23.
JEREMIAH
Jeremiah was born about 650 years before the birth of Jesus near
Jerusalem. He was a prophet who preached for about forty years.
THE CALL OF JEREMIAH. God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, but
he objected to the call saying he was too young for this task. God told
him not to fear as he would be with him. Jeremiah prophesied that there would
be an invasion of Judah which would come from the north. The reason for the
impending disaster was because the country had committed the sin of idolatry.
This message made him very unpopular, but he continued to preach.
JEREMIAH VISITS THE POTTER. Jeremiah saw a potter at work and noticed the
resemblance between God and the potter. As the potter shaped and reshaped the
clay, so God who made Israel could make and remake it. If the nation would
not cooperate with him, he would bring about its collapse and remake it.
Jeremiah told the people they must change their ways and obey God. They refused
to reform and continued to follow their own way.
THE NEW COVENANT. The old covenant was made between God and Moses on
Mount Sinai. Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant made by God with his people. This
new covenant would differ from the old. It would last forever, and it would be
written in the heart and not on tablets of stone. This prophesy was fulfilled only through the
work of Jesus.
Jeremiah was called by God to deliver a difficult message which made him
very unpopular with the people. He spoke against the temple and preached the
new covenant that God would make with his people.
