Jeremiah by Jim Leffel (2008)

God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nation of Judah and warns them if they do not turn from their evil ways they will be destroyed like the nation of Israel. The nation of Judah is contrasted with the heart of Jeremiah. Judah's heart is unfaithful to God, their destruction is looming, and they will be ruled by the Babylonians. Jeremiah has a heart for God, knows a future exodus is coming, and trusts God to rule his future. In His sovereignty, God has a calling for each of us and He promises to accomplish His word.\r\n

God seeks relationships with people like a lover who pursues a loved one and like a father who cares for and protects his children. People want the blessings of God, but not God Himself. Everyone worships something (comfort, approval, control, impact, etc.). These things are unworthy and lead to emptiness. God alone is worthy of our worship.\r\n

The Israelites were living their own way and following idols. God offered a better solution. Four lessons were taught: 1) agree with God that you have turned away from Him and He will bless you with grace; 2) agree about who God is (He is the Lord and He is good) and He will give you clarity and wisdom; 3) name and critique your idols and He will give you healing; and 4) proclaim God's goodness and you will become a blessing.\r\n

Greed and generosity are contrasted by using an analogy of birds in a cage. Being locked in slavery distorts reality and makes it difficult to distinguish wants from needs. Freedom gives clarity, contentment, and relational wealth. Greed is ingrained in our culture; we need to fight against it for ourselves and our children.\r\n

Jeremiah warned against having a religious mentality. The Israelites were taking false security simply because they were near the temple. 3 ideas were discussed: 1) the temple was a symbol that represented justice and mercy and the presence of God; 2) having a religious mentality flows from a lack of compassion and leads to narcissism; 3) religious passion should come from a sincere heart and seek truth.\r\n

God desires us to cultivate His heart for people and to resist the desire to flee from relationships. He wants us to identify with others and display spiritual sensitivity through faith in prayer and by being energized by hope.

Jeremiah explains what it means to know God and demonstrate God, rather than boasting in our own wisdom, power, and riches. We know God through His initiative and provision of reconciliation, regeneration, and redemption. God's love is demonstrated by His mercy, His provision, and His blessing. Followers of God demonstrate His love to others.\r\n

Jeremiah complains and accuses God because he is suffering. God responds to Jeremiah with assurance that He will restore him and protect him if Jeremiah simply chooses to return to God. God assures Jeremiah that God is his fortress; this is reminder for Jeremiah from earlier that He will make Jeremiah strong like walls. Walls are useless until tested; Jeremiah is now being tested through suffering. Jeremiah does end up choosing to return to the Lord in grace and he was restored to God's work

This teaching explores the question of how do all of the stories of the Bible relate and connect with each other. It looks specifically at Jeremiah's prophecy and its connection to the exodus, both the literal exodus from Egypt and the theme. Jeremiah references the exodus out of Egypt and its importance as a defining event of Israelites. He also states that in the future, there will be another exodus that will be even more significant, not just for the Israelite but for the entire world. Understanding this prophecy helps us see that God has a great, overall plan of redemption for not just Israel but the entire world. Jeremiah prophesies that there will be a second exodus in which God brings back the scattered and captive Israelite to their homeland; this prophecy has been fulfilled. The universal exodus mentioned in this passage is also stated in Isaiah 19. This exodus is for all people, even the Israelites' enemies, and it is a freedom for all people on earth from their captivity by sin. These prophecies affirm that it has always God's plan to bless all of the nations and redeem everyone from their captivity to sin. God invites us to be part of his exodus plan by sharing this good news of redemption with those around us.\r\n

This passage is a proverb or wisdom section of Jeremiah. It asks what is the heart and what is God's vision for transforming the heart. Jeremiah begins describing and contrasting two different ways of living: the cursed way (a desert plant) and the way of the Lord (a well-watered tree). The cursed way is relying on self as well as actively turning away from the Lord and results in deprivation, purposelessness, and isolation. The other way of living is choosing to trust in the Lord. In this lifestyle, the trusting flourish like a well-watered tree and are able to endure suffering because of their hope. The human heart has a disposition towards deceit and is naturally drawn towards the self-focused way of living. The way to save our hearts is to ask God in prayer to examine us as well as seek him out by reading his Word. \r\n

Jeremiah uses a parable that describes a potter working on a piece of clay. When something goes wrong with the clay, he crumbles it up and creates a new vessel. God is the potter, and Israel is the clay. There is something is wrong with Israel: they have continuously disobeyed God. God, as the sovereign creator, will enforce his covenant and judgment upon Israel and the nations. However, if the nation renounces its evil ways and turns back to God, then the Lord will not destroy the nation. This is a picture of God's grace, and its culmination is the cross of Christ. God wants to save people from their fate of destruction and values reconciliation with them. We need to turn back to God and agree with him regarding our standing before him as the perfect God. In this way, Israel mirrors our lives and who we are: broken people. God is offering complete transformation, into a new creation. Someone who has experienced God's transformation is Kelly Kline, and she gives her testimony on ways God has created her new. \r\n

Jeremiah describes Israel's future King Messiah and likens him to a branch. Jeremiah states this king will be from David's family line - wise and just. He will also be the people's righteousness, meaning that through this king people will have right-standing before God who is perfect. The king is able to be the people's righteousness because he is also their priest. The Messiah is able to extend forgiveness to all people. In this hope through Christ the Messiah, we are able to have freedom, are incorporated into his kingdom, and become spokespersons for God to tell others about this good news of grace.

Jeremiah writes to the Israelites who were placed in exile after Babylon took captive of Jerusalem. Jeremiah had been warning the people about Babylon. They realize what he has been saying all along is actually true, so now they are attentive to Jeremiah's words. The people's main inquiry is how does God want them to live as Jewish people in exile. Jeremiah warns those in exile of two items of importance; these warning can also be applied to Christians living today since the world is not their true home. Jeremiah's first warning is to not conform to Babylonian culture so that they would not forget that they are God's people. On the other hand, he also warns them to not fully retreat from the culture around them and live in isolation. He also encourages them to work for peace and to do so by treating others with compassion and dignity. Lastly, the exiled as well as the Christian today is to live in hope of God's promises and what is to come.\r\n

This passage takes a close-up look into the human heart and God's redemptive plan. These verses are vital for understanding God's Gospel plan; they are referenced in the New Testament 16 times. In Jeremiah, God introduces a new covenant that is different from the original covenant that he made with Moses and the Israelites. These two covenants are compared and contrasted. The old covenant had the external rules, a legal code that could be seen by all; the new covenant is an internal, a personal relationship with God. The old covenant was diagnostic; the new covenant is transformative. God desires regeneration, redemption, and reconciliation for the human condition.