JEREMIAH

Lesson 01: Historical Context

TIME PERIOD

The text of Jeremiah tells us that the word of the

Lord came in the thirteenth year of Josiah and again

from Jehoiakim’s reign to the eleventh year of

Zedekiah

Jeremiah prophesied through the reigns of Josiah,

possibly Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and

Zedekiah (626 B.C. to 586 B.C.)

WICKEDNESS

Israel and Judah were not sent into captivity

because of evilness under one ruler

While the work of Jeremiah began during the reign

of Josiah, the reasons for God’s judgment(s) began

much earlier

For the sake of this study, we will refrain from

going back further than Manasseh’s (Josiah’s

grandfather) reign.

MANASSEH

Idolatry often ruled the hearts of the Israelites,

from the king down to the common citizens.

What is written about King Manasseh in 2

Chronicles 33:2-9?

What did God cause to happen to Manasseh?

What did Manasseh then do?

Manasseh’s redemption comes too late for his son,

Amon

AMON

Amon “did not humble himself before the Lord”

Rather, he “trespassed more and more” (2

Chronicles 33:23)

He was rebellious against the Lord, and was

ironically assassinated because of rebellion

His own servants conspired against him (33:24)

JOSIAH

Josiah was only eight years old when he became

king (2 Chronicles 34:1)

He “did what was right in the sight of the Lord”

and turned aside to neither the “right hand or to the

left” (34:2)

His search for God began in the eighth year of his

reign, making him only sixteen years old

JOSIAH

By the twelfth year of his reign (age twenty) he was

purging Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry

Why wait until age twenty?

While Josiah became king at age eight and sought God

at age sixteen, it is likely that he king only in name until

he reached age twenty, which was the age of adulthood

under the Law of Moses (reference Numbers 1:20-46)

JOSIAH

Josiah was a very “hands-on” king and ensured

that his orders were carried out

In his presence, the altars of the Baals were

broken down, the idols broken into pieces and

ground to dust, and that dust was then scattered on

the graves of those who had sacrificed to them

JOSIAH

Josiah also burned the bones of the priests on their

altars

What are three possible ways of reading this?

Josiah dug up the bones of past priests and burned

them

He executed the priests and burned them

Or he did both!

JOSIAH

1 Kings 13:1-6

From the present tense words used in 13:2 (“who

burn incense on you…”), it appears that the third

option is one of the most likely

Josiah’s “hands-on” nature speaks to the goodness

of his heart

Consider Matthew 12:33-37

JOSIAH

What was found in the ruins of the house of God (2

Chronicles 34:8-28)?

What was Josiah’s reaction when Shaphan read the

Book of the Law of the Lord to him (34:18-21)?

Josiah did not excuse the wickedness of Judah, but

sought a way to be reconciled with God

JOSIAH

What would happen to Judah because of their allegiance

to idols (2 Chronicles 34:24-28)? What would happen to

Josiah?

Note that God said two things about Josiah

First, that he had a tender heart

Second, that Josiah humbled himself before God

Remember that Manasseh had to be humbled by God and

Amon would not be humbled

JOSIAH

Josiah read the Book of the Covenant in the

hearing of all the men of Judah and the inhabitants

of Jerusalem (34:30)

Josiah made a covenant before the Lord to obey

and keep His commandments (34:31)

Josiah made all who were present take a stand

(34:32)

Were their hearts changed?

JOSIAH

Pharaoh Necho (ruled Egypt 610-595 B.C.) went to

war against Carchemish (a Hittite city on the

Euphrates)

JOSIAH

Necho captured Carchemish here, but lost it in

battle against Nebuchadnezzar later (Jeremiah 46:2)

Necho did not want a battle with Josiah (2

Chronicles 35:21)

Necho stated that he was under order from God to

attack Carchemish (substantiated in 35:22)

Was Josiah being rebellious against God by going

against Necho?

JOSIAH

Josiah, in disguise, fell to Necho’s archers

God likewise counted Josiah as faithful (35:26)

Josiah was mourned by “all of Judah and

Jerusalem” and it is clear that Jeremiah had great

respect and love for this faithful king (2 Chronicles

35:24-25)

JEHOAHAZ

Jehoahaz, Josiah’s son, became king at twenty-

three, but reigned only three months

He “did evil in the sight of the Lord” and was

deposed by Necho (2 Kings 23:31-34)

Since the Lord have used Necho at Carchemish, it

is posssible that God also used him to remove

Jehoahaz from power

JEHOIAKIM

Necho placed Jehoiakim, who was as evil as his

brother, in power

Jehoiakim ruled eleven years in Jerusalem, then

was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon

Much of what happened at this time happened

because of the sins of Manasseh and the innocent

blood he had shed which God would not pardon (2

Kings 24:3-4)

JEHOIACHIN

Jehoiachin was appointed king next, but there

seems to be some discrepancy concerning his age

2 Kings 24:8 states that he was eighteen, but 2

Chronicles 36:9 states that he was eight

Likely a transcription error in 2 Chronicles as more

manuscripts state eighteen

JEHOIACHIN

The texts of both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles support the

older age of eighteen

We are told by both texts that he was evil during his

short reign, which would mean that we have an evil eight

year old if that were the correct age

He is carried off captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar

and held for thirty-seven years (2 Kings 25:27-30;

Jeremiah 52:31-34)

ZEDEKIAH

Nebuchadnezzar placed Zedekiah on the throne of

Judah

Zedekiah was the brother of Jehoiakim, son of

Josiah

He “did evil in the sight of the Lord” and later

rebelled against the king of Babylon (2 Kings 24:17-

20)

Zedekiah’s rebellion was against both

Nebuchadnezzar and God (2 Chronicles 36:11-14)

ZEDEKIAH

Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, and all the

Israelite men of war fled by night (2 Kings 25:1-4)

Zedekiah is overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies

on the plains of Jericho (25:5)

Zedekiah is carried off captive to Babylon where he

watched the execution of his sons before his own

eyes were put out (25:6-7)

DESTRUCTION

God sent warnings early and often because “He had

compassion on His people and on His dwelling place” (2

Chronicles 36:15-16)

Israel mocked the messengers of God and rejected His word

God brought destruction on Israel and Judah because of

their rejection of His word (2 Chronicles 36 and 2 Kings 25)

Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, caused most of the

destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:8)

DESTRUCTION

Nebuzaradan burned the house of the Lord and the

king’s houses, along with all of the “houses of the great,”

and they broke down the walls surrounding Jerusalem (2

Kings 25:8-11)

The people of the city were carried away, including

defectors from Babylon

Some of the poor were left to be used for vinedressers

and farmers (25:11-12)

DESTRUCTION

Nebuzaradan took the chief priest, second priest,

doorkeepers, and the men of the city who had a special

relationship with Zedekiah or were of influence

The king of Babylon executed these people (25:18-21)

The execution of the priests truly emphasizes the fact

that the “wrath of the Lord arose against His people,

till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16)