"THE WORD OF JEHOVAH"
Intro: It's difficult to conceive a situation more painful. A Great man condemned to watch the lingering agony of an exhausted country. The words of Jehovah to a decadent age. A wonderful thought having been spoken and disobeyed. God should continue to speak.
I. THE NATURE OF THE AGE.
>A. 5 kings during Jeremiah's prophesies.
1. Josiah - 18 years after Jeremiah started.
2. Jehoahaz - 3 months.
3. Jehoiakim - 11 years.
4. Jehoiachin - 3 months.
5. Zedakiah - 11 years.
B. Josiah came to the throne at a remarkable time.
1. 8 yrs. old.
2. 1/2 century back reign of Hezekiah (Isaiah...)
a. Manassah - corruption.
b. Aaron.
c. Josiah.
C. Josiah instituted reforms.
1. Popular king and people followed.
2. Surface experienced.
3. Then Jehoahaz - vassal of Egypt then Babylon.
4. Zedekiah - moral corruption, intrigue, religious darkness.
5. During this time Jeremiah uttered the word of the Lord - mocked, imprisoned, scoffed.
D. Three great events.
1. Battle at Carchemish against Egypt - Josiah killed.
2. Battle at Corchemish - Egypt defeated by Babylon.
3. Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon.
II. WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE TO WHOM THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME?
A. Paul in Romans - what advantage has the Jew?
Adoption, covenants, glory, law, service, promises, Fathers, Christ.
B. These are the people moving toward their doom.
1. Chapter 2 - My people have committed two evils.
a. Forsaken the fountain of living waters.
b. Hewn broken cisterns that can hold no water.
2. Forsaken one - Basic sin from which others sprang.
3. Darkest period of any history.
4. Northern kingdom as example - barren land testifying to the result of forsaking God.
C. Yet the Word of Jehovah came.
1. Faithfulness of God amid unfaithfulness of people.
D. Purpose of the word - vs. 10.