Topical Bible: Jeremiah: The Prophet: Prophecies of, Destroyed by Jehoiakim

◄ Jeremiah: The Prophet: Prophecies of, Destroyed by Jehoiakim ►

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Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," was a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible whose ministry spanned the reigns of several kings of Judah, including Jehoiakim. His prophecies were marked by warnings of impending judgment due to the nation's persistent idolatry and disobedience to God. Jeremiah's messages were not only verbal but also recorded in written form, which became a significant point of contention during the reign of King Jehoiakim.

Prophecies of Jeremiah

Jeremiah's prophetic ministry began in the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign and continued through the fall of Jerusalem. His messages were characterized by calls for repentance and warnings of the consequences of Judah's unfaithfulness. Jeremiah 1:4-10 records his divine calling, where God appointed him as "a prophet to the nations" and assured him of divine protection despite the opposition he would face.

Jeremiah's prophecies included vivid imagery and symbolic actions. For instance, in Jeremiah 19, he is instructed to break a clay jar as a symbol of God's impending judgment on Jerusalem. His prophecies often highlighted the themes of covenant faithfulness, social justice, and the need for genuine worship.

Jehoiakim's Reign and Opposition

Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, reigned over Judah from approximately 609 to 598 BC. His reign was marked by political instability and spiritual decline. Unlike his father, Jehoiakim did not follow the ways of the Lord, and his reign was characterized by a return to idolatry and oppression.

Jeremiah's prophecies during Jehoiakim's reign were particularly direct and confrontational. In Jeremiah 22:13-19, the prophet condemns Jehoiakim for his unjust practices and predicts his ignominious end. Jeremiah's messages were not well-received by the king, who viewed them as a threat to his authority and the stability of his reign.

Destruction of Jeremiah's Prophecies by Jehoiakim

The tension between Jeremiah and Jehoiakim reached a climax with the destruction of Jeremiah's written prophecies. In Jeremiah 36, the prophet is instructed by God to write down all the words He had spoken to him concerning Israel, Judah, and the nations. Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, records these words on a scroll and reads them in the temple.

When the scroll is eventually brought to King Jehoiakim, his reaction is one of disdain and defiance. As the scroll is read, Jehoiakim cuts it with a knife and throws it into the fire, piece by piece, until the entire scroll is consumed (Jeremiah 36:23). This act of destruction symbolizes Jehoiakim's rejection of God's word and his refusal to heed the warnings of impending judgment.

Despite Jehoiakim's attempt to silence Jeremiah, God commands the prophet to rewrite the scroll with additional words of judgment against the king and his kingdom (Jeremiah 36:27-32). This episode underscores the indestructibility of God's word and the futility of human efforts to thwart divine purposes.

Jeremiah's prophecies, though often met with resistance and hostility, remained a testament to God's unwavering commitment to His covenant and His desire for His people to return to Him. The destruction of the scroll by Jehoiakim serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of rejecting God's word and the enduring nature of divine truth.

Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 36:8-32
And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD's house.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Jeremiah
... personal feeling which animates so much of Jeremiah's early prophecies, especially
the ... some one who was thoroughly conversant with the prophet's life, we ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/jeremiah.htm

Approaching Doom
... Judah hath burned." The record of the prophecies concerning Judah ... still living in
the heart of Jeremiah, "as a burning fire," and the prophet was permitted ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 35 approaching doom.htm

On Daniel. I. Preface by the Most Holy Hippolytus, (Bishop) of ...
... in Babylon, and to discuss the prophecies contained in ... to that holy and righteous
man, a prophet and witness ... prophetic ministry of the blessed Jeremiah, and in ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on daniel i preface by.htm

Jeremiah
... Prophecies of swift-coming judgments were to be fearlessly ... slidden back by a perpetual
backsliding?" Jeremiah 8:5. In the language of the prophet it was ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 34 jeremiah.htm

The Captivity.
... to be loyal to the Assyrians; he threw Jeremiah into prison ... when Baruch read the
roll of his prophecies in the ... Among them was the prophet Ezekiel, who, on the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson x the captivity.htm

The Kingdom of Judah.
... See the attitude of Jeremiah to Judah before and after ... subject; (b) Make a list of
their prophecies and tell how to determine whether a prophet is false. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiv the kingdom of.htm

The Man and the Book.
... form to all the fruits of Jeremiah's previous ministry. ... Jewish people was imminent
and the Prophet's own life ... if not the full tale, of his previous prophecies. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture i the man and.htm

That the King of Babylon Repented of Making Jehoiachin King, and ...
... But Zedekiah did not believe their prophecies, for the ... And though the prophet Jeremiah
was in prison, he did not ... did not so, they should be destroyed; and he ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 that the king.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... In Jeremiah and Ezekiel, too, the prophecies ... two principal periods of the prophet's
ministry,"under ... first three chapters, contains prophecies connected with a ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

The Captivity of Judah.
... These prophecies began by recounting the incidents of the prophet's call and ... Besides
a portion of the book of Jeremiah and probably of Isaiah which ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xv the captivity of.htm