The world God wants STUDIES IN JSRJSMIAH •B5I62 .8.K97 mi H^ 8Rf^ -^C' tudies in Je re m ia h \ ■^m»- THE WORLD GOD WANTS Studies in Jeremiah by HOWARD TILLMAN KUIST Hible Study is always a rijiorous discipline. This may be true because most of us would rather talk than listen, and Hible Study is listening to God. The followinj^ inducti\e ques- tions are designed to induce a listen- ing mood by encourajiinj^ first-hand observation of the Hible text, or by promoting personal reflection. These (juestions, in turn, should lead to first- hand sharing in the group discussions. The cjuestions may be used also by the leaders to direct the consideration of the group. It is not expected that any student will want to consider every question. The questions are sufficiently varied to appeal to a variety of interests. However, it is suggested that the (juestions relating to the historic situ- ation be considered first; then those designed to help recogni/e the signifi- cance of Jeremiah's experience. The (juestions on the New Testament pas- sages are designed to confront the Old Testament situation with the New IVstament Gospel. Only so can the relevance of the Old Testament proclamation to the present-day situ- ation of the Church truly be seen. Introduction The Old 1 estament Proclamation and the New Testament Gospel. 1 . What deeds of God described in the Old Testament were used by Jeremiah to urge God's claims upon His people? See, for example, Jeremiah 2 :4-S ; 7:12-15; 11:1-8; 16:14,15; -U:12- 16; .V5:12-17. Compare with Deuter- onomy 4:1-40; 6:1-25; 8:1-20. 2. To what corresponding deeds did the New Testament apostles point ? See, for example. Acts 2:14-24, 25- .^6, 37-42; 7:1-53; 13:16-43. 3. Why did Martin Luther consid- er that God's calling and the "earthly obligation of work" are inseparably united ? 4. Why does Kinar Hilling claim that our calling as Christians implies something beyond the sum of our im- mediate human duties? (See Our C.aUint/, pp. 5-11.) 1. God Seeks and Finds a Voice Jeremiah 1; Matthew 16:13-28 Jereniidli and the IHsiorii Situation Jeremiah 1:1-3: How is the mo- ment of Jeremiah's call in 626 B.C. related to other significant events in Josiah's reifjn ? (See II Kin^s 22,23; II Chronicles 34,35.) Where is Anathoth (Jeremiah 1 :1) and for what is this place not- able? (Joshua 21:13-19; I Kings 2:26,27. See also I Kings 1:5-53.) In view of Josiah's reforms, is it strange that the Anathoth priests should have opposed Jeremiah ( Jere- miah 11 : 18-23)? 1:4-10: What personal touches, what wonl pictures, what symbols testif\ to the reality' of Jeremiah's experience . 1:11,12: For almond tree, read "early-awake tree." What meaning did this spring-time experience have for Jeremiah ? 1 : 13-1 7: What ominous threats are involved in Jeremiah's vision of the boiling cauldron ? 1:18,19: What ciualities of Jere- miah's character are suggested by the pictures of the fortified city, the iron pillar, and the brazen walls? 1 :19: Of what other Bible charac- ters or situations are you reminded by the words of God to Jeremiah, "I am with thee"? The Significance of Jeremiah's Experience \Vhat elements in Jeremiah's self- portrait (Chapter 1) make his sketch so striking? Which element do you consider to be the most striking? What value has the symbolism of Jeremiah 1 for analyzing the various levels of the prophet's consciousness? What were the sources of conflict in Jeremiah's personal life according to Chapter 1 ? What clues are sug- gested to resolve these conflicts? How do the visions of Jeremiah in Chapter 1 indicate that he retained his consciousness, his moral judgment, and his power to think during the ex- periences attending his call? How far does Jeremiah's character agree with the character of his vi- sions? Why can no man have high visions and lead a low life? How far would Jeremiah agree with Matthew Arnold's statement. "To tunes we did not call our being must keep chime"? What human conditions must be met if a man is to hear the voice of (W? With what attempts to portra\ Jeremiah in art are you familiar? Michelangelo (Fresco of Sistine Chapel)? John Sargent (Frieze of the Prophets) ? Frank Salisbury? Guy Rowe (In Our Inuif/e)^ In which is he most faithfully portrayed? How does Franz \Verfel interpret Jeremiah's awareness of (jod ? See Hearken to the J oice (\'iking Press, 1938), Chapter 5: "The Voice With- in and the V^oice Without." In what sense can it be said that "the voice of the Lord had found the soul of a man for a sounding board" (p.97) ? The Old Testament Situation in the Li(jht of the New Testament Gospel Why is it that no prophet is accept- able in his own country? Compare Jeremiah 11:18-23 with' Luke 4:16- 30. Why should some people have th()uji;ht that Jesus was Jeremiah re- turned to life (Matthew 16:14)? What advantages did the disciples, like Peter, have over Jeremiah, to un- derstand God and His wavs (Mat- thew 16:15-17)? What certainties did Jesus promise Peter, which correspond to those which came to Jeremiah at the time of his call (Matthew 16:18-20)? In what sense was Jeremiah's call as exactinji for him as was Jesus' call to His disciples for total commitment (Matthew 16:21-28)? Why was Peter not minding the thinjjs of God but the things of men. in his rebuke of Jesus? According to Jeremiah 1 and Mat- thew 16:24-26, upon what does God place supreme value in human person- ality? Why? How was the cross Jesus called his disciples to bear like or different from that of Jeremiah's? What people do you know who have lost their "souls" by trying ^ i save their lives? What others do you know who have saved their souls by being willing to lose their lives? 2. God's Expectations Are High Jeremiah 26:1-19; 7:1-15; Luke 19:45-20:8 Jeremiah and the Historic Situation Jeremiah 26:1-7: What was the intent of Jeremiah's temple sermon, and who were his hearers? 26:8-9: Why did his hearers resent what he said about Shiloh? (For Shi- l.)h. see I Samuel 4:10-12; 22.) 26:10-15: What was the charge brought against Jeremiah and the es- sence of Jeremiah's defense before the princes ? 26:16-19: By whom and how was Jeremiah vindicated? What notes are added to the signi- ficance of Jeremiah's message in 7:1- 15 not foimd in 26:1-19? rhe Sif/nificance of Jeremiah's Experience Vox what was Jeremiah pleading when he urged the people to walk in (lod's law (lorah) and to heed (jod's servants, the prophets (26:4) ? Why should Jeremiah have called the catchword of the priests about the Temple (7:4,8) "lying words"? Why did Jeremiah insist that to amend their wavs (7:3) the covenant people must relieve the oppressed, and protect the weak (7:6,7) ? Why is a faith like that advocated bv the temple priests, which separates the worship of Ciod from one's rela- tions to his fellow men, no real faith? A century before Jeremiah's time, Isaiah had proclaimed that God would protect the Holy City and its Temple (Isaiah 31 :4-9). Why should Jeremiah now have challenp:ed this proclamation? What did Jeremiah mean when he declared that the people had made God's house a "den of robbers" (7:8-11)? In what sense could it be said that God had been "rising up early and speaking" (7:13; 26:5)? What prejudices of the people had Jeremiah violated in his temple ser- mon ? Why will a man "more easily burn down his own house than get rid of his prejudices" (Descartes) ? The Old Testament Situation in the Lif/ht of the New Testament Gospel How is the situation faced by Jesus when he had entered Jerusa- lem and had cleansed the Temple like and unlike Jeremiah's (Luke 19:45- 20:8)? What is authority? What was Jeremiah's authority (Jeremiah 26:9,12)? What kind of authority is implied in the question addressed to Jesus by the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders (Luke 20:2) ? What kind of authority did Jesus ac- tually represent (Luke 20:8)? How does the parable of the vineyard give his answer (Luke 20:9-18)? To what perils are people exposed who separate the so-called "sacred" from the "secular" in life, or who at- tempt to substitute "private mysti- cism" for "public obligation" before God? Why must it be that "God is Lord of all or Lord not at all"? What other examples in history can you call of individuals who like Jere- miah have dared to say, "Hut as for me, behold I am in your hand . . ." (Jeremiah 26:14) ? Why could neither Jeremiah nor Jesus aliord to make a move at con- ciliation with their opponents? When, if ever, can Christians com- promise so as to avoid open conflict? On what matters can there be no compromise? How are Christians to decide ? 3. God and the Nations Jeremiah 25 and 46; Mark 12:13-17 At the fall of Ninevah, 612 B.C., the Assyrian empire was destroyed, never to rise again. Egypt made a new bid for world empire. Pharoah- necoh's mercenary legions marched northward. King Josiah of Judah, at- tempting to cut him ofif at iVIegiddo, perished (608 B.C.). The Egyptians continued northward. At Carchemish on the Euphrates, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon decisively defeated the Egyptians (605 B.C.). This was the fourth year of King Jehoiakim of Judah. Jeremiah and the Historic Situation According to Jeremiah 25:1,2 and 46:1,2, how are the prophet's mes- sages dated in relation to this deci- sive battle (Carchemish)? 25 -3-7 : What is Jeremiah's pri- mary concern at this critical moment ? What does he mean bv "return" and "dwell"? 25:8-11 : Why did the prophet re- fer to Nebuchadnezzar as God's "ser- vant"? 25:15: At this point in the Greek \'ersion, Jeremiah chapters 46-51 are inserted. What nations are addressed in these chapters and how do they correspond to those mentioned in 25:15-29? 25:15-29? What does Jeremiah mean by passinji "this cup of the wine of wrath" from nation to nation? How much of Jeremiah's world comes under the scope of this act? 25:30-38: What does Jeremiah consider God's "controversy with the nations" to be? And why does He press this controversy? 46:1-12: How does the prophet de- scribe the situation before the battle of Carchemish? What does Pharaoh- necoh mean by his boast, "I will rise up, I will cover the earth"? How does Jeremiah answer him? 46:13-26: What vivid imagery does Jeremiah use to describe the Egyptian defeat ? The Significance of J eremiah's Experience In world crises, what factors beside the political are essentially involved? AVhich is the most important, and why? Which do governments usually consider most important? What did Jeremiah insist was most important, and why? According to Jeremiah, what was wrong with his world ? To what would he point as the real center of world crisis toda\ ? What did Jeremiah claim God had already done to prevent the crisis in which his natiop was involved (25:3- 6 ) ? Who is supposed to play the role of "prophet" in the world today? How can "anger" (25:6,7). "wrath" (fury, AX., 25:12), and "tierce anger" (25:37,38) be attrib- uted to God? Are God's acts of judg- ment described by Jeremiah to be in- terpreted as retributive, deterrent, or reformatory, or neither? What are the "imponderables " of any world crisis? How can they be detected, and how utilized? From man's side, what do con- science, moral principle, prayer, cour- age, faith, contribute to surmounting a world crisis? The Old Tesfanicnt Situdtion in the Li(/ht of the New Testament Gospel What were the Pharisees and llerodians attempting to accomplish by addressing the question about tribute to Jesus? "And unto (jod the things that are God's" — Where did Jesus place the accent in his answer? What did he intend his cjuestioners to understand by it? Why should they marvel at him ? According to Jesus and Jeremiah, what tribute does God expect? What right has He to claim it? "That this nation under (jod shall have a new birth of freedom" — How would Jesus, or Jeremiah, declare this is to be brought about ? In the light of Jesus and Jeremiah. how must our modern definitions of patriotism and internationalism be re- defined ? 4. God's New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31-34; Mark 14:17-25 On the Aleaninf/ of (Jovenant in the Bible The Hebrew word for Covenant, 'ith, is derived from an Akkadian vord, "to bind," or "to fetter." A "Serith, therefore, suj2;gests a binding or a bond. Jeremiah 31:32: How is the his- toric bond between God and His people portrayed here by Jeremiah? 2:1-3: Why is Jeremiah's picture lof the marriage-bond, to illustrate the position of God with respect to Israel, so appropriate ? 3:1-5: How does the prophet vivi- fy the tragic historical accompani- ments of this relation? (Compare with Hosea 1-3.) 3:15-17; 18-20; 21-25: By what living examples does Jeremiah fur- ther illustrate the covenant relations of God to His people? Jeremiah and the Historic Situation Jeremiah 34: How does the be- havior of the people of Jerusalem dur- ing the siege illustrate their infidelity to God? (Chapters 37,38,39: Why should Jeremiah have been considered to be a traitor? What was he really trying to accomplish? Chapter M: How does Jeremiah's purchase of the field during the siege symbolize his hopes for the future? The Siynificance of Jeremiah's Experience Jeremiah 31:31-34: How does Jeremiah contrast God's New Cove- nant to the Old? ! How is one to interpret his words, I "My law in their inward parts," and "in their heart will I write it"? To what corporate experiences of ".God's people does the prophet point? To what individual privileges? On what guarantee does God's New Covenant rest? How is this Covenant to be made effective? How did the ruin of the nation drive Jeremiah to face the problem of the destiny of the individual in rela- tion to God's Covenant? The Old Testament Situation in the Lit/ht of the New Testament Gospel How was the situation of Jerusa- lem under the Romans in Jesus' day I like that of Jerusalem under the I Habylonians in Jeremiah's day? AVhy was the Passover (Mark 12:12-16) a particularly appropriate time for Jesus to observe a last supper ';with His disciples? ? What ominous tensions disturbed jthe fellowship of the disciples with Jesus (Mark 12:17-31)? How can the act of Jesus in insti- tuting the Lord's Supper be regarded as fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy about the New Covenant? How does an understanding of Jeremiah's life and work enable us to comprehend the world's need of Christ? Why could not Israel's eternal des- tiny be closed with its political life? How and why was Jesus Christ qualified to be the Mediator of the New Covenant? National Lutheran Council DIVISION OF STUDENT SERVICE 327 South LaSalle Street CHICAGO 4, ILLINOIS 5M-8-53 DATE DUE ill