1:5God knew you, as he knew Jeremiah, long before you were born or even conceived. He thought about you and planned for you. When you feel discouraged or inadequate, remember that God has always thought of you as valuable and that he has a purpose in mind for you.
Life Application Study BibleJeremiahChapter 1
Jeremiah 1
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1198, 1199, 1200
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
1Jeremiah 1
1B. GOD’S JUDGMENT ON THE NATIONS Jeremiah lived to see many of his prophecies come true—most notably the (46:1—52:34) fall of Jerusalem. The fulfillment of this and other prophecies against the 1, Prophecies about foreign nations foreign nations came as a result of sin. Those who refuse to confess their sin 2. The fall of Jerusalem bring judgment upon themselves. MEGATHEMES THEME Sin
A. GOD’S JUDGMENT ON JUDAH (1:1—45:5)
Jeremiah was called by God to be a prophet to Judah (the southern kingdom). He faithfully confronted the leaders and the people with their sin, prophesied both their 70-year captivity in Babylon and their eventual return from exile. After surviving the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah was forcefully taken to Egypt. Yet Jeremiah remained faithful in spite of Jerusalem’s destruction. Years of obedience had made him strong and courageous. May we be able to stand through difficult times as did Jeremiah.
1. The call of Jeremiah
These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of An- athoth in the land of Benjamin. 2The LORD first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.* The LORD’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August* of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.:
Jeremiah’s Call and First Visions
44The Lor gave me this message:
5“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.Before you were born I set you apartand appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
6“O Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” 7The LORD replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. 1, the LORD, have spoken!” 9Then the LORD reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
10Today I appoint you to stand upagainst nations and kingdoms.Some you must uproot and tear down,destroy and overthrow.Others you must build upand plant.”
11Then the LORD said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.” 12And the LORD said, “That's right, and it means that [am watching,* and I will certainly carry out all my plans.” 13Then the LORD spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?” And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.”
14“Yes,” the LORD said, “for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land.
15Listen! 1 am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, theLORD, have spoken!“They will set their thronesat the gates of the city.They will attack its wallsand all the other towns of Judah.
16J will pronounce judgmenton my people for all their evil—for deserting me and burning incense to other gods.Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!
17“Get up and prepare for action.Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say.Do not be afraid of them,or I will make you look foolish in front of them.
18For see, today I have made you stronglike a fortified city that cannot be captured,like an iron pillar or a bronze wall.You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah.
19They will fight you, but they will fail.For I am with you, and I will take care of you.I, the Lor, have spoken!”
2. Jeremiah condemns Judah for its sins
The LORD’s Case against His People
The LORD gave me another message. He said,2“Go and shout this message to Jerusalem.This is what the LORD says:“T remember how eager you were to please meas a young bride long ago,how you loved me and followed meeven through the barren wilderness.3 In those days Israel was holy to the LORD,the first of his children.*All who harmed his people were declared guilty,and disaster fell on them.I, the LORD, have spoken!”
Textual footnotes
- calendar. A number of events in Jeremiah can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Babylonian records and
- related accurately to our modern calendar. The fifth month in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign occurred within
- the months of August and September 586 B.c. Also see 52:12 and the note there.
- 1:2 The thirteenth year of Josiah's reign was 627 8.c.
- 1:3 Hebrew /n the fifth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar
- 1:12 The Hebrew word for “watching” (shoged) sounds like the word for “almond tree” (shaqed).
Life Application Notes 8 notes
1:5Jeremiah was “appointed” by God as his “prophet to the nations.” God has a purpose for each Christian, but some people are appointed by God for specific kinds of work. Samson (Judges 13:3-5), David (1 Samuel 16:12, 13), John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17}, and Paul (Galatians 1:15, 16) were also called to do particular jobs for God. Whatever work you do should be done for the glory of God (Philippians 1:11). If God gives you a specific task, accept it cheerfully and do it with diligence. lf God has not given you a specific call or assignment, then seek to fulfill the mission common to all believers—to love, obey, and serve God—until his guidance becomes more clear.
1:6-8Often people struggle with new challenges because they lack self-confidence, feeling that they have inadequate ability, training, or experience. Jeremiah thought he was “too young” and inexperienced to be God's prophet to the nations. But God promised to be with him. We should not allow feelings of inadequacy to keep us from obeying God. He will always be with us. If God gives you a job to do, he will provide all you Need to do it.
1:8God promised to be with Jeremiah and take care of him, but nat to keep trouble from coming. God did not insulate him from imprisonment, deportation, or insults. God does not keep us from encountering life’s storms, but he will see us through them. in fact, God walks through these storms with us and rescues us,
1:10God appointed Jeremiah to bring his word to “nations and kingdoms.” Jeremiah's work was to warn not only the Jews but all the nations of the world about God’s judgment for sin. Don’t forget in reading the Old Testament that, while God was consistently working through the people of Judah and Israel, his plan was to communicate to every nation and person. We are included in Jeremiah’s message of judgment and hope, and as believers we are to share God’s desire to reach the whole world for him.
1:11-14The vision of the branch from an almond tree revealed the beginning of God's judgment because the almond tree is among the first to blossom in the spring. God saw the sins of Judah and the nations, and he would carry out swift and certain judgment. The pot of boiling water tipping from the north and spilling over Judah pictured Babylon delivering God’s scalding judgment against Jeremiah’s people.
1:14-19The problems we face may not seem as ominous as Jeremiah’s, but they are critical to us and may overwhelm us! God’s promise to Jeremiah and to us is that nothing will defeat us completely; he will help us through the most agonizing problems. Face each day with the assurance that God will be with you and see you through.
1:16The people of Judah sinned greatly by continuing to worship other gods. God had commanded them specifically against this (Exodus 20:3-6) because idolatry places trust in created things rather than the Creator. Although these people belonged to God, they chose to follow false gods. Many “gods” entice us to turn away from God. Material possessions, dreams for the future, approval of others, and vocational goals compete for our total commitment. Striving after these at the expense of our commitment to God puts our heart where Judah's was—and God severely punished Judah.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 1198
IMPORTANCE Judah's deterioration and disaster came from a callous disregard and disobedience of God. When we ignore sin and refuse to listen to God’s warning, we invite disaster. Don't settle for half measures in removing sin. Unconfessed sin brings God’s full punishment. It is useless to blame anyone else for our sin; we are accountable to God before anyone else. We must answer to him for how we live. Because of God’s majestic power and love, our only duty is to submit to his authority. By following his plans, not our own, we can have a loving relationship with him and serve him with our whole heart. God still transforms people by changing their hearts. His love can eliminate the problems created by sin. We can have assurance of a new heart by loving God, trusting Christ to save us, and repenting of our sin. People’s acceptance or rejection of us is not the measure of our success. God’s approval alone should be our standard for service. We must bring God’s message to others even when we are rejected. We must do God’s work even if it means suffering for it.
EXPLANATION King Josiah’s reformation failed because the people's repentance was shallow. They continued in their selfishness and worship of idols. All the leaders rejected God’s law and will for the people. Jeremiah lists all their sins, predicts God's judgment, and begs for repentance. Because of sin, Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple was ruined, and the people were captured and carried off to Babylon. The people were responsible for their destruction and captivity because they refused to listen to God's message. God is the righteous Creator. He is accountable to no one but himself. He wisely and lovingly directs all creation to fulfill his plans, and he brings events to pass according to his timetable. He is LORD over all the world. Jeremiah predicted that after the destruction of the nation, God would send a new shepherd, the Messiah. He would lead them into a new future, a new covenant, and a new day of hope. He would accomplish this by changing their sinful hearts into hearts of tove for God. Jeremiah served God faithfully for 40 years. During that time the people ignored, rejected, and persecuted him. Jeremiah’s preaching was unsuccessful by human standards, yet he did not fail in his task. He remained faithful to God.
Punishment
God Is LORD of All
New Hearts
Faithful Service
🗺 This feature includes a map, chart or picture — view the original page image.
Study feature · page 1199
JEREMIAH served as a prophet to Judah from 627 B.C. until the exile in 586 B.C.
Climate of the times Society was deteriorating economically, politically, spiritually. Wars and captivity dominated the world scene. God’s word was deemed offensive.
Main message Repentance from sin would postpone Judah’s coming judgment at the hands of Babylon.
Importance of message.... Repentance is one of the greatest needs in our immoral world. God's promises to the faithful shine brightly by bringing hope for tomorrow and strength for today.
Contemporary prophets... Habakkuk (612-589 B.C.), Zephaniah (640-621 B.C.)