Lesson 10: Jeremiah and Lamentations

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Know the likely date and historical setting of Jeremiah.

(2) Be able to outline the primary theme and purposes of Jeremiah.

(3) Appreciate Jeremiah’s message of comfort.

(4) Feel the tragedy of Jerusalem’s fall.

(5) Recognize the prophetic lawsuit in the writings of the prophets.

(6) Relate the message of Jeremiah to the needs of today’s world.

► Read Jeremiah and Lamentations. (Review the Lesson 10 assignments before reading the book of Jeremiah).

► Memorize Lamentations 3:21–24.

Jeremiah, the second-longest book in the Bible, gives a picture of the last days before Jerusalem’s fall. Jeremiah is known as “The Weeping Prophet” because he laments the sin of God’s people and the destruction of God’s city.

In the book of Jeremiah, we see the prophet’s struggle to bring God’s message to the people of Judah. In the book of Lamentations, we see the prophet’s sorrow as he watches his beloved city destroyed by Babylon.

Historical Setting of Jeremiah and Lamentations

Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, a priest from Anathoth, a Levitical city five kilometers north of Jerusalem. Instead of following his father into the priesthood, Jeremiah was called to serve as a prophet. The rest of his life was devoted to proclaiming God’s message of impending judgment against Judah. As a sign of the trouble that was coming to Jerusalem, God commanded Jeremiah not to marry (Jeremiah 16:1–4).

Jeremiah suffered great opposition, including attempted murder, beatings, accusations of treason, and imprisonment.[1] After the fall of Jerusalem, a group took Jeremiah to Egypt against his will.

Jeremiah prophesied during the 40 years prior to Jerusalem’s fall. He probably began his ministry during the reign of Josiah, the last good king of Judah. Josiah was killed while fighting the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29). This began a period of decline for Judah. Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, served only three months before being taken to Egypt. Egypt put his brother, Jehoiakim, on the throne. In 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem and took the first group of Judean captives into exile. This first group of exiles included the prophet Daniel and his friends (Daniel 1:1–7).

In 598 B.C., Jehoiakim rebelled against Babylon but died during Babylon’s siege of Jeru­salem. His son, Jehoiachin, ruled for only three months before he was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon with the second group of exiles in 597 B.C. The second group of exiles also included the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1–3).

Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah, another son of Josiah, on the throne. Zedekiah ruled until 586 B.C., but this was a period of steady decline for Judah. Zedekiah refused to listen to Jeremiah’s warnings, even putting the prophet in prison.

Trying to overthrow Babylonian rule, Zedekiah tried to make an alliance with other kings (Jeremiah 27:1–15). In response, Nebuchadnezzar once again invaded Judah in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:1). During this third invasion and capture of exiles, Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and appointed Gedaliah as governor (Jeremiah 39–40). Through the rest of her national history, Judah would never again have a Davidic king.

Jeremiah’s ministry can be divided into three stages:

• 627–605 B.C. He prophesied while Judah was threatened by Assyria and Egypt.

• 605–586 B.C. He prophesied during Babylon’s attacks on Judah.

• c. 586–580 B.C. He ministered in Jerusalem and Egypt after Judah’s fall.

Purpose of Jeremiah

Jeremiah shows God’s patient warnings to Judah. Since they refused to repent, God’s judgment was sure. Jeremiah also brought the promise of restoration to a remnant that was faithful to God. While Jeremiah’s listeners did not respond to his message, the book he left behind provides a record of the destruction of Jerusalem and of God’s faithfulness during the last days of Judah.

Overview of Jeremiah

Jeremiah does not follow a chronological order. It has the lack of clear structure that one might associate with the great stress of Jeremiah’s lifetime.

You can gain an overview of Jeremiah’s life and the fall of Jerusalem by reading the following chapters in this order.

The remaining chapters record Jeremiah’s messages to God’s people, messages that are largely ignored by his listeners.

Jeremiah’s Call (Jeremiah 1)

► Describe your call to ministry. How has this call been confirmed during your ministry?

Before Jeremiah’s birth, God appointed him as a prophet to the nations. When God called him to be a prophet, Jeremiah responded that he was still a youth and not ready for such responsibility. God responded with three signs to confirm Jeremiah’s call:

1. God touched Jeremiah’s mouth to put his words in his mouth (Jeremiah 1:9–10).

2. God gave Jeremiah a vision of an almond tree and told him that God was watching the fulfillment of his Word (Jeremiah 1:11–12).[1]

3. God gave Jeremiah a vision of a boiling pot, representing judgment poured out on the land (Jeremiah 1:13–14).

Judah’s Unfaithfulness to the Covenant (Jeremiah 2–10)

Through sermons, object lessons, and parables, Jeremiah portrays Judah’s unfaithfulness to the covenant. Judah is like an unfaithful wife who chases other lovers. In the “Temple Sermon” of Jeremiah 7, the prophet condemns worshippers who believe they will be saved because of the Temple. Just as God allowed Shiloh (Israel’s earlier place of worship) to be destroyed, he will allow the Temple to be destroyed (Jeremiah 7:9–14, 1 Samuel 1:3, and 1 Samuel 4:2–11). God’s house has become a den of robbers and is no longer holy because the worshippers are not holy.

Jeremiah Struggles with God and with Judah (Jeremiah 11–20)

This section, called “Jeremiah’s Confessions,” includes prayers in which Jeremiah complains to God about the stubbornness of his listeners. Jeremiah has been sent to preach to people who reject his message and conspire to kill the messenger.

Jeremiah despairs at preaching a message of such hopelessness. God tells Jeremiah, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people…” (Jeremiah 15:1). Because Judah refuses to repent, there is nothing left but judgment. False prophets have told the people that God will bring peace; instead, they will either die or go into captivity (Jeremiah 14:13–16 and Jeremiah 15:2). There will be no peace for apostate Judah.

Jeremiah’s Confrontations with Judah’s Rulers and Prophets (Jeremiah 21–29)

Jeremiah confronts King Jehoiakim, who has not followed his father’s path of obedience to God. Jeremiah prophesies that Jehoiakim’s life will not be mourned with the elaborate rituals typical of a king’s funeral. Instead, Jehoiakim will be dragged outside the city gates and dumped like a dead donkey (Jeremiah 22:18-19).

Jeremiah also confronts lying prophets who are giving false messages of hope to a people who stand condemned before God.

During a time of siege, Jeremiah stands outside the Temple to confront the people with a message of judgment. He tells them that they will face 70 years of captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-12). The cup of God’s wrath is full; Jerusalem will drink the cup along with all nations who forsake God.

Jeremiah wears a yoke around his neck as a symbol of Jerusalem’s future submission to Babylon. A false prophet, Hananiah, breaks the yoke, saying that God will soon free the nation from Nebuchadnezzar. In judgment, God takes Hananiah’s life.

A final prophecy in this section comes in the form of a letter to the exiles in Babylon. Although Hananiah and other false prophets are predicting the defeat of Babylon, Jeremiah tells the exiles to build homes, plant gardens, and pray for peace in Babylon, because they will be there for 70 years (Jeremiah 29).

The Promise of Future Restoration (Jeremiah 30–33)

These chapters are often called “The Book of Comfort.” Although much of his message is one of judgment, in these chapters Jeremiah tells his listeners that God will restore Judah to the land. Although Israel has been unfaithful to the covenant, God will write a new covenant on their hearts and will remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31:31–34).

God tells Jeremiah to purchase a piece of land from his cousin Hanamel. This is a surprising command since Jerusalem will soon be destroyed! When Jeremiah asks for an explanation, God gives the wonderful promise that the day is coming when fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, “For I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 32:44). God has not forgotten his people. Even in judgment, he promises future restoration.

Jerusalem’s Final Days (Jeremiah 34–45)

Chapters 34–45 record the last days of Jerusalem. Judah’s leaders continue to reject God’s Word down to the final hour. Jeremiah is treated as a traitor and imprisoned because of his message of doom during the siege. However, God’s message of judgment is fulfilled: Jerusalem falls, King Zedekiah is captured, and his sons are killed before Zedekiah is blinded. The last thing Zedekiah sees is the death of his sons.

After the Babylon-appointed governor, Gedaliah, is murdered, a group of Judeans flees to Egypt, taking Jeremiah and his secretary, Baruch. Even in Egypt, many Judeans continue to worship idols. Jeremiah prophesies further suffering as a result of their continued idolatry.

Prophecies to Other Nations (Jeremiah 46–51)

While much of Jeremiah is devoted to messages of judgment on Judah, God’s sovereignty extends to other nations. In a series of messages, Jeremiah prophesied the word of the Lord against Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. Lastly, 50 years before it happened, Jeremiah prophesied the fall of Babylon to the Medes (Jeremiah 51:11).[2]

This section shows that God is sovereign over all people. God was using other nations to judge Israel, but he would later judge those nations and restore his people to Jerusalem. God used Assyria to punish Israel; he then allowed Nebuchadnezzar to defeat Assyria. After the exile, God would restore and pardon Judah (Jeremiah 50:17–20).

The Fall of Jerusalem Retold (Jeremiah 52)

Jeremiah ends with a retelling of the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 52 parallels 2 Kings 24–25 and Jeremiah 39. The book concludes with a note of hope. Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Evil-merodach, released King Jehoiachin from prison and allowed him to eat from the king’s table. This reminds Jeremiah’s readers that the Davidic line has been preserved. God continues to care for his people, even in exile.

In the Pentateuch, we saw the importance of the covenant to Israel’s history. The Law of Moses was much more than a set of rules governing Israel. God’s covenant with Israel was based on a relationship of love. Israel’s disobedience violated the covenant that bound God and Israel together.

The prophets often point to the Law of Moses to show that Israel has broken the terms of her covenant with God. This presentation is called “the prophetic lawsuit.” Jeremiah shows that Judah has violated the covenant and must suffer the curses that were part of the covenant. The chart below shows the elements of the prophetic lawsuit in the book of Jeremiah.

Author and Date of Lamentations

Although the book of Lamentations does not identify an author, Jewish and Christian traditions attribute the book to Jeremiah. It was composed soon after the fall of Jerusalem, which is the main theme of the book. It is likely that Jeremiah wrote Lamentations before he was taken captive to Egypt.

Structure of Lamentations

Lamentations consists of five poems lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. These poems express the poet’s personal grief.

Each chapter, except Lamentations 5, is arranged in a poetic form called an acrostic.[1] The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. Lamentations 1, 2, and 4 each contain 22 verses. Within each chapter, each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For example, Lamen­tations 1:1 begins with aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and Lamentations 1:2 begins with beth, the second letter. Lamentations 3 contains 66 verses, 22 groups of three verses each. The three verses in each group all begin with the same letter of the alphabet. The use of this poetic form gives structure to Jeremiah’s outpouring of grief.

Purpose of Lamentations

These poems record the author’s great sorrow at Jerusalem’s fall. They make clear that Jerusalem’s suffering was the result of Judah’s sin, not God’s failure. The book of Jeremiah looks ahead to the coming fall of Jerusalem; Lamentations looks back on the city’s fall.

Overview of Lamentations

Lamentations moves from sorrow to prayer. It begins with a lament describing the tragic end of Jerusalem. This once great city has become a widow. She was unfaithful to God, and now he has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions (Lamentations 1:5). The theology of Lamentations is consistent with that of Kings and Jeremiah. These books show that Jerusalem fell:

• Because of the people’s sins (Lamentations 1:18)

• Because of false prophets and sinful priests (Lamentations 4:13)

Lamentations 3 continues to mourn for Jerusalem but introduces the theme of God’s mercy. Lamentations 3:19–39 is a reflection on God’s goodness and steadfast love.

After another lament describing conditions during the siege of Jerusalem (Lamentations 4), the poet concludes with a prayer for restoration. Lamentations recognizes that Judah’s only hope is God’s mercy: “Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!...” (Lamentations 5:21).

Jeremiah was frequently quoted by the New Testament writers. The book of Revelation quotes from Jeremiah to portray the coming destruction of Babylon, the enemy of God’s people (Jeremiah 50–51, Revelation 18).

There are many parallels between Jeremiah’s ministry and the earthly ministry of Jesus. Just as Jeremiah wept over the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus wept over the city and predicted the destruction of the Temple (Luke 19:41–44 and Matthew 24:1–2). At the cleansing of the Temple, Jesus used the language of Jeremiah to describe the perversion of God’s house into a den of robbers (Jeremiah 7:11 and Matthew 21:13). Both Jeremiah and Jesus were rejected by the people they came to serve.

Paul used the language of Jeremiah in writing of God’s sovereignty in calling Gentiles to salvation. The potter has power over the clay and has made known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy (Romans 9:20–24).

Most significantly, the gospel is seen in Jeremiah’s promises of future restoration for God’s people. This restoration was never completely fulfilled in Israel’s history. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, this restoration is accomplished in and through the church.

Part of the church today has been taken captive by a teaching that promises health and wealth to Christians, particularly ministers. In some countries, preachers of the prosperity gospel are among the wealthiest people in the nation; the poor give sacrificially to support the lavish lifestyle of these leaders. This approach is far from the biblical model.

Jeremiah shows that faithfulness to God’s message is costly. Jeremiah suffered for his commitment to God’s call; Jesus suffered for his obedience to the Father’s mission; ministers today are called to faithfulness in the face of opposition.

The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 must be read in the context of the imminent Babylonian exile. Jeremiah promised the people, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” However, God’s people would soon face great suffering. God’s plan for his people is good; that does not guarantee a life free of suffering. Because of sin and its effects on our world, even God’s people suffer.

However, as Lamentations shows, even in suffering, God is faithful to his people. Even in trouble, we can trust God’s goodness. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

(1) Choose one of the following assignments:

Option 1: Group Assignment

Discuss “Jeremiah’s Confessions” in Jeremiah 11–20. Make a list of Jeremiah’s complaints and God’s answers. Compare Jeremiah’s complaints with the difficulties that you face in ministry. What lessons can your group draw from the example of Jeremiah? Write a 1 page summary of your discussion.

Option 2: Individual Assignment

Write a detailed outline for a sermon based on Jeremiah and Lamentations. The sermon should be on one of these two subjects:

• God’s faithful mercy

• God’s judgments

(2) At the beginning of the next lesson, take a test based on this lesson. Study the test questions carefully in preparation.

If needed, download a printable PDF of all the Test questions here.

(1) What two things did “The Weeping Prophet” lament?

(2) What are the primary purposes of Jeremiah and Lamentations?

(3) What was Jeremiah’s family background?

(4) List the dates for the three groups of captives taken into exile. For the first two groups, name one prophet carried into exile.

(5) Why is Jeremiah 11–20 called “Jeremiah’s Confessions”?

(6) Why is Jeremiah 30–33 called “The Book of Comfort”?

(7) The prophets often point to the Law of Moses to show that Israel has broken the terms of her covenant with God. What is this presentation called?

(8) Chapters 1–4 of Lamentations are each arranged in what poetic form?

(9) Write Lamentations 3:21–24 from memory.