1. The Call of JeremiahProphet who condemned Judah’s infidelity to God, warned of Babylonian conquest, and promised a new covenant. (Jeremiah 1:1-19)
Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet to the nations.
2. Indictment for Infidelity and Call to Repentance (Jeremiah 2:1-4:4)
Israel’s apostasy is detailed, and the people are called to repentance.
3. God Will Not Turn Back (Jeremiah 4:5-6:30)
God’s judgment on Israel is pronounced and will certainly come to pass.
4. The TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged… Sermon (Jeremiah 7:1-8:3)
The prophet publicly announces, in a temple setting, that a horrific judgment on Israel is now inevitable.
5. Judgment and Tears (Jeremiah 8:4-10:25)
Interwoven with words of judgment against Israel are the tears of the prophet and of God.
6. Laments of Jeremiah and God (Jeremiah 11:1-20:18)
A series of six laments by Jeremiah is portrayed because of his suffering as the bearer of the word of God. They are interwoven with divine laments over the disastrous judgment that Israel experiences.
7. Indictment of Israel’s Leadership (Jeremiah 21:1-23:40)
The prophet indicts Israel’s kings and false prophets for their part in what the people of God have become.
8. Vision of the Good and Bad Figs (Jeremiah 24:1-10)
The prophet is shown a vision that makes a sharp distinction between the Israelites in exile (good figs) and those who remain in the land (bad figs). The future of Israel lies with the exiles.
9. Summary Judgments against the Nations (Jeremiah 25:1-38)
Beginning with a summary of Jeremiah’s message (25:1-14), an announcement of divine judgment against various nations is introduced (25:15-38). This section may originally have introduced the specific oracles against the nations in Jeremiah 46-51.
10. Jeremiah in Controversy (Jeremiah 26:1-29:32)
A series of sermons and letters raises issues of true and false prophecyProphecy is the gift, inspired by God, of speaking and interpreting the divine will. Prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel spoke words of judgment and comfort to the people of Israel on behalf of God. and brings Jeremiah into sharp contention with people, king, and prophet.
11. The Book of Consolation (Jeremiah 30:1-33:26)
Jeremiah preaches a series of hopeful oracles, promising the restoration of Israel, but only on the far side of judgment.
12. Announcements of Judgment to Zedekiah and Israel and a Commendation of the Rechabites (Jeremiah 34:1-35:19)
Examples of faithfulness and unfaithfulness are offered as illustrations of the situation in Jerusalem prior to the fallThe Fall refers specifically to the disobedience of Adam and Eve when they listened to Satan rather than adhering to God’s command not to eat the fruit from the tree. When people act contrary to God’s will, they are said to fall from from grace… of Jerusalem.
13. The Scrolls of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:1-32)
God calls for Jeremiah’s preaching to be written down, and the initial responses to that document, especially by the king, are described.
14. The “Baruch Narrative” (Jeremiah 37:1-45:5)
This long prose narrative, probably written by Jeremiah’s secretary BaruchThe scribe of the prophet Jeremiah., chronicles the ministry of Jeremiah in the last days before the destruction of Jerusalem and during its immediate aftermath.
15. The Oracles against the Nations (Jeremiah 46:1-51:64)
Jeremiah announces a word from God regarding the following nations in Israel’s geographical context: Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor, Elam, and Babylon.
16. The Fall of Jerusalem and Its Aftermath (Jeremiah 52:1-34)
This historical appendix provides information regarding the fall of Jerusalem, concluding with a brief, positive account regarding the situation of Israel in exile.
