I want to challenge your faith!
"These are the Days of Jeremiah"
Audio Version of the Introduction
Audio Version of "The Jeremiah Generation"
"The Jeremiah Generation"
The year was 586 B.C. Tears filled Jeremiah’s eyes as he looked over the burning ashes of Jerusalem. For over 40 years he had devoted his life to warning the Jewish nation of their coming doom. Now his prophecies had been fulfilled. Many of his friends had been led away into Babylonian captivity and the great city of Jerusalem lay in waste all around him. Jeremiah’s heart ached within his chest and he fought back the urge to shout, “I told you this would happen! Why wouldn’t you listen?”
Over and over again, this prophet of God had warned God's people about their coming destruction. His message was unpopular and he was labeled a preacher of doom and gloom. Finally, after many years of patient pleading, God had had enough and His merciless judgment was released upon that wicked nation.
Jeremiah 39:1-2, 6-8 (NKJV)
“In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was penetrated. Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. And the Chaldeans burned the king's house and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.”
The ancient story of Babylon’s conquest of God's people should cause every Christian to ask several sobering questions. Could it happen again? How would Jeremiah's message of repentance be received today? Would anyone listen? Would any significant level of repentance be the result? These are the questions of the "Jeremiah Generation". Preparing them to meet those challenges is the purpose of this book.
The climactic years of Jeremiah's life center around four important events. Unfortunately, those same events are being paralleled in the
church of today. To prepare a "Jeremiah Generation", which can confront these areas of concern, the climactic years of Jeremiah's ministry will be used as a guide to our own study. In Jeremiah 36, the message of God is presented to the prophet and then to the king of God's people. Jehoiakim stubbornly refuses to repent and selfishly burns the words of God. From this act of rebellion, we gain the title to our first section, "Burn the Book". In chapters 37-38, God's messenger is accused of being a traitor, is jailed for his messages and is thrown into a muddy cistern. This section is appropriately entitled "Kill the Preacher!" In Jeremiah 39, God's wrath is unleashed on His stubborn, unrepentant people. The third section is entitled, "Feel the Wrath!" In Jeremiah 40, God preserves His messenger by pulling Jeremiah out of the line-up of slaves bound for Babylon. "Protect My Man!" is the title of the fourth division of this book.
Within each of the four sections mentioned above, you will not only find a chapter about the historical parallel to today, but also two chapters to help you make a personal application in your own life. If ever there was a time for God's people to "humble themselves and pray" and "turn from their wicked ways" (2 Chronicles 7:14), that day is today. Just as in the time of Jeremiah, God's people are again distracted by religious idolatry. A legalism of perfect performance over passion and a liberalism of personal preference over obedience has polarized the church of God. Due to centuries of cannibalistic feeding frenzies, we now find ourselves pressed on every side by an enemy who takes no prisoners. Not only are the anti-Christian Islamic forces gathering and the anti-God secularists circling in for the kill, even the family of God is at war with each other. While we cannibalize each other inside the walls of our church buildings another Babylonian enemy lays siege outside. The church is in desperate need of a "Jeremiah Generation". Will you stand? Will you say, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)? Will you be the "Jeremiah Generation"?
Copyright 2006 by Childs Family Publications