Key Verse: “A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
The Indictment, vv. 1-13
A. Scripture for the Sermon, Deuteronomy 27:15-26
- God delivered them from bondage in Egypt, from the iron furnaces (Deuteronomy 4:20 & 1 Kings 8:51).
- God delivered them to a land flowing with milk and honey.
B. Terms of the Covenant
- Obey the Covenant and be blessed.
- Disobey the Covenant and be cursed.
- Jeremiah responds, “Amen.”
C. “Proclaim / Preach the Word”
- Obey God
- But everyone walked “in the imagination of their evil heart,” v. 8.
D. Spiritual Conspiracy in Judah
- Breaking the commandments of God, and
- Refusing the hear God’s warnings to repent.
E. Results of Spiritual Adultery
- God will send calamity against His people.
- God will not listen to their prayers.
- False gods will not save them.
The Injunction, vv. 14-17
A. “Pray not thou for this people,” v. 14.
B. Israel was God’s Beloved, until she committed adultery/idolatry.
- The Lovely, fruitful Olive Tree is broken as the marriage vows are broken.
- Israel rejoices in doing evil; they have no shame.
- God burns the broken branches of His Beloved.
The Insurrection, vv. 18-23
A. The Plot against Jeremiah, vv. 18-19
- Jeremiah’s hometown plotted his death.
- Jeremiah was like a docile lamb to the slaughter, similar to Jesus.
B. The Prayer of Jeremiah, v. 20
C. The Promise to Jeremiah, vv. 21-23
Much of Jeremiah’s work was done during the days of the reforming King Josiah. One thing Josiah did was to shut down the disobedient and unauthorized sacrifices on the high places, outside the altar at the temple in Jerusalem. The local priests at Anathoth may have resented that their shrine was shut down and may have hated Jeremiah because he supported Josiah.
God promises Jeremiah that the plot will fail and He will punish them.
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