Prophet's mission was to testify to sinful people

Jeremiah served as prophet during the reigns of Judah's last five kings: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. He served over a period of about 40 years, beginning about 626 B.C. With the exception of Josiah, all these kings were unworthy men under whom Jeremiah suffered greatly.

Jeremiah was born during the latter years of the reign of Manasseh, who restored the Baal cult among the Jews. By the time Jeremiah became a prophet, idolatry, hill worship and heathen practices were rampant. The people "set their abominations" or heathen idols in the temple. (Jer. 32:34.) They sacrificed children to Baal-Moloch. (Jer. 7:31.) They invoked Baal as the usual heathen deity, and worshipped the "queen of heaven." (Jer. 7:18.) Apostasy was everywhere. Jeremiah continually testified against immorality and unrighteousness, and the neglect of the poor.Jeremiah's mission was to testify to a sinful and stubborn people who had been misled by false prophets and to witness their doom.

He was riduclued, rejected, beaten and imprisoned, even by the people of his hometown, as well as those of Jerusalem. He was forbidden by the Lord to marry. (Jer. 16:2.)

During the fourth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim (about 609 B.C.), the Lord commanded Jeremiah to write down "all the words" previously given him. Jeremiah dictated to his scribe Baruch, who wrote them upon one roll. (Jer. 32:12; Jer. 36.) When Baruch, at Jeremiah's instruction, read the prophecies to the people of Jerusalem, the king heard of them and insisted on a reading. After only "three or four leaves" of the roll were read to him, "he 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. 23:23.) Jeremiah took "another roll, and gave it to Baruch . . . who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book. . . . " (Jer. 36:32.)

The first portion of the book of Jeremiah (chapters 1-25) is devoted mainly to prophecies against Judah and Jerusalem. The second part (chapters 26-45) includes biographical narratives in which are recorded Jeremiah's conflicts with priests and false prophets, his prophetic activity under Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, and his prophecies during and after the siege of Jerusalem. A third section (chapters 46-52) contains Jeremiah's prophecies against foreign nations.

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