From the Black Hills, the Badlands and the Prairie of Western South Dakota

www.scatteredchristians.org

(These are notes from 2003, but updated somewhat March 22, 2010)

The Prophets were called forth when the Ten Tribes crumbled at the then of Solomon's reign (I Kings 12).  The Northern Kingdom adopted as their national religion Calf-worship, the religion of Egypt.  They soon added Baal-worship, which the Southern Kingdom worshipped.  When God's name was disappearing from the minds of men, and God's plans for the ultimate redemption of the world were not going forward, it was then that God called the Prophets to preach.

Priests were the regularly appointed religious teachers of the nation.  They were in a hereditary class and were often the wickedest men in the nation.  Still, they were religious teachers.  Instead of crying out against the sins of the people, they fell in with them, a nd became leaders in their sins.

Prophets were not a hereditary class.  In the Old Testament days, each one received his call directly from God.  They were called from different vocations.

• To try to save the nation from its Idolatry and Wickedness.
• Failing in this, to announce the nation will be destroyed.
• But not completely destroyed
• A remnant will be saved.
• Out of this remnant will come a Person who will bring all nations to God.
• That Person will be a Great Man who will one day arise in the family of David.
• The Prophets called him THE BRANCH.
• Out of this family would come a Branch who will become King of Kings.

Failing to save the unholy city, they still gave explanations and assurances that the collapse of God's nation does not mean the end of God's plans.  Instead, after a period of punishment, there would be a Restoration and for God's people, a glorious future.

Jeremiah prophesied during the time when Israel had been taken into captivity and Judah was in her declining days.

Soon after Josiah's death, the kingdom of Judah hastened to its end.  Judah was reduced to near slavery to Egypt at the battle of Carmesh.  About 12 years later, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon took Jerusalem and began the deportation of all the princes and men of station which ended in the complete captivity of Judah 11 years after.  A few of the poorest were left in the land.  Jeremiah kept on with his ministry among them until they went into Egypt.  They did this in spite of divine warnings.  Jeremiah followed them into Egypt and the last we hear of him he was still rebuking his people.

Jeremiah prophesied for more than 40 years. He began his ministry about 60 years after the death of Isaiah.  Jeremiah was living at the same time of Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Ezekiel and Daniel and maybe Nahum.

Jeremiah was the ninth of the prophets.  He prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah, before the exile and during the trying days of the captivity.  He saw five kings upon the throne of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah.

There was a great contest for world supremacy in his day.  Assyria had been in the place of leadership for 300 years.  Babylon was now ascending in power.  Egypt was also striving for supremacy.  Eventually, Babylon became the world's power and took Jerusalem captive.  False prophets swarmed the city and flattered the king and prophesied to him whatever they thought he wanted to hear.

Jesus Christ "appears" in Jeremiah in two ways.  As in types, and also in the fact that Jeremiah and Jesus Christ have much in common.

Fountain of Living Waters     Chapter 2:13
Great Physician                    Chapter 8:22
Good Shepherd         Chapter 31:10; 23:4
The Righteous Branch         Chapter 23:5
David the King                     Chapter 30:9
The Redeemer                 Chapter 50:34
Lord Our Righteousness        Chapter 23:6

• Don't you cry over your friends & family members who are being deceived by modern perversions and pastors who cause their people to trust in lying words?
• Was the fact that you have no church to attend 'your' idea?
• Many of you have no church to attend at all where the VOICE of God is preached and not corrected by the 'originals' or 'the Greek and Hebrew says it better,' etc. - you are truly alone in the wilderness preaching to people who call themselves God's people!  For those of you in that situation, don't feel alone.  You can learn from Jeremiah.
• Aren't you often judged without a jury because you are a KJV Bible believer?
• How many 'true friends' do you really have?
• You are 'speaking the truth in love' with few rewards today, but alas, we know from Paul that there are more coming!

Mike Paulson
(former pastor of King James Bible Church of Touchet, WA)
Doing the work of an evangelist teaching Paul's gospel of the Risen Saviour!
www.scatteredchristians.org

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The entire King James Bible is written FOR us, but it is not all written TO us!