Jeremiah:Jeremiah:Profile of CourageProfile of Courage

Chapters 34-35Chapters 34-35

““Broken Covenants”Broken Covenants”

Jeremiah - Spring 2013 Week Topic

Mar 6 Dark Prophecies: Introduction and Jeremiah 1-6

Mar 13 Dark Prophecies: Jeremiah 1-6 continued

Mar 20 False Worship: Jeremiah 7-10

Mar 27 Broken Promises, Shattered Pride: Jeremiah 11-15

Apr 3 Sin Carved on the Heart: Jeremiah 16-17

Apr 10 The Potter, Pot, and Fire: Jeremiah 18-20

Apr 17 A Scattered Flock: Jeremiah 21-24

Apr 24 God’s Law on the Heart: Jeremiah 25-33

May 1 Broken Covenants: Jeremiah 34-35

May 8 God’s Indestructible Word: Jeremiah 36-38

May 15 Judgment and Justice: Jeremiah 39-45

May 22 God’s Justice Among Nations: Jeremiah 46-52

May 29 Summary of Jeremiah

Today’s Objectives

• Review last weeks lesson, including historical setting

• Learn how God reacted when the people of Jerusalem went back on a covenant to release Hebrew slaves

• See how God used a nomadic family to highlight the faithlessness of Judah

• Appreciate the necessity of keeping promises

Review of Chapters 25-33

• Examined Jeremiah’s prophecy of seventy years of exile

• Saw how Jeremiah handled confrontation with a false prophet

• Learned the characteristics of the new covenant

• Appreciated the necessity of change for spiritual growth

Date of Chapters 34-35• Chapter 34:

– “when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof..”

– When?– Siege of Jerusalem prior to exile, perhaps 587 B.C.

• Chapter 35:– “The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah in

the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying…”

– When?– Probably 606 B.C., prior to Nebuchadnezzar's first attack

Last Five Kings of JudahName Father Reign (B.C.) What happened?

Josiah Ammon 640-608 Killed at Megiddo

Jehoahaz Josiah (4) 608 Pharaoh Necho II carried him into exile

Jehoiakim Josiah (2) 608-597 Rebelled against Babylon and killed

Jehoiachin Jehoiakim 597 Exiled to Babylon

Zedekiah Josiah (3) 597-586 Sons killed, blinded, then exiled to Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar's Attacks on Jerusalem

Date Extent Result

605 B.C. Quick strike Sons of noble families deported for civil service (including Daniel)

597 B.C. Major Attack King Jehoiachin deposed; leading families and skilled workers deported (Ezekiel included)

588-586 B.C. Total Destruction City and temple destroyed; King Zedekiah blinded; all but the poor deported

Key People• Jeremiah

– Served the last five kings of Judah

– Confidant of King Josiah (639-608 B.C.), King Jehoiakim (608-597 B.C.), and King Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.)

– Member of a priestly family and was from Anathoth

– May have descended from Abiathar, a distrusted priest

– Fled to Egypt with Beruch upon destruction of Jerusalem

• King Jehoiakim– King of Judah, 608-597 B.C., corrupt and wicked

– Carried off in first Babylonian captivity (2 Ch 36:6)

• Nebuchadnezzar– Babylonian King from 605-652 B.C.

– Military commander that defeated Egypt in 605 B.C.

– Conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

Key People• King Zedekiah

– Gained the throne at age 21

– Last king of Judah

– Sent into exile

– His sons were killed and then he was blinded

• Rechabites– Belong to the Kenites, connected with Midianites

– Nomadic

– Adhered to the law of Jehonadab (tribe father)

– Forbidden to drink wine, live in cities, plant vineyards or sow seeds

• Pharaoh Hophra – Egyptian Pharaoh who assisted King Zedekiah and took in

Jeremiah

A Change of Mind (34:1-7) pg 1 of 2

• Siege of Jerusalem– 18 months (early 587 B.C. to mid-586 B.C.)– Cities around Jerusalem already taken– Jeremiah’s message from God to King Zedekiah

• Parallel of earlier warnings– Jerusalem would be defeated– Significant detail added, “City would be burned”– King Zedekiah’s deportation– However, the King would not die violently in warfare– Death would be peaceful with a royal burial

• Two fortified cities still held out against Babylon– Lachish– Azekah– Cities that King Rehoboam fortified around 970 B.C. as

part of 15 defensive positions surrounding Jerusalem

• Archaeological evidence– Clay remnants from Lachish found in the 1930’s– Called “ostraca”– Ostraca revealed communication between field

commanders around Lachish during the Babylonian siege

A Change of Mind (34:1-7) pg 2 of 2

30 miles

• King Zedekiah arranges freedom for Hebrew Slaves– Why?– Violation of God’s law– Owners reducing the number of mouths to feed– Freed slaves may want to help protect the city

• Slave owners agree to a formal covenant– Guarantee slaves there freedom– False hopes raised due to Egyptian military assistance– Later disregard of the covenant

Punishment for Covenant Breakers (34:8-22) pg 1 of 3

• Bargaining with God– Decisions made for God when under difficult

circumstances– Temptation to make promises during hard times– Eccl 5:2-5

• Law of Moses regarding Hebrew slavery– Lev 25:39-42, Deut 15:12-15– Every seventh year – slaves to be freed– Servants sold years of service– Master never technically owned a Hebrew slave,

although in practice they were treated as such

Punishment for Covenant Breakers (34:8-22) pg 2 of 3

• God regarded the decision to free slaves as an act of repentance– God saw the vow as something that could not be

broken

– Retracting the covenant profaned the name of God

– God promises them a more unattractive “freedom” to die horrible deaths

– God promises Zedekiah that he would be captured by Nebuchadnezzar and lay waste to Judah

Punishment for Covenant Breakers (34:8-22) pg 3 of 3

• Jeremiah meets with the Recabites– Initial Babylonian incursions into Judah– Forced many rural families to move to Jerusalem for

protection– Recabites were among the tribes that made the move– Jeremiah was to offer them wine to drink in the temple

built by Solomon– Object lesson about faithfulness

• Offering of wine to the Recabites– What did they say/do?

The Faithfulness of the Recabites (35:1-11) pg 1 of 2

• Jonadab the son of Recab– 250 years prior to Jeremiah (about 850 B.C.)– After death of King Ahab (Northern Kingdom)– Assisted Jehu in removing Baal worship, exterminating

priests of Baal– In his zeal, imposed numerous rules upon all of his

decendents• Remain nomadic• Not live in houses• Not plant crops or tend vineyards• Drink wine• Live as herders

The Faithfulness of the Recabites (35:1-11) pg 2 of 2

• God instructs Jeremiah to use the Recabite example– God commends the Recabites for their allegiance to

tradition of a respected ancestor– People of Judah, by contrast, had been disloyal and

disobedient to God– People of Recabite honored a single message, Judah had

disobeyed many

• Clear point– People of Judah and Jerusalem had been faithless to the

covenant made with God at Mt. Sinai– On the other hand, the Recabites set the example.

Reward for Covenant Keepers (35:12-19)

Review• Review last weeks lesson, including historical

setting

• Learn how God reacted when the people of Jerusalem went back on a covenant to release Hebrew slaves

• See how God used a nomadic family to highlight the faithlessness of Judah

• Appreciate the necessity of keeping promises

• Next week: Chapters 36-38, The Indestructible Word of God