Understanding The Bible
STUDY REFERENCE
Clarence E. Mason's "OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETIC BOOKS"
JEREMIAH - EXPOSITORY ANALYSIS
Expanded Appendix

 

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Dr. Clarence E. Mason, Jr.
Philadelphia College of Bible
1970

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETIC BOOKS
JEREMIAH: Expanded appendix
JEREMIAH: EXPOSITORY ANALYSIS

Introduction:  The prophet's call and commission 1

A. The title of the book 1-3
B. The prophet's call to his ministry. 4-10
C. The call confirmed by the signs of 11-16
        1. the rod of the almond tree and
        2. the seething pot
D. The encouraging exhortation to obedience 17-19


DIVISION I. MESSAGES TO JUDAH 2-45

  1. Messages before the fall of Jerusalem 2-38
    1. The indictment of the people and the call to repentance 2-13
      1. The first message: Entreaty and warning 2:1-3:5
      2. The second message: Future glory conditional upon repentance 3:6-6:30
        1. Contrast between Israel and Judah 3:6-11
        2. The call to repentance (with promises of blessing) 3:12-25
        3. The proclamation of judgment 4:1-6:26 This section describes:
          1. Judgment described and declared inevitable 4
          2. Reason for judgment 5:1-6:21 Their corrupt conduct, Unbelief of the prophetic message, And their hardness of heart Foretells the taking of the city.
          3. Jerusalem will fall amid suffering 6:22-26
        4. The prophet strengthened and encouraged 6:27-30
      3. The message in the gate of the temple 7-10
        1. The sins of those who profess to worship God 7:1-8:3 Instead of trusting in their profession,
          1. They are to amend their ways and doings 7:1-15
          2. Their prayers and sacrifices will be rejected because of disobedience and rejection of the truth 7:16-28
          3. Because of their sins and abominations the people themselves are rejected 7:29-8:3
        2. The judgments upon those who falsely worship God 8:4-9:26 Caused by:
          1. Their perpetual backslidings 8:4-17
            Parenthesis: The prophet's lamentation 8:18-9:2
          2. Their duplicity 9:3-12
          3. Their forsaking of the Law 9:13
          4. Their worship of Baal 9:14
          5. Resulting in dispersion 9:15-26
        3. A satire on idolatry 10:1-18
          Parenthesis: The prophet's second lamentation and prayer 10:19-25
NOTE: Punishment for perpetual backsliding (8:5). Key verse is 8:20: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved"! Not saved!  Why not?
They chose death 8:3 Self-deceived 8:11
Were unrepentant 8:6 Utterly shameless 8:12
Unobservant 8:7 Carnal optimism 8:15
Pride of intellect 8:8-10 Religious formality 8:19

 

The rejection of God's Word results in the pathetic cry of 8:20
Is there no balm in Gilead? There is an unfailing remedy.
Is there no physician there? Yes, the Great Physician.
Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people of the recovered? They do not avail themselves Physician and His remedy which is held out to them FREE!
  1. The message concerning the broken covenant 11-12
    1. The curse upon those who break the covenant 11:1-17
      Cp. v. 16 with Psalm 52:8 and Romans 11:17
    2. The men of Anathoth plot to kill Jeremiah (who is protected by the Lord) 11:18-23
    3. The prophet's complaint and Jehovah's answer 12
  2. The sign of the marred girdle 13:1-17
    A girdle speaks of service. So Israel, the unprofitable servant, is rejected and will be taken to Babylon.
NOTE: Judicial darkness is threatened. Key is v. 16: "Give glory ... before ... gross darkness" comes upon you. Four kinds of darkness are mentioned in Scripture.
Natural darkness - Eph. 4:18
Willful darkness - Jn. 3:19
Judicial darkness - Jer. 13:16
Eternal darkness - Jude 13

 

  1. I.
    1. A.
      1. Final exhortation, and proclamation of judgment 13:18-27
    2. Prophecies concerning the fall of Jerusalem 14-38
      1. Famine - temporal and spiritual 14.-15
        1. The sign of the drought 14:1-15:9
          It is an indication of Jehovah's determination to punish.
          There is no hope for recovery.
        2. The prophet's grief and Jehovah's answer 15:10-21
      2. Sin - where the blood should be! 16-17
        1. The sign of the unmarried prophet (indicating the disruption of the social life of Judah) 16:1-13
        2. Promise of future restoration and blessing 16:14-21
        3. The curse of sin contrasted with the blessing of Jehovah 17:1-18
          Benedict Arnold once wrote: "I see so much baseness and ingratitude among men, I sometimes blush to think I belong to the same species. Yet, this one who thought himself so pure became a traitor to his country.
        4. The message concerning the Sabbath 17:19-27
      3. Lessons from the potter's house 18-19
        In both this passage and Romans 9, which should be read together, it is a matter of privilege in view here on earth, and not a question of eternal destiny. Why were you born in a Christian country and not in China or Africa? A matter of privilege.

        Reading Scripture in four ways, we have:
        1. Historically - as related here;
        2. Spiritually - man a broken (sinful) vessel;
        3. Typically - Christ's body is rent for us, and He makes our vessel over;
        4. Dispensationally - Israel in view.

          To Jeremiah, God explains that Divine grace can remake the nation as a vessel of usefulness to God (18). But, to the elders (19), the prophet indicates that the nation, as present in that generation, is to be irreparably destroyed (like a fragile vessel) and the fragments taken to Babylon. That generation of the nation was not restored to the land.

          Parenthesis: Jeremiah's persecution by Pashur; his perplexity and complaint 20
      4. Messages emphasizing the imminence of siege and captivity 21-24
        1. The messages concerning the last four kings of Judah 21-22
          1. Message to Zedekiah 21:1-22:9
            He will be carried to Babylon but will not see (his eyes were put out).
          2. Message concerning Jehoahaz (Shallum) 22:10-12
            He will be carried off to Egypt and die there.
          3. Message concerning Jehoiakim 22:13-19 (cp. 36:30)
            He will die in captivity and have an unworthy burial.
          4. Message concerning Jehoiachin (Coniah, Jeconiah) 22:20-30
            He will die in captivity.
            Parenthesis: God's true King (Messiah) 23:1-8
          5. He will gather the scattered flock and reign righteously.
          6. Condemnation of the false prophets 23:9-40
          7. The two baskets of figs 24This sets forth those carried into captivity and those who remain in Palestine.
          8. The vision of the two baskets of figs 24:1-3
          9. The interpretation of the vision 24:4-10
          10. Messages emphasizing the certainty, and the extent, of the captivity 25-29
          11. The captivity to extend 70 years 25:1-11
          12. Prophecy of events which will take place among Gentile nations 25:12-38
          13. (during and following the 70-year captivity, even to the "end time")
          14. Concerning Babylon i2-13a
          15. Concerning other nations of that time 13b-28
            Afflicted and conquered mainly through Babylon's armies.
          16. Concerning all nations (particularly in "end time") 29-38
        2. The message in the temple court (Jeremiah's danger and deliverance) 26
          The persecution of Jeremiah and martyrdom of Urijah.
        3. The sign of the yokes and the death of Hananiah, the false prophet 27-28 The name "Jehoiakim" (27:1) should read "Zedekiah." See 27:3,12,20.
        4. Jeremiah's letter to the Jews of the captivity 29
          "You are not returning soon, as the false prophets say. Settle down. You'll be there a long time."
           
      5. Jeremiah and the New Covenant 30-36
        1. The original book: Prophecy of restoration after Great Tribulation 30-31
          After the Day of Jacob's Trouble (30:7),
          they are to be regathered (31:8) and
          a new covenant made with them (31:31-34),
          affirmed by the orderly universe (31:35-38).
          (Jerusalem has been expanding exactly in pattern with 31:38-40.)
          Parenthesis: Jeremiah's experiences during imprisonment were illustrative of this 32-34
          1. Jeremiah commanded to buy Hanameel's, his kinsman's, field 32:1-15
          2. Jeremiah's prayer and Jehovah's answer - reaching far beyond Israel's return from Babylon 32:16-33:26
            1. The prayer 32:16-25
            2. The first answer 32:26-44
            3. The second answer 33
              (The great prophecy about the Davidic Kingdom, 33:14-17)
          3. A personal message to Zedekiah (upon his issuing a decree liberating slaves) 34:1-11
          4. A message to the people (following their failure to keep the decree) 34:12-22b. Obedience and disobedience 35:1-36:26
        2. Obedience of the Rechabites to a man's commandments 35
          1. Disobedience of Jehoiakim and Judah to God's commandments 36:1-26
          2. The book rewritten and enlarged 36:27-32
      6. Jeremiah's further experiences while imprisoned during the seige 37-38 (Ebed-Melech rescues Jeremiah, 38:4-13.)

 

  1. The long-prophesied judgment upon Judah executed 39
    (Ebed-Melech rewarded, 39:15-18.)

     
  2. Jeremiah's fidelity to the remnant following the fall of Jerusalem 40-44
    1. The murder of Gedaliah and the atrocities of Ishmael 40-41
    2. The warning to the remnant not to go into Egypt 42
    3. Jeremiah carried into Egypt 43:1-7
    4. The conquest of Egypt foretold 43:8-13
    5. The message to the remnant in Egypt (foretelling final judgment and ultimate destruction) 44

       
  3. The message to Baruch 45
    Warning against seeking this world's fame.


DIVISION II. MESSAGES TO GENTILE NATIONS 46-51

  1. Against Egypt 46
  2. Against the Philistines, Tyre and Sidon 47
  3. Against Moab 48
  4. Against Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam 49
  5. Against Babylon 50-51

Appendix: Historical conclusion 52

A. Second account of the capture of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Judah 52:1-30

NOTE:  52:28-30 that:
 v.28 - 3023 people were deported. . .called the servitude, lasted exactly 70 years.
v.29 - 832 people were deported, . .called the captivity, little over 70 years.
v.30 - 745 people were deported. . .called the desolations, not yet ended.

B. Jehoiachin delivered and exalted 52:31-34


LESSONS FROM THE PROPHETS

1. Sin is offensive to God, so eventually necessitates judgment.
2. Sin never pays; it costs too dearly.
3. God allows the cup of iniquity to come to the full before judging, because

(1) He graciously allows abundant opportunity for repentance of those who have been misinformed or misled, but have not apostatized from the truth.

(2) He lets sin fully show what it is so that there will be no question on the part of the sinner as to the righteousness of the judgment.

4. Light persistently rejected brings judicial blindness, i.e., apostasy's judgment.
5. There are times when it does no good to pray for some people.
6. God Himself laments the sin of man as revealed in the sufferings of His prophet.
7. Even in the midst of the proclamation of judgment, Jehovah remembers mercy and sends forth messages of hope and salvation.
8. Even where one's work for Jehovah may seem to be a failure, after results show that it is not in vain.
 

 

A CHRONOLOGY OF JEREMIAH'S TIME

680 Isaiah's death
612 Nineveh destroyed by Medes, Chaldeans, etc.
609 Josiah slain at Megiddo by Necho of Egypt
Jehoahaz (3 mos.); taken to Egypt by Necho. Necho puts Jehoiakim on throne (11 yrs.)
605 Nebuchadnezzar begins reign
605 Battle of Carchemish; Necho of Egypt defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
601 Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoiakim pays tribute
597 Jehoiakim rebels, taken to Babylon, and Jehoiachin succeeds him (3 mos.); then removed
Jehoiachin (3 mos.); Zedekiah (11 yrs.)
588 Zedekiah rebels, and Nebuchadnezzar's army comes against Jerusalem; this was in the 9th year, 11th month, 10th day, of Zedekiah's reign
586 Jerusalem falls in the 11th year, 4th month (July). Zedekiah and most of people taken captive. Zedekiah's sons are slain at Riblah (August) and Zedekiah is blinded and taken to Babylon
Jeremiah returns to Jerusalem and ministers to the remnant, but in 7th month (October) the murder of Gedaliah causes remnant, against Jeremiah's word from God, to flee into Egypt. Jeremiah accompanies them.


NOTE: The false Anglo-Israel theory is that when Jeremiah went down to Egypt, he took the Ark of the Covenant, rescued when the temple was taken. He also rescued the daughter of Zedekiah, who married some nice young swain, and this couple took ship and landed in Ireland, where they took the Ark of the Covenant and (for safe-keeping) hid it in some hill. Excavators are still looking for it! We would rather believe Ezekiel, who said that it was taken up into Heaven (Ezk. 10:1-4,18-19; 11:22-24).

Their talking points: "Saxons" = "Isaac's-sons"; "British" = (Hebrew) "brith-ish, " i.e., "man of the Covenant." Thus they hold that the Anglo-Saxon race are the "lost" ten tribes. The whole theory is a fantastic fabrication, made out of "old-wives tales" and vivid imagination, which ministers to racial pride and promotes Anti-Semitism (the theory carefully distinguishes between "Israel" (Britain) and "the Jews" (Judah). It seeks to put Anglo-Saxons back under law (OT dietary laws, etc.) and in general misses the point of the need of the new birth, through "race" emphasis, much like Hitler's emphasis on being "Aryan."

 

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