Questions

Scriptural Reflection
Jeremiah 1:1–10

This week, we shall begin the study of the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament.

The Book of Jeremiah

The name of Jeremiah likely means, “Yahweh looses (the womb) or Yahweh exalts”. The book itself is the longest book in the Bible in terms of the number of words, and Jeremiah’s long history of ministry spans over 40 years from the 13^th year of the reign of Josiah in Judah (626/7 B.C.) until the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Zephaniah and Habakkuk were his contemporaries in the early part of his ministry. He is called the “weeping prophet” perhaps because of the sadness of the message of judgment to Judah, the refusal of the people and rulers to heed his message not only of repentance, but also of surrender to the Babylonians, and the sufferings he endured because of his ministry. Amidst his message of punishment, Jeremiah received some of the most glorious promises in the Bible: The promised return from exile in 70 years (29:10-14); the new covenant (31:31-34) and the ultimate return of the Messiah to Jerusalem (23:5, 6). As you study this book, you will come across some of the most touching words of God in the Bible. This large volume, unfortunately, is not arranged chronologically, but is grouped according to subjects:

Chs. 1-45: God’s dealings (or prophecies) against His people

Chs. 46-51: God’s dealings (or prophecies) against foreign nations

Ch. 52: Historical supplement: the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple

1:1-3—Jeremiah, the Prophet

(1) Who was Jeremiah? (also see Note below)

(2) Most commentators opine that Jeremiah would be between 16-18 at the time he was called. How old was Josiah in the 13^th year of his reign? (2 Ki. 22:1)

(3) The spiritual reform by Josiah was one of the most complete and effective in the history of Judah. Given the age of this reformer king and the age of this prophet, how would you view youth leadership in the church?

(4) Can you name the kings during whose reigns Jeremiah served (you can flip through 2 Ki. 22-25)?

(5) How would you feel if you were Jeremiah, if you knew that your message would largely not be heeded and your country would end in destruction and your people in exile?

1:4-10—The Call of Jeremiah

(6) How would you describe Jeremiah’s circle, heritage and personal knowledge of God (Jeremiah was a priest)?

(7) Should he be more “prepared” to assume the calling by God as prophet? Why or why not?

(8) In calling Jeremiah as a prophet, the Lord said these things:

a. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”:

1. Some versions translate “knew” as “chose”: is there a difference?
2. While “knowing” carries a sense of intimate knowledge in Hebrew, “choosing” connotes a purpose: How does this speak to you personally?

b. “before you were born, I set you a apart”:

1. What is meant by being set apart by God?
2. How does this apply to you?

c. “I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”:

1. To what was Jeremiah appointed as a prophet?
2. Would the other nations, i.e. Egypt, the Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Damascus, Babylon (chs. 46-51) listen to his messages or prophecies? What’s the use of prophesying to them?

(9) The initial response of Jeremiah (v. 6):

a. What was his initial response?

b. Was his response an excuse or valid? (See Exod. 4:10-13.) Why?

(10) How did God respond to his refusal to be called? (v. 7)

a. How does it show that he really had no choice?

b. What words of comfort were given to him?

c. Do you think you will take these words as a guarantee of deliverance or of trouble?

(11) Apart from mere words of comfort, what did the Lord do in v. 9? How important was it?

(12) The purpose of his calling (v. 10)

a. What kinds of message or prophecy could Jeremiah expect to proclaim?

b. How then could his messages or prophecies serve to achieve these purposes?

(13) Consider the following as if you were Jeremiah:

a. What kind of message would you prefer to deliver? Why?

b. Would you accept this call? Why or why not?

(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

Anathoth was about three miles northeast of Jerusalem and was one of the cities originally given to the priests after the conquest of Canaan (Jos. 21:18). Abiathar, a priest and close associate of King David was banished there by Solomon because he had backed the unsuccessful attempt by Adonijah to succeed David (1 Ki. 2:26).

Scriptural Reflection
Jeremiah 1:11–19

1:11-16—Two Visions Given

(1) God has already spoken and touched Jeremiah’s mouth. Why did He give him two more visions at this time?

(2) What was the first vision? (v. 11)

(3) What is meant by “I am watching”? (v. 12)

(4) What is the purpose of this vision?

(5) What was the second vision? (v. 13)

(6) What was the interpretation of this vision? (vv. 13-16)

(7) How was it fulfilled? (2 Chr. 36:11-20)

1:17-19—The Command to Obey

(8) How should Jeremiah perform his charge? (v. 17) In particular:

a. What is meant by getting himself ready (literally: “gird your loins”)?

b. What would happen if he was terrified?

(9) Who would be his opposition? (v. 18)

(10) If you were Jeremiah, which of the opposition would you be most terrified of? Why?

(11) God’s promise of strength: What is meant by being each of the following?

a. A fortified city

b. An iron pillar

c. A bronze wall

(12) What image does vv. 17-19 conjure up in your mind?

a. One of triumph

b. One of constant battles, one after another

c. One of suffering, rejection, and ridicule

(13) What then is meant by a servant of the Lord in the context of Jeremiah’s calling?

(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Jeremiah 2:1–13

The First Message

(1) Where and to whom was the message to be delivered? (vv. 1 and 4)

(2) A good beginning (2:2-3): Their relationship with God was marked by these things:

a. Love: To what did God liken them to? (v. 2)

b. Obedience: How did they demonstrate their obedience? (v. 2)

c. Holiness: In what sense was Israel holy? (v. 3)

d. Firstfruits of His harvest: What does it mean? (v. 3)

e. God’s protection: Who did God demonstrate His protection to? (v. 3)

(3) Everything has changed (2:5-9)

a. Their ancestors strayed far from God (v. 5)

1. Was God at fault?
2. How far did they stray from God?
3. The result was that they “became worthless themselves”. What does it mean?

b. “They did not ask where is the Lord” (vv. 6-7)

1. What does this mean?
2. How good was the Lord to them? (vv. 6-7a)
3. How did they repay the goodness of the Lord? (v. 7b)

c. “The priests did not ask where is the Lord” (v. 8)

1. What was the main responsibility of the priests?
2. Of all the people, who should know the Law best?
3. How then could they not know the Lord?
4. What was the main responsibility of the leaders (literally, shepherds) of God’s people?
5. What sin had they committed?
6. What was the main responsibility of the prophets?
7. What sin had they committed?
8. What was the picture of apostasy painted by the Lord with all of the above charges?

d. What is the Lord going to do? (v. 9)

(4) Appalling sins of Israel (2:10-12)

a. Why is their sin so particularly evil and wicked? (See Note below)

b. Why does the Lord call upon heaven to shudder?

(5) Two sins are cited (v. 13)

a. What is the first-mentioned sin?

b. What is the second-mentioned sin?

c. To forsake the Living Water and prefer to dig own cisterns:

1. Is it stupidity or wickedness?
2. Do people still commit these two sins today? How?
3. What about you?

(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

Cyprus is to the west and Kedar (the Arab tribes in the far away desert) is to the east of Israel.

Scriptural Reflection
Jeremiah 2:14–25

2:14-19—The Message is one of “Consider and Realize”

(1) Who are they and what have they become? (v. 14)

(2) Becoming plunder (vv. 15-16): What has happened to them in their recent history? (the lions likely refer to the powerful Assyrians and they of Memphis and Tahpanhes are Egyptians)

(3) Two sins were cited back in v. 13 and are repeated here as reasons for their demise:

a. What was the first sin? (v. 17)

b. What were the examples given for their second sin? (v. 18)

(4) What lessons should they have learned from these punishments? (v. 19)

2:20-25—Imageries of Their Stubborn Sins

(5) Counting their rebellion since their wandering in the desert around 1,500 B.C., how long have they rebelled against the Lord up to the time of Jeremiah? (see introductory note)

(6) What imagery does the Lord use to talk about their rebellion in v. 20?

a. Are they truly “free” as a result? (v. 20b)

(7) What is the next imagery the Lord uses to talk about their rebellion in v. 21?

a. What does this imagery serve to illustrate?

(8) Why couldn’t their sins be washed away before God? (v. 22)

(9) Two more imageries are used to depict their adulterous worship of Baal and other gods notoriously practiced especially in the Valley of Benhinnom (vv. 23-24):

a. How are they like a swift she-camel?

b. How are they like a wild donkey?

(10) What was the result of their pursuit of foreign gods like she-camels and wild donkeys? (v. 25a)

(11) Why would they not give up? (v. 25b)

(12) The better question perhaps is this: Why won’t God give up on them?

(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Jeremiah 2:26–3:5

With the imageries of a she-camel and a wild donkey, the rebellion of Israel was shown to be one of uncontrollable lust, and the bottom line of their sin is highlighted by what they said themselves, “I love foreign gods” (2:25).

2:26-30—The Disgrace of Israel

(1) Who are these foreign gods that the people fell in love with? (2:27-28)

(2) A thief is disgraced when caught: When were the people caught in disgrace? (vv. 27-28)

(3) Yet whom do they blame for their trouble? (v. 29)

(4) God has not been shy in punishing their sin, but did it work? (v. 30) Why or why not?

2:31-33—A Generation of Ungratefulness

(5) Has God honored His promise to bring them to a land of milk and honey? (Exod. 3:17; Jer. 33:22)

(6) Why then do the people seek to be free from the Lord as if God had not been faithful? (2:31)

(7) What do the imageries of a woman and her jewelry and a bride and her wedding ornaments portray?

(8) How does the Lord mock their ungratefulness? (v. 33)

(9) Is ungratefulness the most appropriate term to describe them? Why or why not?

2:34-37—More than Ungratefulness

(10) What does the Lord charge them with in v. 34?

(11) This is a sin that even gentiles would consider a crime. Why then would they, the people of God, dare to commit it and yet deny their wrong? (v. 35)

(12) Judah, in particular, has shifted back and forth from seeking help from Egypt and Assyria:

a. What does the Lord charge them with as a result? (v. 36)

b. What would be the outcome of this sin? (v. 37)

3:1-5—Call for Repentance

(13) The rhetorical question of v.1 which is quoted from God’s law in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 assumes an emphatic “no” answer even from the people, and yet it is followed by a plea for repentance, “Would you now return to me?”.

a. How incredible is this plea?

b. What does it show about God’s love for them?

(14) What does the Lord ask them to look at and see? (vv. 2-3)

(15) What reason was given for their plight?

(16) How did Israel respond to God’s punishment? (vv. 2-3)

(17) Why did they think that the Lord’s anger would not continue? (vv. 4-5)

(18) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Jeremiah 3:6–18

3:6-11—Israel should have been Judah’s example

(1) When was this message delivered? How significant was its timing?

(2) What sin had Israel committed and what does the Lord call Israel? (v. 6)

(3) How did God deal with faithless Israel? (v. 8)

(4) What lesson should Judah have learned from the fate of Israel?

(5) Did Judah learn from Israel’s example? (vv. 8-10)

(6) How does God’s rebuke of Judah reflect the failure of Josiah’s cultic reform? (v.10)

(7) What is God’s verdict on Judah? (v. 11)

3:12-18—Call of Israel to repentance is prefaced by two calls to “return”

(8) The first call to return is addressed to “faithless Israel” (vv. 12-13)

a. How will God treat them differently? (v. 12)

b. What reason is being given? (v. 12)

c. What is the condition attached? (v. 13)

(9) The second call to return is addressed to “faithless people” (vv. 14-18)

a. Why does God call them “faithless” twice?

b. What reason now is given for them to return? (v. 14)

c. Upon their return, glorious promises are being made: List these promises one by one (then see Note below).

d. Given the totality of these promises, do “those days” refer to the return from exile as ordered by Cyrus (Est. 1) or the reign by the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ? Why?

(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

These glorious promises include the following: a return of a remnant to Zion (v. 14), good shepherds will lead them (v. 15), their number will increase (v. 16), no need for the ark of the Covenant of the Lord (v. 16) because God will enthrone Himself in Jerusalem (v. 17), all nations will honor God (v. 17), men’s hearts will be changed (v. 17) and Judah and Israel will be reunited as one (v. 18).

Scriptural Reflection
Jeremiah 3:19–4:2

3:19-25—The Third Call to Repentance

(1) This third call of “return, faithless people” (v. 22) is preceded by God baring His heart before them (3:19-21).

a. What was God’s desire for Israel? (v. 19)

b. Why?

c. How does this echo Psalm 103:5?

d. How did Israel break the heart of God? (vv. 19-20)

e. Can you hear the sigh behind these words of lament?

f. Where is Israel when God speaks these words? What is her condition? Why? (v. 21)

(2) The third call of “return, faithless people” is premised on God’s promise to cure them of backsliding (3:22-25).

a. Can the cure come without genuine repentance?

b. God lays down what genuine repentance is like:

1. What does “Yes, we will come” represent? (v. 22)
2. What does “surely” mean?
3. What are the two words of “surely” about? (v. 23)
4. How differently should Israel treat their shame and disgrace? (vv. 24-25 versus 2:26, 28)
5. How comprehensive should their confession be? (v. 25)

(3) Based on vv. 22-25, how would you define genuine repentance?

4:1-2—Solid Acts of Repentance

(4) What is meant by “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me”? (4:1)

(5) Repentance should be specific and in Israel’s case what will it include according to the following verses?

a. In v. 1b: What is the emphasis?

b. In v. 2a: What does it really mean?

(6) What will their genuine repentance lead to? (v. 2b)

(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?