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Lesson OneJeremiah: The Faithful God Rebukes and Preserves His Faithless People5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoEzekiel: How God Gives Hope When Hope is Gone5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeGod Preserves His Divine Record: The Old Testament Canon5 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 103
Discussion Questions
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How is God’s loyalty demonstrated throughout the book of Jeremiah?
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Through the writings of the prophets, and in this case Jeremiah, we see the fact that God is true to His word and has a plan that will be accomplished even if it is a small remnant of people to carry it out. It is clear that God wants a people and constantly warns them to repent but to little avail and yet He keeps on warning them before destruction comes because of His long-suffering and love of the people.
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God demonstrates his loyalty by calling Jeremiah to be His spokes person to Israel to warn and rebuke them. To call them to repentance with a desire not to have to bring destruction on them. But they would not listen. Repeatedly God refers to Israel as “My people”. He promises discipline that will devastate but not completely destroy them. He promises ultimately life and joy in Him. He promises to Jeremiah His protection and presence in all that He demands of Jeremiah. And even with the Babylonians bearing down on Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s armies declares His love for them, that he will not abandon them because He remains their God no matter what is happening.
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God’s loyalty is demonstrated throughout the book of Jeremiah because despite the sin that is flooding the Nation, God is still providing opportunities for the Israelites to repent. Their nation is becoming bombarded with Social Injustice, Idols are being worshiped, and corruption is growing within the leadership of Israel. However, God sends the prophet Jeremiah to help this falling Nation recover and turn back to God. As Jeremiah became skeptical and lost hope, God stood with him and carried him through the journey.
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God stayed by Jeremiah and patiently instructed him even when Jeremiah complained, had fear, and fell into depression. God encouraged Jeremiah to press on when no one else believed him and even through imprisonment, God never left Jeremiah’s side.
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God is always at work in spite of our unfaithfulness. God is always at work in our rebellion. God is always gracious even when we go astray. He demonstrated these in Jeremiah 29:10-14.
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How is Jeremiah an example of enduring opposition and resistance to share God’s Word? What obstacles to witnessing for Christ do you face and how can you overcome them?
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Jeremiah was faithful to God inspite of how he was treated. He admitted several times wanting to quit but he persisted. Because the word of God was like fire shut up in his bones.
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Jeremiah’s early messages to the people were condemnations of them for their false worship and social injustice, with summons to repentance. He said because the word of God got in me and it was fire shut up in my bones. I almost quit I wanted to quit. That was my will to give up. But God’s will was stronger than mine so I had to continue. Jeremiah was approximately 20 years old when he began his ministry he was not popular because the people . He was a political prisoner Jeremiah had a very difficult calling from God—to preach to a rebellious people and urge them to turn back to God and repent of their stubborn, corrupt ways. “I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me,” Jeremiah complained (20:7). But he could not stop preaching God’s words, no matter how difficult it was for him.
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Jeremiah is a wonderful example of enduring opposition. For forty years, Jeremiah continued to preach God’s message to people who despised him, ridiculed him, and sought to end his life. For forty years, Jeremiah was alone. He never married and he did not have a team of colleagues. Jeremiah never saw any response to his message, yet he obeyed – year after year after year. We too must recognize that the results are God’s responsibility – He asks us to obey and leave the rest up to Him.
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Just as Moses said to God, I cannot talk. I am not your man, even Jeremiah tried to declare his feelings of being inadequate for the task. So do I feel that same inadequacy. I have not done well in overcoming them.
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Jeremiah was a prophet who was called to warn Israel that there are consequences for behavior that go against God and His word. Jeremiah could be thought of as a “messenger of God’s Justice and Grace”. Jeremiah was essentially called to tear down the people in Jerusalem and convict them of their sins. Once Jeremiah shed light on the Israelites and exposed their sins, he could then rebuild them into a Nation that fears God.
An obstacle that I face when witnessing for Christ is that my life is not perfect. Sometimes I put this burden on myself that if I am going to share God’s Word, then I myself have to have my life all in order and free of sin. I fear that people will just me as a Christian if my life is cluttered with sin. I can overcome this obstacle by reminding myself that is it because of God’s Grace I am free. My life will never be free of sin, but because of God’s Grace and Mercy I can draw closer to God and share His message.