Introduction to Jeremiah: God Desires Genuine Relationship

Introduction to Jeremiah: God Desires Genuine Relationship

Collin Leong.  August 30, 2025


A. Historical Summary

1. Authorship

  • Primary Author: Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, a priest from Anathoth in Benjamin (Jer 1:1).

  • Scribe and Compiler: Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary, transcribed many of his prophecies (Jer 36:4; 45:1–5).

  • Final Editors: Likely anonymous scribes during or after the Babylonian exile, who compiled and arranged the material into its final form.

2. Audience

  • Immediate Audience: The people of Judah, including kings, priests, and common citizens—especially during the final decades before Jerusalem’s fall.

  • Exilic Audience: Jews living in Babylonian exile, seeking theological and historical understanding of their suffering.

  • Broader Audience: Future generations of Israel and surrounding nations, addressed through oracles and symbolic acts.

3. Date of Composition

  • Prophetic Ministry: Began in 627 BCE (13th year of King Josiah) and lasted over 40 years, ending sometime after 586 BCE when Jerusalem fell.

  • Initial Writing: Around 605 BCE, during King Jehoiakim’s reign (Jer 36:1–3).

  • Final Compilation: Likely completed during the Babylonian exile, possibly around the early 6th century BCE.

4. Historical Context

  • Political Turmoil: Jeremiah lived through the decline of Assyria, the rise of Babylon, and the destruction of Jerusalem.

  • Key Events:

    • Reform under Josiah

    • Babylon’s rise and Judah’s vassal status

    • Siege and fall of Jerusalem (586 BCE)

    • Exile of Judah’s elite to Babylon

    • Jeremiah’s forced relocation to Egypt (Jer 43:1–7)

5. Contemporaries

ProphetTimeframeLocationContext
Isaiah ~740–686 BCE  Judah (pre-exilic)  Assyrian threat; reforms under Hezekiah
Zephaniah ~640–609 BCE  Judah  Early reign of Josiah
Nahum ~660–630 BCE (est.)  Judah  Fall of Nineveh imminent
Habakkuk ~620–600 BCE  Judah  Rise of Babylon; moral confusion
Jeremiah 627–~580 BCE  Judah → Egypt  Fall of Jerusalem; exile begins
Daniel From 605 BCE onward  Babylon (exile)  Royal court under Babylonian kings
Ezekiel 597–~570 BCE  Babylon (exile)  Among exiles; temple destruction
Obadiah ~586 BCE or later  Judah or exile  After Jerusalem’s fall

6. Major Themes

ThemeDescription
Covenant ViolationJudah’s breach of the Mosaic covenant through idolatry and injustice.
Judgment and ExileBabylon as God’s instrument of judgment; exile as consequence of sin.
False Prophets vs. True ProphecyContrast between deceptive messages of peace and Jeremiah’s unpopular truth.
God’s SovereigntyGod rules over nations and history, using empires to fulfill divine purposes.
Hope and RestorationPromises of return, healing, and a new covenant written on the heart (Jer 31:31–34).
Personal SufferingJeremiah’s emotional and physical trials as a faithful but rejected prophet.


B. Key Messages

1. God Desires Genuine Relationship, Not Ritual

Judah’s religious practices had become hollow. Jeremiah’s temple sermon (Jeremiah 7) rebukes the people for trusting in rituals while living unjustly. Key message: Faith must be lived, not just performed. God seeks integrity, not appearances.

2. Repentance Is Always Possible—Until It’s Not

Jeremiah repeatedly calls the people to return to God. Though judgment is coming, restoration is offered to those who repent (Jeremiah 3:12–14). Key message: God’s mercy is vast, but not indefinite. Turning back is urgent and transformative.

3. God’s Word Is Uncomfortable but Necessary

Jeremiah’s message was unpopular—he was mocked, imprisoned, and threatened. Yet he could not hold back the truth (Jeremiah 20:9). Key message: Truth may cost us comfort, but silence costs us our soul.

4. Judgment Is Not the End—Hope Is on the Horizon

Even as Jerusalem falls, God promises healing, return, and a new covenant (Jeremiah 30–31). Key message: God’s justice is paired with restoration. Exile is not abandonment—it’s preparation for renewal.

5. God Is Sovereign Over Nations and History

Jeremiah proclaims that Babylon is God’s instrument of judgment, and later, that Babylon itself will fall (Jeremiah 25; 50–51). Key message: Empires rise and fall, but God’s purposes endure. Trust in Him, not in political power.

6. Personal Faithfulness Matters—Even When No One Listens

Jeremiah’s life was marked by loneliness and rejection, yet he remained faithful. Key message: Obedience is not measured by popularity or results, but by faithfulness to God’s call.

7. The New Covenant Is Internal and Transformational

Jeremiah 31:31–34 introduces a covenant written on the heart, not stone. Key message: God’s ultimate work is inward—transforming hearts, not just behaviors.


C. Framework

1. The Call and the Crisis: Covenant Confronted (Ch. 1–6)

A prophet is appointed to uproot and rebuild. Judah’s spiritual decay is exposed—idolatry, injustice, and broken covenant. The warnings begin.

a) Chapters 1–2: The Prophet and the People

  • Ch 1: Jeremiah’s calling—set apart before birth, appointed to speak to nations. God assures him of protection amid opposition.

  • Ch 2: Israel’s unfaithfulness—God recalls their devotion in the wilderness, contrasts it with present idolatry and self-reliance.

b) Chapters 3–6: Warnings and Weeping

  • Ch 3: Call to repentance—Judah is more treacherous than Israel. Restoration is offered if they return.

  • Ch 4: Impending judgment—disaster from the north; the land mourns. Jeremiah laments the coming destruction.

  • Ch 5: No one is righteous—leaders and people alike reject truth.

  • Ch 6: Final warning—prophets lie, priests exploit. The people refuse correction; Babylon approaches.

2. Signs and Sermons: Exposing False Religion (Ch. 7–20)

Jeremiah confronts temple hypocrisy, false prophets, and national pride. Symbolic acts and personal suffering intensify the message.

a) Chapters 7–10: Temple and Idols

  • Ch 7: Temple sermon—ritual without righteousness is worthless.

  • Ch 8: No healing—leaders deceive; truth has perished.

  • Ch 9: Boast only in knowing God—judgment is coming.

  • Ch 10: Idols are powerless—contrast with the living God.

b) Chapters 11–13: Covenant and Symbols

  • Ch 11: Broken covenant—disobedience leads to disaster.

  • Ch 12: Jeremiah’s complaint—why do the wicked prosper?

  • Ch 13: Linen belt—Judah’s pride will rot.

c) Chapters 14–17: Drought and Deceit

  • Ch 14: Famine and false prophets—God rejects empty prayers.

  • Ch 15: Jeremiah’s anguish—he feels isolated and attacked.

  • Ch 16: No mourning—future exile will be severe.

  • Ch 17: Trust in God vs. man—heart is deceitful; Sabbath must be honored.

d) Chapters 18–20: Potter and Persecution

  • Ch 18: Potter’s house—God shapes nations; Judah resists.

  • Ch 19: Broken jar—symbol of irreversible judgment.

  • Ch 20: Jeremiah’s lament—mocked and weary, yet compelled to speak.

3. Kings and Consequences: Collapse of a Nation (Ch. 21–29)

Jeremiah speaks to kings and officials. The fall of Jerusalem is inevitable. False prophets promise peace, but exile is God’s decree.

a) Chapters 21–24: Royal Rejection

  • Ch 21: Zedekiah seeks help—God offers surrender, not victory.

  • Ch 22: Judgment on kings—Jehoiakim and others condemned.

  • Ch 23: False shepherds—God promises a righteous Branch.

  • Ch 24: Two baskets of figs—exiles will be restored; those who remain will perish.

b) Chapters 25–29: Exile and Hope

  • Ch 25: Seventy years of Babylonian rule foretold.

  • Ch 26: Temple threat—Jeremiah nearly executed.

  • Ch 27: Yoke of Babylon—nations must submit.

  • Ch 28: Hananiah’s false prophecy—Jeremiah rebukes him.

  • Ch 29: Letter to exiles—seek peace, settle in Babylon; restoration will come.

4. Restoration and Renewal: Future Hope (Ch. 30–33)

Amid judgment, God promises healing, return, and a new covenant. These chapters form the “Book of Consolation.”

a) Chapters 30–31: Return and Rejoicing

  • Ch 30: Restoration of Israel and Judah—God will break the yoke.

  • Ch 31: New covenant—written on hearts; mourning turns to joy.

b) Chapters 32–33: Land and Leadership

  • Ch 32: Jeremiah buys land—symbol of future restoration.

  • Ch 33: Davidic promise renewed—hope for Jerusalem.

5. Judgment and Justice: Babylon’s Rise and Fall (Ch. 34–51)

Jeremiah records the final collapse of Judah and prophesies Babylon’s eventual downfall. God’s justice reaches all nations.

a) Chapters 34–39: Final Collapse

  • Ch 34: Broken promises—freed slaves re-enslaved.

  • Ch 35: Rechabites obey—contrast with Judah’s disobedience.

  • Ch 36: Scroll burned—Jehoiakim rejects God’s word.

  • Ch 37–39: Siege and fall—Jeremiah imprisoned; Jerusalem captured.

b) Chapters 40–45: Aftermath and Egypt

  • Ch 40–41: Gedaliah assassinated—chaos follows.

  • Ch 42–43: People flee to Egypt—against God’s command.

  • Ch 44–45: Idolatry in Egypt—Jeremiah rebukes them; Baruch is comforted.

c) Chapters 46–51: Oracles Against Nations

  • Ch 46–49: Judgment on Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Elam.

  • Ch 50–51: Babylon’s destruction—God will avenge His people.

6. The Fall and the Faithful: Lament and Legacy (Ch. 52)

Jerusalem falls. The temple is destroyed. Yet hope remains—Jehoiachin is released, hinting at future restoration.

a) Chapter 52: Historical Appendix

  • Ch 52: Recap of Jerusalem’s fall—temple plundered, people exiled. Jehoiachin’s release closes the book with a glimmer of grace.

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