Hilkiah was the High Priest that found the Book of the Law during the time of King Josiah.
Illus: They did not have printing presses as we have today, so the Word of God was in limited supply.
According to Deut. 31:24-27, there was to be a copy of this Book of the Law beside the Ark of the Covenant, beginning in the days of Moses.
The Word of God was with Israel, but it was greatly neglected in those days. This neglect could only happen because Judah was in prolonged disobedience to God.
Illus: Many can relate to the loss of the law, because many households that do not serve God, have to hunt for a Bible if they need one.
• Deut. 17:18-20 tells us that each king was to have a personal copy of the law, and he was to read it.
• Deut. 31:9-13 tells us that the entire law was to be read to an assembly of the nation every 7 years at the Feast of Tabernacles, to keep the law before the people.
When the King heard the words of the Book of the Law, the hearing of God’s word did a spiritual work in King Josiah.
It was not merely the transmission of information; the hearing of God’s word had an impact of spiritual power on Josiah.
HOW DID HE RESPOND? He tore his clothes! The tearing of clothing was a traditional expression of horror and astonishment. In the strongest possible way, Josiah showed his grief on his own account and on account of the nation. This was an expression of deep conviction of sin.
We often give credit to King Josiah for the revival that came to the land during this time. God does use men in revivals, BUT REVIVAL ALWAYS COMES FROM GOD’S WORD!
I am not talking about some of these so-called revivals today that we hear about. I am talking about a real Holy Ghost Revival, where men and women repent of their sins and start to serve the true and living God.
The outline of the book goes something like this:
• In chapters 1-6, we see Jeremiah as a young man that delivered severe predictions condemning his people and pronouncing the judgment of God on them.
• In chapters 7-10, his prophecies were given after the Law of the Lord had been discovered in the temple cleansing by the young king Josiah. King Josiah and Jeremiah were probably close to the same age and very good friends.
• In chapters 11-12, Jeremiah speaks to the people of God after the Law of God has been read to the people.
• In chapter 13, Jeremiah speaks to them about the girdle.
Girdles today are used when someone has a barrel figure but wants to look like an hourglass.
During the time of Jeremiah, they wore loose garments and when they got ready to go to work, they would wear it around their waist to tighten their loose ends up.
Jeremiah bought it and put it on. Later God told him to take it off and bury it in a hole at the river Euphrates in some rocks. He did as the Lord told him. Later God told him to go and get it, and when he did it was rotten and worthless.
God is saying this is what is going to happen to Judah. They will become utterly worthless.
• In chapters 14-15, Jeremiah had been prophesying under King Josiah who got himself killed foolishly because of waging an unnecessary war with Egypt, who was no threat to him.
Now he is prophesying under King Jehoiakim. After the death of Josiah, Judah began to fall back into Idolatry.
• In chapters 16-17, Judah is at the brink of destruction.
During Manasseh’s administration, the people of Judah “did more evil” than their heathen neighbors (2 Chron. 33:9). Manasseh was taken as a prisoner to Assyria; there, he came to his senses and repented of his evil. When he returned to Palestine, he tried to undo the spiritual damage he had done, but he could not undo the damage he had done. When the ruler died, he was succeeded by his son Amon, who quickly re-instituted the wicked practices of his father’s early days.
The basic thrust of Jeremiah’s ministry was to bring his people to a state of repentance.
Look at Jer. 7:2-7, we read, “Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.”
If Judah repented, she could avoid the horrible destruction on the horizon (the Babylonian invasion and 70 year captivity).
Eventually, though, it became apparent that the people had no intention of abandoning their apostasy. It was Jeremiah’s sad task to warn them of the approaching destruction.
God had always FOUGHT FOR THEM, but due to their rebellion and disobedience, He wanted them to know He was going to FIGHT AGAINST THEM.
Look at Jer. 21:3-10, we read, “Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. And I myself will FIGHT AGAINST YOU with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.”
God wanted them to know that He was no longer fighting for them, but against them!
Jeremiah is urged to gird himself up and to begin prophesying with the knowledge that even though he will be resisted, God’s promises will prevail.
Look at Jer. 1:17-19, we read, “Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.”
These people did as so many do today; they lived their life as they pleased, and assumed they had everything figured out! They put their trust in this foolish knowledge!
Illus: In 1986, Dan Harrison was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Dan and his son Dan Jr. were standing.
The large bull elephant stared at Dan, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, and remembering elephants never forget, Dan couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Dan summoned up his courage, looked to see if any guards were around and then climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly. It wasn't the same elephant.
These people also did some pretty foolish things. Jeremiah addresses that in some of the messages he delivered.
We looked at THE MAN, now let’s look at THE MESSAGE.
II. THE MESSAGE
A. MESSAGE ONE
Israel is accused of breaking the covenant by forsaking God and trusting in idols
In Jer. 2:1-2, we read, “Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.”
Jeremiah alleges that Israel has forsaken her past love.
Look at Jer. 2:11-13, “Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
When Israel was miraculously saved from Egypt, she was deeply in love with God. But a short time later, she left God for these idols she served.
Look at Jer. 2:7-8, we read, “And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.”
B. MESSAGE TWO
Jeremiah gives five warnings of judgment to Judah due to pride, which reveals Israel’s idolatrous character.
(1) The Loincloth that we already talked about
(2) The Wine Jugs. God’s wrath will fill the people. Jer. 13:12-14, “Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.”
They thought that because their wine jugs were filled they were in good condition. God told Jeremiah to tell them they were getting the wrong impression.
(3) The Warning against Pride. Look at Jer. 13:15-17, we read, “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive.”
In other words God told Jeremiah to tell them they were getting too big for their britches and He was going to bring them down!
(4) The Warning to Rulers. Look at Jer. 13:18-19, we read, “Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.”
(5) The Warning that Sin Brings Punishment. Look at Jer. 13:20-27, we read, “Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?”
C. MESSAGE THREE
• Since God is sovereign, the nation is to submit to His way. Judgment is coming (18:1--20:18).
• God is Sovereign like a potter with clay (18:1-23).
• The Destruction of the Nation will be like the breaking of an earthen vessel (19:1--20:18).
D. MESSAGE FOUR
The symbol of the two baskets of figs speaks of the good that will be re-gathered and the bad that will not.
Look at Jer. 24:1-10, we read, “The LORD showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. 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.”
Conclusion:
The Lord promises to restore Israel to the land in a new exodus experience at the right time. In Jer. 31:1-6, we read, “At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things. For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.”
Jeremiah demonstrated his faith in God to restore the people to the land by buying a field, affirming that the sovereign God will judge and restore 32:1-44.
He bought the land from his cousin because God told him to buy it. In the presence of others, he said God told him to take the title and put it in a jug some place, because one day God was going to bring them back to the land and it would be worth something. Based on what God said, HE BOUGHT THE LAND believing that God would cause them to return to the land.
Remember, he was somewhat young when he started his ministry with King Josiah, and 70 years later, after the Babylonian captivity, this prophesy was fulfilled.
We have looked at:
I. THE MAN (1 of 2)
II. THE MESSAGE (2 of 2)
