We know from Jeremiah 1:1, that Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Anathoth was about five miles from Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 6:60. Jeremiah had many enemies, from all classes of society, kings, idolatrous priests, and false prophets. The priests and prophets at that time were only out for gain. His friends were few and far between, although he was friendly with a powerful group influential in Josiah’s day. Gedaliah son of Ahikam being mentioned by name, Jeremiah 40:6 / Jeremiah 41:16 / Jeremiah 43:6.
Jeremiah is like Hosea the prophet in that he had some conflicting emotions and He had an intense love for his country and deep convictions of sin. He didn’t have Hosea’s unwavering faith in God, Jeremiah often doubted and struggled. His weaknesses were only overcome by the power of God. There were times when he isolated himself from others, mainly because of messages of doom and hopelessness and partly because he just wanted to be alone. He loved nature. He lacked self-confidence which made it difficult for him to deal with people. He was prone to bursts of anger.
Of all the prophets he was the frailest and most human. His call came in his youth when he was about twenty years old. This was one of the main reasons why he thought himself insufficient for the task. His ministry lasted about forty years and we know how successful he was.
We cannot date the book accurately because it covers far too much ground in terms of years. And there is also some question as to authorship. Jeremiah had a scribe called Baruch and some credit the authorship to him, Jeremiah 36:32. Jewish tradition, however, has it that the author was Jeremiah himself and they also credit him as being responsible for writing 1 Kings, and 2 Kings.
It’s a two-fold message.
1. A message of doom and destruction.
2. A message of hope.
1. Historical.
Nabopolassar is the king of Babylon. In 625 B.C. he declared Babylon independent, which led to war with Assyria. There was a revolt against Judah at that time. Nineveh fell in 612 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nabopolassar. The war between Babylon and Egypt followed. Pharaoh Neco was the only rival left to Babylon at that time for world supremacy and so, Babylon was interested in demolishing them. With the fall of some of the areas of Assyria, Neco marched northwards to regain them. They should have met at Carchemish but Josiah meets him halfway, 2 Chronicles 35 / 2 Kings 24 / Jeremiah 46.
The fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign is very significant. Nebuchadnezzar has become king and God had selected this man, not only to execute judgment on Judah but also on Assyria. Jeremiah tells us about this in Jeremiah 25. All of these prophesies were written on a scroll and read by Baruch but they didn’t want to hear these unutterable things.
Judah came under Babylonian control in 606/605 B.C. This was when the first of the captives went into exile. The third deportation was about 586 B.C. No one would return until about 536 B.C. Some date the captivity from 586 to 536 and say that this is fifty years, Jeremiah must therefore have been wrong when he said seventy years. But the first captivity was in 6O6 B.C. which makes seventy years, give or take a day.
2. Biblical.
When we read 2 Kings 20-25, and 2 Chronicles 34-36, we see that Josiah began his reign when he was only eight years old. And he reigns for about thirty-one years from 640 B.C. In the thirteenth year of his reign, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:2. Josiah was a good king. The High Priest at the time was Hilkiah, although it isn’t believed that this Hilkiah was the father of Jeremiah, although he too was a priest, Jeremiah 1:1. Hilkiah, the high priest, finds the book of the Law, the Law of Moses and the book is read to the people.
There was an immediate concern amongst the people and there was also an immediate investigation and inquiry of God. There were also immediate warnings and immediate promises of peace. Josiah’s heart was tender as he humbled himself before the Lord. Because of what Josiah did, God said that he would go to his grave in peace and not see the evil that was to come upon the land.
The covenant was made with God, from the Law of Moses and all of the people were to keep His commandments.
a. Commandments.
The Hebrew word for ‘commandments’ simply meant all of God’s commandments. Forty-six times it is used and it usually refers to one or all the Ten Commandments. It, therefore, relates to both Man and God.
b. Testimonies.
This word ‘testimonies’ occurs about thirty-four times. In a sense, it is a witness. Generally, laws between man and man, which are close to our civil or criminal laws where witnesses are required. This, of course, relates more to man.
c. Statutes.
Statutes are things that aren’t wrong in themselves, they are things one has to do because God has said so. They deal more with the functions of priests and they would relate more to God.
All of these things they were to keep in their hearts, with devotion.
The correction of the Covenant.
a. Religious reforms.
b. Moral reforms.
c. Home reforms. (Their house gods).
d. Civil reforms.
Some of the things they got involved with.
The Passover was to be kept and some thirty-three thousand bulls and two-thousand six-hundred small cattle were sacrificed during the Passover. It’s said that a total of forty-one thousand four hundred beasts were killed during Passover. Josiah turned to the Lord with all of his heart, soul, and mind. He diligently sought after God but it didn’t last long. Therefore, there was going to be retribution upon the rebellious.
Josiah lost his life because he didn’t listen to God. This is one of the things Jeremiah laments about in Jeremiah 35. Pharaoh Neco didn’t want to fight Josiah. He was journeying from Egypt to Carchemish to join the Assyrians in their battle against the Babylonians. Neco told Josiah, 2 Chronicles 35:21, but Josiah didn’t heed the warning. They met on the plain of Megiddo and Josiah loses the battle and later dies of the wounds he received in battle.
a. Jehoahaz, also called Shallum.
Jehoahaz was Josiah’s younger son and he was only twenty-three years old when he began to reign. Jehoahaz was only king for three months. His was a short but evil reign. He was taken into Egypt and we believe, died there. This was the work of Neco who on his way back from Carchemish, hammered Judah, took Jehoahaz and replaced him with Jehoiakim, as king. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old, 2 Kings 23:31-35.
b. Jehoiakim.
Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years, 2 Kings 23:36-34:7, and he was also evil. Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land and Jehoiakim came subject to him. But after three years he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, who took him into exile. Jeremiah 22:18-30, tells us that he never arrived in Babylon because he was killed.
c. Jehoiachin, also called Jeconiah.
Jehoiachin reigned for three months. He was also evil and was taken into Babylon captivity.
d. Zedekiah.
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old and reigned for eleven years and he was also evi1, 2 Kings 24:18-20. He rebelled against Babylon. He was seen working against Nebuchadnezzar and also against Jeremiah and God, 2 Chronicles 36:12-14. Egypt incited him to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar but he didn’t have a chance. His rebellion introduces us to the end of Judah. Suffering and hunger set in, Jeremiah 25, His sons were killed before his very eyes. Then he was blinded and taken into captivity. Gedaliah is appointed governor and set up to rule after Jerusalem had been destroyed but he was seen as a traitor and was an executioner, Jeremiah 40:1-6.
Josiah. 1 Chronicles 3:14-17 / 2 Kings 21:23-22:2
Jehoahaz, Shallum. 2 Kings 23:30-37 / Jeremiah 22:11
Jehoiakim. 2 Chronicles 36:5-9
Jehoiachin, Jeconiah or Coniah. 2 Kings 24:5-12 / Jeremiah 22:24-30
Zedekiah. 2 Kings 24:17-20 / 2 Chronicles 36:10-13
Of the five kings, only Josiah properly served God and the people. 2 Kings 22:1-23:8 / 2 Chronicles 34:35.
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