Category: BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

Welcome to AtoZMom’s BSF Blog! Learn about BSF (Bible Study Fellowship)’s BSF study People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided as we study the Old Testament and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in 2022/2023.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 27, Day 2: Lamentations 1-2

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

SUMMARY OF LAMENTATIONS 1-2

Lamentations 1

The city is deserted after the people are taken into exile. Everyone mourns and weeps. All because of the people’s sins. Jeremiah weeps over this.

Lamentations 2

The Lord is angry with Jerusalem and His people. This is why they were punished. Jeremiah weeps and is in torment over this. God fulfilled His plan and did what He said He would do.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 27, Day 2: Lamentations 1-2

3a) According to Webster’s Dictionary, lament means, “to mourn aloud; wail; to express sorrow or mourning for often demonstratively; to regret strongly.” In these verses, we see those (including Jesus) crying out to the Lord in anguish for sins. They are in mourning.

b) It’s okay to lament and cry out to God in anguish, even if you don’t understand Him or things in your life. He is there to listen and to answer you in His way.

4)

Chapter 1: She and her. This refers to Jerusalem and the people of Jerusalem. I. Jeremiah. He is mourning what has happened to Jerusalem. The theme is mourning for the sins of Jerusalem that has caused their exile.

Chapter 2: He. This refers to God. I. Jeremiah. Jeremiah is once again lamenting the Lord’s wrath against His people and the consequences the Lord laid out on them for their sins.

5) Jeremiah 2:11: My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground. Jeremiah uses such strong words that is anguish is palpable. You can feel him crying and weeping, and it makes you want to cry and weep, too.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 27, Day 2: Lamentations 1-2

This is a very sad book, and these are very sad chapters. It’s hard to read, but good to read, so we can understand just a bit of how much God loves us.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 27, Day 2: Lamentations 1-2

Fun Fact: Lamentations 1:1 is an acrostic poem. The verses begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In fact, the first 4 poems are acrostics, with Chapters 1, 2 & 4 with 22 verses (the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet). Chapter 3 has 66 – 3 verses per letter. Chapter 5 has 22 verses but is not an acrostic. This was probably for memory purposes.

Bible scholars believe this structure aims to be comprehensive in Jeremiah’s expressions of grief.

The book of Lamentations is just that: a mourning written by Jeremiah for the people of Jerusalem as they were taken into exile by the Babylonians. This was God’s punishment for their years of disobedience.

This book was probably written during the Babylonian exile, sometime between the fall of Jerusalem (586 BC) and the fall of the Babylonians to Persia (538 BC).

Jeremiah expresses deep sorrow over the end of the theocracy and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He urges confession and repentance.

Remember that Jerusalem is the heart of God’s people, where the temple stood. So, when it fell, the people were utterly devoid.

There is much Biblical precedence for laments. The book of Job and a good part of Psalms are laments. Even Jesus lamented.

It is healthy to express your pain and longings to God. God promises to help us every step of the way.

The book of Lamentations is 5 poems:

  1. Zion’s devastation (Lamentations 1)
  2. Anger of the Lord (Lamentations 2)
  3. Despair and consolation (Lamentations 3)
  4. Horrors of the destruction (Lamentations 4)
  5. Prayer for restoration (Lamentations 5)

This is the 3rd book among the five Megilloth (scrolls) in the Hebrew Bible.

Lamentations 1

Jerusalem is personified here as a widow who lost everything.

Jerusalem is empty. No one can comfort her (Jerusalem). It was because of the people’s transgressions that they were punished by God.

The people remember the good times, however, but that is no comfort.

Jeremiah weeps for her (hence, the nickname “the weeping prophet”). God is righteous for His actions.

Jeremiah prays for the Babylonians to face consequences, too.

Lamentations 2

The Lord is now Jerusalem’s enemy because of their sins.

God destroys His tabernacle and the city.

Jeremiah cries some more over this. Jerusalem cannot be comforted. They should cry out to God.

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Friday Digest BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN BSF PEOPLE OF THE PROMISE: KINGDOM DIVIDED LESSON 26

  • We are all accountable to God for our actions
  • God always offers a chance to come back to Him
  • Even in difficult circumstances, God is there
  • You can bless others even in despair
  • We are righteous in God’s eyes as we seek Him in our daily lives
  • God walks with us every step of every day
  • Small steps lead us to great victories

TAKE AWAY: God rewires our hearts if we say ‘Yes’ to Him.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 5: Jeremiah 52

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

SUMMARY OF JEREMIAH 52

Zedekiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem in response. The city was taken and Zedekiah was captured. The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. 11 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes.

Nebuchadnezzar burned Jerusalem, including the temple. He took away the artisans, leaving the poor to work the fields. The city was looted.  Jehoiachin king of Judah was freed by the new king of Babylon, but still was exiled.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 5: Jeremiah 52

12a) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem in response. The people were starving, the city was taken, and Zedekiah was captured. Nebuchadnezzar burned Jerusalem, including the temple. He took away the artisans, leaving the poor to work the fields. The city was looted. 

b) Zedekiah was captured. The king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, , bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.

c) The temple was where God dwelled. Once it was gone, the people had no place to meet God under the Old Covenant. It was a symbol that God had abandoned His people to His judgment.

13) It proves that God knows the future. It gives us faith that God is the One True God. It gives faith in prophecy.

14) I think it’s significant that Jehoiachin was never really “free.” He was still an exile in Babylon. Bible scholars point out that King Jehoiachin received small kindnesses out of God’s grace and as a foreshadow of God’s blessing and restoration of His people to come. It ends this chapter on a positive note.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 5: Jeremiah 52

A sad chapter and day for God’s people. It’s hard to read, especially of the temple’s destruction. But, it serves as a warning to us all to obey God with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 5: Jeremiah 52

Almost every verse is fulfilled prophecy in Jeremiah 52.

We read about the evil reign of Zedekiah and what happened to him. Jerusalem is destroyed; the city is plundered; the people are left in ruin and/or carried away to exile. All the leaders were killed, too.

Bible scholars point out that King Jehoiachin received small kindnesses out of God’s grace and as a foreshadow of God’s blessing and restoration of His people to come. This ends the chapter (and the book of Jeremiah) on a positive note.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 4: Jeremiah 30-33

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

SUMMARY OF JEREMIAH 30-33

Jeremiah 30

The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess. They will serve God again. ‘I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. God is with them and will save them. God will not completely destroy them; only discipline them. ‘But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. 17 But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’

‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. He will add to their numbers. They will bring him honor. God will punish all who oppress them. Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’”

Jeremiah 31

I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” “The people who survive the sword will find favor in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.” God will build them up again. They will proper again with plenty of fruit. The Lord will preserve a remnant adn they will come back to the Lord. The people will be delivered and redeemed and be abundant.

The Lord will make a new covenant with His people. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jerusalem will be rebuilt.

Jeremiah 32

The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah.  I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 4 Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians[a] but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”

Jeremiah buys his uncle’s field because the Lord told him to do so.

I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the Lord. I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God.  I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. The Lord will prosper them.

Jeremiah 33

The Lord says: They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness. Yet, the Lord will restore His people: Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity[b] and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. The land will be restored and the people will prosper again. Jesus will come and save Judah. He will be called the Lord Our Righteous Savior.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 4: Jeremiah 30-33

9a) He will bring His people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore them to the land He gave their ancestors to possess. ‘I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. God will not completely destroy them. ‘But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. 17 But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.

‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. He will add to their numbers. They will bring him honor. God will punish all who oppress them. Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’”

I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” “The people who survive the sword will find favor in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.” God will build them up again. They will proper again with plenty of fruit. The Lord will preserve a remnant adn they will come back to the Lord. The people will be delivered and redeemed and be abundant.

b) Because at this point in their history they are about to be taken captive. They needed words of encouragement that this would not be forever; that their children will inherit and inhabit the Promised Land once again. Everyone needs hope, or life is utterly meaningless. And, there is only hope found in God.

10a) The Lord will make a new covenant with His people. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” 

b) They have the Holy Spirit who guides them. Jesus fulfilled the law. The Holy Spirit tells us: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”[a] Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”[b]

c) I’m not weighed down by my sins as I know God forgives me. I know Jesus took my judgment. For that, I feel I do become closer to Jesus each and every day and can be more like him, too. I can pray and feel guided by the Holy Spirit as to what God wants me to do. This in and of itself is freedom.

11) By Jeremiah purchasing a piece of land that would soon be overrun by Babylonians and be worthless, the message was clear: God would restore Judah and God’s people would once again inherit the Promised Land.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 4: Jeremiah 30-33

LOVE Jeremiah 32:40: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 4: Jeremiah 30-33

Jeremiah 30

God says again how he will bring His people back from captivity. They will no longer be slaves. He will gather His people in the Promised Land and restore them. God’s judgment will be like a whirlwind.

Jeremiah 31

Israel will have salvation in the latter days. God is faithful to Israel because of His everlasting love for them. He will build up His people, and they will be joyful. God will gather His people who have been scattered. Israel will repent, and God will forgive them. The people will be restored and blessed.

God promises a New Covenant because Israel could not keep the Old Covenant. There will be an inner transformation with the presence of the Holy Spirit. God loves His people and will forgive their sins. Jerusalem shall be restored.

Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah is told by God to purchase property as proof of a future for His people in the Promise Land. God will restore His people. Jeremiah prays for understanding. God responds with the judgment and with the restoration and the New Covenant promise.

Jeremiah 33

There is hope after the judgment for restoration. And, there shall be gladness and a branch of righteousness (Jesus) shall come. The covenant shall be repeated.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah 4-29 & 46-51

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah 4-29 & 46-51

6a) Jeremiah 4:6: 13:18-20; 20:4-6; 25:8-14: The Babylonians are coming from the north. The king and queen will lose their crowns. The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
and there will be no one to open them. All Judah will be carried into exile, carried completely away.

Jeremiah 20:4-6: I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. 5 I will deliver all the wealth of this city into the hands of their enemies—all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.’”

Jeremiah 25:8-14: Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon will come against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. God will completely destroy[a] them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. 10 God will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,[b] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

b) The exact time of the exile. The fact that it would be the Babylonians. The fact that the exile has a finite time. I love how God gives us concrete details for our benefits and in His mercy. It shows His love and His power.

7) Jeremiah 6:1-7; 11:22; 12:12-13: I will destroy Daughter Zion, so beautiful and delicate. I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm, for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.
13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing. They will bear the shame of their harvest because of the Lord’s fierce anger.”

8a) Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, and Elam.

b) They know that God will punish Babylon for what they did to His people in the same manner. May their blood be on those who live in Babylonia.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah 4-29 & 46-51

We see God’s perfect justice. He punishes His people for their disobedience, but he also punishes other evil-doers. This gives us confidence when we see horrors in this day that God has got it.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah 4-29 & 46-51

Judah had no chance against Babylon. The problem was them believing that they would be invaded. Those that believed should flee. Time was running out and judgment would come.

It’s important to realize that God raised Nebuchadnezzar up against His people. Many people have a hard time reconciling this, but it comes down to God’s omnipotence; He can do whatever He wants in His ways, not ours. God would use Babylon to conquer Judah, but also the surrounding nations. Then, God would punish Babylon by using the Persians.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 2: Select Passages From Jeremiah 2-29

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 2: Select Passages From Jeremiah 2-29

3a)

Jeremiah 2:23-25; 3:13: Idol worphip, adultery, disobeyed God.

Jeremiah 5:13, 30-31, 23:10b-11: Prophets preach falsehoods and rule by their own authority rather than God’s. The prophets use their power unjustly. They are wicked and godless.

Jeremiah 5:26-28; 7:5-11: People have become deceitful, commit evil deeds, do not seek justice, do not promote the case of the fatherless, and they do not defend the poor. They shed innocent blood. They follow other gods. The people steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury,[a] burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known. They are a den of robbers.

b) To acknowledge their guilt before the Lord so that they can receive forgiveness. And, to understand their sins so that they can work to correct them and not continue to make them.

c) I think He has helped me to become more aware of patterns in my sins and worked to help me correct them.

4a) Jeremiah was in pain and anguish over the people’s sins. He longs for them to repent. He feels crushed. He mourns over them. Horror grips him. He weeps day and night over their sins. Their sins overwhelm him.

b) They can stick to what the Bible says about sin and judgment and not put their own spin on things. Christians should not judge others based on their sins, either.

5) The Lord yearns to forgive His people if they just turn to Him. He does not want to punish, but does so to teach them a lesson. He loves deeply and will do anything for His people if they simply obey Him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 2: Select Passages From Jeremiah 2-29

There is something about the analogy of me being like clay in God’s hands that I love. He molds me; He’s in control; He can change me.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 26, Day 2: Select Passages From Jeremiah 2-29

In total, there are 14 messages Jeremiah delivers to the people of the coming judgment.

Idolatry was the main sin, along with Israel’s leaders who failed to lead and were corrupt themselves.

God always offers a chance to come back to Him.

Jeremiah 18:1-11

God can do what He pleases with us at any moment in time. He can show mercy or show judgment.

God responds to our choices.

God’s people believed no harm could come to them because they were God’s people. They wanted to believe the happy prophecies of the false prophets. God points out here this is not so.

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Friday Digest BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN BSF PEOPLE OF THE PROMISE: KINGDOM DIVIDED LESSON 25

  • Cling to God despite your hardships
  • God confirms his involvement in your life
  • God provides us with what we need during our hardships
  • We can see God’s mercy in tender ways
  • There is purpose in everything
  • God is always doing more than we perceive
  • He does what we cannot
  • God is trustworthy

TAKE AWAY: Obedience can be costly; but God is there in the midst of it all.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 5: Select Passages From Jeremiah

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 5: Select Passages From Jeremiah

12) God only desires his people and other peoples to repent and turn to Him. He wants to forgive us and bless us. He tells His people how to survive invaders. He wants them to live and prosper.

13a) God cares so much about His people that he offers them hope at every turn. He tells them to live their lives and to prosper. He is also gracious enough to tell them exactly how long they will be in exile and that they will return back to their homes and the Promised Land. He listens to the people and allows his people to find him.

b) Many people live in bitterness and despair. They have given up and have no hope. They don’t have God in their lives. Jeremiah says our hope is in God since He gives us everything. The world is chaotic. Holding on to God makes His world your world instead.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 5: Select Passages From Jeremiah

I love how God always has a message of hope along with His message of consequences for evil. Good stuff.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 5: Select Passages From Jeremiah

When God is against you, the only hope is in surrender. You should accept God’s judgment and actions. You gain life when you surrender.

Jeremiah 29

Jeremiah sends a message to the exiles. They will be there for 70 years, so they might as well lead their best lives ever. God wanted them to grow in number. He did not want them to die out. He wanted them to bless the land and people where they were at.

The call to pray for your captives is unique in ancient cultures and literature.

The false prophets were telling the people that exile would be short-lived.

God thinks about us. How amazing!

His thoughts are good, not bad.

God has a purpose for everything. He had a purpose beyond punishment of having His people in Babylon. He wanted to spread the Old Testament.

God would listen even though they weren’t at the temple. When you seek God, you find him.

Those still in Judah and Jerusalem were not favored; they would face judgment, too.

Ahab and Zedekiah, two prophets, would be put to death for false prophecy to the people.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 4: Select Passages From Jeremiah

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 4: Select Passages From Jeremiah

9)

Jeremiah 16:1-4: God told Jeremiah not to marry or have kids because they would die of deadly diseases.

Jeremiah 20:1-2: Jeremiah was beaten and put in the stocks for prophesying.

Jeremiah 26:7-11: The priests, the prophets and all the people seized Jeremiah and said he should be sentenced to death.

Jeremiah 37:1-2, 16: Jeremiah was ignored by Zedekiah and all the people. Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time.

Jeremiah 38:6: Jeremiah was put into a cistern, which was full of mud.

10) We all go through trials in life, and God’s calling on our lives is not easy. But God protected Jeremiah and provided for him, and no doubt he did make some impact on those who he preached to in his 40 years of doing God’s bidding.

11) First, that Ebed-Melek (his name means ‘servant of the king’) was a Cushite, a foreigner, and may not have been a believer. Thirty men came and rescued Jeremiah and did so compassionately. But, God used him to save Jeremiah. God watches over the faithful and does save them.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 4: Select Passages From Jeremiah

What a great example of the trials of God’s calling, but the great rewards of it. God does save and care for us, and He sends people to rescue us every day, whether we realize it or not.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 4: Select Passages From Jeremiah

Almost everyone in ancient Israel was expected to get married and have children. In fact, it was a shame and dishonor not to do so. This is a very unique command of God’s in the Bible. He did this for Jeremiah’s sake so that he would not feel the pain of losing his wife and kids.

The people treated Jeremiah as a false prophet when they ignored him and put him in the stocks.

Jeremiah was speaking from the temple court (Jeremiah 26:2) in Jeremiah 26:7-11 when he was seized. At the end of the day, the people did not like his message. Shiloh was a town close to Jerusalem that had been destroyed previously by the Philistines. Jeremiah was condemned and brought to judgment.

King Zedekiah only reigned in Jersualem around 598 B.C. He was supposed to obey Nebachadnezzar, the King of Babylon, but he did not. This is when Nebachadnezzar took over Israel for good. Jeremiah told the king to surrender to King Nebachadnezzar. King Zedekiah did not like that. They ignored him, and threw him in jail.

Then, the princes of Judah (most likely King Zedekiah’s sons) lowered Jeremiah into a cistern with the intent to leave him there to die. They could have pushed him in and he likely would have died from the fall, but they did not want blood on their hands. Cisterns were wells that stored water that most people either had or used. Read the verses ahead of Jeremiah 38:6 for the full story.

Jeremiah was rescued from the cistern, but still remained in prison.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided 2022/2023

BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah

7)

Jeremiah 2:5-6; 3:19-20: God’s people followed worthless idols and therefore became worthless themselves. They no longer sought the Lord. Instead, the people were unfaithful even when God gave them everything.

Jeremiah 4:6; 6:1: God is bringing destruction from the north.

Jeremiah 10:17-18: God will bring distress on His people. They will be captured and forced to leave the land.

Jeremiah 25:8-14: I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy[a] them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. 10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,[b] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

8a)

Jeremiah 4:19-21: Jeremiah is distraught, in anguish. He must speak.

Jeremiah 9:1: Jeremiah cries for his people.

Jeremiah 10:23-25: Jeremiah pleads for God’s people. He asks God to pour out His wrath on other nations that do not acknowledge Him.

Jeremiah 15:16-18a: Jeremiah loved God’s word. He sat alone sometimes becuase of his obedience to God. Jeremiah was angry at being the bearer of bad news. He was in pain and did not know when it would end. He wondered about God’s goodness and power.

b) It bothers me, but it’s impossible to linger on or you will be like Jeremiah and let it consume you. I pray about it, and let God do the rest.

c) Lord, let me see those who need you and your Son, Jesus Christ. Let me pray over them to find you and to be open to you. Let me see what you see. Let me help who you want me to help. Let me be more like you. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah

I can’t imagine the burden that Jeremiah felt with his calling in life. To be the bearer of bad news, the one no one likes and the one everyone hates is tough. It was definitely by the will of God, that’s for sure.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promise: Kingdom Divided Lesson 25, Day 3: Select Passages From Jeremiah

God’s people are so ungrateful for what He has done for them that they dismiss Him. This has to pull at God’s heart.

Therefore, God will bring judgment.

Jeremiah is grieved for his people. He pleads with God for mercy and to judge the Babylonians for their evil, too.

Jeremiah feels alone sometimes because of his obedience, calling from God, and faithfulness to God. How many of us feel that way, too?

Jeremiah points out the people’s sins, tells them judgment is coming and to repent, and gives them hope.

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