33 Jeremiah

Jeremiah - The weeping prophet. No wonder they called him this. The people ignored him, continued to commit idolaatry, adultery, injustice, tyranny against the helpless and dishonesty. I would weep too if I had to deal with these people and try to get a message to them. His purpose was to warn of the destruction that everyone was about to face and to urge Judah to return and submit to God. Jeremiah was a priest who God calls to be His prophet. Jeremiah identifies their sins and treachery, as he wants them to realize the serious condition of their sinful ways.

He then gives prophecies of the coming King and the New Covenant that would be made. God said - I will put my words in your mouth… Jesus and Paul actually quote Jeremiah. During this time they found the law book of Moses in the temple brought it to the king and there they began to follow the laws again, for awhile anyway.. But evil dominated their lives, as always, til satan gets removed from this earth, it will continue.
Jeremiah’s conception of human nature is well expressed in his statement "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good, when you are accustomed to doing evil." Us not so smart humans follow their desires rather than their intellect; for this reason, they cannot change their evil ways until they experience a change of heart. Furthermore, Jeremiah contended that humans cannot change their nature by themselves. Such reform can occur only through cooperation with God, and God can act on our human hearts only when we recognize our need for it. Without this inner transformation in human nature, all reformative movements or changes are destined to fail.

Nothing that Jeremiah taught during his career was more significant than his doctrine concerning the New Covenant. In Chapter 31 of his book, it says "'The time is coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.'" The Old Covenant, based on laws that were decreed as far back as the time of Moses, was a contract, or agreement, between God and the Israelites, in which the people agreed to obey all of the commandments given to them. But the Israelites did not live up to the terms of that agreement, and Jeremiah believed that he knew the principal reasons why they had not done so: the evil desires and wrong motives that were parts of their human nature - that ol heart of stone. The only thing that could bring about a right relationship with God would be a change of heart — in other words, a new nature. Such change was unattainable except by means of the New Covenant, in which God promises to do for the Israelites that which they cannot do for themselves. Speaking for God, Jeremiah declares, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Jeremiah concludes by saying that when this is done, specific rules no longer will be necessary in order for people to know how they ought to behave. With changed natures and the right desires present within them, people will know what is the morally correct thing to do in any situation. How absolutley cool is that! Read it.. its there.

Ok.. let me explain that a little more since we are not into the New Testament yet. In the old testament God wanted people to follow his words and direction. Like he would tell them to do something and then expected them to do it. So it was like a physical promise to the people. He also wanted them to have a physical circumcision, that was a big one, once they had that done they were a part of the believers. And in the old testament, the people were not given God’s Spirit. Now once Jesus came, there was a New Covenant for the people. It was an agreement based on spiritual promises. So it was no longer physical. Circumcision was repentance and was of the heart and mind… And True believers have God’s Spirit. Now God promises us an eternal life full of love and glory, but only for those that obey God. And eternal death for those who completely reject God. I want everyone that I love to believe so we can all be together in eternal life… ok enough here.. back to Jeremiah

The Prophet Jeremiah had a most difficult message to deliver. Jeremiah preached for 40 years, and not once did he see any real success in changing or softening the hearts and minds of his stubborn, idolatrous people. Jeremiah loved Judah, but he loved God much more, the way we all should be. As painful as it was for Jeremiah to deliver a consistent message of judgment to his own people, Jeremiah was obedient to what God told him to do and say. Jeremiah hoped and prayed for mercy from God for Judah, but also trusted that God was good, just, and righteous. We too must obey God, even when it is difficult, recognize God’s will as more important than our own desires, and trust that God, in His infinite wisdom and perfect plan, will bring about the best for His children. Now Jerimiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed, but he also said it would be rebuilt again but next time it would be built in the hearts of man. Jerimiah is referred to as the weeping prophet, because he truly suffered on behalf of the people. He constantly tried to keep on top of the people and let them know that if they did not turn their ways that it would be awful for them. He just didn’t have much positive news to pass along and people didn’t like him for it. Must have been terribly hard for him to pass along the message that no one wanted to hear.. oh well.. another prophet I should say, that no one listened to.. Jeremiah was attacked by his own brothers, beaten and put into jail by a priest and a false prophet, imprisoned by the king, threatened with death, thrown down a cistern to die.. the man went through some serious stuff.. just to warn the people..sometimes you just wonder eh..