Jeremiah 22:1-2
Don’t Miss the Ride Out!
Outline:
I. \\#Jer 1:1-19\\ Jeremiah’s Calling
II. \\#2:1-37\\ God’s Case Against Judah
III. \\#3:1-25\\ Israel’s Three Time Zones
IV. \\#4:1-6:30\\ Sins and Judgments
V. \\#7:1-\\ Some Specific Messages
A. \\#Jer 7:1-34\\ A Message to the Religious
B. \\#Jer 8:1-22\\ A Message to the Continuous Backslider
C. \\#Jer 9:1-10:25\\ A Message to the Believer
D. \\#Jer 11:1-12:6\\ A Message About Jeremiah
E. \\#Jer 12:7-17\\ A Message to the Pastors
1. \\#Jer 12:7-9\\ An Astonishing Statement
2. \\#Jer 12:10-13\\ A Horrendous Failure
3. \\#Jer 12:14-17\\ A Strange Invitation
F. \\#Jer 13:1-7\\ A Message of Ruin
G. \\#Jer 15:15-21\\ Message to Self - Feet of Clay
H. \\#Jer 21:1-7\\ A Message to Zedekiah - The News
I. \\#Jer 22:1-2, Jer 24:1-3\\ A Message to the People -
Don’t Miss the Ride Out
Tonight I want to start off in more of a study mode than a preaching
mode and we will see where we go from here. As I have pointed out,
Jeremiah, being a longer book, includes far more details about his
life and the conditions of the kingdom than the smaller prophets.
I believe we do ourselves a disservice if we call this a Bible study
and do not take note of that. For that reason, I want to give you
some information about the kings
I. Lesson on the Kings
\\#1\\ Jeremiah was sent to speak to the king of Judah. While his
name is not given here, from the remainder of the chapter, we deduce
that the king is Jehoiachin \\#Jer 22:24-28\\. It is sometimes hard
to tell which king Jeremiah was ministering under as these kings were
not replaced because of death but were taken into captivity; hence
God may still be speaking about them and what He will do to them even
after they are no longer kings.
Jeremiah started his ministry during the reign of Josiah. Josiah was
the last good king of Judah. There will be four kings after him.
Three of them will be his sons. One of them will be his grandson. Let
me give you a brief history of what happened. Take down some Bible
verses and go back and read it later.
Josiah - Good king. He started reigning when he was 8 and reigned 31
years. He got involved in a fight between Egypt and Assyria which
started along the Euphrates River. He was fighting for Egypt
and was killed in Megiddo \\#2Ki 22:1-23:30\\.
Jehoahaz (Shallum) - Bad king. The first son of Josiah to reign. He
reigned three months and was imprisoned by the king of Egypt in
Egypt where he stayed until he died \\#2Ki 23:31-34\\.
Jehoiakim (Eliakim) - Bad king and the second son of Josiah to
reign. He was appointed by the king of Egypt and ruled 11 years.
After 8, Egypt retreated and Nebuchadnezzar took control of
Israel. Three years later, Nebuchadnezzar took him prisoner to
Babylon \\#2Chron 36:5-6\\. \\#2Ki 23:34-24:6\\.
Jehoiachin (Coniah, Jeconiah) - Bad king, the son of Jehoiakim. He
only reigned 3 months. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege against
Jerusalem and Jehoiachin surrendered and was carried to Babylon,
where he lived until he died \\#2Ki 24:6-16\\.
Zedekiah (Mattaniah) - Bad king, the third son of Josiah to reign. He
will reign 11 years and Jeremiah will be in his prison a good deal
of the time. He will resist Babylon and when they defeat Israel
will be caught, his family will be slain before him, then his
eyes will be put out. He will die in Babylon.
With that information, each of these kings are mentioned in this
section.
1. \\#Jer 21:1-14\\ It was Zedekiah who sent word asking Jeremiah
what works God would do against Babylon and was told that God
would help Babylon and destroy Israel. The only way to live
was to surrender \\#Jer 21:8-10\\. It was for that message
that Jeremiah would be considered a traitor. (Again I am
supposing Jehoiachin is the king to whom this message is
partially directed.)
2. \\#Jer 22:11-12\\ Jeremiah told the people that Jehoahaz
(Shallum), the first son of Josiah to reign (he was king
three reigns ago) will NOT return from Egypt, but will die
there. Once Babylon became dominant over the region, some
hoped that Egypt might free the former king and that he
might lead a revolt against Babylon. God was saying, "It’s
not going to happen."
3. \\#Jer 22:18-19\\ God told Judah that Jehoiakim (captive in
Babylon) would die without honor or ceremony. He would be
buried like a mule, with a hole dug and his body being
dropped in it.
4. \\#Jer 22:24-28\\ These words form the personal message to
King Jehoiachin (Coniah).
a. If he is the king in chapter 22, then the message of
chapter 22 occurred before the message of chapter 21.
b. It does appear to be the case since these verses are
a prophecy of Jehoiachin being captured and taken to
Babylon.
(1) He only reigned 3 months.
(2) For his and his family’s part in Judah’s sins, God
tells the king via Jeremiah that it would not matter
how important he was to God (even if he "were the
signet upon God’s right hand"), God would remove him
and give him to Nebuchadnezzar.
(3) Jehoiachin and his mother are specifically mentioned
as being taken captive to a foreign land. (The land
is not mentioned by name but we know Nebuchadnezzar
was king of Babylon.
(4) \\#27\\ Jehoiachin will not return.
c. \\#30\\ But God gives one prophecy that extends beyond
Jehoiachin.
(1) Mark him as childless - That is not to say that he
will be childless but that we can consider him to
be childless.
(2) "No man of his seed shall … sit upon the throne of
David."
(3) Jehoiachin was to be the end of the on-going dynasty
of David.
(4) If another king from David was to reign over Israel,
one of two things would have to happen.
(a) The king would have to come from another shoot
other than the Jehoiachin.
(b) Or, God would have to resurrect a king that had
lived before Jehoiachin.
(5) God will do BOTH.
(a) Christ was born of a different line of David.
i. Instead of through Solomon, Christ was
born through the line of Nathan.
ii. In this line, some think that one of
Jehoiachin’s daughter-in-laws might have
married. If so, that is all right for the
legal line is counted by the father not by
the mother.
(b) The Scripture actually says that David himself
will rule which makes some think that David
will be resurrected for this purpose.
II. \\#Jer 24:1-3\\ Don’t Miss the Ride Out!
A. This is a simple parable about two fruit baskets, one with
good fruit and one with bad.
1. The key to the parable is understanding that is a
parable of explanation.
2. God is explaining to Jeremiah (and to Israel) what He
was doing by sending them into captivity.
3. \\#1\\ This message was given after Jehoiachin was
captured.
a. In order for Jehoiachin to have been captured, it
stands to reason that Judah had to be defeated
b. Here is something that most do not know.
1. Judah’s fall to Babylon was not A battle.
2. It was a series of battles which either ended
in defeats or surrenders.
3. The only one we speak of much is the last one
but there were others.
c. Here, Jehoiachin surrendered.
B. \\#4-7\\ The good are the ones being carried away.
1. \\#5\\ This was for their good.
2. God had a plan.
a. \\#6\\ In Babylon, God would plant them and
nourish them.
b. \\#7\\ Even more important, while there, God would
give them a heart to know Him.
c. Later in this book, Jeremiah will find out that
God will leave them there for 70 years and then
return them to the land.
C. Principal - God can use the bad.
1. There is even more to that principal - God can bring
the bad for the purpose of using it.
2. That is what God did with Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
3. God CAN use the bad in our lives.
a. Death CAN BE mercy. Who would want to live
forever in sin.
b. Problems CAN BE mercy.
(1) It can be situation where the problem God
gave you is the lesser of two evils.
(a) The flat tire was not as bad as a wreck
you would have been in.
(b) The wreck you were in was not as bad as
the wreck you would have been in.
(2) Problems can be God training you, making you
stronger and wiser.
(a) The disciples were wiser after the Sea
of Galilee storm.
(b) Mary and Martha were stronger after
Lazarus’ resurrection.
(c) Peter was wiser, more controlled after
denying the Lord three times.
(d) We never read of Elijah being
discouraged after he fled from Jezebel.
(3) Problems can give us a greater reward.
(a) The church in Thyatira:
Re 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my
works unto the end, to him will I give power
over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron;
as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken
to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
(b) The church in Sardis:
Re 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be
clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out
his name out of the book of life, but I will
confess his name before my Father, and before
his angels.
(c) The church in Philadelphia:
Re 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar
in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more
out: and I will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my God, which
is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of
heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my
new name.
(d) The church in Laodicea:
Re 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne.
4. I say all of this CAN happen. Not that it will.
a. As in every situation, the key is us.
b. We can choose faith and obedience, letting God
bring goodness to us and glory to Himself or not.
c. Most of the Jews in Jeremiah’s day, even after
hearing this message, refused.
(1) They stayed to fight or to fall.
(2) That placed them in the position of great
evil.
III. \\#Jer 24:8-10\\ The bad were being left for judgment.
A. \\#Jer 21:8-10\\ Remember, the people were being commanded
to surrender by Jeremiah.
1. That may be the reason God had this message to
Zedekiah placed in the book first.
2. If they refused, their decision would be…
a. \\#9\\ to their hurt.
b. They would be a reproach, a proverb, a taunt, and
a curse.
c. God would send the sword, the famine, and the
pestilence upon them.
d. This was another one of those cases where if you
trust God and obey Him, you would be blessed.
e. If you refuse, you would be bringing your own
destruction upon you!
f. God knew what was to come upon Israel and He was
offering the godly a ride out if they would obey
Him!
B. This is the EXACT set up we are looking at in our future.
1. There is a time of judgment like this world has never
seen coming upon this world.
2. But there is a ride out of here!
1Thess 4:13 But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others
which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of
the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these
words.
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