This week, we shall continue the study of the book of Jeremiah in the
Old Testament.
This chapter is likely a collection of sayings that concern and apply to the several kings of Judah after the death of Josiah.
22:1-9—The Message to the King: Whoever the king was, this message obviously applies to all the kings of Judah after Josiah:
(1) Why does God remind the king of Judah that he is sitting on David’s throne? (v. 2)
(2) Of all the duties of the king, why would God put such an emphasis on doing what is just and right? (v. 3)
(3) In giving such a command or reminder, why does the
Lord show concern particularly to the following?
a. The rescue of the oppressed and robbed
b. The wrong and violence done to the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow
c. The shedding of innocent blood
d. What is the implication to us today?
(4) What blessings and curses are pronounced for his obedience or disobedience to this command? (v. 5)
(5) The curses on the palace are expanded in vv. 6-9:
a. From the contrast given in vv. 6-7, what pride might the king have of his palace?
b. What impact should this warning have on him?
c. What effect does the Lord wish to achieve from the question and answer in vv. 8-9?
22:10-17—Message to Jehoahaz (see Note below)
(6) Why does the Lord ask the people not to mourn for the dead king (i.e. the godly Josiah), but weep bitterly for his successor? (vv. 10 -12)
(7) His sins as exemplified by his palace are highlighted in vv. 13-17.
a. How extravagant is his palace? (v. 14)
b. Is extravagance in itself a sin? Why or why not?
c. What are his sins in addition to extravagance itself as expressed in the following?
- His dealing with his laborers (v. 14)
- In his attitude of being a king on David’s throne
(8) The Lord compares his father Josiah with him (vv. 15-17).
a. In particular, how did Josiah define the meaning of “knowing the Lord? (v. 16)
b. How different is he from his father?
(9) What is the main message for you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“This Shallum, who became king in his father Josiah’s place, can be none other than Josiah’s successor, who is called Jehoahaz in 2 Kings 23:30ff” (K&D, 208). He succeeded Josiah on his death but was almost immediately deposed by Pharaoh Necho and deported to Egypt three months later (2 Ki. 23:31-35).
22:18-23—Message to Jehoiakim
(1) What kind of judgment is pronounced for this king? (vv. 18-19)
(2) How pitiful will his death be?
(3) What particular sin is mentioned of him? (vv. 20-21, also see Note below)
(4) What will become of those people (v. 22) and things (v. 23) he relies on and take pride in?
(5) To what does the Lord liken the pain he would suffer? (v. 23)
22:24-30—Message to Jehoiachin: Pronouncing His judgment on this king through delivering him into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar
(6) Why does the Lord compare it to pulling off a signet ring on His right hand? (v. 24)
(7) Why does the Lord use the term “hurling” in predicting his exile? (v. 26)
(8) In fact, the judgment extends beyond his exile: What will his exile lead to? (vv. 26-27)
(9) The message ends in a poem in sarcasm, using the “land”—Jerusalem—to mock Jehoiachin (vv. 28-30)
a. What does the image of a broken pot serve to depict?
b. To him, is having children a blessing or a curse?
c. What might be the significance of using the “land” as a witness?
(10) What is the main message for you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
The people of Judah are to lift up their wailing cry “upon the highest mountains that it may be heard far and near. The peaks of the mountain masses that bordered Palestine are mentioned, from which one would have a view of the land, namely, Lebanon northwards, the mountains of Bashan [Ps. 86:16] to the north-east, those of Abarim to the south-east, amongst which was Mount Nebo…” (K&D, 212).
23:1-8—Message to the Shepherds (the Rulers of the People)
(1) What should be the duties of the shepherds (i.e. Rulers)? ( v. 2)
(2) What have the rulers done in not bestowing care on the people? (v. 2)
(3) How will God intervene specifically? (vv. 3-4)
(4) God promises to raise up the Key Shepherd (vv. 5-6)
a. What is He called? (v. 5)
b. What does it mean? (see Isaiah 11:1-10)
c. What will He do? (v. 5)
d. In saving Judah and Israel, what will He be called also? (v.6)
(5) Why will their future deliverance be so great that it will replace the memory of their deliverance out of Egypt?
23:9-18—The Lying Prophets
(6) Jeremiah says he is totally devastated by the
holy words and the Lord (v. 9). What is it because of?
a.The sheer hearing of the words
b. The horrible sins of the prophets
c. The severe punishment pronounced by the Lord
(7) While the rulers are “shepherds” (23:1), what should the prophets be? What power do they possess? (v. 10)
(8) How particularly wicked are their sins? (vv. 10-11)
(9) What will their punishment be? (vv. 12, 15)
(10) In comparison to the prophets of Samaria (i.e. those of the northern kingdom that had fallen), who are more evil in your opinion? (vv. 13-14) Why?
(11) Where do these prophets get their messages from? (vv. 16-18)
(12) Who are those that heed their messages? (v. 17)
(13) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
The Lord is only just getting started in His charges against the prophets:
23:19-22—The Failure of the Prophets
(1) How does the Lord express His anger against the prophets? (vv. 19-20)
(2) How does the Lord desire the prophets to serve Him? (v. 22)
(3) The prophets have failed Him by not standing in His council (vv. 22, 18). What does it mean to stand in His council?
23:23-29—The Lies of the Prophets
(4) What is the tactic the prophets used to propagate their lies? (v. 25)
(5) Why is such a tactic so effective in making the people to forget God’s name? (v. 27)
(6) Why does the Lord point out to them that He is also a God far away? (v. 23)
(7) How powerful are those who truly possess the Word of God? (v. 29)
23:30-33—“I am against the Prophets”
(8) How many times does the Lord say He is against them?
(9) Why did the Lord not appoint them as His prophets?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
23:33-40—Result of Forgetting the Word of God
(1) Since the people (and the prophets) did not really care about God’s words, why would they ask for the “oracle” (the word means burden) of the Lord?
(2) Some commentators suggest that they asked as to ridicule, as the prophecies of Jeremiah have yet to come to pass. What do you think?
(3) What was God’s answer and why? (v. 33)
(4) What will happen to those who pretend to have an answer from God? (v. 34)
(5) And for all the people, they will become the “oracle” (vv. 35-36). What does it mean?
(6) What eventually will cause all to stop prophesying falsely? (vv. 37-38)
(7) The abandonment pronounced in v.33 is now reiterated (vv. 39-40).
a. What is the result of forgetting God’s words?
b. While they have forgotten God’s words and are now forgotten by God, what remains not to be forgotten?
24:1-10—The Vision of Two Baskets of Figs (see Note below)
(8) What might be the significance of the two baskets of figs being set “before the temple of the Lord”? (v. 1)
(9) As
Jeremiah’s prophecies of destruction are coming to pass, consider the following:
a. What should the people and their kings regard as their plight?
b. How will those being exiled look at their situation?
c. How will those who remain and are not captured look at their situation?
(10) What is the message of the good figs?
(11) What will it mean to those who are already in exile?
(12) What is the message of the bad figs?
(13) Will they remain in their land for long? Why or why not?
(14) Why would God treat those who remain so harshly?
(15) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“The historical background of this vision is the first deportation of the people in 597 B.C. After the exile of Jehoiachin and the leading citizens of Judah (2 Ki. 24:10-17), those who remained seemed to have been full of optimism for the future. The new king Zedekiah even became involved in a conspiracy with the surrounding peoples for further rebellion against Babylon (ch. 27). The false prophets spoke of a quick return of the exiles from Babylon (ch. 28). Jeremiah saw that the attitude of the king and his supporters in Judah was wrong.”
(NICOT, 507)
(1) Since Josiah reigned in Jerusalem for 31 years (2 Chr. 34:1), how long has Jeremiah served as a prophet under this godly king, and how many years hence has he delivered the words of the Lord since Josiah’s death until this time? (v. 3)
(2) How did Jeremiah sum up the messages of the prophets? (vv. 5-6)
(3) What was the main message?
(4) What has been the reception by the people of the words of God through various prophets including Jeremiah? Why? (v. 7)
(5) What punishments were pronounced because of their sins? (vv. 9-11)
(6) How imminent was the invasion by Nebuchadnezzar? (See Dan. 1:1 which might imply that Nebuchadnezzar began his move in the third year of Jehoiachim’s reign, but putting the city under siege later in his 4th year.)
(7) However, what punishment would also befall Babylon, the invaders?
(8) Why? (v. 14)
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Wrath against the nations:
(1) In this vision what did Jeremiah see? (v. 15)
(2) Why does the Lord use a cup of wine to depict His wrath? (v. 16)
(3) In his vision, who were the peoples and nations that were made to drink this cup of wrath? (vv. 18-26)
(4) Why would it include nations that had not been enemies of God’s people?
(5) Can any of these nations be immune to the wrath of God? (v. 28)
(6) Why? (v. 29)
(7) In describing the wrath of God upon all the inhabitants of the earth, where did the roar of the Lord come from and what does it mean? (v. 30)
(8) On what basis will He judge mankind? (v. 31)
(9) How great and severe will this judgment be? (v. 33)
(10) Why does the Lord appeal to the shepherds (the leaders of the nations) in particular? (vv. 34-36)
(11) Will there be a safe place on earth that can be immune to this disaster? (vv. 37-38)
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?