Saul Weinreb - Let the Prophets Speak

Jeremiah 22a - The Righteous King

Jeremiah preaches to the King of Judah. It is only by establishing justice, ending oppression, protecting the widow and the orphan, this is how to ensure the future of the Kingdom of Judah.  Do this, and the Kingdom will be saved. Continue your corruption, and prayer will not save you.

Jeremiah 21 - Pray for us!

In desperation, despite ignoring his message for years, King Zedekiah turns to the prophet for help.  He asks for prayers from the prophet to save them from the Babylonians, hoping for divine intervention.  God responds that the only divine intervention he can expect is retribution for their misdeed and punishment and defeat.  God advises the people to flee for their lives, but for the leadership God has a different message. If you want to prevent the coming catastrophe, establish justice, end oppression. Prayer is not what I am looking for.

Jeremiah 20 - Terror All Around

Jeremiah is flogged and put into the stocks for preaching about injustice and violence.  The pain and suffering becomes unbearable for Jeremiah.  Going back and forth between faith and despair, we feel the prophet as he struggles with his fate. 

Jeremiah 19 - Breaking the Bottle

God ignores Jeremiah's pleading to punish his tormentors, and instead gives him another thankless task. Smash a bottle in the Valley of ben-Hinnom, and prophecy again about the coming destruction.

Jeremiah 18 - The Potter's Workshop

God asks Jeremiah to observe a potter at work.  Just as the potter decides when and how to break and refashion his pots, so can I God decide when to build and when to destroy.  It depends on you though, says God.  I can decree destruction, and if the people improve their ways I can build instead.  However I can also declare success, and if the people turn to evil I will destroy instead.  Despite this message, the people refuse to change.  Instead the plot against the prophet, who just won;t stop rebuking them.  Jeremiah prays that God take vengeance against those who plot to kill him.

Jeremiah 17b - Show Trust in God, Keep His Sabbath

Jeremiah prays that God demonstrate His justice, save me from my enemies! I am suffering for You God, I didn't want this mission!" God responds by giving Jeremiah another thankless mission. Go warn the people to honor the Sabbath! If they can do that, maybe they will be saved. 

Jeremiah 17a - The True Hope of israel

The sins of Judah are so ingrained that the punishment is inevtiable, as if they were engrained in tablets of iron.  However, there is justice in God.  have faith in God, and abandon faith in human beings and their arrogance. Only then will you flourish like a tree next to a stream.  The true hope of Israel lies in God alone.  

Jeremiah 16 - Act the Part

God commands Jeremiah not to marry, not to have a family, not to mourn the dead or celebrate with the living.  The destruction is coming, and your life must reflect the life of someone who knows the terrible events that are about to happen.  When this suffering is over, and one day it will be,  people will be astounded that God could bring the people back to their land. Even more astounded than the world was after the exodus from Egypt. Completely exhausted and exasperated, the prophet realizes that his only happiness comes from his only true refuge, God Himself.

Jeremiah 15b - The Embittered Prophet

Jeremiah is exhausted, abused, and is almost ready to give up.  He gets angry with God, and God guarantees his safety from his persecuters.

Jeremiah 15a - Even Moses and Samuel Couldn't

God declares that even if the great Moses and Samuel were praying for the people, they could not avert the decree of destruction.  God then laments the destruction, He must do it, but it is oh so painful.