Sermons
The Message of Jeremiah
The Message of Jeremiah
Jer. 11:1-17
Introduction:
1. For the past several weeks we have been studying from Jeremiah 1-10 (in our adult class).
2. It should be becoming relatively clear what the message of Jeremiah is.
3. He is predicting the coming judgment of God upon His people. This judgment is coming because of their rebellion against Him.
4. They will be overwhelmed by catastrophe from the north. God will use the Babylonians as His instrument. It will be a calamitous destruction.
5. The passage we have just read reminds of the suzerain treaties of the ancient world, agreements between powerful kingdoms and their lesser vassals. Judah (the vassal) has rebelled against God (the sovereign King). Judah has broken covenant. Invasion is imminent.
6. In this lesson I want to draw your attention to Jeremiah’s perception about God. We will consider Jeremiah’s perception about Israel as a nation and his perceptions about the individual’s relationship to God. We will address the subject of sin and repentance, and finally note God’s message of hope and the promise of a new covenant.
7. The message of Jeremiah should give shape to our own understanding of God and His rule in the 21st century. It should give us insights into His operations among nations, and in the lives of individuals. It should call us to repentance and submission (thanksgiving rather than rebellion) and stabilize our hope under the new covenant. In addition, it should call our attention to our prophetic mission of communicating God’s message to the idolaters of our day.
Discussion:
I. Jeremiah’s message about God.
A. Jeremiah is like Hosea.
1. He is described as having been indebted to Hosea, who wrote before him.
2. Perhaps he learned many things from Hosea, but it could be argued that all
the true prophets of this period were communicating similar messages.
3. The similarities of their messages serve only to confirm a single message
from God.
B. Jeremiah sees God as the source of life, sovereign Ruler, and as loyal lover.
1. “The fountain of living waters” (2:13). Cf. Jn. 4:10.
2. His image of the potter and the people as clay suggests His divine power
over Israel yet acknowledges their freedom to obey or disobey (18:1ff).
3. God is Creator (5:22; 8:7; 10:12-13; 27:5-6; 31:35-36).
4. God rules over Israel (2:1ff) and over all the nations (10:7; 27:2-8).
5. God is husband and father (2:2; 3:1ff, 14, 22).
6. God is faithful (9:24; 32:18; 33:11). His lovingkindness is everlasting.
C. Jeremiah sees God in the context of a personal relationship.
1. Yes, the nation is chosen as His but the relationship involves individuals.
2. It is not just cultic practices of sacrifices and ritual observances,
circumcision, priests, temple services, etc. (6:20; 7:1-31; 11:15; 29:12-14;
31:34) that are important but personal obedience, circumcision of the heart,
personal ethics, lovingkindness, justice, righteousness that is critical (2:34;
6:7; 9:24-26; 21:11-12; 34:8-22).
D. It is an exclusive relationship. Other “gods” are no gods at all. They are
described as . . .
1. Worthless (2:5).
2. No gods (2:11).
3. Broken cisterns (2:13). In contrast to the fountain of living waters.
4. Powerless (2:28).
5. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field (10:5).
II. Jeremiah’s message about Israel and the individual.
A. The nation of Israel is chosen (33:24). They are first-fruits (2:3), a choice vine
(2:21), beloved of God (11:15; 12:7), His heritage (12:7-9), His vineyard (12:10),
His flock (13:17), His family (wife, son, 2:2; 3:6ff, 19, 22; 4:22). And yet, she is a
young she-camel, a wild donkey (2:23-24), a harlot (3:1).
B. But the nation was composed of individuals with hearts desperately wicked
(17:9), deceitful, liars, slanderers, adulterers, untrustworthy, treacherous men
(9:1ff). It was not just the individual acts that were wrong, but the basic attitude of
rebellion against God (5:3ff).
C. Jeremiah said, “Do not say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the
children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each
man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge” (31:29-30).
III. Jeremiah’s message about sin and repentance.
A. Jeremiah describes sin as guilt, iniquity, rebellion, sin, evil. The source of this
wickedness is the hearts of the people (4:14; 5:23; 17:1, 9).
1. They worshiped false gods.
2. They took advantage of the innocent poor (2:34). They did not plead for the
orphan (5:28), instead they set traps and practiced deceit (5:26) and in greed
they took advantage of the vulnerable (8:10).
B. This was in response to all the lavish blessings that God had provided for them.
He had brought them out of Egypt, guided them through the wilderness, given
them the promised land. Their’s was no accidental, unwitting, occasional miss-
step. It was rebellion!!!
C. Repentance demands a transformed heart in individuals. A nation is
transformed when the hearts of the citizens are transformed. No amount of
national or governmental pressure can accomplish the objective. Josiah may
institute reforms at the governmental theocratic level, but these are not sufficient
to create the circumcision of the heart demanded by the God of heaven (4:4).
1. Such institutional reforms are good IF they reflect changed hearts.
2. But institutional reforms do not change hearts.
3. God will not be mocked. Let us not deceive ourselves. Institutional reforms
do not constitute real transformation. John the Baptist demanded more than
mere baptism. He demanded bringing forth fruit in keeping with repentance.
He said, “Do not say, ‘We have Abraham for our father’” (Matt. 3:7ff).
4. The people of Jeremiah’s day wanted to say, “The temple of God. The
temple of God. The temple of God.” (7:4). Cf. The ten commandments.
The ten commandments. The ten commandments. Useless words without
genuine individual repentance.
IV. Jeremiah’s message of a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; cf. Heb. 8:7ff).
A. God will make a new covenant.
1. It is not a revision of the old one.
2. It is not a re-establishing of the old one.
3. It is a new covenant.
B. God’s people had failed. A new covenant was necessary. It was not a failure of
the revelation of the O.T. The Law did not fail. It was the people who failed!!
But it was not just a failure. It was rebellion!!!
C. Knowing the Lord is a prerequisite for this covenant relationship.
D. God’s laws will be in minds and written on hearts!!!
Mercy and forgiveness, the everlasting faithfulness, the lovingkindness of the
Lord gives us hope.
Conclusion:
1. God rules in the affairs of all nations.
2. Judgment is the result of rebellion against God’s lovingkindness. It is catastrophic and calamitous.
3. He calls all individuals to repentance.
4. Once we have repented, we become the prophetic utterance calling the idolatrous world to the hope of a new covenant.
