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets: “I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.” (Jer 23:15 NIV)
What did God say about listening to the words of false prophets?
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace” ’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ”
For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury—A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. (Jer 24:16-24 NKJV)
Did the false prophets claim they had a dream from God? Did they deceitfully invent everything they said?
“I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name. How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal. “Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces? (Jer 23:25-29 NLT)
What did God say about these false prophets and their lying dreams and vain boasting?
“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who each steal my words from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” says Yahweh, “who tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I didn’t send them or command them. They don’t profit this people at all,” says Yahweh. (Jer 23:30-32 WEB)
What consequences would the false prophets face for their ministry built on deceptive lies?
When these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, “What is the Lord’s message?” say to them, “What message? I will cast you off, declares the Lord.” I will punish anyone, including prophet or priest, who says, “This is the Lord’s message.” This is what you should ask each other: “What has the Lord said?” “What has the Lord declared?” But you are no longer to mention the Lord’s message, because everyone thinks they have received a message from the Lord. You destroy the very word of the living God, the Lord of heavenly forces, our God.
So this is what you should say to the prophet: “What has the Lord said to you?” “What has the Lord declared?” But if you insist on saying, “This is the Lord’s message,” the Lord says to you: Because you have made this claim—this is the Lord’s message—when I told you not to proclaim the Lord’s message, I will lift you up and cast you out of my presence, together with the city that I gave to your ancestors. I will make you an object of disgrace and enduring shame that no one will ever forget. (Jer 23:33-40 CEB)
Who is the good shepherd setting the highest standard of a true shepherd of the flock?
I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don't own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. Hired workers run away because they don't care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. (John 10:11-14 CEV)
Did God work out a great exchange, so that we might become the righteousness of God?
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21 ESV)
Do false teachers still exist? What are some indicators that expose their lies? You decide!
What did God say to destructive leaders of the nation? Will God raise up faithful shepherds?
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” This is the Lord’s declaration. “Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I will attend to you because of your evil acts”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them. They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing.” This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 23:1-4 HCSB)
Would God raise up a righteous descendant of king David to be called the Lord our righteousness? Could that refer to a righteousness not by our effort, but a gift from God, involving a safe relationship with God?
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll raise up a righteous branch for David. He will be a king who rules wisely, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In his time Judah will be delivered and Israel will dwell in safety. This is the name by which he will be known: ‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’ (Jer 23:5-6 ISV)
Will the scattered descendants of Israel be brought back to their own land?
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. (Jer 23:7-8 KJV)
What does God say about corrupt prophets and priests?
As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me; All my bones tremble; I have become like a drunken man, Even like a man overcome with wine, Because of Yahweh And because of His holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; For the land mourns because of the curse. The pastures of the wilderness have dried up. Their course also is evil, And their might is not right. “For both prophet and priest are polluted; Even in My house I have found their evil,” declares Yahweh. “Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them; They will be driven away into the thick darkness and fall down in it; For I will bring their evil upon them, The year of their punishment,” declares Yahweh. (Jer 23:9-12 LSB)
Had some prophets created false images of God, tolerated adultery and the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah? Do some today?
“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray. Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in deceit; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah. (Jer 23:13-14 NASB)
Who did God blame for the ungodliness throughout the land?
Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets: “I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.” (Jer 23:15 NIV)
What did God say about listening to the words of false prophets?
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace” ’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ”
For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury—A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. (Jer 24:16-24 NKJV)
Did the false prophets claim they had a dream from God? Did they deceitfully invent everything they said?
“I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name. How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal. “Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces? (Jer 23:25-29 NLT)
What did God say about these false prophets and their lying dreams and vain boasting?
“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who each steal my words from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets,” says Yahweh, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” says Yahweh, “who tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I didn’t send them or command them. They don’t profit this people at all,” says Yahweh. (Jer 23:30-32 WEB)
What consequences would the false prophets face for their ministry built on deceptive lies?
When these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, “What is the Lord’s message?” say to them, “What message? I will cast you off, declares the Lord.” I will punish anyone, including prophet or priest, who says, “This is the Lord’s message.” This is what you should ask each other: “What has the Lord said?” “What has the Lord declared?” But you are no longer to mention the Lord’s message, because everyone thinks they have received a message from the Lord. You destroy the very word of the living God, the Lord of heavenly forces, our God.
So this is what you should say to the prophet: “What has the Lord said to you?” “What has the Lord declared?” But if you insist on saying, “This is the Lord’s message,” the Lord says to you: Because you have made this claim—this is the Lord’s message—when I told you not to proclaim the Lord’s message, I will lift you up and cast you out of my presence, together with the city that I gave to your ancestors. I will make you an object of disgrace and enduring shame that no one will ever forget. (Jer 23:33-40 CEB)
Who is the good shepherd setting the highest standard of a true shepherd of the flock?
I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don't own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. Hired workers run away because they don't care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. (John 10:11-14 CEV)
Did God work out a great exchange, so that we might become the righteousness of God?
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21 ESV)
Do false teachers still exist? What are some indicators that expose their lies? You decide!
Three Kings Warned (Jeremiah 22)
Did God warn three kings of Judah to uphold justice and not to mistreat the weak or face ruin? Do our national leaders? Let’s look at Jeremiah 22.
Was Jeremiah sent to the king of Judah with a message from God?
This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and tell him this: ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David—you, your officials, and your people who enter these gates. This is what the Lord says: “Uphold justice and righteousness. Deliver from their oppressor those who have been robbed. Don’t mistreat or do violence to the alien, the orphan, or the widow, or shed the blood of innocent people in this place. Rather, carefully obey this message, and then kings sitting for David on his throne and riding in chariots and on horses will enter the gates of this house. The king will enter along with his officials and his people. But if you don’t listen to these words, I swear,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a ruin.”’” (Jer 22:1-5 ISV)
Was the king exalted like the beautiful mountains of Gilead? What would happen to him?
For thus saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. (Jer 22:6-7 KJV)
What will foreign nations inquire about Judah, and how will they answer?
“Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this great city?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of Yahweh their God and worshiped other gods and served them.’” Do not weep for the dead or console him, But weep continually for the one who goes away, For he will never return Or see the land of his birth. (Jer 22:8-10 LSB)
What does God want Jeremiah to tell Shallum or Jehoahaz, king of Judah?
For this is what the Lord says regarding Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of his father Josiah, who went out from this place: “He will never return there; but in the place where they took him into exile, there he will die and he will not see this land again. (Jer 22:11-12 NASB)
What misuse of power does God warn a nation’s leader not to engage in?
“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.” (Jer 22:13-14 NIV)
Does the accumulation of wealth for selfish purposes exalt a national leader or justice, righteousness, and caring for the poor and needy?
“Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord. “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence.” (Jer 22:15-17 NKJV)
What did God say about Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and his greed?
Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah: “The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another, ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ His subjects will not mourn for him, crying, ‘Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!’ He will be buried like a dead donkey—dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates! (Jer 22:18-19 NLT)
Was there hope for Judah in foreign allies, so-called lovers like Lebanon, Bashan and east of the Jordan in Abarim?
“Go up to Lebanon, and cry out. Lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all your lovers have been destroyed. I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice. The wind will feed all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Surely then you will be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness. Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied you will be when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail! (Jer 22:20-23 WEB)
What did God say about Coniah (also called Jehoiachin or Jeconiah) king of Judah?
As surely as I live, declares the Lord, even if Coniah, King Jehoiakim’s son from Judah were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still remove you from there. I would hand you over to those who seek to kill you, those you dread, even Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar and his army. I will banish you and your mother who bore you to a land far from your native soil, and there the two of you will die. You will never return to the land you long to go back to. (Jer 22:24-27 CEB)
Why did God say Jehoiakin (Coniah) was unwanted, like a broken clay pot?
Jehoiachin, you are unwanted like a broken clay pot. So you and your children will be thrown into a country you know nothing about. Land of Judah, I am the Lord. Now listen to what I say! Erase the names of Jehoiachin's children from the royal records. He is a complete failure, and so none of them will ever be king. I, the Lord, have spoken. (Jer 22:28-30 CEV)
What did James confirm about pure religion that these kings of Judah missed?
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)
Did God warn three kings of Judah to uphold justice and not to mistreat the weak or face ruin? Do our national leaders? You decide!
Was Jeremiah sent to the king of Judah with a message from God?
This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and tell him this: ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David—you, your officials, and your people who enter these gates. This is what the Lord says: “Uphold justice and righteousness. Deliver from their oppressor those who have been robbed. Don’t mistreat or do violence to the alien, the orphan, or the widow, or shed the blood of innocent people in this place. Rather, carefully obey this message, and then kings sitting for David on his throne and riding in chariots and on horses will enter the gates of this house. The king will enter along with his officials and his people. But if you don’t listen to these words, I swear,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a ruin.”’” (Jer 22:1-5 ISV)
Was the king exalted like the beautiful mountains of Gilead? What would happen to him?
For thus saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. (Jer 22:6-7 KJV)
What will foreign nations inquire about Judah, and how will they answer?
“Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this great city?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of Yahweh their God and worshiped other gods and served them.’” Do not weep for the dead or console him, But weep continually for the one who goes away, For he will never return Or see the land of his birth. (Jer 22:8-10 LSB)
What does God want Jeremiah to tell Shallum or Jehoahaz, king of Judah?
For this is what the Lord says regarding Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of his father Josiah, who went out from this place: “He will never return there; but in the place where they took him into exile, there he will die and he will not see this land again. (Jer 22:11-12 NASB)
What misuse of power does God warn a nation’s leader not to engage in?
“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.” (Jer 22:13-14 NIV)
Does the accumulation of wealth for selfish purposes exalt a national leader or justice, righteousness, and caring for the poor and needy?
“Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord. “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence.” (Jer 22:15-17 NKJV)
What did God say about Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and his greed?
Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah: “The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another, ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ His subjects will not mourn for him, crying, ‘Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!’ He will be buried like a dead donkey—dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates! (Jer 22:18-19 NLT)
Was there hope for Judah in foreign allies, so-called lovers like Lebanon, Bashan and east of the Jordan in Abarim?
“Go up to Lebanon, and cry out. Lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all your lovers have been destroyed. I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice. The wind will feed all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Surely then you will be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness. Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied you will be when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail! (Jer 22:20-23 WEB)
What did God say about Coniah (also called Jehoiachin or Jeconiah) king of Judah?
As surely as I live, declares the Lord, even if Coniah, King Jehoiakim’s son from Judah were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still remove you from there. I would hand you over to those who seek to kill you, those you dread, even Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar and his army. I will banish you and your mother who bore you to a land far from your native soil, and there the two of you will die. You will never return to the land you long to go back to. (Jer 22:24-27 CEB)
Why did God say Jehoiakin (Coniah) was unwanted, like a broken clay pot?
Jehoiachin, you are unwanted like a broken clay pot. So you and your children will be thrown into a country you know nothing about. Land of Judah, I am the Lord. Now listen to what I say! Erase the names of Jehoiachin's children from the royal records. He is a complete failure, and so none of them will ever be king. I, the Lord, have spoken. (Jer 22:28-30 CEV)
What did James confirm about pure religion that these kings of Judah missed?
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)
Did God warn three kings of Judah to uphold justice and not to mistreat the weak or face ruin? Do our national leaders? You decide!
Jerusalem Punished (Jeremiah 21)
Is Jerusalem a city that has received divine punishment several times? Do we see God’s hand throughout world history? Let’s begin in Jeremiah 21.
As the prophecies God gave Jeremiah begin to take shape do religious and political leaders implore Jeremiah to pray to God for mercy?
The Lord spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah, “Please speak to the Lord for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the Lord will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.” (Jer 21:1-2 NLT)
Will God make Jerusalem’s weapons useless and send their king into Babylonian captivity?
Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah: ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will gather them into the middle of this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation.
I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and animal. They will die of a great pestilence. Afterward,” says Yahweh, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’ (Jer 21:3-7 WEB)
Does God tell the people of Jerusalem that they have a choice of two alternatives?
This is what you should tell this people: The Lord says: I’m setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in the city will die by the sword, famine, and disease. But whoever leaves the city and surrenders to the Babylonians will live; yes, their lives will be spared. I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the Lord; it will be delivered to the king of Babylon, who will set it on fire. (Jer 21:8-10 CEB)
What duty to justice and those being robbed does God expect of a royal?
Pay attention, you that belong to the royal family. Each new day, make sure that justice is done, and rescue those who are being robbed. Or else my anger will flame up like a fire that never goes out. (Jer 21:11-12 CEV)
What does God say to corrupt citizens who believe they are safe from invasion?
“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the Lord; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?’ I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the Lord; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” (Jer 21:13-14 ESV)
Did Jesus predict a similar punishment for the city of Jerusalem?
As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44 HCSB)
Is Jerusalem a city that has received divine punishment several times? Do we see God’s hand throughout world history? You decide!
As the prophecies God gave Jeremiah begin to take shape do religious and political leaders implore Jeremiah to pray to God for mercy?
The Lord spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah, “Please speak to the Lord for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the Lord will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.” (Jer 21:1-2 NLT)
Will God make Jerusalem’s weapons useless and send their king into Babylonian captivity?
Then Jeremiah said to them, “Tell Zedekiah: ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will gather them into the middle of this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation.
I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and animal. They will die of a great pestilence. Afterward,” says Yahweh, “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, even those who are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. He will strike them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them, have pity, or have mercy.”’ (Jer 21:3-7 WEB)
Does God tell the people of Jerusalem that they have a choice of two alternatives?
This is what you should tell this people: The Lord says: I’m setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in the city will die by the sword, famine, and disease. But whoever leaves the city and surrenders to the Babylonians will live; yes, their lives will be spared. I have set my face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the Lord; it will be delivered to the king of Babylon, who will set it on fire. (Jer 21:8-10 CEB)
What duty to justice and those being robbed does God expect of a royal?
Pay attention, you that belong to the royal family. Each new day, make sure that justice is done, and rescue those who are being robbed. Or else my anger will flame up like a fire that never goes out. (Jer 21:11-12 CEV)
What does God say to corrupt citizens who believe they are safe from invasion?
“Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, O rock of the plain, declares the Lord; you who say, ‘Who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?’ I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the Lord; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.” (Jer 21:13-14 ESV)
Did Jesus predict a similar punishment for the city of Jerusalem?
As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44 HCSB)
Is Jerusalem a city that has received divine punishment several times? Do we see God’s hand throughout world history? You decide!
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