◄ Jeremiah 1:3 ►
and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
Study Bible
and through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah
Jehoiakim, originally named Eliakim, was the second son of Josiah and became king after his brother Jehoahaz was deposed by Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt. His reign is marked by a return to idolatry and oppression, reversing the reforms of his father Josiah. Jehoiakim's reign was characterized by political instability and subjugation to foreign powers, initially Egypt and later Babylon. His reign is significant in the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah, as it was during this time that Jeremiah's warnings of impending judgment became more urgent. Jehoiakim's rejection of Jeremiah's prophecies, including the burning of the scroll (Jeremiah 36), highlights the spiritual decline of Judah.

until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah
Zedekiah, originally named Mattaniah, was the last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile. He was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon after the deportation of Jehoiachin. Zedekiah's reign was marked by political turmoil and rebellion against Babylonian rule, despite Jeremiah's counsel to submit to Babylon as God's instrument of judgment. The "fifth month of the eleventh year" refers to the time when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, marking the end of Zedekiah's reign and the destruction of the city and the temple. This period is crucial in understanding the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies and the transition to the Babylonian exile.

when the people of Jerusalem went into exile
The exile of the people of Jerusalem was a pivotal event in Jewish history, fulfilling the warnings given by prophets like Jeremiah. This exile was not only a physical displacement but also a spiritual and cultural crisis for the people of Judah. It marked the beginning of the Babylonian captivity, a period of seventy years as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12). Theologically, the exile served as a divine judgment for the nation's persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. It also set the stage for future restoration and the coming of the Messiah, as the exilic and post-exilic periods saw a renewed focus on the law and the hope of redemption.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned several decades and was marked by warnings of impending judgment and calls for repentance.

2. Jehoiakim
Son of Josiah, king of Judah. His reign was characterized by disobedience to God, and he is noted for his opposition to Jeremiah's prophecies.

3. Zedekiah
The last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile. His reign ended with the fall of Jerusalem, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecies.

4. Josiah
A godly king of Judah known for his reforms and efforts to return the nation to the worship of Yahweh. Both Jehoiakim and Zedekiah were his sons.

5. Jerusalem
The capital city of Judah, which was besieged and destroyed by the Babylonians, leading to the exile of its people.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in History
The timeline of Jeremiah's ministry underscores God's control over historical events. Despite human rebellion, God's purposes prevail.

The Consequences of Disobedience
The fall of Jerusalem serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. It calls believers to examine their own lives for areas of disobedience.

The Role of Prophets
Jeremiah's life illustrates the challenging role of a prophet, tasked with delivering difficult truths. It encourages believers to speak truth with courage and faithfulness.

Hope Amidst Judgment
Even in the context of judgment, God's messages through Jeremiah included promises of restoration and hope, pointing to His enduring mercy.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the historical context of Jeremiah's ministry enhance our understanding of his prophecies?

2. In what ways can the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah serve as warnings for contemporary leaders and individuals?

3. How does the fall of Jerusalem illustrate the principle of sowing and reaping as seen in Galatians 6:7-8?

4. What can we learn from Jeremiah's perseverance in delivering God's message despite opposition and personal suffering?

5. How does the promise of restoration in Jeremiah's prophecies encourage us in times of personal or communal crisis?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 23-25
These chapters provide historical context for the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, detailing the political and spiritual climate of Judah during Jeremiah's ministry.

Lamentations 1
Written by Jeremiah, this book poetically describes the sorrow and desolation of Jerusalem after its fall, echoing the fulfillment of his prophecies.

Daniel 1
Describes the beginning of the Babylonian exile, which Jeremiah prophesied, and introduces Daniel, who was among those taken captive.
Sermons
A Protracted MinistryA.F. Muir Jeremiah 1:1-3
Introductory Statements Concerning Jeremiah's Parentage and Period of His MinistryS. Conway Jeremiah 1:1-3
People
Amon, Anathoth, Benjamin, Hilkiah, Jehoiakim, Jeremiah, Josiah, Zedekiah
Places
Anathoth, Jerusalem
Topics
Captive, Captivity, Carrying, Completion, Eleventh, Exile, Fifth, Jehoiakim, Jehoi'akim, Jerusalem, Josiah, Josi'ah, Judah, Month, Removal, Till, Zedekiah, Zedeki'ah
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 1:1-10

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Library
May the Fifteenth God is Wide-Awake
"Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree." --JEREMIAH i. 7-19. And through the almond tree the Lord gave the trembling young prophet the strength of assurance. The almond tree is the first to awake from its wintry sleep. When all other trees are held in frozen slumber the almond blossoms are looking out on the barren world. And God is like that, awake and vigilant. Nobody anticipates Him. Wherever Jeremiah was sent on his prophetic mission the Lord would be there before …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Writings of Jerome.
The following is a list of the writings arranged under various heads, and showing the date of composition and the place held by each in the Edition of Vallarsi, the eleven volumes of which will be found in Migne's Patrologia, vols. xxii. to xxx. The references are to the volumes of Jerome's works (i.-xi.) in that edition. I. Bible translations: (1) From the Hebrew.--The Vulgate of the Old Testament, written at Bethlehem, begun 391, finished 404, vol. ix. (2) From the Septuagint.--The Psalms as used …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

Out of Sectarian Confusion
I was still a Methodist. The Methodist did not license women to preach; but when the preachers found out that God was using me in the salvation of souls and that I was not especially interested in building up any certain denomination, I had an abundance of calls. God had already begun talking to my brother Jeremiah about the sin of division, and he was beginning to see the evils of sectarianism. The winter after I was healed, he had attended the Jacksonville, Illinois, holiness convention, and had …
Mary Cole—Trials and Triumphs of Faith

How those are to be Admonished who do not Even Begin Good Things, and those who do not Finish them when Begun.
(Admonition 35.) Differently to be admonished are they who do not even begin good things, and those who in no wise complete such as they have begun. For as to those who do not even begin good things, for them the first need is, not to build up what they may wholesomely love, but to demolish that wherein they are wrongly occupied. For they will not follow the untried things they hear of, unless they first come to feel how pernicious are the things that they have tried; since neither does one desire …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

That Sometimes Some Laudably Desire the Office of Preaching, While Others, as Laudably, are Drawn to it by Compulsion.
Although sometimes some laudably desire the office of preaching, yet others are as laudably drawn to it by compulsion; as we plainly perceive, if we consider the conduct of two prophets, one of whom offered himself of his own accord to be sent to preach, yet the other in fear refused to go. For Isaiah, when the Lord asked whom He should send, offered himself of his own accord, saying, Here I am; send me (Isai. vi. 8). But Jeremiah is sent, yet humbly pleads that he should not be sent, saying, Ah, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

A Defence of the Doctrine of Justification, by Faith in Jesus Christ;
SHEWING, TRUE GOSPEL-HOLINESS FLOWS FROM THENCE; OR, MR. FOWLER'S PRETENDED DESIGN OF CHRISTIANITY, PROVED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN TO TRAMPLE UNDER FOOT THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD; AND THE IDOLIZING OF MAN'S OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AS ALSO, HOW WHILE HE PRETENDS TO BE A MINISTER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, HE OVERTHROWETH THE WHOLESOME DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THE 10TH, 11TH, AND 13TH, OF THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES OF THE SAME, AND THAT HE FALLETH IN WITH THE QUAKER AND ROMANIST, AGAINST THEM. BY JOHN BUNYAN …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Letter Xlv (Circa A. D. 1140) to the Canons of Lyons, on the Conception of S. Mary.
To the Canons of Lyons, on the Conception of S. Mary. Bernard states that the Festival of the Conception was new; that it rested on no legitimate foundation; and that it should not have been instituted without consulting the Apostolic See, to whose opinion he submits. 1. It is well known that among all the Churches of France that of Lyons is first in importance, whether we regard the dignity of its See, its praiseworthy regulations, or its honourable zeal for learning. Where was there ever the vigour …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Epistle iv. To Cyriacus, Bishop.
To Cyriacus, Bishop. Gregory to Cyriacus, Bishop of Constantinople. We have received with becoming charity our common sons, George the presbyter and Theodore your deacon; and we rejoice that you have passed from the care of ecclesiastical business to the government of souls, since, according to the voice of the Truth, He that is faithful in a little will be faithful also in much (Luke xvi. 10). And to the servant who administers well it is said, Because thou hast been faithful over a few things, …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Sin-Bearer.
A COMMUNION MEDITATION AT MENTONE. "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."--1 Peter ii. 24, 25. THE SIN-BEARER. THIS wonderful passage is a part of Peter's address to servants; and in his day nearly all servants were slaves. Peter begins at the eighteenth verse: "Servants, be subject …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come

John the Baptist's Person and Preaching.
(in the Wilderness of Judæa, and on the Banks of the Jordan, Occupying Several Months, Probably a.d. 25 or 26.) ^A Matt. III. 1-12; ^B Mark I. 1-8; ^C Luke III. 1-18. ^b 1 The beginning of the gospel [John begins his Gospel from eternity, where the Word is found coexistent with God. Matthew begins with Jesus, the humanly generated son of Abraham and David, born in the days of Herod the king. Luke begins with the birth of John the Baptist, the Messiah's herald; and Mark begins with the ministry …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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