Introduction

Jeremiah 1-23

Everyone loves to be the bearer of good news. There’s nothing like seeing the smile on someone’s face as you tell them they have won the prize or they have got the job or the medical tests showed everything was fine. Bringing bad news does not give us so much pleasure! It’s no fun telling people what they don’t want to hear. To make things worse, the emotional impact of bad news often causes people to ‘shoot the messenger’.

The prophet Jeremiah had the unenviable task of bringing bad news to the Israelites who lived in Judah and Jerusalem, mainly between about 609 and 586 BC. These were spiritually bleak days. Although King Josiah (who had died in 609 BC) had tried to call the people back to wholehearted worship of God, his reforms had not taken root. Jeremiah had to announce God’s hatred of the worship of false gods, the immorality and the false prophecy that were prevalent in the land. Moreover, through Jeremiah God promised that the people would soon face his judgement as he allowed the land to be destroyed by an invading army.

As we read from the first half of the book this week, we will not be able to avoid seeing God’s bitter hatred of sin. If you ever felt that God was passive towards people for rejecting his ways, you will be challenged to think again. And as this happens, I believe God’s Holy Spirit will be renewing our passion to live holy lives in which we refuse to turn a blind eye to disobedience.