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God tells Jeremiah to write down all his prophecies in a scroll and recite them to the people, in a final attempt to call the people to repentance. Jeremiah dictates to his disciple Baruch, who reads the scroll in the Temple to the people. The king Jehoiakim obtains the scroll and, as his servant reads it, he slices it apart bit by bit and throws it in the fire. Jeremiah recreates the scroll, and adds a curse on the king and his descendants.

Notes on Jeremiah 36:1-32

God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, tries any and all methods, illustrations and metaphors to warn the people and cause them to repent of their idolatry, without success. When the authorities arrest Jeremiah and put him publicly to shame, he cries out to God in a sort of “dark night of the soul.”

Notes on Jeremiah 20:1-18 as well as a brief survey of Jeremiah chapters 3-19

God’s first prophecy that He directs Jeremiah to “cry in the ears of Jerusalem” is really a review of His relationship with Israel framed as a entreaty to a lover that He had rescued from slavery in Egypt, took in, cared for and married – but who has now rejected her husband. He demands an explanation.

Notes on Jeremiah 2:1-37

The last four kings of Judah after Josiah – Jehoahaz, Jehoakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah – were evil and led to the spiritual disintegration of Israel resulting in its final destruction. Our main witness is the prophet Jeremiah, who had to steel himself against the tremendous opposition from these kings and the people to deliver his warnings about the coming destruction.

Notes on 2 Kings 23:30-37 and Jeremiah 1:1-19

Once King Josiah had eliminated idolatry from the land, repaired the Temple and re-established the courses of the Levites for service, he arranged for the celebration of Passover. It was a momentous event, having been so long with the feasts or even Temple liturgy being neglected or outright banned. “Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah.” (2 Kings 23:22)

Notes on 2 Chronicles 35:1-27

Once King Josiah had eliminated idolatry from the land, repaired the Temple and re-established the courses of the Levites for service, he arranged for the celebration of Passover. It was a momentous event, having been so long with the feasts or even Temple liturgy being neglected or outright banned. “Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah.” (2 Kings 23:22)

Notes on 2 Chronicles 35:1-27