Jeremiah & Lamentations

Jeremiah: Human Suffering

Details: Created on Friday, 30 September 2011 11:53

Suffering was extreme during the time of Jeremiah. The Babylonians surrounded Jerusalem and "The siege will be so terrible that the people inside the city will eat one another and even their own children." (Jeremiah 19:9)

Innocent children suffered during this time because of the foolishness of kings, prophets and other leaders. Where was God? God has all the power and we say that God is all loving. How can he allow for such misery?

Jeremiah: Hinnom Valley and Hell

Details: Created on Friday, 16 September 2011 11:53

It is sometimes said that Jesus talked more about hell than heaven. For example, "If you call your brother a worthless fool, you will be in danger of going to the fire of hell" (Matthew 5:22). What is Jesus referring to?

It is easy to superimpose our preconceived notion of hell and to then assume that we know exactly what Jesus was talking about. The "hell" that Jesus spoke of is "Gehenna" or the "Valley of Hinnom." To understand the significance of this valley and the meaning Jesus had in mind, we must do some footwork in the Old Testament and Jeremiah is the best place to piece this story together.

Jeremiah: A Glimpse of God's Wrath in Action

Details: Created on Saturday, 10 September 2011 11:53

Jeremiah clarifies the meaning of God's wrath more than any other Old Testament book. There are dozens of verses just like this one in the book of Jeremiah: "I will fight against you with all my might, my anger, my wrath, and my fury..." (21:5). How can we understand what this actually means?

The commonly held view of God's wrath runs something like this: "God's wrath represents his righteous indignation and imposed punishment for sin." What makes the book of Jeremiah so powerful is that we actually see, in a historical event, exactly what God did when he poured out his wrath. The reality of God's wrath as revealed in the book of Jeremiah is quite surprising and counterintuitive.

Jeremiah: A Story About God

Details: Created on Tuesday, 06 September 2011 11:53

The book of Jeremiah becomes much more significant if it is read as a story about God. What do we learn about God in the book of Jeremiah? Read in the "right" light we see Jeremiah's life as a reflection of Jesus Christ: "I [Jeremiah] was like a trusting lamb, taken out to be killed..." (Jeremiah 11:18,19)

Jeremiah 22: Knowing God is to Love Others

Details: Created on Friday, 17 June 2011 11:53

“This is what it means to know the Lord” (Jeremiah 22:16). The subject of “knowing God” is a thread that runs throughout the Bible. The climax of this theme occurs in the conversation Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died. “This is eternal life, to know you…” (John 17:3). The “eternal life” Jesus refers to does not emphasize a length of time, but rather a quality of the experience. Knowing God involves trusting him and knowing the truth about his character; it involves intimacy and friendship.

The emphasis of “knowing God” is usually understood as something that happens primarily between us and God. It is personal and is not described in terms of how it involves those around us. We were surprised recently to “discover” this passage in Jeremiah 22 which significantly broadens the parameters of what it means to know God. The context is a detailed account of the sins of Jehoiakim in contrast to his father Josiah: