Jeremiah - A Message for Our Time

      A    DAYBREAK   N SERIES
        AII

                                                                   September 1, 1975.

                                                       Yours very sincerely,




                                                       Robert R. Frame,
                                                       President.

           Lesson Titles for the Quarter 1. The Times of Jeremiah            8. Jeremiah's Emphasis on Heart 2. Jeremiah's Call                        Religion 3. "Is There Any Word From          9. Babylon—Ancient and Modern
     the Lord?"                10. Jeremiah's Sorrow for His People 4. A Religious People              11. Jeremiah's Parables 5. God's People on Trial           12. Promises of Restoration 6. Jeremiah and the Word           13. The Covenant 7. Jeremiah, a Traitor?

   I pledge myself to the careful and prayerful study of
   some portion of my Sabbath School lesson each day
   of the week.




                                (signed)

                                     LESSON OUTLINE
                                     1. The International Scene, Ezek.
                                        17:12,15.
                                     2. Josiah, Jer. 1:2.
                                     3. Jehoiakim and the First Siege,
                                        2 Chron. 36:1.
                                     4. Jehoiachin and the Second
                                        Siege, 2 Kings 24:6, 8.
                                     5. Zedekiah and the Third Siege,
                                        2 Kings 24:17; 1 Chron. 3:15.
                                     6. Jeremiah's Fellow Prophets,
                                        Dan. 1:1, 3, 4, 6.

       Part I     Jeremiah began his prophetic work in about G26 B.C. and
          THE   continued until some time after 586. B.C.
INTERNATIONAL       What two superpowers were predominant in international
        SCENE   affairs during Jeremiah's life as reflected in Ezekiel 17:12, 15?

                    Study a map of the Near East in Old Testament times in a
                Bible atlas or in the back of your Bible. Note the geographical
                position of Judah in relation to the two superpowers noted
                above.
                    The Assyrian Empire was in decline at the beginning of
                Jeremiah's ministry and was nearly ended with the fall of
                Nineveh in 612 B.C. The Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nabo-
                polassar, father of the Biblical Nebuchadnezzar, filled the power
                vacuum in the area of Judah left by the decline and fall of the
                Assyrians. Thus during Jeremiah's ministry the Babylonian Em-
                pire began and reached its peak of power.
                    Egypt, under four successive kings during Jeremiah's min-
                istry, sought to reestablish its power in the area of Judah and
                plotted the overthrow of Babylon.
                    The internal politics of Judah depended largely in those
                years on the way the king of Judah viewed the prospects for
                military success by Babylon or Egypt. Thus there developed in
                Judah a pro-Babylonian party and a pro-Egyptian party, with
                Judah pinning its hope for survival on making alliance with the
                superpower most likely to be victorious.
                  In an earlier period, what counsel was given to Judah
                about alliances and armaments? Isa. 8:12-14; 31:1.

                    The following quotation from Ellen G. White refers especially
                to Israel, but reflects Judah's experience also:
                   "The alliances made by the Israelites with their heathen
                neighbors resulted in the loss of their identity as God's peculiar
                people. They became leavened by the evil practises of those
                with whom they formed forbidden alliances. Affiliation with
                worldlings caused them to lose their first love, and their zeal
                for God's service. The advantages they sold themselves to
                gain, brought only disappointment, and caused the loss of many
                souls.
                   "The experience of Israel will be the experience of all who
                go to the world for strength, turning away from the living God.
                Those who forsake the mighty One, the source of all strength,
                and affiliate with worldlings, placing on them their dependence,
                become weak in moral power, as are those in whom they trust."
                —Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, pp.
                1155, 1156.

   Part 2       "The word of the Lord came [to Jeremiah] in the days of
   JOSIAH    Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year
             of his reign." Jer. 1:2.

                The thirteenth year of Josiah was about 626 B.C. Josiah had
             become king when only eight years of age and was thus about
             21 at the time of Jeremiah's call. Jeremiah described himself
             as a youth, probably under 21. Both the king and the new
             prophet were very young men.

                What significant work did Josiah do? 2 Chron. 34:3-8.

                Note that this destruction of shrines took place just one year
             before Jeremiah's call. The time was right for a prophetic voice
             to call men to repentance.
                "The reformation under Josiah had cleansed the land of the
             idolatrous shrines, but the hearts of the multitude had not been
             transformed. The seeds of truth that had sprung up and given
             promise of an abundant harvest had been choked by thorns.
             Another such backsliding would be fatal; and the Lord sought
             to arouse the nation to a realization of their danger. Only as
             they should prove loyal to Jehovah could they hope for the
             divine favor and for prosperity."—Prophets and Kings, pp. 410,
             411.
                What event opened the way for further reformation?
             2 Chron. 34:14, 19, 29-33; 35:1.

                What caused Josiah's death? 2 Chron. 35:20-24. Who
             lamented Josiah? Verse 25.

                "When Josiah heard the words of warning and condemnation
             because Israel had trampled upon the precepts of heaven, he
             humbled himself. He wept before the Lord. He made a thorough
             work of repentance and reformation, and God accepted his
             efforts. The whole congregation of Israel entered into a solemn
             covenant to keep the commandments of Jehovah. This is our
             work today. We must repent of the past evil of our doings, and
             seek God with all our hearts. We must believe that God means
             just what He says, and make no compromise with evil in any
             way. We should greatly humble ourselves before God, and con-
             sider any loss preferable to the loss of His favor."—Ellen G.
             White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1038.

      Part 3      Josiah apparently had pro-Babylonian sympathies, evidenced
  JEHOIAKIM    by his interference with Necho who was going to the aid of the
               remnants of the Assyrian army, the enemies of Babylon.
    AND THE
 FIRST SIEGE
                  How did Jehoahaz, a younger son of Josiah, become king?
               2 Chron. 36:1.
                   "Belonging probably to the anti-Egyptian party, Jehoahaz
               [also called Shallum] continued his father's policies, and after
               a reign of 3 months was summoned to Riblah in Syria by Necho,
               who replaced him by his older brother Jehoiakim. He was then
               deported to Egypt, where he died."—SDA Bible Dictionary, p.
               537.

                  How did Jehoiakim become king? 2 Chron. 36:4.
                  "Jehoiakim seems to have belonged to the pro-Egyptian
               party, as indicated by the fact that Necho considered him a
               trustworthy candidate for the kingship in Judah. In order to pay
               the heavy tribute laid upon him by Necho, Jehoiakim taxed the
               whole population (2 Ki 23:35). He is described as a wicked
               king (2 Ki 23:37; 2 Chr 36:5), who quickly undid everything his
               pious father Josiah had achieved in religious reforms."—SDA
               Bible Dictionary, p. 539.

                   What event occurred three years later? Dan. 1:1. How long
               was Jehoiakim loyal to Nebuchadnezzar? 2 Kings 24:1.
                  Jehoiakim apparently counted on Egyptian superiority over
               Babylon and changed his allegiance back to Egypt, the power
               that enthroned him.

                  What insight into Jehoiakim's character is given by the
               incident recorded in Jeremiah 36? Read Jeremiah 36:2, 9, 10,
               21, 23. See also Jer. 26:20-23.
                    Jehoiakim's defection from Babylon brought, in 598 B.C., the
               second invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonians
               captured him, but he died before removal from Judah.
                    "From the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, Jeremiah had
               little hope of saving his beloved land from destruction and the
               people from captivity. Yet he was not permitted to remain silent
               while utter ruin threatened the kingdom. Those who had re-
               mained loyal to God must be encouraged to persevere in right-
               doing, and sinners must, if possible, be induced to turn from
               iniquity."—Prophets and Kings, p. 412.

   Part 4    "So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his    JEHOIACHIN son reigned in his stead."
  AND THE
             "Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to  SECOND SIEGE
             reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months." 2 Kings
             24:6, 8.


                "In contemporary inscriptions the name appears as Yaukin,
             which might be anglicized 'Jauchin.' This and the related forms
             Jehoiachin and Joiachin probably represent his throne name,
             given to him when he became king, while Jeconiah (Coniah)
             was his personal or private name. Compare how his father
             Eliakim became Jehoiakim (II Kings 23:34) and his uncle Shal-
             lum was also called Jehoahaz (II Kings 23:30; I Chr. 3:15; Jer.
             22:11)."—The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 2, p. 811.
                Jehoiachin reigned for a period of only three months and
             ten days. At the close of his reign, March 16, 597 B.C., he, his
             family, and the members of his court were taken into exile to
             Babylon.


                What other people and treasure were removed to Babylon?
             2 Kings 24:13-16.

                 There is historical evidence that sustains the Bible account
             of Jehoiachin's captivity.
                 "Several tablets found in the ruins of Babylon, dated in the
             year 592 B.C.—five years after Jehoiachin's surrender—contain
             lists of foodstuff provided by the royal storehouse for certain
             persons who were fed by the king. Among them Jehoiachin is
             repeatedly mentioned as 'king of Judah,' together with five of
             his sons and their tutor Kenaiah. These facts—that Jehoiachin
             is called king, that he received 20 times as much ration as any
             other person mentioned in these records, and that any reference
             to his imprisonment is lacking—seem to indicate that he was
             held by Nebuchadnezzar for the time, in anticipation of the day
             when he should be restored to his throne, if and when condi-
             tions in Judah might make such a course of action advisable.
                 "At a later time, either in connection with the incidents
              described in Jer. 29 or at the time of Zedekiah's rebellion,
             Jehoiachin was definitely imprisoned. This imprisonment con-
              tinued until the 37th year of his captivity."—SDA Bible Com-
             mentary, vol. 2, p. 97.

      Part 5      How did Zedekiah become king and who was M. fether?
   ZEDEKIAH
    AND THE       "And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's
               brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah."
 THIRD SIEGE
               2 Kings 24:17.

                  "And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the
               second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum."
               1 Chron. 3:15.

                 Zedekiah took an oath of loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar. Ac-
               cording to Josephus he maintained his loyalty for eight years.
               See SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 97.
                   "Zedekiah had a weak character. Though he was occa-
               sionally inclined to follow Jeremiah (Jer 38:14-26), he did not
               have the moral strength to withstand the pressure of the people
               around him. . . . Zedekiah finally succumbed to the pressure
               of the anti-Babylonians among his citizens, and trusting in the
               help of Egypt, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. The result of
               this faithlessness was an invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnez-
               zar."—SDA Bible Dictionary, pp. 1174, 1175.
                   "The siege of Jerusalem began in earnest on Jan. 15, 588
               B.C. (2 Kings 25:1), and lasted until July 19, 586 B.C. (2 Kings
               25:2; Jer. 39:2), when the Chaldean army finally broke through
               the walls into the city, where unspeakable famine conditions
               prevailed. Once the 30-month-long siege was interrupted briefly
               by the unsuccessful attempt of the Egyptian army to defeat the
               Babylonians (Jer. 37:5). When the break-through came, Zede-
               kiah made an attempt to escape. In the confused fighting that
               followed the break-through he managed to leave the city and
               reach the plain of Jericho, but was overtaken there. Carried
               to Nebuchadnezzar's headquarters at Riblah, Zedekiah saw his
               sons killed; then his eyes were put out, and he was sent to
               Babylon in chains. His chief ministers were executed, and all
               others were carried into captivity (2 Kings 25:4-7, 19-21; Jer.
               52:10).
                   "Jerusalem was systematically looted and then destroyed.
               The walls were torn down, and the Temple, the palaces, and
               all other houses were burned to the ground."—SDA Bible Com-
               mentary, vol. 2, p. 98.

   Part 6      What future prophet was among the first group of captives    JEREMIAH'S   taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar? Dan. 1:1, 3, 4, 6.
  FELLOW      Jeremiah's prophetic career had begun (626 B.C.) about 21
PROPHETS    years previous to the first captivity (605 B.C.). In 605 B.C. Jere-
            miah was probably approaching 40 years of age, while Daniel
            was 18. See Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 570.

               What prophet was captured in the second siege of Jeru-
            salem? Ezek. 1:1-3; 33:21.
                Ezekiel is thought to have been about 25 years of age at
            this time. See SDA Bible Dictionary, p. 335. Thus he was of
            approximately the same age as Daniel.
                During the final years of the kingdom of Judah, when it was
            harrassed by Nebuchadnezzar and there were Jewish exiles in
            Babylon, God had one of His representatives in each of three
            critical places. Jeremiah bore his messages to the people of
            Jerusalem and Judah. Ezekiel communicated his prophecies
            to the exiled Jews in Babylon. Daniel's mission was carried out
            in the _court of the king who conquered Judah. Thus God had
            human instruments communicating His messages in three stra-
            tegic spheres during the early years of the exile.
                "The messages of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel were de-
            signed to make cleth'i the nature and purpose of the Captivity
            and to hasten the return of the exiles to their homeland."—
            SDA Bible Dictionary,'p. 546.
                These three men chosen by God served Him in widely vary-
            ing circumstances. Jeremiah, living in war-torn Judah, was
            looked upon as a traitor to his nation. Ezekiel, living in a set-
            tlement of exiled Jews in Babylon, was not regarded seriously
            by the exiles. The Lord told him that the people 'looked upon
            him as an entertainer. See Ezek. 33:32, RSV. Daniel, living at
            Nebuchadnezzar's palace, was honored by the monarch who
            had captured him.
                "The dark years of destruction and death marking the end
             of the kingdom of Judah would have brought despair to the
             stoutest heart had it not been for the encouragements in the
             prophetic utterances of God's messengers. Through Jeremiah
             in Jerusalem, through Daniel in the court of Babylon, through
             Ezekiel on the banks of the Chebar, the Lord in mercy made
             clear His eternal purpose and gave assurance of His willingness
             to fulfill to His chosen people the promises recorded in the
             writings of Moses. That which He had said He would do for
             those who should prove true to Him, He would surely bring to
             pass."—Prophets and Kings, p. 464.




                                                                            .13

                                                             tel JEREMIAFFS
CALL   "Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." Jer. 1:9.

Jeremiah introduces himself as  "the son of Hilkiah, of the priests  that were in Anathoth." "The fact  that the father of Jeremiah was from  Anathoth probably identifies him as  belonging to descendants of Abia-  thar, who was deposed from the  priesthood at the time of Solomon  (1 Kings 2:26, 27, 35)."—SDA Bible  Commentary, on Jer. 1:1.
The meaning of the name "Jere-  miah" has been much disputed.           and now he was to endure hardness, Among other meanings some have           as a good soldier of the cross."— suggested "the Lord shouts" or "the      Prophets and Kings, p. 407. Lord hurls." Either one would aptly        The problems Jeremiah faced are describe his career, since God hurled    ever-occurring. Human nature has him into the tumultuous and disas-       changed little since Old Testament trous closing days of the kingdom of    days, and men and women are still Judah, when its loyalty was with-       pulled by contradictory desires. Al- drawn from God. In this virtual         though we now live in new frame- whirlwind Jeremiah lived as a           works or settings, the human prob- spokesman for God, fearing less the     lems are basically the same. cruelty of man than disloyalty to          The first chapter of the book of God, because he deemed Him su-          Jeremiah presents his call and com- premely worthy of his service.          mission. This chapter is discussed in    "In the youthful Jeremiah, God       this lesson and presents really an saw one who would be true to his        overview of the prophet's whole trust and who would stand for the       career, while he spoke for God to a right against great opposition. In      nation facing national disaster com- childhood he had proved faithful;       ing from the north. Amid all the

     Part 1      "The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests  CALLED BY GOD    that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: to whom the
              word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon
              king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign." Jer. 1:1, 2.

                  Jeremiah made clear that the words he spoke and wrote
              were not his own; they were the words of the Lord. He did not
              venture to speak his own ideas. His messages were inspired
              by God and were sent to His people and the surrounding nations
              of that time.
                  The year of Jeremiah's call, the thirteenth year of Josiah,
              was 627/626 B.C. Five years later Josiah began his great reli-
              gious reform, sparked by the finding of the book of the law in
              the temple. At this time the Jews were living in forgetfulness
              of God. They had been led into apostasy by King Manasseh
              and his son Amon.



                For how long did Jeremiah continue as spokesman for
              God? Verse 3.

                 Jeremiah's ministry stretched over the period from 627/626
              B.C. down past the fall of Jerusalem and Judah's last exile to
              Babylon in 586 B.C. A precise date for the close of his ministry
              cannot be determined, but he recorded the establishment of a
              Jewish government in Judah by Gedaliah, Gedaliah's murder,
              and the subsequent flight of many Jews to Egypt. Jeremiah was
              compelled to flee with this group, and he spent some time in
              Egypt. See Jeremiah 43. His ministry consequently lasted well
              over 40 years. During this period he saw the utter ruin of his
              nation and its loss of political independence.
                  "Yet amid the general ruin into which the nation was rapidly
              passing, Jeremiah was often permitted to look beyond the dis-
              tressing scenes of the present to the glorious prospects of the
              future, when God's people should be ransomed from the land
              of the enemy and planted again in Zion. He foresaw the time
              when the Lord would renew His covenant relationship with
              them. 'Their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall
              not sorrow any more at all.' Jeremiah 31:12."—Prophets and
              Kings, pp. 408, 409.

    Part 2       "Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,    FOREKNOWN         'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.' " Jer. 1:4,
             5, RSV.
   BY GOD
                 God knows the end from the beginning. His knowledge is
             absolute. His foreknowledge is immediate and unlimited. Just
             as God had a plan for Jeremiah's life, so He has a plan for the
             life of every person. "Each has his place in the eternal plan
             of heaven. Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the
             salvation of souls. Not more surely is the place prepared for
             us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place desig-
             nated on earth where we are to work for God."—Christ's Object
             Lessons, pp. 326, 327.

               On the basis of God's foreknowledge of the character of
             Jeremiah, for what work did God set Jeremiah apart?
             Verse 5.

                When we human beings appoint people to office or select
             them for certain positions, we do so on the basis of their past
             experience and performance. God does not need to go by past
             performances; He can judge us just as well by what we are
             going to do as by what we have already done. He need not
             hold an unfavorable past against us, as men of necessity must
             do. He can take a persecutor like Saul and appoint him a
             spokesman for Himself. As men, we would have needed to see
             a change in Paul after his Damascus road meeting with Jesus
             before we could have chosen him to be a minister. Not so with
             God. He saw into the future and noticed that Paul would be
             true and reliable as His spokesman.
                God, through His foreknowledge, has experience in advance.
             The same was true in His relationship to Jeremiah; and on the
             basis of this He called him to the prophetic office. God knew
             before Jeremiah was born that he would choose to develop a
             submissive attitude toward His will. On the basis of Jeremiah's
             foreseen loyalty God ordained him to be His prophet.
                "God knows the end from the beginning. He knew, before
             the birth of Jacob and Esau, just what characters they would
             both develop. He knew that Esau would not have a heart to
             obey Him. He answered the troubled prayer of Rebekah and
             informed her that she would have two children, and the elder
             should serve the younger. He presented the future history of
             her two sons before her, that they would be two nations, the
             one greater than the other, and the elder should serve the
             younger."—The Story of Redemption, p. 87.

                                                                         17

     Part 3      "Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I  OVERWHELMED       am a child." Jer. 1:6.  BY GOD'S CALL
                   "A member of the Levitical priesthood, Jeremiah had been
               trained from childhood for holy service. In those happy years
               of preparation he little realized that he had been ordained from
               birth to be 'a prophet unto the nations;' and when the divine
               call came, he was overwhelmed with a sense of his unworthi-
               ness. 'Ah, Lord God!' he exclaimed, 'behold, I cannot speak:
               for I am a child.' "—Prophets and Kings, p. 407.
                  Jeremiah was overwhelmed by God's call. He felt entirely
               unable to fulfill God's commission. He gave this reason for feel-
               ing unequal to the task God was laying upon him: "I am a child."
               "The Hebrew near [translated child] could be used of an in-
               fant, as of Moses in the ark of bulrushes (Exod. 2:6); at the
               other extreme, it was used of a young man of marriageable age,
               as of Absalom during his revolt against David (II Sam. 18:5; cf.
               Gen. 34:19). We cannot therefore derive from this verse the
               exact age of Jeremiah at the time of his call. The LXX [Septua-
               gint] renders, 'I am too young.' "—The Interpreter's Bible
               (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1959), vol. 5, pp. 801, 802.
                  But even though Jeremiah at his call might have been in
               his late teens or his early twenties, he was baffled by the burden
               God was laying on him. His thought was, Who am I, a mere
               youth without experience and reputation to go and tell my
               people, the priests, the civil leaders, and the king himself as
               well as other nations the words of God? Lord, I am but a child
               compared with these men of experience.

                   "The path of men who are placed as leaders is not an easy
               one. But they are to see in every difficulty a call to prayer.
               Never are they to fail of consulting the great Source of all
               wisdom. Strengthened and enlightened by the Master Worker,
               they will be enabled to stand firm against unholy influences and
               to discern right from wrong, good from evil. They will approve
               that which God approves, and will strive earnestly against the
               introduction of wrong principles into His cause."—Prophets and
               Kings, p. 31.

     Part 4      "But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou GOD'S ENABLING    shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I com-
              mand thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for
              I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord." Jer. 1:7, 8.
                 Offering excuses to God's call only betrays our lack of trust
              or confidence in Him. When a person trusts God, he accepts
              His call, realizing that God never calls a man to failure but only
              to success, since "all His biddings are enablings."—Christ's
              Object Lessons, p. 333. Jeremiah was to go forth undauntedly,
              because God gave him the assurance that He would go with
              him to deliver him.

                What did God do symbolically to assure Jeremiah that He
              Himself would give him the message to proclaim? Verse 9.
                  "After the call of the prophet, came this solemn act of con-
              secration, symbolizing the communication of new powers of
              thought and utterance. Thus touched upon the lips (see Isa.
              6:6, 7), Jeremiah was assured that there would be no uncer-
              tainty as to his message. He was to go forth to speak the words
              put into his heart by the Spirit of God (see Jer. 5:14; 15:16;
              cf. Isa. 51:16; 59:21; Matt. 10:20; 2 Peter 1:21)."—SDA Bible
              Commentary, on Jer. 1:9.
                  The very fact that he was not to speak his own words, but
              God's, must have given Jeremiah reassurance in his call. It is
              easier to take abuse and censure when we know that we are
              not doing the work for ourselves, but that we are ambassadors
              for God.

                To whom was Jeremiah commissioned to communicate
              God's message? Verse 10.
                 God is not partial. His messages through Jeremiah were to
              go to surrounding nations as well as to Judah. Babylon was to
              receive assurance of stability in Jeremiah's day; others were
              doomed to fall before Babylon, as was his own country. But
              the present Babylonian victory was no guarantee of permanent
              security. Babylon's continued prosperity depended on its rela-
              tionship to God's revelation of truth.

                  In addition to prophesying destruction and gloom, what
              hopeful element did Jeremiah's message contain? Verse 10
              (last part).
                "Thank God for the words, 'to build, and to plant.' By these
              words Jeremiah was assured of the Lord's purpose to restore
              and to heal."—Prophets and Kings, p. 409.

                                                                             19

     Part 5      "Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
 HIS FIRST    Jeremiah, what seest thou? And 1 said, I see a rod of an al-
              mond tree. Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen:
    VISION    for I will hasten my word to perform it." Jer. 1:11, 12.

                  After God had called Jeremiah, He gave him a vision as a
              beginner's test at the start of his prophetic career. As a spokes-
              man for God he was to receive other visions as in Jeremiah
              1:13 and 24:3. Visions were a common method employed by
              God in speaking to His prophets. See Num. 12:6; Amos 7:8;
              8:2; Zech. 4:2. God commended Jeremiah for correctly having
              seen an almond tree.
                  "There is an interesting word play in vs. 11, 12. The follow-
              ing is an attempt to reproduce this literary device: 'I see the
              twig of a wake-tree. . . . You have seen aright, for I am wakeful
              over my word to perform it'; or, 'I see the rod of a watch-tree
              . . . for I am watching over my word to fulfill it.' "—SDA Bible
              Commentary, on Jer. 1:12.

                 What other vision did God immediately give Jeremiah?
              Verse 13.

                 "This vision is closely connected on the one hand with the
              call of Jeremiah, and on the other with the early prophecies
              which warn of the approach of an enemy from the north (4:6;
              6:1; 10:22). It indicates primarily the direction or source from
              which the evil is to come."—The Interpreter's Bible, vol. 5, p.
              807.

                 From where was destruction or evil to overtake Judah?
              Verses 14-16.

                  "Although Babylon was east of Judea, military roads and
              invasion routes to Palestine approached Judah from the north.
              It was impracticable for armies to cross the desert directly
              east of Palestine. Hence the Hebrews frequently referred to
              Babylon in connection with the north. The direction has ref-
              erence, not to the location of the home of the invader, but to
              the route he would follow in entering the land, for invaders
              from both east and north came from the north. The captives
              were spoken of as taken to the north country, and it was thence
              the Lord would cause them to return (see Jer. 3:18; 23:8; 31:8;
              Zech. 2:6)."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 1:14.

   Part 6          What reassurance did God give Jeremiah as he was about
    GOD'S      to assume his prophetic ministry?  REASSURANCE          "And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not pre-
               vail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver
               thee." Jer. 1:19.
                  God gave Jeremiah no assurance of an easy, peaceful life.
               But more reassuring than deliverance from conflict was God's
               promise that He Himself would be with His servant so that his
               enemies would not prevail against him.
                  How. securely did God promise to fortify Jeremiah against
               his assailants? Verse 18.
                  What God was willing to do for Jeremiah in his prophetic
               work He is willing to do for each of us spiritually. It is God's
               plan and purpose that His followers be victorious. Only over-
               comers will finally be found among the redeemed (see Rev.
               21:7); there will be no ultimately defeated or vanquished in-
               dividuals in the city of God.
                   In view of this divine assurance, what was Jeremiah to
               do? Verse 17.
                  Amid fierce opposition Jeremiah would be enabled to stand
               firm in the proclamation of God's message. He knew he was
               God's mouthpiece to his people. In this faith he became an
               immovable rock of truth and steadfastness. "Often the Chris-
               tian life is beset by dangers, and duty seems hard to per-
               form....
                   "The dealings of Providence bring to the unbelieving, dark-
               ness and despair, while to the trusting soul they are full of light
               and peace. The path where God leads the way may lie through
                the desert or the sea, but it is a safe path."—Patriarchs and
               Prophets, p. 290.

                                       LESSON OUTLINE
                                       1. Inevitable Doom, Jer. 15:1, 4.
                                       2. Jehoiakim, Jer. 22:2, 3.
                                       3. The King and a False Prophet,
                                          Jer. 28:1-4.
                                       4. Zedekiah's Attitude Toward
                                          God's Word, Jer. 37:2.
                                       5. Jews Safer in Babylon,
                                          Jer. 21:8, 9.
                                       6. The Word From the Lord,
                                          Jer. 37:17.

      Part 1      How inevitable was God's judgment on Judah even in the
 INEVITABLE    days of Josiah?
      DOOM         "Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel
               stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people:
               cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. . . . And I
               will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth,
               because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for
               that which he did in Jerusalem." Jer. 15:1, 4.
                  The die had been cast. Doom and destruction of Judah was
               unavoidable. Due to Josiah's humility before God and his zeal
               for regeneration and reformation, it was but postponed. See
               Prophets and Kings, p. 399.
                  What were God's specific charges against His people?
               Jer. 15:6; 16:18.
                   "What is sin?—It is the result of Satan's administration. It
               is his work to make of no effect the law of God. He is deter-
               mined that men shall do what God has forbidden him to do....
                   "Sin lies at the door of those who do not allow their igno-
               rance to be expelled by the rays of light from God's word. ...
                   "Sin is the most fearful thing in the whole universe. So fear-
               ful is it that it could be pardoned only by the sacrifice of the
               Son of the infinite God. If unpardoned, it must be followed by
               eternal death."—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, August 9,
               1898.
                   What was the general sentiment of the people in Judah
               toward the sinful conditions prevalent? Jer. 14:10.
                   "Satan is continually seeking to overcome the people of
               God by breaking down the barriers which separate them from
               the world. Ancient Israel were enticed into sin when they ven-
               tured into forbidden association with the heathen. In a similar
               manner are modern Israel led astray. 'The god of this world
               hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the
               light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
               should shine unto them.' 2 Corinthians 4:4."—The Great Con-
               troversy, p. 508.

    Part 2       What was God's admonition to Jehoiakim as leader of
 JEHOIAKIM     God's people? Jer. 22:2, 3.

                  For years Jeremiah had been extending God's call of re-
               pentance to the people. Now the prophet went to the king and
               invited him to lead out in repentance and regeneration with
               resultant reformation. Although the leader is only one person,
               he usually occupies a pivotal influence for good or for bad.
               "The people will seldom rise higher than their minister. A
               world-loving spirit in him has a tremendous influence upon
               others. The people make his deficiencies an excuse to cover
               their world-loving spirit. They quiet their own consciences,
               thinking that they may be free to love the things of this life
               and be indifferent to spiritual things because their ministers
               are so."—Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 645, 646.
                  If no change was effected, what would become of the
               temple and the nation? Verses 5, 6.
                  It had been God's purpose that Judah would prosper and
               that Jerusalem and the temple would stand forever. See Jer.
               17:25. God's own people were now frustrating His plan for them.
                   When all the prophecies of Jeremiah, up to that time, were
               read to Jehoiakim, how did the king react to God's message
               to him through his prophet?
                   "And it came to pass, that when Jehudi [the representative
               of the princes] had read three or four leaves, he [the king] cut
               it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the
               hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on
               the hearth." Jer. 36:23.
                  "King Jehoiakim and his lords, in their arrogance and pride,
               refused the invitation of God. They would not heed the warn-
               ing, and repent. The gracious opportunity proffered them at
               the time of the burning of the sacred roll, was their last. God
               had declared that if at that time they refused to hear His voice,
               He would inflict upon them fearful retribution."—Prophets and
               Kings, p. 436. THINK IT THROUGH     How do I relate to the messages in God's Word that con-
               demn certain of my practices and call upon me to reform?
                  "Those who refuse to receive reproof and to be corrected,
               will manifest enmity, malice, and hatred against the instrument
               that God has used. They will leave no means untried to cast
               stigma upon the one who bore to them the message."—Ellen
               G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1034.

                                                                             25

         Part 3      Who tried to lead King Zedekiah into rebellion against God
 THE KING AND     very early in his reign?
       A FALSE        "And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of
                  the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and
     PROPHET
                  in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet,
                  which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the
                  Lord, in the presence of the priests and of all the people,
                  saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
                  saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within
                  two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels
                  of the Lord's house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
                  took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: and
                  I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim
                  king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into
                  Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king
                  of Babylon." Jer. 28:1-4.
                     "Against determined opposition Jeremiah stood firmly for
                  the policy of submission. Prominent among those who pre-
                  sumed to gainsay the counsel of the Lord was Hananiah, one
                  of the false prophets against whom the people had been
                  warned. Thinking to gain the favor of the king and of the royal
                  court, he lifted his voice in protest, declaring that God had
                  given him words of encouragement for the Jews."—Prophets
                  and Kings, pp. 444, 445.
                      According to an earlier pronouncement from the Lord by
                  Jeremiah, what was the alternative to submission to Babylon?
                  Jer. 27:13, 14.
                     "Jeremiah, in the presence of the priests and people, ear-
                  nestly entreated them to submit to the king of Babylon for the
                  time the Lord had specified. He cited the men of Judah to the
                  prophecies of Hosea, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others whose
                  messages of reproof and warning had been similar to his own.
                  He referred them to events which had taken place in fulfillment
                  of prophecies of retribution for unrepented sin. In the past the
                  judgments of God had been visited upon the impenitent in
                  exact fulfillment of His purpose as revealed through His mes-
                  sengers."—Prophets and Kings, p. 445. THINK IT THROUGH         To whose counsel do I prefer to listen: the counsel of him
                  who presents my own cherished plans, or to the person who
                  presents God's plan for me?
                     "There is constant danger that professing* Christians will
                  come to think that in order to have influence with worldlings,
                  they must to a certain extent conform to the world. But though
                  such a course may appear to afford great advantages, it always
                  ends in spiritual loss."—Prophets and Kings, p. 570.

     Part 4    What was Zedekiah's traditional attitude toward Jere-
ZEDEKIAH'S  miah's prophecies?
  ATTITUDE     "But neither he [Zedekiah], nor his servants, nor the people
   TOWARD of the land, did hearken unto the words of the Lord, which he
            spake by the prophet Jeremiah." Jer. 37:2.    GOD'S WORD
                  "Zedekiah at the beginning of his reign was trusted fully by
              the king of Babylon and had as a tried counselor the prophet
              Jeremiah. By pursuing an honorable course toward the Baby-
              lonians and by paying heed to the messages from the Lord
              through Jeremiah, he could have kept the respect of many in
              high authority and have had opportunity to communicate to
              them a knowledge of the true God. Thus the captive exiles al-
              ready in Babylon would have been placed on vantage ground
              and granted many liberties; the name of God would have been
              honored far and wide; and those that remained in the land of
              Judah would have been spared the terrible calamities that
               finally came upon them."—Prophets and Kings, p. 440.

                  What request did Zedekiah nevertheless present to Jere-
                miah through two messengers? Verse 3.
                   In view of Zedekiah's reaction to Jeremiah's messages, his
                request is at least interesting. The human mind is a puzzling
                entity. Although it is capable of logical reasoning, we do not
                always employ it in a rational way. The mind is under the direc-
                tion of the will which sometimes chooses not to think from
                cause to effect, or choose to pursue a reasonable line of
                thought. Zedekiah's behavior appears illogical to us; neverthe-
                less, many of us undoubtedly act in the same way, refusing to
                heed God's voice or counsel to us, while we expect Him to
                help us in our predicaments.

                   What was Jeremiah's reply to the king's request? Verses
                7, 8.
                    The hope that the approach of the Egyptian army had raised
                in the heart of the king and his people was quashed by God's
                message to Zedekiah through Jeremiah. The king and the peo-
                ple persisted in clinging to their own hopes, rather than heeding
                the revealed will of God.
                   How inevitable was Judah's doom before the Babylonians?
                Verse 10.

      Part 5       Why did God advise the people of Judah to surrender to
 JEWS SAFER     the Babylonians?
 IN BABYLON       "And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord;
               Behold, 1 set before you the way of life, and the way of
               death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and
               by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out,
               and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live,
               and his life shall be unto him for a prey." Jer. 21:8, 9.

                  In mercy to the people God asked them to surrender. In the
               councils of heaven Jerusalem had filled its cup of iniquity. Its
               destruction was determined. But its inhabitants might still save
               their lives if they surrendered to the Babylonians.

                  Who was actually fighting against Jerusalem and stubborn
               Judah? Verses 4-6.
                    "God has revealed in His law the principles that underlie
                all true prosperity both of nations and of individuals. 'This is
                your wisdom and your understanding,' Moses declared to the
                Israelites of the law of God. 'It is not a vain thing for you; be-
                cause it is your life.' Deuteronomy 4:6; 32:47. The blessings
                thus assured to Israel are, on the same conditions and in the
                same degree, assured to every nation and every individual un-
                der the broad heavens."—Education, p. 174.
                    "The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a
               solemn warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and ad-
               monitions given them through chosen instrumentalities cannot
               be disregarded with impunity."—Prophets and Kings, p. 417.
                   "I have been looking over the Testimonies given for Sab-
               bathkeepers and I am astonished at the mercy of God and His
               care for His people in giving them so many warnings, pointing
               out their dangers, and presenting before them the exalted posi-
               tion which He would have them occupy. If they would keep
               themselves in His love and separate from the world, He would
               cause His special blessings to rest upon them and His light to
               shine round about them. Their influence for good might be felt
               in every branch of the work and in every part of the gospel field.
               But if they fail to meet the mind of God, if they continue to
               have so little sense of the exalted character of ,the work as they
               have had in the past, their influence and example will prove
               a terrible curse."—Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 483.
                   "The professed follower of Christ must not be led by the
               dictates of his own will; his mind must be trained to think
               Christ's thoughts."—Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 88.

    Part 6      During the final siege of Jerusalem what did King Zede-
THE WORD     kiah again want to know? FROM THE LORD       "Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the
             king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any
             word from the Lord?" Jer.37:17.
                Zedekiah wanted to know what was going to happen. To that
             end he inquired from Jeremiah secretly without his counselors
             and princes knowing about it. "The king dared not openly mani-
             fest any faith in Jeremiah. Though his fear drove him to seek
             information of him privately, yet he was too weak to brave the
             disapprobation of his princes and of the people by submitting
             to the will of God as declared by the prophet."—Prophets and
             Kings, p. 455.

                What was Jeremiah's answer from God to the king's in-
             quiry? Jer. 37:17 (last part).
                "From the court of the prison Jeremiah continued to advise
             submission to the Babylonian rule. To offer resistance would
             be to invite sure death."—Prophets and Kings, p. 455.
                Zedekiah had a desire to follow God's will as unveiled to
             him by the prophet. But he was weak in moral character and
             did not have fortitude and moral stamina to stand up before his
             counselors and the people who were thoroughly pro-Egyptian.
             The leaders and the people hoped that through an alliance
             with Egypt, Judah would still regain its independence and past
             power and glory.
                "Those who stand in defense of the honor of God and main-
             tain the purity of truth at any cost will have manifold trials, as
             did our Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. While those
             who have yielding temperaments, who have not courage to
             condemn wrong, but keep silent when their influence is needed
             to stand in defense of the right against any pressure, may avoid
             many heartaches and escape many perplexities, they will also
             lose a very rich reward, if not their own souls. Those who are
             in harmony with God, and who through faith in Him receive
             strength to resist wrong and stand in defense of the right, will
             always have severe conflicts and will frequently have to stand
             almost alone. But precious victories will be theirs while they
             make God their dependence. His grace will be their strength.
             Their moral sensibility will be keen and clear, and their moral
             powers will be able to withstand wrong influences. Their in-
             tegrity, like that of Moses, will be of the purest character."—
             Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 302, 303.

    Part 1    What had God's people originally been like in His sight?
 ZION LIKE    "I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and deli-
           cate woman." Jer. 6:2.
 A WOMAN
                Zion originally was the name of a part of Jerusalem. Later it
            referred to all of Jerusalem and sometimes it is used to refer
            to the whole nation. Hence "the daughter of Zion" here and
            also in Micah 4:8 refers to God's redeemed people.
                In both the Old and the New Testaments the church is often
            portrayed under the symbol of a woman, "a virtuous woman
            representing a pure church, a vile woman an apostate church."
            —The Great Controversy, p. 381.
                At first Israel was aptly represented by a beautiful, pure
            woman. Such a woman God found to be a suitable representa-
            tion of His church.


              In another figure of speech to what does Jeremiah compare
            God's people during their wilderness days? Jer. 2:2, 3.

               "In her youth Israel had responded to the wooing of God's
            love. In poetic figure God is represented as the Lover and
            Israel as His betrothed."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 2:2.


              How does God, through Jeremiah, portray His people's
            departure from Him? Jer. 3:20.

                No neglect on God's part had caused His people's degener-
            acy. His work for them had been noble and flawless. But through
            their own choice degeneracy had set in.
                "The unfaithfulness of the church to Christ in permitting her
            confidence and affection to be turned from Him, and allowing
            the love of worldly things to occupy the soul, is likened to the
            violation of the marriage vow. The sin of Israel in departing
            from the Lord is presented under this figure; and the wonder-
            ful love of God which they thus despised is touchingly por-
            trayed: 'I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with
            thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest Mine.' And thou
            wast exceeding beautiful and thou didst prosper into a king-
            dom.... But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst
            the harlot because of thy renown.' "—The Great Controversy,
            p. 381.

    Part 2    In what did the Jews, under the leadership of the priests
           and false prophets, apparently trust as the source of their    LAW OF GOD
           security and wisdom?    WITH JUDAH
                  "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is
               with us?" Jer. 8:8 (first part).

                   Under the leadership of the priests and false prophets, the
               Jews in Jeremiah's time did not pretend to have put aside the
               law of God. Rather they confidently asserted that they had the
               law of God among them. Indeed, Hilkiah the high priest had
               discovered the book of Deuteronomy in the temple and brought
               it to the attention of King Josiah. As a result of this, a formal
               reformation and a return to the law had taken place.
                   The priests represented the people before God. They func-
               tioned as spokesmen and mediators of the sacrificial system.
               They led in worship. But the priests concerned themselves
               largely with the ceremonies and rituals of the sanctuary. This
                centered in public worship and in the maintenance of an
                alleged right relationship between God and the people through
               various offerings and other performances.

                  Despite the objections of the priests and prophets, what
               charge did God level against them and the people at large?
               Jer. 6:10, 19; 8:9; 9:13.
                  Previous to the reformation under Josiah, "through Huldah
               the Lord sent Josiah word that Jerusalem's ruin could not be
               averted. Even should the people now humble themselves before
               God, they could not escape their punishment. So long had their
               senses been deadened by wrongdoing that, if judgment should
               not come upon them, they would soon return to the same sinful
               course....
                  "But because the king [Josiah] had humbled his heart before
               God, the Lord would acknowledge his promptness in seeking
               forgiveness and mercy."—Prophets and Kings, p. 399.

      Part 3        Besides trusting in their possession of the law of God for
 SECURITY IN    their security, in what else did the Jews place their confidence
                for safety?
 THE TEMPLE
                   "Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the
                Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are
                these." Jer. 7:4.
                  The Jews felt secure from all calamity since they had the
               temple of Solomon, the dwelling place of God, among them.
                  "Theirs was a formal religion that was satisfied to substitute
               external conformity for inner righteousness and truth. They
               deceived themselves into thinking that because they had the
               Temple of Jerusalem they had the guarantee of the divine pres-
               ence and favor and a defense against harm."—SDA Bible Com-
               mentary, on Micah 3:11.
                  Into what had the Jews in their ritualistic worship changed
               the temple, and what did God propose to do to the temple
               because of their wickedness? Jeremiah 7:10-14.
                  Shiloh, about 18 miles north of Jerusalem, was the place
               where the tabernacle had first been erected upon Israel's
               occupation of the Promised Land. "The ark remained at Shiloh
               for three hundred years, until, because of the sins of Eli's
               house, it fell into the hands of the Philistines, and Shiloh was
               ruined. The ark was never returned to the tabernacle here, the
               sanctuary service was finally transferred to the temple at Jeru-
               salem, and Shiloh fell into insignificance. There are only ruins
               to mark the spot where it once stood. Long afterward its fate
               was made use of as a warning to Jerusalem."—Patriarchs and
               Prophets, p. 514. THINK IT THROUGH      What is the modern equivalent of trusting in the temple
               as evidence of God's favor and presence? What lessons do
               you see in Judah's temple trusting?
                  "From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created
               being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a
               temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, hu-
               manity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled
               by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the
               Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the pur-
               pose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through
               saving grace the heart of man becomes again His temple. God
               designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be a continual
               witness to the high destiny open to every soul."—The Desire of
               Ages, p. 161.

    Part 4       "And all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the
PRACTICED      heart." Jer. 9:26.  CIRCUMCISION        Compare Jer. 6:10; 4:4; Deut. 30:6.
                  The Jews were set apart from the surrounding nations. One
               distinguishing feature of this separateness was circumcision,
               which God gave as a sign to Abraham and his descendants. To
               Abraham it was given as "a seal of the righteousness of the
               faith which he had yet being uncircumcised." Rom. 4:11. It
               was a sign of the covenant that God entered into with Abraham.
                  During the history of Israel, when had the males in Israel
               not been circumcised according to the Lord's direction? Joshua
               5:5.
                   "In the rebellion at Kadesh they had rejected God, and God
               had for the time rejected them. Since they had proved unfaith-
               ful to His covenant, they were not to receive the sign of the
               covenant, the rite of circumcision."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
               p. 406.
                  What command did God give to Joshua after Israel had
               crossed the Jordan River? Joshua 5:2.
                   "A short distance from Jordan the Hebrews made their first
               encampment in Canaan. Here Joshua 'circumcised the children
               of Israel;' and the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and
               kept the Passover.' The suspension of the rite of circumcision
               since the rebellion at Kadesh had been a constant witness to
               Israel that their covenant with God, of which it was the ap-
               pointed symbol, had been broken."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
               p. 485.
                  Because the circumcision of the Jews was of no avail,
               what did God through Jeremiah say He would do with them?
               Jer. 9:25.
                  Circumcision came to be a cultural symbol, rather than a
               personal sign of commitment to God's will. To the Jews in
               Jeremiah's day it had, in most instances, become an entirely
               physical act and state rather than a sign of the particular Jew's
               loyalty and devotion to God and His ways, as it had been in
               the case of Abraham. Thus there was no difference between
               them and the heathen, and they would together reap punish-
               ment from God. THINK IT THROUGH     What is the Christian counterpart to Jewish circumcision,
               and what implications do you see in this lesson for church
               members today?

                                                                             35

     Part 5       In their apostasy what were the Jews still practicing in
 OFFERINGS     connection with their temple worship?
                  "To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba,
               and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings
               are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me." Jer.
               6:20.
                  That the Jews were faithfully burning incense and bringing
               animal offerings to the temple is clear. Although Jeremiah 7:21,
               22 can be interpreted two ways; the prophet is not invalidating
               the sacrificial system. This is evident from other verses like
               Jeremiah 17:26; 33:11, 17, 18. He is only trying to impress upon
               the ritualistically correct Jews the worthlessness of external
               obedience apart from holiness of heart. At best a sin offering
               or a trespass offering was only an admission of failure and
               recognition of the need for a sinless substitute.

                  What did the prophets teach about animal offerings?
               1 Sam. 15:22; Isa. 1:11; Micah 6:7.
                  " `To obey is better than sacrifice.' The sacrificial offerings
               were in themselves of no value in the sight of God. They were
               designed to express on the part of the offerer penitence for sin
               and faith in Christ and to pledge future obedience to the law
               of God. But without penitence, faith, and an obedient heart,
               the offerings were worthless."—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 634.

                  How does the prophet Micah sum up the desires of God
               with reference to His people? Micah 6:8.
                  "The many sacrifices of the Jews and the flowing of blood
               to atone for sins for which they felt no true repentance was ever
               repugnant to God. He spoke through Micah saying, [Micah
               6:6-8 quoted]."—Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible Com-
               mentary, vol. 4, p. 1174.

    Part 6      "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my
 BELIEVED    people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."
             Jer. 8:11.  ALL WAS WELL
                The religious leaders and the false prophets assured the
             Jews in the days of Jeremiah that all was well. This concept is
             comprehended in the Hebrew word shalom, from which the
             word "peace" is translated in the above verse. Shalom was
             used to describe far more than absence of war and was "fre-
             quently used to comprehend all the good things of life. Shalom
             has been defined as meaning not only 'peace,' but also 'com-
             pleteness,' prosperity,"welfare,"health,"friendship,' etc."
             —SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 6:14.

                What was the thinking and conviction of the people of
             Judah regarding their own moral state? Jer. 2:35. See also
             Jer. 5:31.
                The Jews were not conscious of any guilt before God. Had
             not good King Josiah through his religious reformation rectified
             any mistakes and made amends for any sins that his grand-
             father Manasseh and his father Amon had made and perpet-
             uated? They were sure that they deserved God's grace.

               At what did the unfortunate Jews express their amaze-
             ment? Jer. 5:19 (first part); 16:10.
                In sheer astonishment they would ask, "When you tell .this
             people all these things they will ask you, 'Why has the Lord
             decreed that this great disaster is to come upon us? What
             wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the
             Lord our God?' " Jer. 16:10, NEB.
                Theirs was the common justification, What wrong have we
             done? That very question itself, common though it may be even
             among us, puts the emphasis on the wrong place. Stress should
             not be placed on what is wrong with something. If there is
             nothing wrong with what we do, we still have done nothing
             right. Such an attitude is negative at best. Neither does a corpse
             do anything wrong.

                In which respect is the attitude of the Jews in Jeremiah's
             day similar to the Laodicean attitude expressed in Revelation
             3:17?
                 "There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the
             human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the
             most hopeless, the most incurable."—Christ's Object Lessons,
             p. 154.

                                      LESSON OUTLINE
                                      1.   Israel and Judah Changed Gods,
                                           Jer. 2:11.
                                      2.   Spiritual and Literal Adultery,
                                           Jer. 2:18.
                                      3.   Abominations Practiced,
                                           Jer. 7:31.
                                      4.   Total Moral Degradation,
                                           Jer. 2:5.
                                      5.   Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian,
                                           Jer. 38:7-13.
                                      6.   The Rechabites, Jer. 35:5, 6.

     Part 1       What indictment did God bring against His people?
ISRAEL AND       "Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods?
     JUDAH    but my people have changed their glory for that which doth  CHANGED GODS     not profit." Jer. 2:11.

                  God's professed people, Israel, early changed their gods
              and worshiped both their own gods of gold and heathen idols.
              At Sinai they made and worshiped a golden calf (see Ex. 32:1-6);
              in the Shittim valley across Jordan from Jericho on the very
              borders of the Promised Land Israel worshiped the gods of the
              Moabites. See Num. 25:1, 2. In spite of this departure "In every
              age, . . . because of His infinite love for the erring, God has
              borne long with the rebellious, and has urged them to forsake
              their course of evil and return to Him."—Prophets and Kings,
              pp. 324, 325.

                 How did the loyalty of the heathen nations compare with
              Judah's loyalty to God? Jer. 2:11.
                 "Only in extraordinary cases would an idolatrous nation dis-
              card its ancestral religion. Even today many adherents of
              heathen religions are truer to their gods than are nominal Chris-
              tians to the one true God."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer.
              2:11.

                 As God's ancient people turned away from the Lord, how
              deep did they sink? Jer. 2:33.
                  "Judah had become so vile that even wicked women could
              learn from her. The wickedness of God's chosen people not
              only confirmed the heathen in their idolatry but also taught
              them new ways of practicing it."—SDA Bible Commentary, on
              Jer. 2:33.
                  "Israel's sin at Beth-peor brought the judgments of God
              upon the nation, and though the same sins may not now be
              punished as speedily, they will as surely meet retribution. 'If
              any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.'
              1 Corinthians 3:17. Nature has affixed terrible penalties to these
              crimes,—penalties which, sooner or later, will be inflicted upon
              every transgressor. It is these sins more than any other that
              have caused the fearful degeneracy of our race, and the weight
              of disease and misery with which the world is cursed. Men
              may succeed in concealing their transgression from their fellow
              men, but they will no less surely reap the result, in suffering,
              disease, imbecility, or death. And beyond this life stands the
              tribunal of the judgment, with its award of eternal penalties."
              —Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 461.

     Part 2       How had God's chosen people repeatedly tried to bolster
 SPIRITUAL     their political position among the nations?    AND LITERAL        "And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to
 ADULTERY      drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way
               of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?" Jer. 2:18.
                  Earlier prophets (see Isa. 30:1-7; Hosea 5:13; 7:11, 16; 12:1)
               had warned God's people against alliances with heathen na-
               tions. "But instead of turning away from those practices which
               had brought weakness to the kingdom [of Israel], they con-
               tinued in iniquity, flattering themselves that when occasion
               arose, they would attain to the political power they desired by
               allying themselves with the heathen."—Prophets and Kings,
               p. 280.
                   "It was by departure from the Lord, and alliance with the
               heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot."—The Great
               Controversy, p. 382.

                  What often accompanied the worship of heathen deities?
               Jer. 2:20; 5:7; 9:2.
                  While God condemned Judah's worship of heathen gods as
               adultery in a spiritual sense, the rites of these false religions
               frequently included literal adultery with "holy" priestesses in
               groves consecrated to the god.
                   Although Judah had observed the idolatry of Israel and
               its resultant Assyrian captivity, what did the Jews still do?
               Jer. 3:6-9. THINK IT THROUGH       What is an idol? Is it possible that even today we might
               be worshiping idols? How?
                   Ellen G. White wrote about the Seventh-day Adventists back
               in 1865: "They have other gods before the Lord. Their taste,
               their appetite, is their god; and when the ax is laid at the root
               of the tree and those who have indulged their depraved appe-
               tites at the expense of health are touched, their sin pointed
               out, their idols shown them, they do not wish to be convinced;
               and although God's voice should speak directly to them to
               put away those health-destroying indulgences, some would
               still cling to the hurtful things which they love. They seem
               joined to their idols, and God will soon say to His angels: Let
                them alone."—Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 486.
                   "They [some men and women] worship their earthly treasure,
                as the ignorant heathen does his idols."—Testimonies, vol. 1,
               p. 477.

    Part 3      What abominable practice of worship had God's people  ABOMINATIONS    adopted from their heathen neighbors?
PRACTICED
                 "And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is
             in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and
             their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not,
             neither came it into my heart." Jer. 7:31.

                 The valley of Hinnom was southwest of Jerusalem. During
             the time of the kingdom of Judah the valley became identified
             with the worship of Molech.
                 "To put an end to these abominations Josiah 'defiled' the
             valley (2 Kings 23:10, 14), making it, according to tradition, the
             receptacle of carcasses and filth. . . .
                 "The sacrificing of children formed part of the idolatrous
             worship of the Phoenicians, Moabites, Ammonites, and others.
             This horrid practice was taken over by Ahaz ... and Manasseh.
             . . . It is not certain whether the children were burned alive
             or first slain. Since they were offered to Molech as a burnt offer-
             ing (see Jer. 19:5; Eze. 16:20, 21), it has been argued that the
             children were first slain."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 7:31.
                 Before their entry into the Promised Land, God had strictly
             forbidden His people to engage in these idolatrous rites under
             severe penalties. See Lev. 18:21; 20:1-5; Deut. 12:31; 18:9, 10.
             For this and other abominations the Canaanites were dispos-
             sessed.


                 What would be the result of God's own people descending
             to these idolatrous practices? Jer. 19:4-9.

                 "Children are not to be trained to be the devotees of society.
             They are not to be sacrificed to Molech, but they are to become
             members of the Lord's family. Parents are to be filled with the
             compassion of Christ, that they may work for the salvation of
             the souls that are placed under their influence. They are not to
             have their minds all engrossed in the fashions and practices of
             the world. They are not to educate their children to attend par-
             ties and concerts and dances, to have and attend feasts, be-
             cause after this manner the Gentiles walk."—Child Guidance,
             p. 181.

    Part 4      What challenging rhetorical question does God address to   TOTAL MORAL    His people in view of their departure from His will for them?   DEGRADATION       "Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers
             found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked
             after vanity, and are become vain?" Jer. 2:5.

                Against the background of the original purity and intimacy
             of the bride's relationship to a loyal husband (verse 2), the
             present state of degeneration of that relationship into infidelity,
             adultery, and harlotry appears incomprehensible.

               What charge of basic corruption does God repeatedly make
             against His people? Jer. 5:2, 31; 6:13; 7:8; 8:5, 6; 9:5, 8.

                Lying—falsehood, deceit, guile, et cetera—is a foundational
             sin. There is hope for a thief, an adulterer, a Sabbath breaker,
             and other violators of God's law, if they are truthful. Such
             persons can be helped and rebuilt into rectitude. But a liar who
             covers his fault cannot be redeemed, because he will not admit
             to reality. He refuses to see things as they are. Lying is the
             very antithesis of the nature of God, who is truth. See John
             14:17; 1 John 5:6. Consequently any type of lying or dishonesty
             —unconfessed and unrepented—will make us unfit for heav-
             enly companionship. See Rev. 21:27; 22:15.

                What were some other sins rampant among God's pro-
             fessed people in the days of Jeremiah? Jer. 3:2; 6:28.

                The spiritual life of God's people had bectme utterly de-
             graded.

                What would result from Judah's sinfulness? Jer. 7:32-34.

                Spiritual degradation with self-deception had advanced so
             far that nothing short of the great calamity seen by Jeremiah
             in vision coming from the north would open their eyes to reality.
                "Truth is of God; deception in all its myriad forms is of
             Satan, and whoever in any way departs from the straight line
             of truth is betraying himself into the power of the wicked one.
             Those who have learned da Christ will 'have no fellowship with
             the unfruitful works of darkness.'
                                        rkness.' Ephesians 5:11. In speech,
             as in life, they will be simple, straightforward and true, for they
             are preparing for the fellowship of those holy ones in whose
             mouth is found no guile."—Prophets and Kings, p. 252.

     Part 5     How had the eunuch Ebed-melech manifested his loyalty to   EBED-MELECH,    God amid the apostate Jews? Jer. 38:7-13.  THE ETHIOPIAN       Ebed-melech was a stranger by race in Jerusalem. He was
              an Ethiopian in the service of King Zedekiah at the court. Ac-
              cording to ordinary human considerations, a man in that station
              would conform to the sentiments of the court and the country
              in which he lived and served.
                 But higher considerations than timeserving ruled this man.
              He trusted not in man; God Himself through Jeremiah testified
              of him, "Thou hast put thy trust in me." Jer. 39:18. Thus he was
              a servant of God, and he was unafraid and boldly went to the
              king and presented Jeremiah's predicament to him, after the
              princes had put the prophet into the dungeon, which was really
              a muddy cistern.
                 To Jeremiah in his apparently futile ministry to his people,
              Ebed-melech's faithfulness must have been a source of encour-
              agement. As the ministry of Jesus was drawing to a close and
              His chosen people rejected Him as their Saviour, a group of
              Greeks sought Him. See John 12:20-22; The Desire of Ages,
              p. 621. As Jesus saw the request of the Greeks as "an earnest
              of the results of His great sacrifice," so Jeremiah through
              Ebed-melech realized that at least some, although heathen,
              would accept the call to repentance and salvation.

                 Just before Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians and King
              Zedekiah was taken captive, what message came to Jeremiah
              concerning Ebed-melech? Jer. 39:15-18.

                  "Because of his loyalty toward Jeremiah, God promises the
              Ethiopian that his life will be spared from 'the hand of the
              princes of Judah, who were angered by his action regarding
              the prophet (ch. 38:7-13), and that he will 'not fall by the
              sword' (ch. 39:18) of the Babylonians, since Jeremiah will un-
              doubtedly intercede for him."—SDA Bible Commentary, on
              Jer. 39:17.
                  "Whatever may be their profession, it is only those who are
              world servers at heart that act from policy rather than principle
              in religious things. We should choose the right because it is
              right, and leave consequences with God. To men of principle,
              faith, and daring, the world is indebted for its great reforms.
              By such men the work of reform for this time must be carried
              forward."—The Great Controversy, p. 460.

    Part 6        To what test did Jeremiah submit the Rechabites? THE RECHABITES        "And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites
               pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye
               wine. But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the
               son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall
               drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever." Jer. 35:5, 6.
                   The Rechabites were a faithful remnant in Judah. They were
               descendants of Jonadab who was associated with Jehu in
               his destruction of the descendants of Ahab. See 2 Kings 10:
               15-17. From Jonadab they had received strict principles of
               living that they still loyally adhered to after more than 200
               years.
                   "To illustrate the importance of yielding implicit obedience
               to the requirements of God, Jeremiah gathered some Recha-
               bites in to one of the chambers of the temple and set wine
               before them, inviting them to drink. As was to have been ex-
               pected, he met with remonstrance and absolute refusal."—
               Prophets and Kings, p. 423.
                 What contrast did the Rechabites present to the Jews in
               general in Jeremiah's time? Jer. 35:12-14.
                   "God sought thus to bring into sharp contrast the obedience
               of the Rechabites with the disobedience and rebellion of His
               people. The Rechabites had obeyed the command of their
               father and now refused to be enticed into transgression. But
               the men of Judah had hearkened not to the words of the Lord,
               and were in consequence about to suffer His severest judg-
               ments."—Prophets and Kings, p. 424. THINK IT THROUGH       In what particular ways do we today need to realign our
               lives in order to be in harmony with God's will?
                   "If the directions of a good and wise father, who took the
               best and most effectual means to secure his posterity against
               the evil of intemperance, were to be so strictly obeyed, God's
               authority should be held in as much greater reverence as He
               is holier than man. He is our Creator and commander, infinite
               in power and terrible in judgment. In mercy He employs° a
               variety of means to bring men to see and repent of their sins.
               If they will continue to disregard the reproofs He sends them,
               and act contrary to His declared will, ruin must follow; for
                God's people are kept in prosperity only by His mercy, through
               the care of His heavenly messengers. He will not uphold and
               guard a people who disregard His counsel and despise His
                reproofs."—Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 175, 176.

                                                                              45

      Part 1      How does Jeremiah ordinarily introduce his messages or
 GOD'S WORD    sermons?
    CAME TO        "Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying." Jer.
   JEREMIAH    2:1
                  In chapter 1 alone Jeremiah mentions seven times that he
               was not speaking his own words but only presenting what had
               been given him by God (see verses 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 14).
               In introducing his first message in chapter 2 he again makes
               clear that the words he is going to speak are not his words
               but God's.
                  How is the intimacy between God and Jeremiah revealed?
               Jer. 12:1.
                  Jeremiah does not limit himself to the mechanical proclama-
               tion of the messages God conveys to him. He feels free to dis-
               cuss problems with God that he fails to understand and to
               argue propositions with his heavenly Parent that perplex and
               trouble him. In other words he levels with God. This is an in-
               dication of his intimate friendship with God.
                  What intimate, personal advice did God give Jeremiah?
               Jer. 16:1, 2.
                  God's restriction on Jeremiah touches the very vitals of
               human life and desire. Jeremiah learns God's will for him. As
               a committed believer he chooses to obey God's will rather
               than follow his natural human inclinations.
                  "Vss. 1-9 clearly document the prophet's loneliness, here
               spelled out in biographical detail. Like Paul, Jeremiah refrains
               from marriage 'for the present distress' (I Cor. 7:26). So as-
               sured is Jeremiah of the coming catastrophe and of his pro-
               phetic mission that he forgoes the desirable and normal plea-
               sures of family and home. So universal is the calamity bearing
               down upon the people that he will not . . . [beget] children to
               suffer its outrages."—The Interpreter's Bible, vol. 5, p. 946.

    Part 2      "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word
             was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am
 JEREMIAH
             called by thy name, 0 Lord God of hosts." Jer. 15:16.
FINDS THE
    WORD         God desires to speak to every individual. Very seldom, how-
             ever, does He speak to men in an audible voice as He appar-
             ently did often to Jeremiah. But He longs to speak to us through
             His Written Word, His providences, through other people, and
             through His Holy Spirit.
                 But God's speaking does not necessarily imply that we hear.
             God is constantly trying to speak to us, but it is necessary for
             us to be close to Him in order that we might hear and under-
             stand. Jeremiah's closeness to God consequently enabled him
             both to hear and to understand God's word to him. Neither is
             it sufficient to hear God's voice speaking to us through different
             media. It is possible to hear words but fail to understand. The
             message conveyed must register in our personal understanding
             of it. Jeremiah did not merely hear God's voice and message;
             he understood it and accepted it. He also brought his will into
             conformity to God's will and obeyed God.
                 As Jeremiah found the word of God, what did he do with
             it? Verse 16 (first part).
                Eating the word symbolizes, not merely reading the word,
             but taking it into the mind and meditating upon it. As food
             eaten is useless unless one's digestive organs can prepare it
             for assimilation by the blood, so the word of God is also useless
             unless it is taken into the mind and becomes a subject for
             meditation. As the nutrients of digested food are assimilated
             by the blood and carried to different parts of the body to be
             used either as building material or energy, so the word, pre-
             pared by meditation, will be implemented in actions and deci-
             sions of daily life.
                 As Jeremiah ate and digested the word, how did he react
             to it? Verse 16 (middle part).
                As he symbolically ate the word, it became the joy and re-
             joicing of his heart. He embraced God's word with love.
                "Let not the days pass by and precious opportunities be
             lost of seeking the Lord with all the heart and mind and soul.
             If we accept not the truth in the love of it, we may be among
             the number who will see the miracles wrought by Satan in
             these last days, and believe them. Many strange things will
             appear as wonderful miracles, which should be regarded as
             deceptions manufactured by the father of lies."—Selected Mes-
             sages, bk. 2, p. 53.

      Part 3     As Jeremiah contemplated the opposition and rebuffs his
   TRIED TO    message aroused, what was he tempted to believe?
 FLEE FROM        "0 Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou
  THE WORD     art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily,
               every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried
               violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a
               reproach unto me, and a derision, daily." Jer. 20:7, 8.
                  Jeremiah had just spent a night of pain and humiliation in
               the stocks. He was tired and prone to be discouraged. See
               verses 2 and 3.
                  When God called Jeremiah to the prophetic office, He had
               promised to defend and protect him. See ch. 1:18, 19. On this
               occasion this promise had apparently not been fulfilled. This
               perplexed Jeremiah. The temptation assailed him that a de-
               monic spirit had deceived him, since the word of the Lord was
               made a reproach unto him and a daily derision.

                  Facing these adversities and haunting doubts, what did
               Jeremiah decide to do? Jer. 20:9 (first part).
                   Jeremiah was not the last one trying to flee from his gospel
               commission. John Mark left it temporarily because he failed
               to endure the hardships encountered. See Acts 13:13. The
               apostle Paul preached since necessity was laid upon him. See
               1 Cor. 9:16.
                   Luther confessed, "Nothing is keeping me in the ministry
               of the Word except my obedience to the will of another, namely,
               the will of God. Of my own free will I would never have gone
               into it or remained in it, so great is my awe!"—Luther's Works
               (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1958), vol. 14, p.
               281.

   Part 4    How was Jeremiah affected when he tried to refrain from
THE WORD preaching God's message?
   A FIRE    "But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up    WITHIN HIM in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could
             not stay." Jer. 20:9.

                Jeremiah thought he would free himself from the divine com-
             mission he had received. He had taken all he could endure of
             humiliation, of scorn, and of mockings; he did not want to be
             a laughingstock any longer. He resolved to proclaim the word
             no more. But to his utter amazement he found he was unable
             to leave his prophetic ministry. He was a captive of the word
             of God.

                 What promise had God earlier given Jeremiah as to the
             effectiveness of his words in contradiction to the words of the
             false prophets? Jer. 5:14.

                 God's words through Jeremiah were not to be lightly dis-
             counted, although now laughed at by the people. "Instead of
             proving to be wind, God's word in the mouth of Jeremiah is
             represented as becoming a fire that would suddenly and irre-
             sistibly consume the scoffers as fire consumes dry wood (see
             Jer. 1:9, 10; 23:29; cf. Ps. 83:14, 15; Isa. 9:18, 19)."—SDA
             Bible Commentary, on Jer. 5:14.
                  "It is time that the watchmen upon the walls of Zion under-
             stood the responsibility and sacredness of their mission. They
             should feel that a woe is upon them if they do not perform the
             work which God has committed to them. If they become un-
             faithful, they are endangering the safety of the flock of God,
             endangering the cause of truth, and exposing it to the ridicule
             of our enemies."—Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 379.
                  "God will move upon men in humble positions to declare
             the message of present truth. Many such will be seen hastening
             hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to give the
             light to those in darkness. The truth is as a fire in their bones,
             filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in
              darkness. Many, even among the uneducated, will proclaim the
             word of the Lord. Children will be impelled by the Holy Spirit
              to go forth to declare the message of heaven. The Spirit will
              be poured out upon those who yield to His promptings. Casting
              off man's binding rules and cautious movements, they will join
              the army of the Lord."—Testimonies, vol. 7, pp. 26, 27.

    Part 5   How were the Jews apparently keeping the Sabbath in the URGES SABBATH days of Jeremiah? Jer. 17:19-22.
   REFORM
               "On one occasion, by command of the Lord, the prophet
            took his position at one of the principal entrances to the city
            and there urged the importance of keeping holy the Sabbath
            day. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were in danger of losing
            sight of the sanctity of the Sabbath, and they were solemnly
            warned against following their secular pursuits on that day."
            —Prophets and Kings, p. 411.

               What would have been the reward of following Jeremiah's
            counsel and keeping the Sabbath commandment?

                "And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto
            me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of
            this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to
            do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of
            this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David,
            riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the
            men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city
            shall remain for ever." Jer. 17:24, 25.

              What did God foretell would befall Jerusalem if the people
            continued to break the Sabbath commandment? Jer. 17:27.

               "This promise of prosperity as the reward of allegiance was
            accompanied by a prophecy of the terrible judgments that
            would befall the city should its inhabitants prove disloyal to
            God and His law. If the admonitions to obey the Lord God of
            their fathers and to hallow His Sabbath day were not heeded,
            the city and its palaces would be utterly destroyed by fire."
            —Prophets and Kings, pp. 411, 412.
               Jeremiah's contemporary, Ezekiel, a captive in Babylon
            when Jeremiah wrote this, said that one of the chief offenses
            God held against Israel after their deliverance from Egypt was
            that Israel "despised my judgments, and walked not in my
            statutes, but polluted my sabbaths." Ezek. 20:16.
               "Every nation upon the earth was watching the people for
            whom God had done so much. If they had followed him, he
            would have exalted them, and made them a praise in the earth.
            They would have been regarded as a nation that did righteous-
            ness, and forsook not the ordinances of their God."—Ellen G.
            White, Review and Herald, July 6, 1897.

     Part 6       How did the Jews at large regard the will of God as ex-
               pressed in His law in contrast to Jeremiah's attitude toward it?   GOD'S PEOPLE
 REJECTED
 THE WORD         "To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may
               hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot
               hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach;
               they have no delight in it." Jer. 6:10.


                   Compare Jer. 7:26; 16:12; 19:15.
                    "Jeremiah appears to be overcome with a sense of the futility
               of his mission. Because of the obstinacy of the people all his
               preaching seemed vain."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 6:10.
                    "But Jeremiah protests. To whom could he speak, or give
               warning? The people were so far gone in the induration of their
               wills and hearts that they could no longer heed the word even
               if it were spoken. Just as they were uncircumcised of heart
               (4:4), so also were they uncircumcised of ear....
                    "This callousness and indifference on the part of the people,
               not to say their scorn, was undoubtedly disconcertingly frustrat-
               ing to a young man of Jeremiah's sensibilities and prophetic
               temper."—The Interpreter's Bible, vol. 5, pp. 859, 860.


                  As God through Jeremiah showed them His will, what was
               the reaction on the part of God's people? Jer. 6:16.


                  Righteous indignation welled up within Jeremiah. "Zeal for
               God's cause was figuratively consuming the prophet."—SDA
               Bible Commentary, on Jer. 6:11.

                  "It is true there is an indignation that is justifiable, even in
               the followers of Christ. When they see that God is dishonored,
               and His service brought into disrepute, when they see the in-
               nocent oppressed, a righteous indignation stirs the soul. Such
               anger, born of sensitive morals, is not a sin. But those who at
               any supposed provocation feel at liberty to indulge anger or
               resentment are opening the heart to Satan. Bitterness and ani-
               mosity must be banished from the soul if we would be in har-
               mony with heaven."—The Desire of Ages, p. 310.

JERCMIAH, A TRAITOR?

                                     LESSON OUTLINE
                                     1. Judah and Shiloh, Jer. 26:6.
                                     2. Plot Against Jeremiah,
                                        Jer. 11:1-4, 8.
                                     3. Jeremiah Beaten, Jer. 20:2.
                                     4. Jeremiah Imprisoned,
                                        Jer. 37:11, 12.
                                     5. Ready to Die, Jer. 26:14, 15.
                                     6. Loyal to God, Jer. 37:10.

     Part 1      What fate did Jeremiah predict for Jerusalem and the
 JUDAH AND    temple because of Judah's unrepentant sinfulness?
    SHILOH       "Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make
              this city a curse to all the nations of the earth." Jer. 26:6.

                 This prediction was part of Jeremiah's Temple Sermon in
              chapters 7 to 10, which is briefly summarized in chapter 26.
              The prediction amounted to a prophecy of defeat and destruc-
              tion of Judah before her enemies.
                 "They [the people of Jerusalem] understood this reference
              to Shiloh and the time when the Philistines overcame Israel and
              the ark of God was taken....
                 "The sons of Eli were slain, Eli himself lost his life, the ark
              of God was taken from Israel, and thirty thousand of the people
              were slain. All this was because sin was lightly regarded and
              allowed to remain among them."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 166.
              See 1 Sam. 4:10-22.

                 What was the reaction of the people, the priests, and the
              prophets to Jeremiah's speech? Jer. 26: 8, 11.
                  "When the priests and the people heard the message that -
              Jeremiah delivered to them in the name of the Lord, they were
              very angry and declared that he should die. They were bois-
              terous in their denunciations of him, crying: 'Why hast thou
              prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall
              be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an in-
              habitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah
              in the house of the Lord.' Thus was the message of God de-
              spised and the servant with whom He entrusted it threatened
              with death. The priests, the unfaithful prophets, and all the
              people turned in wrath upon him who would not speak to them
              smooth things and prophesy deceit."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p.
              167.

                 Who intervened and saved Jeremiah on this occasion?
              Jer. 26:16.
                 "God's chosen servants should meet with courage and pa-
              tience the trials and sufferings that befall them through re-
              proach, neglect, and misrepresentation. They should continue
              to discharge faithfully the work God has given them to do, ever
              remembering that the prophets of old and the Saviour of man-
              kind and His apostles also endured abuse and persecution for
              the Word's sake."—Prophets and Kings, p. 437.

    Part 2   For what did Jeremiah at the command of God reprove the  PLOT AGAINST people of Judah? Jer. 11:1-4, 8.
 JEREMIAH   "Wherever he ministered he met the people with the earnest
               plea, 'Hear ye the words of this covenant,' words which would
               bring them a full understanding of God's purpose to extend to
               all nations a knowledge of saving truth."—Prophets and Kings,
               p. 466.

                  What did God apparently reveal to Jeremiah? Jer. 11:18,
               19, 21.
                  "Anathoth had been assigned to the priests (Joshua 21:18)
               and was the home of Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1). The 'men of Anathoth'
               were therefore priests; even more, they were close relatives of
               Jeremiah (see ch. 12:6). It had been difficult for Jeremiah to
               realize the depth of Judah's apostasy (ch. 11:9-11 . . .). Now,
               God warns Jeremiah of the secret plot on his life (ch. 11:18,
               19, 21), and as the prophet learns of their conspiracy against
               him personally he begins to understand their attitude toward
               God (v. 20; see chs. 12:1; 17:18)."—SDA Bible Commentary,
               on Jer. 11:21.
                  Why did the people of Anathoth want to kill Jeremiah?
                  "Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, that
               seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the Lord,
               that thou die not by our hand." Jer. 11:21.

                  Jeremiah had accepted God's commission and was a true
               spokesman for Him regardless of consequences. He was a true
               prophet, and prophets are a strange brand of people. They do
               not hesitate to do the will of God or proclaim His purpose
               because of possibly disastrous consequences. They are con-
               scious of a job to be done for God, and they do it, leaving the
               consequences with God.

                  "Conscientious obedience to the word of God will be treated
               as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the parent will exercise harsh-
               ness and severity toward the believing child; the master or
               mistress will oppress the commandment-keeping servant. Af-
               fection will be alienated; children will be disinherited and driven
               from home."—The Great Controversy, p. 608.

    Part 3      In chapter 19, under the symbol of a broken earthen vessel,
 JEREMIAH    Jeremiah foretold the total destruction of Judah due to her sins.
   BEATEN       How did Pashur, the priest, express his hatred of Jeremiah
             on account of his message?

                "Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in
             the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was
             by the house of the Lord." Jer. 20:2.
                "The prophet's words, instead of leading to confession and
             repentance, aroused the anger of those high in authority, and
             as a consequence Jeremiah was deprived of his liberty. Impris-
             oned, and placed in the stocks, the prophet nevertheless con-
             tinued to speak the messages of Heaven to those who stood by.
             His voice could not be silenced by persecution."—Prophets
             and Kings, p. 432.

                Not being intimidated by Pashur's cruel treatment, how did
             Jeremiah reiterate his doleful message to him privately? Jer.
             20:3-6.

                 The average individual in Jeremiah's position might have
              deemed himself fortunate to escape the stocks and further beat-
             ing. But Jeremiah was not primarily concerned to save his skin.
             His first concern was to deliver God's warning message that the
             people of Judah—in this particular case, the priest Pashur—
             might repent and turn away from their perverse ways. Thus they
             would spare themselves and their country from the awful calam-
             ity Jeremiah envisioned as a result of continued sinful obsti-
             nacy.
                 "The spirit of opposition to reproof, that led to the persecu-
             tion and imprisonment of Jeremiah, exists today. Many refuse
             to heed repeated warnings, preferring rather to listen to false
             teachers who flatter their vanity and overlook their evil-doing.
             In the day of trouble such will have no sure refuge, no help from
             heaven."—Prophets and Kings, p. 437.
                 "The fearful and unbelieving, who are punished with the
             second death, are of that class who are ashamed of Christ in
             this world. They are afraid to do right and follow Christ, lest
             they should meet with pecuniary loss. They neglect their duty,
             to avoid reproach and trials, and to escape dangers. Those who
             dare not do right because they will thus expose themselves
             to trials, persecution, loss, and suffering are cowards, and, with
             idolaters, liars, and all sinners, they are ripening for the second
             death."—Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 630.

     Part 4      While the Babylonians were besieging Jerusalem, "the Egyp-
              tians endeavored to come to the rescue of the beleagured city;
 JEREMIAH     and the Chaldeans, in order to keep them back, abandoned for    IMPRISONED     a time their siege of the Judean capital."—Prophets and Kings,
              p. 452.
                  During this temporary withdrawal of the Babylonian army
              from Jerusalem, what did Jeremiah plan to do? Jer. 37:11, 12.
                  "For many years Jeremiah had stood before the people as a
              faithful witness for God; and now, as the fated city was about
              to pass into the hands of the heathen, he considered his work
              done and attempted to leave, but was prevented by a son of
              one of the false prophets."—Prophets and Kings, p. 453.
                 Of what was Jeremiah accused and with what result? Jer.
              37:13-15.
                 The son of the false prophet "reported that Jeremiah was
              about to join the Babylonians, to whom he had repeatedly
              urged the men of Judah to submit. The prophet denied the
              lying charge, but nevertheless 'the princes were wroth with
              Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison.' "—Prophets
              and Kings, pages 453, 454.
                 Why did King Zedekiah keep Jeremiah in prison?
                 "For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying,
              Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord,
              Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Baby-
              lon, and he shall take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah shall
              not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely
              be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall
              speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold
              his eyes; and he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there
              shall he be until I visit him, saith the Lord: though ye fight
              with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper." Jer. 32:3-5.
                 In trying to defend Jerusalem against the attacking Baby-
              lonians, Zedekiah, from a strictly human viewpoint, did not
              want a prophet at large inside its walls proclaiming daily the
              futility of the city's defense against the attackers.
                 During the battle of Britain during World War II the British
              likewise isolated individuals who did not have faith in its suc-
              cessful defense.
                 Ellen White has counseled the church that "we should not
              work in a manner that will mark us out as seeming to advocate
              treason."—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 394. And yet the time will
              come when "those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be de-
              nounced as enemies of law and order . .. causing anarchy and
              corruption."—The Great Controversy, page 592.  FURTHER STUDY       Jeremiah 19; Testimonies, vol. 6, pp. 396, 397.
                                                                            59

    Part 5        After Jeremiah had announced God's judgment on Judah,   READY TO DIE     and thereby aroused the animosity of the people toward him,
               what was his attitude?

                   "As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as
               seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain,
               that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood
               upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants
               thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak
               all these words in your ears." Jer. 26:14, 15.
                   Jeremiah was not what we usually call diplomatic in his
               pronouncements. His message was clear and direct. All his
               listeners understood it. Hence their hatred of him and their
               determination to put him to death. Verse 8.

                  Although prepared for his fate, what was Jeremiah's warn-
               ing to the people? Verse 15.

                   "Had the prophet been intimidated by the threatening atti-
               tude of those high in authority, his message would have been
               without effect, and he would have lost his life; but the courage
               with which he delivered the solemn warning commanded the
               respect of the people and turned the princes of Israel in his
               favor. They reasoned with the priests and false prophets, show-
               ing them how unwise would be the extreme measures they
               advocated, and their words produced a reaction in the minds
               of the people. Thus God raised up defenders for His servant."
               —Prophets and Kings, p. 418.

                  Who interceded for Jeremiah's life? Verse 16; cf. verse 24.

                  "The elders also united in protesting against the decision
               of the priests regarding the fate of Jeremiah. They cited the
               case of Micah, who had prophesied judgments upon Jerusalem,
               saying, 'Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall
               become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high
               places of a forest.' "—Prophets and Kings, p. 418.

    Part 6        Why did Jeremiah advise his king and countrymen to sur-  LOYAL TO GOD      render to the Babylonians?

                  "For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chal-
               deans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded
               men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his
               tent, and burn this city with fire." Jer. 37:10.

                 To Jeremiah God had unveiled some of His omniscience.
               Jeremiah knew the futility of trying to resist the Babylonians;
               God had given to them both Judah and the surrounding nations.

                 In view of this divinely granted insight, what was his
               advice to both king and countrymen? Jer. 21:8, 9; 38:2, 17.

                   "Here was exhibited the long-suffering mercy of God. Even
               at that late hour, if there were submission to His requirements,
               the lives of the people would be spared and the city saved from
               conflagration. But the king thought he had gone too far to re-
               tract. He was afraid of the Jews, afraid of becoming a subject
               of ridicule, afraid for his life. It was too humiliating, at that late
               day, to say to the people: 'I accept the word of the Lord as
               spoken through His prophet Jeremiah. I dare not venture to
               war against the enemy in the face of all these warnings.'
                   "With tears Jeremiah entreated the king to save himself and
               his people. With anguish of spirit he assured him that he could
               not escape with his life, and that all his possessions would fall
               to the king of Babylon. He could save the city if he would."
               —Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 183.
                  Jeremiah was not a traitor, since he openly advised both
               king and people to surrender rather than continue the unequal
               struggle, but without a doubt he did weaken "the hands of the
               men of war that remain in this city [Jerusalem], and the hands
               of all the people, in speaking such words unto them." Jer. 38:4.

                  "There will come a time when, because of our advocacy of
               Bible truth, we shall be treated as traitors; but let not this time
               be hastened by unadvised movements that stir up animosity
               and strife."—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 394.

JERCMIAFFS CMPFEASIS   ON HEART RELIGION
                                    to present this fellowship as some-   "I the Lord search the heart, I try    thing desirable to his countrymen. the reins, even to give every man        It should have been of particular according to his ways, and accord-      value to them especially since ing to the fruit of his doings."        earthly values were crumbling under Jer. 17:10.                             the progressively more persistent
                                    political pressure from Babylon, and    God had found Jeremiah, and Jere-    finally from the disastrous onslaughts miah found God and also His word.       of the Babylonian army. After having been called to prophet-        From the very beginning Jeremiah hood as a young man, Jeremiah re-       pleaded with his people that they sponded and made the Lord his           forsake their sins and return unto personal God. Through the surren-       their God: "Return, ye backsliding der of his will to the Lord Jeremiah    children, and I will heal your back- made Him and His will the highest       slidings. Behold, we come unto interest in his life.                   thee; for thou art the Lord our God.    After he had found a personal        Truly in vain is salvation hoped for Saviour and a Friend in God, he tried   from the hills, and from the multi-

    Part 1        During the shaky reign of Jehoiakim, of what were appar- COMMON BASES       ently some of the Jews still inclined to boast?
OF HUMAN          "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his
    GLORY      wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not
               the rich man glory in his riches." Jer. 9:23.
                  God, through Jeremiah. wanted to point out to His people
               that the usefulness of their political wisdom and human fore-
               sight were coming to an end. Their own military prowess would
               collapse, and in vain would they hope for help from Egypt. Their
               wealth of gold, silver, and brass accumulated in the temple
               would turn into liabilities, attracting the greedy Babylonians
               rather than being assets to be used for the purposes for which
               they were accumulated.
                  Name one particular person in the Bible who did glory in
               his wisdom, wealth, and power as displayed in his capital
               and kingdom. Dan. 4:29, 30.
                  "It is not surprising that the successful monarch [Nebuchad-
               nezzar], so ambitious and so proud-spirited, should be tempted
               to turn aside from the path of humility, which alone leads to
               true greatness. In the intervals between his wars of conquest he
               gave much thought to the strengthening and beautifying of his
               capital, until at length the city of Babylon became the chief
               glory of his kingdom, 'the golden city,' the praise of the whole
               earth.' His passion as a builder, and his signal success in mak-
               ing Babylon one of the wonders of the world, ministered to his
               pride, until he was in grave danger of spoiling his record as
               a wise ruler whom God could continue to use as an instru-
               ment, for the carrying out of the divine purpose."—Prophets
               and Kings, p. 515.

    Part 2        What should be the Christian's source of rejoicing or boast-    TRUE BASES      ing, if there should be any at all?
 OF GLORY          "But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understand-
               eth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lov-
               ingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for
               in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer. 9:24.

                  Ellen G. White comments thus on this verse: "Scarcely can
               the human mind comprehend the breadth and depth and height
               of the spiritual attainments of him who gains this knowledge."—
               The Acts of the Apostles, p. 531.
                   The knowledge referred to here Ellen G. White calls experi-
               mental knowledge. It consists of a personal experience with
               God rather than in theories or abstractions. Such is the knowl-
               edge only of the person who has tried the Lord and learned that
               He is good. Such knowledge God values. "The value of man is
               estimated in heaven according to the capacity of the heart to
               know God."—Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 354, 355.
                   "So we have nothing in ourselves of which to boast. We
               have no ground for self-exaltation. Our only ground of hope is
               in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought
               by His Spirit working in and through us."—Steps to Christ,
               p. 63.

                 How does the apostle Paul reiterate Jeremiah's inspired
               counsel? 1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17; Gal. 6:14.
                    "Paul realized that his sufficiency was not in himself, but
               in the presence of the Holy Spirit, whose gracious influence
               filled his heart, bringing every thought into subjection to Christ.
               He spoke of himself as 'always bearing about in the body the
               dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be
               made manifest in our body.' 2 Corinthians 4:10. In the apostle's
               teachings Christ was the central figure."—The Acts of the
               Apostles, p. 251.

     Part 3      How did Jeremiah express his inability even to order his
 GOD'S WAY     own life in a way prudent and pleasing to God?

                  "0 Lord, I know that the way of man is net in himself: it
               is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jer. 10:23.
                 Growth in Christian experience is a growth in maturity. A
               committed Christian is willing to ask God for direction and
               submit to His leading rather than insist on his own way.
                   How was this growth to be illustrated in the experience
               of the apostle Peter, according to the words of Jesus? John
               21:18, 19.
                  "Jesus thus made known to Peter the very manner of his
               death; He even foretold the stretching forth of his hands upon
               the cross. Again He bade His disciple, 'Follow Me.' Peter was
               not disheartened by the revelation. He felt willing to suffer any
               death for his Lord....
                  "To Peter the words 'Follow Me' were full of instruction.
               Not only for his death, but for every step of his life, was the
               lesson given. Hitherto Peter had been inclined to act independ-
               ently. He had tried to plan for the work of God, instead of
               waiting to follow out God's plan. But he could gain nothing by
               rushing on before the Lord. Jesus bids him, 'Follow Me.' Do not
               run ahead of Me. Then you will not have the hosts of Satan to
               meet alone. Let Me go before you, and you will not be over-
               come by the enemy."—The Desire of Ages, pp. 815, 816.
                  How had Isaiah expressed the same thought as Jeremiah?
               Isa. 55:8, 9. THINK IT THROUGH      To what extent have I in my experience acknowledged
               that I am unable to order the course of my life in a way
               acceptable and pleasing to God? Have I been willing to ac-
               cept His guidance?
                   "Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He
               accepted God's plans for Him, and day by day the Father un-
               folded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our
               lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit
               our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.
                   "Too many, in planning for a brilliant future, make an utter
               failure. Let God plan for you. As a little child, trust to the
               guidance of Him who will 'keep the feet of His saints.' 1 Samuel
               2:9. God never leads His children otherwise than they would
               choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning
               and discern the •lory of the purpose which they are fulfilling
               as co-workers with Him."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 479.

    Part 4        "1 the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give
               every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit  THE SEARCHER
               of his doings." Jer. 17:10.
OF HEARTS
                  Jeremiah here points up God's mysterious penetration into
               the hidden secrets and motives of man. God knows our inmost
               selves.
                  How does Jeremiah describe man's heart? Jer. 17:9.
                   Among the ancient Hebrews the heart was looked upon as
               the seat of mental activity, as is the brain in modern times. The
               seat of emotion on the other hand was to them the reins [kid-
               neys], or the bowels. As the New Testament was also written
               by Hebrews, the New Testament writers carry this Hebrew
               idiom even into their Greek writings. The only exceptions to
               this are the apostles Paul and Peter in Romans 12:2 and 2 Peter
               3:1, where they speak of the mind rather than the heart as the
               seat of mental activity.
                    "When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind,
               the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to with-
               draw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon
               Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new pur-
                poses, new motives. What is the sign of a new heart?—A
                changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and
                pride."—Messages to Young People, p. 72.
                    "There is a record also of the sins of men. 'For God shall
                bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether
                it be good, or whether it be evil.' Every idle word that men
                shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judg-
                ment.' Says the Saviour: `By thy words thou shalt be justified,
                and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Ecclesiastes 12:14;
                Matthew 12:36, 37. The secret purposes and motives appear in
                the unerring register; for God 'will bring to light the hidden
                 things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the
                hearts.' 1 Corinthians 4:5."—The Great Controversy, p. 481.

       Part 5     "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose
         THE    hope the Lord is." Jer. 17:7.
 BLESSED MAN       "As a wise master builder, Jeremiah at the very beginning
                of his lifework sought to encourage the men of Judah to lay
                the foundations of their spiritual life broad and deep, by making
                thorough work of repentance. Long had they been building with
                material likened by the apostle Paul to wood, hay, and stubble,
                and by Jeremiah himself to dross. 'Refuse silver shall men call
                them,' he declared of the impenitent nation, 'because the Lord
                hath rejected them.' Jeremiah 6:30, margin. Now they were
                urged to begin building wisely and for eternity, casting aside
                the rubbish of apostasy and unbelief, and using as foundation
                material the pure gold, the refined silver, the precious stones
                —faith and obedience and good works—which alone are ac-
                ceptable in the sight of a holy God."—Prophets and Kings,
                pp. 409, 410.

                   Whose ideas were the majority of the Jews still following
                rather than trusting God and submitting to His guidance and
                direction for both personal and political life? Jer. 11:8.

                    The Jews were God's covenant people. They belonged to
                God in a special and different way than the surrounding na-
                tions. They had pledged God their obedience. But they thought
                they could enjoy the privileges of the covenant apart from their
                compliance with their promises. They foolishly claimed the
                fulfillment of God's promises irrespective of their conduct. At
                times they would fall into the insidious error of regarding ex-
                ternal obedience to the law, irrespective of the inner disposi-
                tion of the heart, as a satisfactory response to God's will. But
                often they went beyond that and openly rebelled against God
                by walking after "the imagination of their evil heart."

                  To what is the person likened who has put his trust in
                God? Jer. 17:7, 8. See also Ps. 1:1-3.

                   The person who trusts God may enjoy constant peace of
                mind. Naturally, as human beings limited in knowledge, we
                do not always understand God's leadings. But God does not
                ask us primarily to understand; He asks us to trust Him. As we
                trust God, we may grow in grace and bear fruit "as a tree
                planted by the waters." The Jews in Jeremiah's day, by not
                trusting God, suffered the reverse of this experience.

    Part 6        "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith
  GOD CAN      the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an
               expected end." Jer. 29:11.
 BE FOUND
                  God desires to do us good. Even in this life He likes to lead
               us beside still waters and let us rest on green meadows, as far
               as this will contribute to our eternal welfare.
                  If we wholeheartedly have committed our lives to God and
               vowed in our inmost souls that our desire is to be found in the
               place of His choice for us, He will direct us in such a way that
               we shall reach our ultimate goal of a home in His kingdom.
                  Ellen G. White wrote of an experience of Abraham:
                  "The Lord in His providence had brought this trial [famine]
               upon Abraham to teach him- lessons of submission, patience,
               and faith—lessons that were to be placed on record for the
               benefit of all who should afterward be called to endure afflic-
               tion."—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 129.
                  How did Jeremiah express his willingness to be corrected
               by God? Jer. 10:24.
                  There is hope for any one of us when we are willing to be
               corrected. This attitude expresses humility and teachableness.

                                     LESSON OUTLINE
                                     1. Babylon, a "Battle Axe,"
                                        Jer. 51:20.
                                     2. Nebuchadnezzar as God's Ser-
                                        vant, Jer. 27:6.
                                     3. Nebuchadnezzar's Failure,
                                        Dan. 4:10-12.
                                     4. Babylon to Disappear,'
                                        Jer. 51:63, 64.     •
                                     5. Babylon, a Symbol of Apostasy,
                                        Jer. 50:38.
                                     6. God Desired to Save Babylon,
                                        Jer. 51:9.

    Part 1      "Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with
 BABYLON,    thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I
             destroy kingdoms." Jer. 51:20. A "BATTLE AXE"
                 Read also Jer. 51:21-23; 50:23.
                By divine inspiration Jeremiah calls Babylon a "battle axe"
             or a "hammer" (RSV). God used this hammer for the accom-
             plishments of His purposes. About one hundred years earlier
             the prophet Isaiah had spoken of Assyria as "the rod of mine
             anger" (Isa. 10:5), "used by God for a season as the rod of His
             anger for the punishment of the nations."—Prophets and Kings,
             p. 349.

               To what does Inspiration liken Babylon's greatest ruler,
             Nebuchadnezzar? Dan. 4:20-22.
                "To Nebuchadnezzar the king the true object of national
             government was represented under the figure of a great tree,
             whose height 'reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to
             the end of all the earth: the leaves thereof were fair, and the
             fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all;' under its shadow
             the beasts of the field dwelt, and among its branches the birds
             of the air had their habitation. Daniel 4:11, 12. This representa-
             tion shows the character of a government that fulfills God's
             purpose—a government that protects and upbuilds the nation."
             —Education, p. 175.
                 "An idolater by birth and training, and at the head of an
             idolatrous people, he [Nebuchadnezzar] had nevertheless an
             innate sense of justice and right, and God was able to use him
             as an instrument for the punishment of the rebellious and for
             the fulfillment of the divine purpose."—Prophets and Kings,
             pp. 514, 515.

                What had Habakkuk prophesied about the relation of Baby-
             lon to Judah? Hab. 1:6-12.
                 "Through His [God's] chosen mouthpiece He revealed His
             determination to bring chastisement upon the nation that had
             turned from Him to serve the gods of the heathen."—Prophets
             and Kings, p. 385.
                 "To each [ruler on earth] the word of the divine Watcher
             is, 'I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me.' Isaiah 45:5.
             And to each the words spoken to Nebuchadnezzar of old are
             the lesson of life: 'Break off thy sins by righteousness, and
             thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a
             lengthening of thy tranquillity.' Daniel 4:27."—Prophets and
             Kings, p. 502.

    Part 2        By what term does God, through the prophet Jeremiah,    NEBUC HAD-      refer to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon?
NEZZAR AS
                  "And now have I given all these lands into the hand of GOD'S SERVANT      Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the
               beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him." Jer.
               27:6.

                  God gives opportunities to men to do work for Him. Nebu-
               chadnezzar, like Cyrus (see Isa. 44:28 to 45:4), was a ruler
               whom God used and hence called him His servant here and
               also in Jeremiah 25:9.

                  What had God given into the hands of Babylon, or to
               Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled Babylon at its height of power?
               Jer. 27:3-6.

                  "Ambassadors came from the various nations named to con-
               sult with the king of Judah as to the matter of engaging in
               battle with the king of Babylon. But the prophet of God, bear-
               ing the symbols of subjection, delivered the message of the
               Lord to these nations, commanding them to bear it to their
               several kings."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 169.

                  Besides these heathen nations surrounding Judah, which
               nation had God also given to Nebuchadnezzar? Jer. 25:8, 9.

                  "The history of nations speaks to us today. To every nation
               and to every individual God has assigned a place in His great
               plan. Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet
               in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their
               own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all
               for the accomplishment of His purposes."—Prophets and Kings,
               p. 536.

                  "The terms 'My servant,' Israel,"the Lord's servant,' mean
               anyone that the Lord may select and appoint to do a certain
               work. He makes them ministers of His will, though some who
               are selected may be as ignorant of His will as was Nebuchad-
               nezzar."—Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 138.

     Part 3      Several times God spoke to Nebuchadnezzar, and on each
 NEBUCHAD-    occasion he acknowledged God as the Supreme Ruler. "Such
              had been the case after his dream of the great image. His mind
  NEZZAR'S    had been profoundly influenced by this vision. . . .
   FAILURE       "Nebuchadnezzar's noble conception of God's purpose con-
              cerning the nations was lost sight of later in his experience;
              yet when his proud spirit was humbled before the multitude on
              the plain of Dura, he once more had acknowledged that God's
              kingdom is 'an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from
              generation to generation.' "—Prophets and Kings, p. 514.

                 When Nebuchadnezzar again lost his humility before God,
              under what figure did God speak to the proud king and pre-
              sent the true rule of national government? Dan. 4:10-12.
                  "In mercy God gave the king another dream, to warn him of
              his peril and of the snare that had been laid for his ruin. In a
              vision of the night, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great tree growing
              in the midst of the earth, its top towering to the heavens and
              its branches stretching to the ends of the earth."—Prophets and
              Kings, p. 515.
                  Under this image God wanted to impress upon Nebuchad-
              nezzar the fact that he was not the ultimate source of his power,
              riches, and glory. As the tree he saw depended on favorable
              soil, sunshine, and moisture for its growth, so Nebuchadnezzar
              was to recognize that God was the ultimate Giver of all his
              possessions.

                 How did Nebuchadnezzar fail to recognize God as his
              wisdom, strength, and the Giver of his power? Dan. 4:30.

                  "Instead of being a protector of men, Babylon became a
              proud and cruel oppressor."—Education, p. 176.
                  Through the adversity of sickness Nebuchadnezzar had a
               change of mind. "The once proud monarch had become a
              humble child of God; the tyrannical, overbearing ruler, a wise
              and compassionate king. He who had defied and blasphemed
              the God of heaven, now acknowledged the power of the Most
              High and earnestly sought to promote the fear of Jehovah and
              the happiness of his subjects. Under the rebuke of Him who
              is King of kings and Lord of lords, Nebuchadnezzar had learned
              at last the lesson which all rulers need to learn—that true great-
              ness consists in true goodness. He acknowledged Jehovah as
              the living God, saying, 'I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and
              honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His
              ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to
              abase.' "—Prophets and Kings, p. 521.

   Part 4      Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar had been "the glory
            of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency." Isa.   BABYLON TO    13:19. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2) it had been aptly    DISAPPEAR    symbolized by the head of gold of the metal image.

               According to Jeremiah, how completely was Babylon to
            disappear from among the nations of the earth?

               "And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading
            this book, that thou shall bind a stone to it, and cast it into
            the midst of Euphrates: and thou shalt say, Thus shall Baby-
            lon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon
            her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jere-
            miah." Jer. 51:63, 64.

               The kingdom of Babylon was not merely to be conquered by
            another nation and deprived of its political dominance, but it
            was to disappear from the face of the earth. Jeremiah illus-
            trated Babylon's disappearance by instructing Seriah to tie a
            stone to a book containing the woes against Babylon and to
            throw it into the Euphrates River. There it would sink as Baby-
            lon would also "sink to rise no more."

              Why was this fate to befall a nation and a city on which
            God had initially bestowed His favors? Jer. 50:24, 29.

               Although Babylon defeated Judah and the surrounding na-
            tions in accordance with God's will, it did so not from love of
            God and His will, but from motives of self-aggrandizement.

               For what acts in particular would Babylon be requited?
            Jer. 51:24.

                "Every nation that has come upon the stage of action has
            been permitted to occupy its place on the earth, that the fact
            might be determined whether it would fulfill the purposes of
            the Watcher and the Holy One. Prophecy has traced the rise
            and progress of the world's great empires—Babylon, Medo-
            Persia, Greece, and Rome. With each of these, as with the
            nations of less power, history has repeated itself. Each has had
            its period of test; each has failed, its glory faded, its power
            departed."—Prophets and Kings, p. 535.
                "Any injustice done to saint or sinner will then [in the judg-
            ment] be rewarded accordingly. Christ identifies His interest in
            all the afflictions of His people."—Welfare Ministry, p. 219.

     Part 5       "Many of the expressions of chs. 50; 51 descriptive of the
 SYMBOL OF     desolation of literal Babylon appear again in Rev. 16 to 19 in
              John's delineation of the fall of mystical Babylon. . . . A careful
  APOSTASY    study of these expressions in their historical setting can prove
              of aid in clarifying the meaning of the same expressions in
              their setting in the book of Revelation."—SDA Bible Commen-
              tary, on Jer. 50:1.

                 With what was historical Babylon filled?
                 "A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up:
              for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon
              their idols." Jer. 50:38.
                 Religious superstitions and idol worship flourished in his-
              torical Babylon. "In the book of Revelation the great Antichris-
              tian power is described under the figure of ancient Babylon
              (see Rev. 17; 18)."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 51:6.
                 Of the development of mystical Babylon Ellen G. White
              wrote: "The darkness seemed to grow more dense. Image wor-
              ship became more general. Candles were burned before images,
              and prayers were offered to them. The most absurd and su-
              perstitious customs prevailed. The minds of men were so
              completely controlled by superstition that reason itself seemed
              to have lost its sway."—The Great Controversy, p. 57.

                When the call of deliverance came to the Jews in Babylon,
              what were they to do? Jer. 51:6; 50:8; cf. Rev. 18:4.

                 Why were God's people anciently to leave Babylon, and
              why are God's people today to leave spiritual Babylon? Jer.
              51:6, 7; Rev. 18:3, 4.

                  "As God's people formerly came out of literal Babylon in
              order that they might return to Jerusalem, so His people today
              are called out of mystical Babylon in order that they may be
              accounted worthy to enter the New Jerusalem. Presumably, all
              who are truly His people will hear His voice and heed His
              call."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Rev. 18:4.
                  The Jewish historian Abram Leon Sachar says: "The rank
              and file had been weaned too long from Palestine to make
              genuine sacrifices for it. Their homes, their business, their
              friends, their interests, were all in Babylon. . . . Only zealous
              nationalists would uproot themselves from such as environ-
              ment . . . for an abstract love of a fatherland removed by three
              generations from them."—A History of the Jews (New York:
              Alfred A. Knopf, 1966), p. 84.

    Part 6        "We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed:   GOD DESIRED      forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for
               her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to
  TO SAVE      the skies." Jer. 51:9.
 BABYLON
                   Babylon had been prospered by God under Nebuchadnezzar.
               Its demise and destruction was not God's plan, any more than
               was Israel's and Judah's political and national disintegration.
               It was its failure to capitalize on its opportunity to do God's
               work. He gave Babylon its chance. This failure precipitated its
               fall before Medo-Persia.
                   God through Jeremiah says, "We would have healed Baby-
               lon." This admission is comparable to the sorrowful pronounce-
               ment of Jesus when He said, "0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ... how
               often would I have gathered thy children together, . . and ye
               would not!" Matt. 23:37. God would like—He is yearning—to
               save both men and nations, but He is limited by men's choice
               or by your choice and mine.
                   "The crown removed from Israel passed successively to the
               kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. God
               says, 'It shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and
               I will give it Him.' "—Education, p. 179.


                  What impression might you gain from reading about the
               apparent inevitability of Babylon's destruction in such proph-
               ecies as Isaiah 13:19?


                   God manipulates neither individuals nor nations. "The
               prophecies do not shape the characters of the men who fulfill
               them. Men act out their own free will."—Ellen G. White, Review
               and Herald, Nov. 13, 1900. A person does this individually, a
               nation does it collectively.
                   "God does not force the will or judgment of any. He takes
               no pleasure in a slavish obedience. He desires that the crea-
               tures of His hands shall love Him because He is worthy of
               love. He would have them obey Him because they have an in-
               telligent appreciation of His wisdom, justice, and benevolence."
               —The Great Controversy, p. 541.

                                       LESSON OUTLINE
                                       1. Inevitable Doom, Jer. 8:20.
                                       2. Anguish at Revealed Destruction,
                                          Jer. 4:19.
                                       3. Unending Sorrow, Jer. 9:1.
                                       4. Preserved Through God's Mercy,
                                          Lam. 3:21-24.
                                       5. Jerusalem's Sorrow, Lam. 1:12.
                                       6. Hope of Restoration, Lam. 5:21.

      Part 1      "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not
 INEVITABLE    saved." Jer. 8:20.
      DOOM         In this verse Jeremiah expressed his bitter lament over the
               failure and doom of his people. "In Palestine the grain harvest
               begins about April. The fruit harvest comes about August or
               September. When the grain crops failed, there was still the
               hope there would be a yield of grapes, figs, olives, etc. For
               Judah, however, the fruit-gathering season—the last oppor-
               tunity—had passed, and there was no deliverance. Her doom
               was now inevitable."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 8:20.
               It is because he is completely identified with his people that
               the prophet is heartsick and his grief is so complete.

                  What rhetorical question does Jeremiah ask to emphasize
               the hopelessness of his people? Verse 22.

                   "He saw that sin is a cancer, a malignant disease which
               goes down to the very nooks of our being. He saw that there
               is no physician this side of God who can do anything for it. Did
               you ever feel the pathos of his piercing question—`Is there no
               balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?' Gilead was a
               region which lay on the prophet's eastern horizon. It was over
               Gilead that the sun rose every morning to illuminate little Ana-
               thoth and big Jerusalem. It was the land which symbolized
               hope. In Gilead grew herbs and trees and flowers from which
               balsams were made to supply the physicians of that Eastern
               world. Is there no balm even in Gilead? Is there no physician,
               no prophet, no priest, no healer, no teacher who can cure a sick
               heart? And the answer is `No.' There is no remedy on earth
               for a heart which is desperately sick."—Charles E. Jefferson,
               Cardinal Ideas of Jeremiah (New York: The Macmillan Co.,
               1928), p. 141.
                  "Come, my brother, come just as you are, sinful and polluted.
               Lay your burden of guilt on Jesus, and by faith claim His
               merits. Come now, while mercy lingers; come with confession,
               come with contrition of soul, and God will abundantly pardon.
               Do not dare to slight another opportunity. Listen to the voice
               of mercy that now pleads with you to arise from the dead that
               Christ may give you light. Every moment now seems to connect
               itself directly with the destinies of the unseen world. Then let
               not your pride and unbelief lead you to still further reject of-
               fered mercy. If you do you will be left to lament at the last: 'The
               harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.' "
               —Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 353.

    Part 2        "My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my    ANGUISH AT      heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because
 REVEALED      thou host heard, 0 my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the   DESTRUCTION      alarm of war." Jer. 4:19.
                  Before the overthrow of Judah by the Babylonian armies
               occurred, God showed its destruction to Jeremiah in a vision.
               In the verse quoted above Jeremiah expressed his own horror
               at the fate awaiting his nation; but the verse also expresses
               the sentiment of his people.
                  How complete did his country's destruction appear to him
               as he saw it in vision? Verses 23-26.
                  To the prophet the revelation of Judah's destruction was
               overwhelmingly dreadful. Ordinary scenes of destruction did
               not suffice to portray the desolation that would befall his
               nation. The only adequate description was that applied to the
               earth in the beginning: "Without form, and void." Gen. 1:2.
                  Although overwhelmed with pain at the dreadful prospect
               awaiting his country and people, Jeremiah recorded his vision
               without rebelling, since he accepted it as the just judgment of
               God.
                  How does the prophet describe the character of his people
               that provoked this calamity? Verse 22.
                  No one is so blind, as he who does not want to see, nor so
               unknowing as he who does not want to know. God's professed
               people in the days of Jeremiah did not know God. Compare
               Jer. 2:8; 5:4, 21; 8:7. Jeremiah 9:6 gives the key to their spir-
               itual blindness: "They refuse to know me, saith the Lord."
                  The overthrow of Judah is also descriptive of the final days
               of trouble that are to fall on "an impenitent world" and of the
               end of the world. See SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 4:19.

     Part 3       "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain
  UNENDING     of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the
               daughter of my people!" Jer. 9:1.
   SORROW
                  As Jeremiah considered the sin of his people with its in-
               evitable result of national ruin and total destruction, he broke
               down with grief. Even though physical destruction had not yet
               befallen his nation, he had so clearly foreseen it that his sor-
               row was as deep in anticipation of it as it was upon its fulfill-
               ment. Jeremiah's sorrow reveals the greatness of his soul. The
               depth of his sorrow upon the fulfillment of the collapse of his
               nation is expressed in Lamentations 2:11.
                  Overwhelmed with sorrow over his people, what did Jere-
               miah wish he could do? Jer. 9:2.
                  Is there any person who at some juncture in his life has
               not sensed a fleeting thought of getting away from it all? As
               Jeremiah noted the rampant duplicity and immorality of his
               people, he wished he could run away. Pierced with sorrow, he
               thought he could not endure to be in the presence of his morally
               corrupt and doomed people any longer. But he did not follow
               the enticing inclination and flee from it all; he had accepted
               God's call and been promised strength and courage adequate
               for the task with the guarantee of preservation of life from God
               Himself. See Jer. 1:19.
                 How had David expressed the same desire as Jeremiah,
               when he was in a desperate plight? Ps. 55:6-8.

                  "We need to beware of following the instinct that prompts
               us to escape from circumstances. If that desire becomes ha-
               bitual, it is a morbid sign. Our work, our home, our relationships,
               our responsibilities, are a discipline essential to the develop-
               ment of Christian character. Rather than 'fly away,' we should
               'call upon God' (v. 16)."—SDA Bible Commentary, on Ps. 55:6.

    Part 4   "This I recall to my mind, therefore have 'I hope. It is of    PRESERVED the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his cont..
           passions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy
 THROUGH faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore   GOD'S MERCY will I hope in him." Lam. 3:21-24.

                 The preceding verses of this chapter contain outcries and
             implied complaints against God for the calamities that have
             befallen Judah. But in verse 21 the mood changes. The proph-
             et's mind rises above mournfulness to the steadfast love of God
             that never ceases. The first part of the chapter may be termed
             a prayer of complaint. Although a prayer, it is surcharged with
             questions and doubts. This condition or state of mind is fre-
             quently found in earnest Christians. Such people love God and
             would like to believe that what has befallen them is all for
             their best eternal good. But so far they cannot perceive this.
                 This apparently was Jeremiah's attitude in the first part of
              this chapter. But then his mind broke through the clouds of
              doubt and soared to the lofty heights of full trust and com-
              mittal in the assurance of God's everlasting love. He recognized
              that God's mercies never end. Even affliction is only a means
              permitted by God to befall His children in order to bring them
              into a more intimate relationship to Him.


                What was Jeremiah's advice to his people so that they as
             individuals might still experience personal forgiveness? Verses
             39-42.

                Jeremiah here appealed to the people that if there must be
             sighing, let it be sighing over sins that have produced the un-
             favorable conditions rather than over the sufferings. The prophet
             wanted the people to search their hearts and conduct, be con-
             victed of wrongdoing, and repent and turn from it, and return
             to God. Then God would forgive their sin even though the
             consequences of their wrongdoing could not be removed.
                 "'Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.' Have any
             of us duly considered how much we have to be thankful for?
             Do we remember that the mercies of the Lord are new every
             morning and that His faithfulness faileth not? Do we acknowl-
             edge our dependence upon Him and express gratitude for all
             His favors? On the contrary, we too often forget that 'every good
              and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
              the Father of lights.' "—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 315.

       Part 5    "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see
 JERUSALEM'S if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done
              unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of
     SORROW his fierce anger." Lam. 1:12.
                 In this verse Jerusalem is personified. In his personal sorrow
              Jeremiah portrays Jerusalem sitting like a woman, bereaved
              and lonely, lamenting her state. Desolate and viewed with con-
              tempt by her neighbors, she pours out her heart in anguish
              and an appeal for sympathy.
                 Never had a city and a country been so favored by God as
              Jerusalem and Judah had been. In Jerusalem God had de-
              signed to show His glory. Judah's spiritual blessings had been
              unexcelled. No one who had not experienced these privileges
              could sense the anguish of heart caused by their loss. There
              is a law of balance operative in life, making the opportunities
              enjoyed commensurate with the sorrow felt at their loss. With
              less opportunity there is less grief at their loss.
                  Of all the dolorous statements the most plaintive is, "It
              might have been." It was Jeremiah's awareness that calamity
              need not have befallen his people that made his pain so poig-
              nant.
                 The finally lost will sense this hopeless sorrow when "at
              the day of judgment there comes to the lost a full realization
              of the meaning of the sacrifice made on Calvary. They see
              what they have lost by refusing to be loyal. They think of the
              high, pure association it was their privilege to gain. But it is
              too late. The last call has been made. The wail is heard: 'The
              harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'
              Jeremiah 8:20."—Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 16.
                 "In the time of the end the people of God will sigh and cry
              for the abominations done in the land. With tears they will
              warn the wicked of their danger in trampling upon the divine
              law, and with unutterable sorrow they will humble themselves
              before the Lord in penitence. The wicked will mock their sorrow
              and ridicule their solemn appeals. But the anguish and humilia-
              tion of God's people is unmistakable evidence that they are
              regaining the strength and nobility of character lost in conse-
              quence of sin. It is because they are drawing nearer to Christ,
              because their eyes are fixed on His perfect purity, that they
              discern so clearly the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Meekness
              and lowliness are the conditions of success and victory. A
              crown of glory awaits those who bow at the foot of the cross."
              —Prophets and Kings, p. 590.

    Part 6        "Turn thou us unto thee, 0 Lord, and we shall be turned;
  HOPE OF      renew our days as of old." Lam. 5:21.   RESTORATION         The entire last chapter of Lamentations is a prayer by Jere-
               miah for restoration. This prayer climaxes in verse 21.
                  Lamentations or expressions of sorrow for a calamity that
               has befallen us because of our shortcomings and sins are
               profitless unless they lead to repentance. As a matter of fact,
               personal disaster resulting from personal neglect is downright
               sinful. God may bring good out of evil by using the disaster to
               generate active repentance and a determination to let God
               direct one's life in the future.
                  It is evident from the verse that Jeremiah fully recognizes
               that God alone, through His grace, can enable a sinner to re-
               pent and return to God. Man in himself is unable to effect this
               change, since man in his natural state is "dead in trespasses
               and sins." Eph. 2:1.
                  Who and what, according to the apostle Paul, brings a
               person to repentance? Rom. 2:4.
                  "The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God.
               His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this draw-
               ing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for
               the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of
               God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts
               and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ.
               The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who
               works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of
               God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with
               Christ, 'I delight to do Thy will, 0 my God.' "—The Desire of
               Ages, p. 176. THINK IT THROUGH     When I recognize wrong attitudes in myself, what can be
               done to change them?
                  "The victory is not won without much earnest prayer, with-
               out the humbling of self at every step. Our will is not .to be
               forced into co-operation with divine agencies, but it must be
               voluntarily submitted. Were it possible to force upon you with
               a hundredfold greater intensity the influence of the Spirit of
               God, it would not make you a Christian, a fit subject for heaven.
               The stronghold of Satan would not be broken. The will must be
               placed on the side of God's will. You are not able, of yourself,
               to bring your purposes and desires and inclinations into sub-
               mission to the will of God; but if you are 'willing to be made
                willing,' God will accomplish the work for you."—Thoughts
               From the Mount of Blessing, p. 142.

    Part 1         "Thus saith the Lord unto me, Go and get thee a linen
 THE LINEN     girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. So
               I got a girdle according to the word of the Lord, and put it
    GIRDLE     on my loins. And the word of the Lord came unto me the
               second time, saying, take the girdle that thou hast got, which
               is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there
               in a hole of the rock." Jer. 13:1-4.
                 Read also verses 5-11.
                 The linen girdle, or rather waistcloth or loincloth, was a gar-
               ment. Elijah wore one made of skin. 2 Kings 1:8.

                  What did the loincloth represent? Verse 10.

                  Being made of linen it was white. This color was to remind
               Israel that they had been chosen by God to develop a charac-
               ter worthy of a "holy nation" (Ex. 19:6; Lev. 20:26; Rev. 19:8).
               The "getting" or buying was a reminder to the people that they
               had been redeemed or purchased by God.

                 What was the intended relationship of the loincloth to its
               owner and wearer? Verse 11.

                   Israel, espoused to God as Lord and Master, was originally
               like an unsoiled loincloth. As the garment was to cling to its
               owner and wearer and bring him glory, so God's covenant
               people were to cling to Him, and as the priest's dress was "for
               glory and beauty" (Ex. 28:40; Lev. 16:4), so God had chosen
               Israel and Judah to glorify Him before the nations of the earth.
                   The priests were never to forget their holy calling and office.
               Not only were their hearts to be clean, but also their bodies.
               Thus there were many and frequent Levitical washings both of
               body and garments.
                   Jeremiah was told to "put it not in water" (verse 1). Being
               worn next to the body, the loincloth became soiled. This soil
               was to signify the moral condition of Israel and the lack of the
               "clean water" of repentance. See Ezek. 36:25.
                   As the girdle was hidden "in a hole of the rock" by the
               Euphrates (verse 4), so God's unrepentant people were to be
               in captivity in Babylon by the Euphrates because they had
               failed in their holy calling. After leaving the loincloth and re-
               turning "after many days" Jeremiah found it marred, rotting,
               and unfit to wear.

    Part 2      "The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
             Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will    THE POTTER
             cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's
             house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And
             the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of
             the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed
             good to the potter to make it." Jer. 18:1-4.

                Read also verses 5-10.
                This parable is the classic instance of the Bible teaching of
             conditional prophecy. The setting of the parable is the rela-
             tionship of Judah and God. It also contains lessons for the
             personal experience of believers.
                Note that the marring of the vessel was not the fault of the
             potter. Rather, some foreign substance in the clay frustrated
             the potter's effort and ruined his work.


                To what did God liken His people? Verse 6.

                God was willing to work with Israel and remake them so long
             as they were willing and pliable in His hand.
                The potter does not decide how many times he can return
             the clay to a lump and remake it into another vessel. Rather, it
             depends on the material, and how quickly it hardens.


               Upon what does condemnation and calamity, or repentance
             and salvation, ultimately depend? Verses 8-10.

                As Jeremiah watched the potter at work on his wheel, he
             heard God speak. Verse 5. He perceived the symbolic signifi-
             cance of the potter and the clay, teaching that God would
             change His plans for Judah if Judah would change by repent-
             ance.
                "The Potter cannot mold and fashion unto honor that which
             has never been placed in His hands. The Christian life is one
             of daily surrender, submission and continual overcoming. Every
             day fresh victories will be gained. Self must be lost sight of,
             and the love of God must be constantly cultivated. Thus we
             grow up into Christ. Thus the life is fashioned according to
             the divine model."—Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible
             Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1154.

       Part 3      Two parables dealing with earthen bottles are discussed in
 THE EARTHEN    this part. They are found in Jeremiah 13:12-14 and 19:1-13.
     BOTTLES       "Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus
                saith the Lord God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with
                wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know
                that every bottle shall be filled with wine? Then shalt thou
                say unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the
                inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's
                throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabi-
                tants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness." Jer. 13:12, 13.

                    The wine bottle or jar represents the people of Judah. As
                it is filled with wine, so the people will be filled with intoxicat-
                ing wine. All are to be drunk. In their confused state of mind
                they will then utterly destroy themselves as they stumble into
                vice and moral corruption; with leaders having blurred minds,
                they are incapable of perceiving the will of God or of making
                intelligent decisions.

                   What was God planning to do with the Jews symbolized
                by the earthen bottle filled with wine? Jer. 13:14; cf. Jer.
                19:10, 11.

                    Read also Jer. 19:1-9.
                    Jeremiah enumerates some of the transgressions of Judah
                (Jer. 19:3-9) in the ears of the elders of the people at the east
                 gate. From there "the persons with him could look down into
                 that valley where idolatry and child sacrifice had been prac-
                 ticed."—The Interpreter's Bible, vol. 5, p. 968. His appeal to
                them was to repent and return to God.
                    The breaking of the earthen bottle in the parable in Jer.
                19:1-13 follows immediately upon the refusal of the people of
                Judah to repent and return to their God.
                    It angered the people. The clay had hardened so that God
                could not make them again. It was a rebuke to them and espe-
                cially to the priests who carried on the religious rituals.
                    The parable of/the potter had been one with hope of recon-
                struction; the parables of the bottles were portrayals of destruc-
                tion. The clay in the potter's hand, although marred, was still
                moldable; in the earthen vessels the clay was dry and hard.
                It could no longer be molded but only broken.
                    "The Lord in mercy sends words of reproof to save the
                erring, but they will not submit to be corrected. They insist that
                they have done no wrong, and thus resist the Spirit of God."
                —Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p.
                1016.

   Part 4  What is Jeremiah bidden by God to take from His hand
 THE CUP and give to all the surrounding nations?
 OF FURY   "For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the
            wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations,
            to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and
            be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will
            send among them." Jer. 25:15, 16.
                Read also verses 17-38.
                The wine cup of fury symbolizes that the nations are to be
            filled with dread and despair before the victorious armies of
            Babylon. See Jer. 51:7.

              Upon which nation was God's punishment through Nebu-
            chadnezzar to fall first? Jer. 25:29.
               Israel and Judah were God's chosen people. Theirs had
            been unmatched opportunities. To them God had given His law
            and revealed His will. They had known that they might have
            been raised up to heaven, as it were, if they had obeyed God's
            will.
               "The day of doom for the kingdom of Judah was fast ap-
            proaching. No longer could the Lord set before them the hope
            of averting the severest of His judgments. 'Should ye be utterly
            unpunished?' He inquired. 'Ye shall not be unpunished.' "—
            Prophets and Kings, p. 450.

              Which other parable spelled utter doom also for the Jews
            who went to Egypt after the fall of Judah? Jer. 43:8-13.
               This is another acted parable. It signified the campaign of
            the king of Babylon in Egypt. In this way the message was
            given to the Jews that, although they had sought refuge and
            security in Egypt, they were still to come under the dominion
            of Babylon.
               "God was able to use him [Nebuchadnezzar] as an instru-
            ment for the punishment of the rebellious and for the fulfillment
            of the divine purpose. 'The terrible of the nations' (Ezekiel
            28:7), it was given Nebuchadnezzar, after years of patient and
            wearing labor,.to conquer Tyre; Egypt also fell a prey to his
            victorious armies."—Prophets and Kings, p. 515.
               "The psalmist represents the presence of the Infinite One
            as pervading the universe. 'If I ascend up into heaven, thou
            art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.' [Ps.
            139:8]. We can never find a solitude where God is not."—Ellen
            G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, pp. 1153,
            1154.

       Part 5       "The Lord showed me this vision: Behold, two baskets of
 TWO BASKETS    figs placed before the temple of the Lord. One basket had
                very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had
      OF FIGS   very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten." Jer. 24:1
                (last part), 2, RSV.
                    This vision was given after Jehoiachin—here called Jeconiah
                (cf. Jer. 37:1; 2 Kings 24:8)—with the princes and the craftsmen
                had been taken captive to Babylon.

                   What did the two baskets of figs in Jeremiah's vision rep-
                resent? Jer. 24:5, 8. See also Jer. 29:16, 17.

                    God is not speaking categorically in this parable with refer-
                ence to the spiritual quality of the Jews represented by these
                two baskets. Not all the Jews brought into captivity were mor-
                ally good or better than those left behind in Judah. Jeremiah
                says that God had rejected Jehoiachin—here called Coniah (see
                Jer. 22:24-30)—so he was certainly not a good fig. On the
                other hand Jeremiah himself chose to remain in Judah with
                the Jewish remnant (see Jer. 39:13, 14; 40:1-6), rather than go
                to Babylon when offered the option by Nebuchadnezzar. And
                Jeremiah was not a bad fig even though he chose to remain
                in Judah.
                    In generalities rather than specifics, the prophet in this vision
                saw that the Jews left in Judah are falsely thinking they are
                better than the recent captives. They trust in religious forms
                connected with the temple worship rather than in a saving rela-
                tionship to God. "Thus the conventions of orthodoxy, and the
                temple itself, are substituted for the direct relation with Yahweh.
                Their false center of worship corrupts their images and falsifies
                their lives. They are thus the bad figs. Nothing corrupts like
                a false conception of a true religion."—The Interpreter's Bible,
                vol. 5, p. 997.

    Part 6        Early in the reign of Zedekiah what parable did Jeremiah    THE WOODEN      enact?
     YOKE        "Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes,
               and put them upon thy neck." Jer. 27:2.
                 Read also verses 3-5.
                 According to the RSV this took place during the reign of
               Zedekiah rather than during the reign of Jehoiakim. As the
               SDA Bible Commentary on Jeremiah 27:1 points out, "Several
               Hebrew manuscripts read `Zedekiah' which is undoubtedly the
               correct reading, as clearly proved by vs. 3, 12 (see ch. 28:1)."
               This is also supported by Prophets and Kings, p. 443.

                   For whom did Jeremiah act this parable, and what was it
               to indicate? Jer. 27:6-11.

                  "From the first, Jeremiah had followed a consistent course
               in counseling submission to the Babylonians. This counsel was
               given not only to Judah, but to many of the surrounding nations.
               In the earlier portion of Zedekiah's reign, ambassadors from
               the rulers of Edom, Moab, Tyre, and other nations visited the
               king of Judah to learn whether in his judgment the time was
               opportune fora united revolt and whether he would join them
               in battling against the king of Babylon. While these ambassa-
               dors were awaitng a response, the word of the Lord came to
               Jeremiah, [to enact this parable]... .
                   "Jeremiah was commanded to instruct the ambassadors to
               inform their rulers that God had given them all into the hand
               of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and that they were
               to 'serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very
               time of his land come.' Verse 7.
                   "The ambassadors were further instructed to declare to
               their rulers that if they refused to serve the Babylonian king
               they should be punished 'with the sword, and with the famine,
               and with the pestilence' till they were consumed."—Prophets
               and Kings, pp. 442, 443.

                  "The lightest punishment that a merciful God could inflict
               upon so rebellious a people was submission to the rule of Baby-
               lon, but if they warred against this decree of servitude they were
               to feel the full rigor of His chastisement."—Prophets and Kings,
               p. 444.

    Part 1      What encouraging promise did God give to His people?  ASSURANCE OF        "For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring   RESTORATION    again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the
             Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave
             to their fathers, and they shall possess it." Jer. 30:3.

                In chapter 29 Jeremiah foretold the captivity of his people.
             This was a gloomy message to an already discouraged peo-
             ple. But God does not leave His people in despair; in chapter
             30 God imparts hope by His promise of restoration.

                Who would be included in the restoration? Jer. 30:3; 31:1.

                The restoration from captivity would not merely embrace
             the children of Judah, taken and held captive by the Baby-
             lonians, but also the Israelites. These were taken captive by
             the Assyrians more than 100 years before the first Babylonian.,
             captivity. See 2 Kings 17:1-23. On restoration, Israel and Judah
             would again be united and become one nation.

                In contrast with His dealings with their heathen oppres-
             sors, how would God deal with His people? Jet. 30:11.

                 The Israelites and the Jews were not to disappear as a
             people from among the nations. In spite of their captivity God
             was not to "make a full end" of them. They were to be re-
             stored and live on as a people even though their oppressors
             were to disappear from the face of the earth.
                 It was God's purpose that the promises of Isaiah 27:6, that
             "Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world
             with fruit," should be fulfilled. This promise, along with that
             of Genesis 12:2 which says that "I will bless thee . . . ; and
             thou shalt be a blessing" should have been largely fulfilled
             "during the centuries following the return of the Israelites from
             the lands of their captivity. It was God's design that the whole
             earth be prepared for the first advent of Christ."—Prophets and
             Kings, pp. 703, 704.
                 "They [the Jews] were carried into captivity to Babylon,
             and there remained for many years. Yet they were not forsaken
             of the Lord. His prophets were sent to them with reproofs and
             warnings. The people were awakened to see their guilt, they
             humbled themselves before God, and returned to Him with true
             repentance. Then the Lord sent them messages of encourage-
             ment, declaring that He would deliver them from their captivity
             and restore them to His favor."—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 468.

    Part 2        What business proposition did God reveal would be pre-
 JEREMIAH      sented to Jeremiah in the prison? Jer. 32:6-8. DEMONSTRATES          Jeremiah knew God, and God through His Holy Spirit in- HIS OWN FAITH      formed him what was going to happen. Then his uncle's son
               arrived and presented his proposition to Jeremiah, just as God
               had informed him.
                 How did Jeremiah, in response to this business proposition,
               demonstrate his own faith in the surety of restoration from the
               Babylonian captivity?
                   "And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanameel my
               cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels
               of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and
               weighed the money on scales." Jer. 32:9, 10, RSV.
                   Jeremiah understood it to be God's will that he purchase
               this piece of ancestral property.
                   From a human point of view this investment in land already
               in the possession of the enemy appeared to be sheer foolish-
               ness. Who would be stupid enough to buy real estate in an
               area that is overrun and captured by the enemy? But Jeremiah
               did this very thing in accordance with God's will.
                  Of what was this purchase to be an evidence or assurance
               on the very verge of Judah's utter defeat before the Baby-
               lonians? Jer. 32:15.
                  Jeremiah himself would derive no profit from this piece of
               property. He was not a young man at the time of Zedekiah's
               ascension to the throne, and he himself had predicted that the
               captivity in Babylon would last for 70 years. But for Jeremiah
               the will of God was sufficient reason for this purchase.
                  "Men who act by revelation have not to ask for reasons
               before acting. Obedience is their role; afterwards they may
               ask for light. Christians have to commit their way unto the
               Lord, and trust where they cannot trace. They are led by a
               higher reason, which cannot err."—H. D. M. Spence, Ed., The
               Pulpit Commentary (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Co., 1913),
               Jeremiah, vol. 2, p. 55. THINK IT THROUGH       In what specific ways can a Christian's faith, or lack of
               faith, be demonstrated in business transactions?
                   "Let God untangle the snarled-up threads for you. He is
               wise enough to manage the complications of our lives. He has
               skill and tact. We cannot always see His plans; we must wait
               patiently their unfolding and not mar and destroy them. He will
               reveal them to us in His own good time."—Testimonies, vol. 5,
               p. 348. FURTHER STUDY         Jeremiah 32; Prophets and Kings, pp. 466-469.
                                                                           97

    Part 3      As Jeremiah contemplated God's revealed restoration of   NOTHING TOO    His people amid the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, what
             temptation assailed him? Jer. 32:16-25.  HARD FOR GOD
                "Nebuchadnezzar's armies were about to take the walls of
             Zion by storm. Thousands were perishing in a last desperate
             defense of the city. Many thousands more were dying of hunger
             and disease. The fate of Jerusalem was already sealed. The
             besieging towers of the enemy's forces were already overlook-
             ing the walls. 'Behold the mounts,' the prophet continued in
             his prayer to God; 'they are come unto the city to take it; and
             the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight
             against it . . . ; and, behold, Thou seest it. And Thou hast said
             unto me, 0 Lord God, Buy thee the field for money, and take
             witnesses;.for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.' "
             —Prophets and Kings, p. 471.

                What was God's answer to Jeremiah's nagging doubts
             about the reestablishment of His people in the Promised. Land?

                "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any
             thing too hard for me?" Verse 27.

                 "The prayer of the prophet was graciously answered. 'The
             word of the Lord unto Jeremiah' in that hour of distress, when
             the faith of the messenger of truth was being tried as by fire,
             was: 'Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any-
             thing too hard for Me?' Verses 26, 27. The city was soon to
             fall into the hands of the Chaldeans; its gates and palaces
             were to be set on fire and burned; but, notwithstanding the
             fact that destruction was imminent and the inhabitants of Jeru-
             salem were to be carried away captive, nevertheless the eternal
             purpose of Jehovah for Israel was yet to be fulfilled."—Proph-
             ets and Kings, p. 471.

                How was this regathering of God's people from captivity
             to be remembered by them in the future? Jer. 16:14, 15;
             23:7, 8.

                "Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus
             sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His
             way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thou-
             sand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those
             who accept the one principle of making the service and honor
             of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path
             before their feet."—The Desire of Ages, p. 330.

    Part 4   What was God's plan for the returning captive Israelites    CONDITIONS and Jews?
    AFTER    "Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither   RESTORATION I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in
             great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and
             I will cause them to dwell safely." Jer. 32:37.
                 How was this security to be reflected in the general activi-
             ties and industry of the restored Israelites? Jer. 31:4, 5; 32:15.
                It was God's plan that such peaceful conditions might be
             restored to the land of the returned captives that they might
             plant vineyards and reap and enjoy the fruit of their labors.
             Instead of living in gloomy dread of assaulting enemy armies,
             they were to be able to dress themselves for joyous living.
             Under such conditions real estate would again be valuable, in
             contrast with its worthlessness as they faced deportation to
             an enemy country.
                Which ruling house did God state would again be firmly
             established on the throne of Israel? Jer. 33:15, 16.
                 When Jeremiah wrote this, the house of David wobbled on
             the throne of Judah. Jehoiachin had been taken captive to
             Babylon; his uncle Zedekiah had been elevated to the throne
             on his promise of loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar. At such a time
             Jeremiah—obviously not always a prophet of gloom and tears
             —painted before the frightened and distraught Jews a new day
             of hope with a good and strong king of the same royal house
             seated on the throne of reunited Israel. "If Jerusalem had only
             lived up to what God designed that it should be, its future
             would have been most glorious."—SDA Bible Commentary,
             on Jer. 33:16. But "these promises were conditional on obe-
             dience. The sins that had characterized the Israelites prior to
             the captivity, were not to be repeated."—Prophets and Kings,
             p. 704.
                 "By the Babylonish captivity the Israelites were effectually
              cured of the worship of graven images. After their return, they
              gave much attention to religious instruction and to the study
              of that which had been written in the book of the law and in
              the prophets concerning the worship of the true God. . . . The
              seasons of prosperity that followed gave ample evidence of
              God's willingness to accept and forgive, and yet with fatal
              shortsightedness they turned again and again from their glorious
              destiny and selfishly appropriated to themselves that which
              would have brought healing and spiritual life to countless multi-
              tudes."—Prophets and Kings, p. 705.

      Part 5      What had the people refused to do while living in the
   CAPTIVITY   Promised Land?
  NECESSARY       "Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the Lord; that
               ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands
               to your own hurt." Jer. 25:7.

                  "From the time of their entrance to the land of Canaan, they
               departed from the commandments of God, and followed the
               ways of the heathen. It was in vain that God sent them warn-
               ing by His prophets. In vain they suffered the chastisement of
               heathen oppression. Every reformation was followed by deeper
               apostasy."—The Desire of Ages, page 28.
                  What was the spiritual condition of Judah at this time?
               Jer. 30:12, 15; 15:18.
                 "Judah had been forsaken by her lovers [allies (see v. 14)]
                  , and now she stood alone, for she had forsaken her God."
               —SDA Bible Commentary, on Jer. 30:13.

                  How was God to chastise them? Jer. 29:18, 19.

                   This miserable state should not have come as a surprise to
               Judah. Through Moses, God had long before foretold that such
               would be their experience if they departed from His will. See
               Deut. 28:47, 48.
                   "Had Israel been true to God, He could have accomplished
               His purpose through their honor and exaltation.... But because
               of their unfaithfulness, God's purpose could be wrought out
               only through continued adversity and humiliation."—The Desire
               of Ages, p. 28.
                   "Like Israel of old they [some Christians] question, 'If God
               is leading us, why do all these things come upon us?'
                   "It is because God is leading them that these things come
               upon them. Trials and obstacles are the Lord's chosen methods
               of discipline and His appointed conditions of success. He who
               reads the hearts of men knows their characters better than they
               themselves know them. He sees that some have powers and
               susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the
               advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these
               persons into different positions and varied circumstances that
               they may discover in their character the defects which have
               been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them op-
               portunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His
               service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them
               that they may be purified."—The Ministry of Healing, pp. 470,
               471.

    Part 6       What did Jeremiah assure his people was the basis of  GOD'S ACTION      God's dealings with them? BASED ON LOVE         "The Lord bath appeared of old unto me,. saying, Yea, I
               have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with
               lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jer. 31:3.
                  "God is love." 1 John 4:8. All His dealings with men are
               founded on His love. He is looking out for what is eternally best
               for them at all times. On this basis some happenings may
               occur that are not pleasant at the moment. He did not want to
               destroy His people; He wanted to re-create them.

                  How did God assure His people of His long-range benevo-
               lent purpose for them, in contrast with His purpose for their
               captors, despite their present adversity? Jer. 46:28.

                  "Thus was the church of God comforted in one of the darkest
               hours of her long conflict with the forces of evil. Satan had
               seemingly triumphed in his efforts to destroy Israel; but the
               Lord was overruling the events of the present, and during the
               years that were to follow, His people were to have opportunity
               to redeem the past."—Prophets and Kings, page 474.
                  Temporarily the enemy may have appeared totally victorious,
               while God's people were to be scattered among the nations.
               But not so. The nations which appeared to have the upper hand
               and were apparently victorious were ultimately to be removed
               from the face of the earth, while Israel was to continue. God
               would not "make an utter end" of His people "but correct thee
               [them] in measure." Even today the Jews still exist as a sepa-
               rate and distinct race, while the Babylonians of yonder years
               disappeared not merely as a nation, but as a distinct people.
                   "They [Israel] were brought into subjection to Babylon, and
               scattered through the lands of the heathen. In affliction many
               renewed their faithfulness to His covenant. While they hung
               their harps upon the willows, and mourned for the holy temple
               that was laid waste, the light of truth shone out through them,
               and a knowledge of God was spread among the nations. The
                heathen systems of sacrifice were a perversion of the system
                that God had appointed; and many a sincere observer of
                heathen rites learned from the Hebrews the meaning of the
                service divinely ordained, and in faith grasped the promise of
                a Redeemer."—The Desire of Ages, p. 28.

             TFEE
          COkENANT

                                      LESSON OUTLINE
                                      1. Origin of the Covenant,
                                         Jer. 11:1, 2.
                                      2. King of the Covenant, Jer. 11:3, 4.
                                      3. Rejection of the Covenant,
                                         Jer. 11:7, 8.
                                      4. Conditions in Judah, Ezek. 8:10,
                                         11, 15, 16.
                                      5. New Covenant—I, Jer. 31:31, 32.
                                      6. New Covenant—II, Jer. 33:14-16.

      Part 1    "The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,   ORIGIN OF THE Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men
             of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." Jer. 11:1, 2.
 COVENANT
                  Read also Jer. 11:3-5.
                  This passage has special significance in the light of Josiah's
               reform. The book of the covenant (Deuteronomy. See Prophets
               and Kings, pp. 392, 393) had been found in the temple (2 Kings
               22:8), and the king and the people covenanted to "perform
               the words of this covenant." 2 Kings 23:3.
                  With the passage of time Josiah died, Jehoiakim had re-
               cently been enthroned king of Judah and allegiance to the
               covenant had waned. See Prophets and Kings, p. 414.
                  Now, some 13 years after the book of Deuteronomy was
               found, God sent Jeremiah to call Judah back to the covenant.

                  When had this covenant originally been made? Jer. 11:3, 4.

                   The covenant made at Sinai with Israel was itself a renewal
               of the covenant made with their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and
               Jacob.

                 In its simplest terms, what was the purpose of the cove-
               nant? Verse 4, last part.

                  At the time of the giving of the law the Lord called for Israel's
               obedience to His covenant so that Israel might be "a peculiar
               treasure: . . . a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." Ex.
               19:5, 6. The message was carried from God to the people by
               Moses. "Their answer was, 'All that the Lord hath spoken we
               will do.' Thus they entered into a solemn covenant with God,
               pledging themselves to accept Him as their ruler, by which
               they became, in a special sense, the subjects of His authority."
               —Patriarchs and Prophets, page 303.
                  The statement "I will be their God and they shall be my
               people," or one similar to it, is covenantal language. Jeremiah
               uses it seven times in his book. Three of the references men-
               tion the covenant explicitly, while in the other four references
               the covenant is clearly understood.

    Part 2   Who decided the terms of the covenant?   KING OF THE.   "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man
COVENANT . who does not heed the words of this covenant which I com-
             manded your fathers when I brought them out of the land
             of Egypt." Jer. 11:3, 4, RSV.
                "Ancient covenants were of 2 kinds, those between equals
             and those between lord and vassal. In a covenant between
             equals there was mutual agreement on conditions, privileges,
             and responsibilities (Gen 21:32; 26:28; etc.). In a covenant be-
             tween lord and vassal, conqueror and conquered, superior and
             inferior, the lord or conqueror specified the conditions, privi-
             leges, and responsibilities accruing to both parties, and the
             vassal or subject nation submitted to the conditions imposed
             upon it... ,
                "Throughout Scripture, however, the term 'covenant' most
             commonly describes the formal relationship that existed be-
             tween God on the one hand and Israel as the chosen people
             on the other. Obviously, this was not a covenant between
             equals, but between the infinite God and finite man. God Him-
             self determined the provisions of the covenant, made them
             known to His people, and gave them the choice of accepting
             or rejecting the covenant. Once ratified, however, it was con-
             sidered binding upon both God and His people."—SDA Bible
             Dictionary, p. 229.
                According to the terms of the covenant, how were the
             people to relate to their Divine King? Verse 4, last part.
                According to the terms of the covenant, what was included
             in God's responsibility to His people? Verse 5.
                "The principles set forth in Deuteronomy for the instruction
             of Israel are to be followed by God's people to the end of time.
             True prosperity is dependent on the continuance of our cove-
             nant relationship with God. Never can we afford to compromise
             principle by entering into alliance with those who do not fear
             Him.
                 "There is constant danger that professing Christians will
             come to think that in order to have influence with worldlings,
             they must to a certain extent conform to the world. But though
             such a course may appear to afford great advantages, it always
             ends in spiritual loss. Against every subtle influence that seeks
             entrance by means of flattering inducements from the enemies
             of truth, God's people must strictly guard. They are pilgrims
             and strangers in this world, traveling a path beset with danger.
             To the ingenious subterfuges and alluring inducements held
             out to tempt from allegiance, they must give no heed."—Proph-
             ets and Kings, p. 570.  FURTHER STUDY      Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 499-504.
                                                                          105

     Part 3       How did the ancestors of the people of Jeremiah's day   REJECTION OF    relate to the covenant?  THE COVENANT        "For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day
              that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto
              this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.
              Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every
              one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring
              upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded
              them to do; but they did them not." Jer. 11:7, 8.
                   There were repeated times of apostasy in Israel. The first
               was the worship of the golden calf during the covenant formal-
               ities. Then came the backsliding at Baal-peor followed by the
               checkered experiences of the days of the judges. After the
              monarchy divided, the northern kingdom developed an idola-
              trous religion, and Judah eventually went the same route.
                   "During the 4 centuries of Judah's history the worship of
              God was frequently accompanied by the worship of pagan gods
              for whom shrines and cult places were erected from the time
              of Solomon to the end of the kingdom (1 Ki 11:4-8; 14:22-24;
              2 Ki 21:1-7; etc.), Although the country did not experience the
              depths of idolatry found in the northern kingdom, Judah was
              practically a semipagan nation during the period of the kings.
              Some kings, such as Asa (1 Ki 15:12-14), Jehoshaphat (ch
              22:43-46), Hezekiah (2 Ki 18:1-4), Josiah (ch 22:1-20), made
              serious attempts to stamp out idolatry and pagan cults. These
              reforms, however, were temporary, and the people lapsed into
              paganism once more. This was the chief reason for the na-
              tion's downfall."—SDA Bible Dictionary, p. 609.
                  The question facing Judah when the message of Jeremiah 11
              was given was, Will the reformation of Josiah continue, or die?
              The answer was not long delayed.

                 How did Jeremiah's contemporaries relate to the covenant
              during Jehoiakim's reign? Verses 9, 10.
                  "The Lord had through Moses set before His people the
              result of unfaithfulness. By refusing to keep His covenant, they
              would cut themselves off from the life of God, and His blessing
              could not come upon them. At times these warnings were
              heeded, and rich blessings were bestowed upon the Jewish
              nation and through them upon surrounding peoples. But more
              often in their history they forgot God and lost sight of their
              high privilege as His representatives. They robbed Him of the
              service He required of them, and they robbed their fellow men
              of religious guidance and a holy example."—Prophets and
              Kings, p. 20.

    Part 4      During Zedekiah's reign, what three scenes were given to    CONDITIONS    Ezekiel of conditions in Judah? Ezek. 8:10-16.
 IN JUDAH        Tammuz was a Babylonian god who, according to myth, an-
             nually died and was resurrected. The weeping mentioned in
             verse 14 indicates participation by these women in the annual
             rites of Tammuz.
                What idolatrous practice did Jeremiah refer to?
                "While their children remember their altars and their
             Asherim, beside every green tree, and on the high hills."
             Jer. 17:2, RSV.
                 Asherah, singular of Asherim, was "a Phoenician goddess of
             vegetation," and "the female counterpart of Baal."—SDA Bible
             Dictionary, pages 81, 82. She was frequently symbolized by
             trees or upright sticks, and it is probably to these that the
             plural Asherim refers in the above reference.
                 What social conditions were prevalent? Jer. 5:7-9; 23:
             11, 14.
                 What was God's evaluation of Judah's condition as the
             exile neared? Jer. 30:12; 2 Chron. 36:15, 16.
                 According to the covenant, the Lord was to be Judah's God.
             But they chose Baal, Asherah, Tammuz, and others. Judah's
             life-style was to be in harmony with the Lord's commands, and
             they were to be His people. They chose instead to live like
             the heathen. The land in which they lived was theirs only by
             a provision of the covenant, and when they broke the covenant
             and for a long period of time refused to repent, God had them
             removed from the covenant land. The covenant had come to
             an end.
                 There is the strongest possible contrast between Judah's
             apostasy and the intentions God had for His people. In the
             following quotation Ellen G. White summarized these intentions:
                 "Those nations that rejected the worship and service of the
             true God were to be dispossessed. But it was God's purpose
             that by the revelation of His character through Israel men
              should be drawn unto Him. To all the world the gospel invita-
             tion was to be given. Through the teaching of the sacrificial
             service, Christ was to be uplifted before the nations, and all
              who would look unto Him should live. All who, like Rahab the
             Canaanite and Ruth the Moabitess, turned from idolatry to the
              worship of the true God were to unite themselves with His
              chosen people. As the numbers of Israel increased, they were
             to enlarge their borders until their kingdom should embrace
             the world.
                 "But ancient Israel did not fulfill God's purpose."—Prophets
             and Kings, p. 19.  FURTHER STUDY      Prophets and Kings, pp. 448-451.
                                                                         107

   Part 5      What is said of the covenant in promises of the restoration
     NEW    of Judah recorded in Jeremiah 31?   COVENANT—I       "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make
            a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house
            of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with
            their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring
            them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake,
            although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord." Jer.
            31:31, 32.
               Northern Israel had gone into captivity some 125 years
            earlier, and Judah was approaching a similar fate. In this
            "book of hope" Jeremiah recorded God's promise of a new
            covenant. The previous one was broken; and, if there was to
            be a covenant between God and His chosen people, He must
            reinstitute it. This He promised to do. The goal of this new
            covenant was to be the same as the Sinaitic covenant: "I . . .
            will be their God, and they shall be my people." Jer. 31:33,
            last part. The Lord pointed out that the new covenant was to
            be different from the one made after the Exodus from Egypt.

              What specific characteristics were to be included in the
            new covenant? Jer. 31:33, 34; 32:40.

               Note the emphasis on what was to happen internally to the
            covenant people:
                   1. Law within them.
                    2. Possess a knowledge of God.
                    3. Fear of God within.
            And on God's part He was to forgive their sins and do them
            good. The purpose of the fear of God was "that they shall not
            depart from me." The purpose of the law within was to make
            them God's people. These were the very heart of the previous
            covenant and thus the very points of failure that brought it to
            an end. God had never intended them to succeed without this
            internal law, knowledge, and fear. God's words were to be in
            their hearts. Deut. 11:18. They were to obey with their heart
            and soul. Deut. 26:16. The law was to be kept in love to God.
            Deut. 11:22. It was not the provisions of the covenant, then,
            that would be new. These provisions were really a prediction
            that the new one would succeed where the other failed.
               What, then, was to be new about the new covenant? It was
            new, first, because it was a reinstatement of the former cove-
            nant. A voided contract must be renegotiated to be valid. So
            with the covenant.

   Part 6         Who was to come in the days of restoration?
    HEW            "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform  COVENANT—II       that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel
               and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will
               I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David;
               and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
               In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell
               safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called,
               The Lord our righteousness." Jer. 33:14-16.
                  Jeremiah did not record this promise in direct connection
               with the new covenant, but both are given as features of the
               time of the restoration of Judah. It is the coming of the Mes-
               siah, here promised, that also makes the new covenant really
               new. While the gospel was previously preached through sacri-
               fices, the Messiah could now be expected on earth bringing
               salvation in ways that His people could better understand.
                   "Christ's death and resurrection completed His covenant.
               Before this time, it was revealed through types and shadows,
               which pointed to the great offering to be made by the world's
               Redeemer, offered in promise for the sins of the world. An-
               ciently believers were saved by the same Saviour as now, but
               it was a God veiled. They saw God's mercy in figures."—Ellen
               G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 932.
                   "Lessons must be given to humanity in the language of hu-
               manity. The Messenger of the covenant must speak. His voice
               must be heard in His own temple. He, the author of truth, must
                separate truth from the chaff of man's utterance, which had
                made it of no effect. The principles of God's government and
                the plan of redemption must be clearly defined. The lessons of
                the Old Testament must be fully set before men."—Prophets
               and Kings, p. 700.
                  What is the foremost promise of the new covenant? Jer.
               31:34.
                  "The blessings of the new covenant are grounded purely on
               mercy in forgiving unrighteousness and sins. The Lord specifies,
               I will do thus and thus unto all who turn to Me, forsaking the
               evil and choosing the good. 'I will be merciful to their unrigh-
               teousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
               more.' All who humble their hearts, confessing their sins, will
               find mercy and grace and assurance."—Ellen G. White Com-
               ments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 931.

     Your Sabbath School should have these                 for your
               important items:                            Sabbath
           ACTIVITY PICTURES, Sets 1 and 2                 School. They
          Miscellaneous SILHOUETTE Pictures                will make it
       SILHOUETTE STORIES OF ELLEN G. WHITE                more
   AND THE MESSAGE           Ellen G. White Pictures       cheerful,
                                                           captivating,
                                                           and
                                                           spiritually
                                                           refreshing
                                                           in 1976.

        A special hard-cover edition
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  Only $19.95 for all 5 volumes
  (more than 3,700 pages of vital
          information)   Add this special set to your permanent library   today. See the Conflict set at your Adventist   Book Center. Or you may order by mail. Mail orders should be sent to ABC Mailing Service, 2621 Farnam St., Omaha, NB 68131. In Canada: ABC Mailing Service, 4826 11th St., N.E., Bay 12, Calgary, Alberta T2E 2W7. Add $1 per set to cover shipping costs. Add sales tax where applicable.

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                             •   ewcastle    • Pe h                       • Sydney

           Adelaide




                                                                                                      Church   S.S.
                                                       Unions                  Population   Churches Members Members
                                                       Central Pacific U.M.       952,115      94     11,825  13,998
                                                       Papua New Guinea U.M. 2,531,882        294     38,457  60,757
                                                       Trans-
                                                         Commonwealth U.C. 7,219,254           175       16,836    16,565   Tra s Go tmo.wealt                                       Trans-Tasman U.C.        8,868,810      221       26,903    27,435
                                                                                  455,172   TitewftmEs                                               Western Pacific U.M.
                                                       Totals                  20,027,233
                                                                                               135
                                                                                               919
                                                                                                         13,062
                                                                                                        107,083
                                                                                                                   21,213
                                                                                                                  139,968 77ftgau         gala                                       (Figures as of June, 1974)