Wollongong Baptist · Web view2017. 2. 5. · Rod Bayley. Simon Finley. Matthew Meek. ... Why had the people of Judah felt comfortable in rejecting God's word from his prophets

Studies in JeremiahWBC

Term 2 2015

Contributions by:-Rod Bayley

Simon FinleyMatthew Meek

Dan Riethmuller

11 Jeremiah 1:1-4:4_________________________________________________________________________________

The call of the prophet & the state of playPurpose: To reflect on Jeremiah's role to rebuke faithless Judah

1. Have you ever been chosen for a task that you didn't feel capable of fulfilling? If so, what was that?

Read Jeremiah 1:1-162. What do we learn about the background of Jeremiah and the timing of his ministry in the introduction (v1-3)?

3. What role had the Lord selected Jeremiah for, and what was his initial reaction (v4-5)?

4. How does the Lord reassure Jeremiah, and what are the first words that Jeremiah receives (v6-16)?

Taking a stand for the truth.... Jeremiah.... Page 1

Read Jeremiah 1:17-2:19

5. Why is Jeremiah's task going to be difficult? What is the first message that he is to proclaim to Jerusalem?


6. What metaphor is used to describe Israel's sins? How is this metaphor helpful in summarising the state of the nation?

Think about it

7. What forms of idolatry exist today, even amongst those who claim to be God's people?


8. What should Judah (the southern kingdom) have learnt from God's earlier judgment on the northern kingdom (3:6-11)?


9. What hope is held out by God to both the northern kingdom (Israel) and southern kingdom (Judah)? Summarise the promises made and the response needed.

Jeremiah 3:12-13

Jeremiah 3:14-18

Jeremiah 4:1-4

Think about it:

10. The people of Judah (and Israel before them) faced God's rightful judgment on sin. How is God's continuing commitment to judge sin expressed under the new covenant (Gal.6:7-8; 1 Cor.3:11-15; 2 Cor.5:10; Rev.20:11-15)?

11. How does this help us to appreciate the gospel of grace all the more?


22 Jeremiah 4:5-10:25_________________________________________________________________________________

Judgment from the northPurpose: To grasp why God will punish Judah through a northern nation

1. Have you ever had to pass on bad news? How did you feel about this, and how was it received?

Read Jeremiah 4:5-312. Who was bringing the nation from the north and why? Who was that nation, and what was the prophesied impact on Judah?

3. Compare verses 23 to 28 with Genesis 1. What is the connection between the two passages, and why does that make Jeremiah's message more foreboding?

Read Jeremiah 5:12-31

4. Why had the people of Judah felt comfortable in rejecting God's word from his prophets (v12-13, 21-24), and what effect was this having on their society (v25-31)?


5. What is the Lord's response to their attitude (v14-19)?

Think about it

6. Are their consequences when God's people sin today, and if so, what is the purpose (Heb.12:4-11)?

Read Jeremiah 6:13-15 and 8:10-12

7. How are the religious leaders failing to lead the nation?

8. Why is the continued worship at the temple not acceptable to God, and what will follow if they don't repent and change their ways (7:1-15)?


Think about it:

9. How can those who claim to be Christian just go through the motions today, and why are religious practices not necessarily an indicator of a person's heart?

10. How does understanding and knowing the Lord involve having a circumcised heart (read Jeremiah 9:23-26), even for ourselves today (Romans 2:25-29)?


33 Jeremiah 11:1-17:4_________________________________________________________________________________

Covenant brokenPurpose: To consider how Judah brought the covenant curses upon itself despite Jeremiah's pleas

1. Have you ever made a solemn agreement with someone, and then that agreement was broken? If so, how?

Read Jeremiah 11:1-172. What were the covenant curses that God planned to bring upon Judah (v8) for breaking their covenant (Leviticus 26:14-39; Deuteronomy 28:15-68)?

3. What was their primary failure which meant that they had rejected their covenant with God (v9-17)?

Read Jeremiah 11:18-23 and 13:1-11

4. What was the cost to Jeremiah for speaking God's words to the people?


5. Like Ezekiel, Jeremiah was at times called on by God to act out prophecies against the nation. What did God call him to do in 13:1-11, and what did this signify?

Think about it

6. Do those who stand firm on God's word under the new covenant also attract persecution? If so, in what ways, and how should we respond? (see 2 Tim. 3:10-13; 1 Pet.2:11-25, 4:12-19)

Read Jeremiah 16:1-15

7. What did the Lord instruct Jeremiah to do (v1-9), and what was he to say to the people when they asked why (v10-13)?

8. What does the Lord promise He will do in the future (v14-15), and when did this happen historically?


Think about it:

9. What does the future promise of Jeremiah 16:14-15 tell us about God's character (see Psalm 86:15; Ezekiel 18:30-32)?

10. How does the hope of future restoration point forward to Jesus and his work of restoring us to God, bringing us who were far away near (Eph.2:11-13; 1 Pet.2:9-10, 3:18)?


44 Jeremiah 17:5-20:18

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

A Choice of RoadsPurpose: To understand the choice before Judah and the persecution it

brought Jeremiah.

Introduction

1. What factors make a choice easy or difficult

Read Jeremiah 182.What did Jeremiah see and hear at the Potter’s house (18:1-10)?

3.How does God use clay to describe human nations here? Is there any hope in this analogy?

Think about it4.Purposeful forgetfulness is one of the reasons Judah will be judged (v15). How might forgetfulness be a demonstration of unfaithfulness and disobedience?


Read Chapters 19 and 205.What is Jeremiah told to do next?

6.Two times, Jeremiah’s prophecies are rejected (18:18; 20:1-2). What follows each rejection and what does this say about Judah’s choice?

7.What do the passages about clay pots teach us about God’s judgements?

8.Has Jeremiah’s complaint changed between chapters 18 and 20? If so, why do you think they’ve changed, and what do we learn about Jeremiah himself?

Read 17:5-189.How does this section preview the choices that Judah needs to make when it comes to chapters 18 and 19? How does 17:19-27 fit in?

Think about it10.Reflect on Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:13-14. Is choosing to obey God an easy choice or a hard choice?



55 Jeremiah 21-23_________________________________________________________________________________

Judah's exile prophesiedPurpose: To grasp why God was on the side of the Babylonians but would restore a remnant

1. Have you ever relied on someone for help, but their help/advice turned out bad?

Read Jeremiah 21:1-102. What does King Zedekiah ask (1-2)?

3. How does Jeremiah (God) respond (3-10)?

Read Jeremiah 21:11-22:104. What message is there for the King of Judah (21:11-22:10)? Is there any hope?


Read 2 Samuel 7:12-165. What had God promised David regarding future kings of Israel/Judah?

Read Jeremiah 22:11-22:306. Summarise the message for each of the kings:

King MessageShallum (Jehoahaz)22:11-17

Jehoiakim22:18-23

Jehoiachin22:24-30

Read Jeremiah 23:9-407. What is God’s problem with the (so-called) prophets?

Read Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:15-228. What is the true test of a prophet?


Read Jeremiah 23:1-89. What does God promise? (Compare Isaiah 11:1-5, Ezekiel 34:11-16)

Read John 10:7-1810. How does Jesus fulfil God’s promise of Jeremiah 23:5-6?

Think about it:11. How does what Jesus has done comfort you?


66 Jeremiah 24-29______________________________________________________________________

Responding to the ExilePurpose: To understand That God would continue to judge them for 70 years

before restoring them.

Note: Because of the numerous aspects to some of the questions, there are fewer questions in this study.

1. Reflect on what has been discussed in Jeremiah so far. Has Jeremiah’smessage been a mostly positive or negative one?

2. These chapters contain three main demonstrations from Jeremiah-a. The Figs (24:1-10)b. The Cup (25:38)c. The Yoke (27:1-22; 28:10-17)

What do each of these demonstrations illustrate?

Read Jeremiah 25:4-263. These verses contain three recipients of judgement.

a. Judah (25:8-11, 18)b. Babylon (25:12)c. Other Nations (25:19-26)

Describe and compare what Jeremiah says will happen to Judah, Babylon and the other nations.


4. Chapters 24-29 contain the most positive, hope filled passages so far. How has Jeremiah’s message shifted towards a more hopeful future for Judah? (24:4-7; 25:12-14; 27:22; 29:10-14).

5. How much hope/optimism should Judah have? As you discuss this, consider the differences between Jeremiah’s and Hananiah’s message and the implications of chapter 28.

Read Phillipians 3:17-216. Jeremiah tells the remnant how to live in exile, encouraging them with the hope of restoration to come. How do Paul’s words encourage you to live as an exile waiting for the treasure to come?


77 Jeremiah 30-33______________________________________________________________________

A New Covenant PromisedPurpose: To reflect on the promised new start for Judah after the exile.

1. What were the details of the old covenant Israel had with God?

Read Jeremiah 30:1-32. Flick back through some of the previous chapters and find 4 or 5 times where it is written, “This is what the Lord says, …” What is different about what the Lord says in 30:3?

Read Jeremiah 30:3-203. What reasons does God give for restoring Israel?

4. What emotions will Israel feel when God restores them? How has their attitude toward sin changed?


Read Jeremiah 31:31-345. Here Jeremiah speaks of a New Covenant. How is this covenant different from the old one?

6. Jeremiah has already said that Judah will be restored after 70 years in Babylon, after which the exiles will return to their land. Is this what Jeremiah is talking about in 31:31-34? Why/why not?

Read Jeremiah 32:38-437. In chapter 32, even as Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, Jeremiah tells King Zedekiah that God had told Jeremiah to buy a field to signify that one day people will buy fields in the land. What comfort does God offer in these verses?

Read Jeremiah 33:14-188. What parts of this prophesy can’t be fulfilled simply by Israel returning to their land?


9. How does this prophecy fits with other things said about David’s line. Especially 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Luke 1:29-33.

10. If Jesus is the one through whom the New Covenant is fulfilled (Luke 22:20), what is different to the covenant made at Sinai?

11. How is our hope similar or different from the hope Judah was given in Jeremiah’s prophecy?


88 Jeremiah 34-36______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rejecting God's wordPurpose: To consider how Judah failed to submit to God's word & brought

further judgment upon themselves

1. What’s a part of the Bible that you really love, or that has had a significant impact on you?

Read Jeremiah 34:1-3.2. What is the situation facing King Zedekiah and the city of Jerusalem?

Read Jeremiah 34:8-16.3.It seems like in response to the threat facing them, Zedekiah and the Israelites ‘repented’ and turned back to obeying God. But after God brought them relief from the Babylonians (cf. v 21), the Israelites went back to disobeying God again (cf. v. 11). What does this say about the Israelite’s ‘repentance’ and commitment to God?


Read Mark 4:5-6, 16-17 and 2Pet. 2:20-22.4. What are some reasons people seemingly repent and start to obey God, but later turn away again?

5. What personally keeps you coming back to God’s Word again and again?

Read Jer. 35:1-19.6. How are the Rekabites presented in contrast to the people of Judah (see esp. v 8, 11, 14-19)?

7. Can you think of any areas (including from history) where people outside the church have done a better job of “obeying God’s Word” than people in the church? Or, in what areas do you think people in the church have been slow to obey God’s Word in some way?


8. Why do you think people in the church have been slow to obey God’s Word in these areas?

Read Jeremiah 36:1-26.9. What is so tragic about how the king responds to the reading of God’s Word (cf. vs 21-25)?

10. Can you think of any examples of how Jesus treated God’s Word differently to King Zedekiah?

Read Mark 4:3-4, 15.11. What makes people want to respond to God’s Word like King Zedekiah did? How can we guard against that?


99 Jeremiah 37-45_________________________________________________________________________________

Last days and assignmentsPurpose: To understand God's faithfulness in judgment and the continued

rejection of God's word

1. What parts of the Bible do some Christians find hard to believe (when they’re interpreting it correctly)?

Read Jeremiah 37:1-21.2. In light of the fact that Zedekiah won’t listen to the words of the Lord (cf. v. 2), what’s so interesting about his approach to Jeremiah (cf. v. 3, 16-17, 21)? What does this suggest about Zedekiah’s approach to God?

Read Jeremiah 38:1-13.2.Why do they hate Jeremiah’s message so much (vs. 2-4)? What would they rather hear from Jeremiah? How does their reaction to Jeremiah remind you of people’s reaction to Jesus?


Read Jeremiah 38:14-28.4. What do Zedekiah and Jeremiah have in common here (compare vs 19 with vs 24-27)? How was Jesus different? How does that make you appreciate Jesus?

Read Jeremiah 39:1-18.5. Contrast Zedekiah and Jeremiah. Why is this episode so tragic, yet hopeful at the same time? How do these two themes come out in 2 Peter 3:1-9?

Read Jeremiah 40:1-41:15.6. How does the idea of a remnant in this passage give us hope as Australia becomes more and more ‘post-Christian’?

Read Jeremiah 41:16-43:13.7. Why do you think the people asked Jeremiah to enquire of God and yet didn’t follow what God said (notice their use of “your God” in 42:2)? How does Jeremiah going with them towards “judgement” remind you of Jesus?


Read Jeremiah 44:1-30.8. How do you think Jeremiah is feeling in Egypt? Compare this to Jesus in Matthew 23:37-38. How should this be reflected in our attitude towards friends and family who don’t know Jesus?

9. Try to remember the different ways Jeremiah has suffered throughout this book. How does he remind you of the true ‘suffering servant’ and ‘man of sorrows’?

Read Jeremiah 45:1-5.10.Why was Baruch’s complaint selfish and inappropriate? How is Jesus different

to Baruch in this way?

11. Notice the reassurance for Baruch at the end of verse 5. How should Christ laying down his life for us move us to lay down our lives for Him? Why should we have no fear in doing this?


1010 Jeremiah 46-52_________________________________________________________________________________

Messages for the nationsPurpose: To grasp God's judgement on the surrounding nations as Jerusalem falls

1. Have you ever longed for God's justice to come, for God's judgment to fall on those who persecuted you? If so, what was the situation?

Read Jeremiah 46:1-122. What does the Lord say through Jeremiah concerning Egypt, and how is this prophecy rooted in historical events?

Read Jeremiah 47:1-48:23. Both the Philistines and Moabites are prophesied against. Why would they be destroyed, and what was the past relationship between these two nations and God's people like?

Read Jeremiah 49:1-8, 27-29, 34-364. Similar messages are given to Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor, and also Elam. Where are these nations located, and what was their relationship with Judah?


Read Jeremiah 50:1-3, 17-205. If Babylon has been God's instrument of judgment against all the other nations, including Judah, what nation will bring judgment upon Babylon (see 51:11, 28)?

6. How was Jeremiah's message to be passed on to those living in Babylon (51:59-64)?

Read Jeremiah 52:1-347. How was Jerusalem's destruction brought on, and how did the Babylonians treat the various 'classes' of people in Judah?

8. Despite God faithfully fulfilling his judgment, what does the 'happy' ending of verses 31 to 34 reveal?


Think about it:9. How is God's commitment to justice seen under the new covenant (Rom. 3:21-26; 2 Thess.1:5-10)?

10. Despite the book of Jeremiah detailing Judah's sins and God's corresponding judgment of exile, the Lord continues to hold out the future hope of restoration. What have you learnt about God's character through this series of studies, and also about the gospel of grace which these events ultimately point forward to?





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Wollongong Baptist · Web view2017. 2. 5. · Rod Bayley. Simon Finley. Matthew Meek. ... Why had the people of Judah felt comfortable in rejecting God's word from his prophets