Please skim through Chapters 31-44 of Jeremiah, then go back and read more closely three or four chapters that seem to you particularly interesting. What do you see in these chapters that shows Jeremiah's message to be a burden. Is there anything here to suggest why that burden is worth bearing?
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Jeremiah--Discussion II
Please skim through Chapters 31-44 of Jeremiah, then go back and read more closely three or four chapters that seem to you particularly interesting. What do you see in these chapters that shows Jeremiah's message to be a burden. Is there anything here to suggest why that burden is worth bearing?
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The way I understand it, one of biggest factors in making Jeremiah's message a burden would be the people refusing to listen to anything he has to say. (As in Chapter 32, Verse 33- "And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.")
ReplyDeleteSecondly, the messages Jeremiah has to relate are not positive, happy prophesies! To me, that means Jeremiah's job is especially burdensome because not only can he not run away from this job or take leave of his responsibility, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good no matter how hard he tries. A front row seat to God's wrath on the people? Sounds greeaaaat. Still, God seems to remind him that while God is angry, there is always a way to redeem the people if the people choose to change their ways. They can always turn back to God and God will stop punishing them (eventually), which seems like a good enough reason to keep bearing the burden.
Jeremiah 31:31 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." I think that this verse says a lot. The Jewish covenant was very important to the Hebrews and the fact that God would make a new covenant says that what he's having Jeremiah do is very important. God is basically saying I'm going to change the relationship between my people and your the mouthpiece. This had to give Jeremiah some hope that he was doing the right thing.
ReplyDeleteAs I see it Jeremiah is the prophet of many burdens. He is given the task to tell Israel of every impending doom that will come within the next few years. He is the messenger that no one wants to listen too. His burden is not what he carries in the message it is that no one is willing to listen. They think that he is crazy to bring such bad news on such a prosperous time. They think that their sinful way of life is going to work out for them, but it is not. God is not happy and Jeremiah is there to give the message to the people. His burden is that he is going to be hated by the people who should be listening to him about what is coming. He is only there to give advice on what they should do, and stop their sinful ways.
ReplyDelete-Liz Matson
I believe Jeremiah's burden here is because he has to tell them everything that they aren't doing right in God's eyes because they have been breaking the convents of God. What makes it worse is that they aren't listening to him at all. He is telling them that the Babylonians are coming and will in capture them and that their king will be held captive too in Babylon. Nobody wants to listen to him and they even imprison him for it. God does though say that he will forgive them though if they will turn away from their evil ways several different time like at the beginning of chapter 36. due to Gods several warnings through several other prophets and not acting this harshly he has to now in order for them to stop their evil ways because they didn't take his warnings seriously enough. that would be very burdensome.
ReplyDelete--- Abigail Miiller