A HIS NAME The name Jeremiah translates the Hebrew word yirmeyahu, to which has been assigned the literal meaning “Jehovah throws.” On the basis of this, various translations have been made, such as “Jehovah establishes,” “Jehovah exalts,” “Jehovah is high,” and “whom Jehovah appoints.” Any of these names would have been appropriate for the prophet called to such a ministry as his B HIS RANK AMONG THE PROPHETS Someone has said of Jeremiah, “Amid all the bright stars of Old Testament history there is not a name that shines brighter than that of Jeremiah.” By divine design it was Jeremiah who was called to prophesy in the darkest hours of Judah, when Judah as a nation died He is known as the “weeping prophet” and “the prophet of the broken heart.” But he wept not for his own trials, grievous as they were It was the sins of his nation and the fearful destruction these sins were bringing upon them that broke Jeremiah’s heart Jeremiah lived in a day when tragic events were unfolding, and he, as perhaps no one else at the time, comprehended their full signi cance He knew that within a short time the proud, beautiful city of Jerusalem with its magni cent Temple would be in ruins, and that his beloved people would be in captivity He also knew that the nation which had been God’s own peculiar treasure would be set aside for a time because of incorrigibility, and that supremacy would be given to the Gentiles No wonder Jeremiah wept Of all the writing prophets, Jeremiah and Isaiah stand out preeminently To place one above the other is perhaps arbitrary, for in many ways their ministries were di erent, and therefore di cult to compare Their personalities di ered, Isaiah being the bold and fearless type, Jeremiah the gentle and compassionate type Isaiah lived more than one hundred years before the captivity of Judah; Jeremiah ministered just before and during the nal catastrophe (See Chart 45.) Isaiah had foretold the judgments which were coming unless the nation turned to God; Jeremiah’s particular mission to Judah, toward the end of his career, was to notify the nation that their judgment was at hand, that God had rejected them (at least for the present), and that nothing now could save them from the punishment they so fairly deserved Chart 82 shows other prophets who ministered during Jeremiah’s time You may want to refer to a Bible dictionary for a brief description of each of these as background to your study of Jeremiah The prophets are: Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Daniel, and Ezekiel They were all faithful spokesmen for God; Jeremiah was prince among them C TIMES IN WHICH HE LIVED When one reads the history of the times in which Jeremiah lived (2 Kings 22-25), he does not wonder that God would no longer bear with His people Through Isaiah, God had said all He could say to keep them back from ruin, but they would not hearken So when Isaiah’s voice was still, there was virtual silence on God’s part for about sixty years Look at Chart 45 and observe the absence of a prophet during the reign of King Manasseh Scarcely had Isaiah and good King Hezekiah died when idolatry and numberless heathen abominations began to ourish in the land under the reign of Manasseh, one of the worst of Judah’s kings ... during the reign of King Manasseh Scarcely had Isaiah and good King Hezekiah died when idolatry and numberless heathen abominations began to ourish in the land under the reign of Manasseh, one of the. .. career, was to notify the nation that their judgment was at hand, that God had rejected them (at least for the present), and that nothing now could save them from the punishment they so fairly deserved...grievous as they were It was the sins of his nation and the fearful destruction these sins were bringing upon them that broke Jeremiah’s heart Jeremiah lived in a day when tragic events were unfolding,