The Prophet's message for our times.

The first in a new series looking at the lives and ministries of the Old Testament prophets, particularly in light of our situation in Britain today.

Jeremiah lived in a time of great turbulence, on both the international and the domestic scenes. Internationally, three great empires, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, were vying for dominance, while on the domestic front Jeremiah saw the reigns of five kings, bitter political rivalries and moral and spiritual decay.

In the 22 years from the death of Josiah in 608 BC to the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC, four kings reigned in Jerusalem, none of whom were godly men. Two of the four, Jehoiahaz and Jehoiachin each only reigned three months, while Jehoiakim and Zedekiah each reigned 11 years. The two short reigns were each the result of military conquest.

From One Tragedy to the Next

Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo when the Egyptian army was passing through the territory of Judah en route to face the Assyrians. Josiah foolishly decided to oppose them, despite the fact that the Egyptians had said that they had no quarrel with Judah.

He lost his life in an entirely unnecessary battle and was succeeded by Jehoiahaz who, only three months later, was taken in captivity to Egypt. This was following the surrender of Jerusalem and the payment of crippling amounts of gold and silver, none of which would have happened if Josiah had not intervened in a dispute between the two empires.

The history of Judah, from that moment, went from one tragedy to the next until the final decimation of all its towns and cities and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 586 BC. Jeremiah was in Jerusalem throughout this time, witnessing each stage of the national tragedy. This is reflected in the account of his ministry recorded in the book that bears his name in the Bible.

Jeremiah lived in a time of great turbulence, on both the international and the domestic scenes.

Vassal Kingdom

Following Jehoiahaz’s short reign, Jehoiakim was appointed by the Egyptians, whose power was greatly weakened later on in the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. This had involved all three empires, with Babylon emerging as the strongest power. Judah was seen as a vassal of Egypt, which drew the wrath of Babylon. As their army approached Jerusalem in 598 BC, Jehoiakim died (or was assassinated).

He was succeeded by his 18-year-old son Jehoiachin, who reigned just three months until Jerusalem surrendered to Babylon in the spring of 597 BC. He was taken captive to Babylon, together with many thousands of the leading citizens of the land plus most of Judah’s army and the most valuable articles from the temple (2 Kings 24).

Terrible Destruction Foretold

Then, Zedekiah was put on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah was a weak and foolish man who sought to enter into a conspiracy with the surrounding nations of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon – fiercely opposed by Jeremiah in chapter 27.

It was this act of treachery by Zedekiah, who had sworn allegiance to Babylon in the name of Yahweh, God of Israel, that enraged Nebuchadnezzar and caused him to come back ten years after the surrender of Jerusalem and this time decimate the whole land. He destroyed towns and villages, raped the countryside and laid siege to Jerusalem causing great suffering to the people, until the city fell in July 587 BC.

Most of the remaining citizens and many from the land were taken to Babylon in the second Exile. The great walls of Jerusalem were torn down; the Temple and the Palace and most of the great buildings were destroyed. Zedekiah’s family were murdered in front of him, then his eyes were gouged out and he was taken to Babylon as the prize exhibit in Nebuchadnezzar’s victory parade.

Jeremiah had foretold all these terrible events, more than once telling Zedekiah what his personal fate would be. But none of these things would have happened if the word of the Lord had been obeyed.

None of the terrible events foretold by Jeremiah would have happened if the word of the Lord had been obeyed.

Similarities with Today

If king and people had been willing to humble themselves and to put their trust in the Lord, they would have been preserved from destruction. God would have found a way of working out his purposes among the nations while preserving and protecting his own covenant people, among whom he had established his name and through whom it was his intention to reveal himself to the pagan nations.

It was God’s intention to use Babylon as part of his purposes so that for 70 years they would dominate the region. After that time, God would deal with the Babylonians themselves for their cruelty and arrogance, as Jeremiah records in 25:11-12. The Exile lasted until Cyrus the Persian overthrew the Babylonian Empire and took Babylon in 538 BC, when the people of Judah were released to return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem.

But the Exile would never have happened if the word of the Lord through Jeremiah had been heeded.

Forewarning

Jeremiah claimed that God had revealed to him the threat from Babylon and he gave clear warning of what would happen: “This is what the Lord says: Look, an army is coming from the land of the north [Babylon]; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, O Daughter of Zion” (Jer 6:22-23).

Jeremiah also knew that it was no use relying on either Egypt or Assyria to protect them from Babylon. He said “Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Shihor? And why go to Assyria to drink water from the River? Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realise how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me, declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty” (Jer 2:18-19).

Sadly, the politicians, the religious leaders and the people ignored the prophet among them, continuing in idolatry and turning their backs upon the word of the Lord. In one sentence Jeremiah describes the spiritual condition of the nation: “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve you!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute” (Jer 2:20). Jeremiah knew that by turning their backs upon God, both leaders and people had put themselves outside the Lord’s protection.

Jeremiah knew that by turning their backs upon God, both leaders and people had put themselves outside the Lord’s protection.

Nevertheless, Jeremiah continued throughout his 40 years’ ministry in Jerusalem to call for repentance and returning to God as the only way, both to national safety and to salvation. He was still calling for repentance when the Babylonian army was surrounding the walls of Jerusalem, because he knew that repentance would immediately bring the forgiveness, restoration and protection of God. He knew that God had the power to send a plague through the enemy army overnight, as he had done in the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:35). But Jeremiah’s warnings were not heard or heeded.

This is the tragedy that history records - and this is why the Book of Jeremiah has great significance for the Western nations in the world today. They, like Israel, have had biblical truth for many generations and, like Zedekiah, have conspired with one another to reject the truth and follow other gods and philosophies and cultures, to their own harm.

In studying the Book of Jeremiah, we can see many similarities with modern history. This is why we are undertaking this study on Prophecy Today UK.

Next week we will begin our study of the ministry of Jeremiah by looking at his calling and some of his early words.

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments.