THE COLLEGE OF MAASIN

Nisi Dominus Frustra

Maasin City, Southern Leyte

THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH

A RESEARCH PAPER
IN BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

Rebuilding and Restoring Hope: Heralding a Whole

Life

SUBMITTED BY (GROUP 2):

LEADER:

FRITZIE LABIAL

MEMBERS:

JOSIEBELLE ANDAMON

JASHEY JILL MONTEDERAMOS

SUBMITTED TO:

JOHNFREE VALLINAS B ISHOP

DULCE PIA ROSE
December 2022
I. Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah

Why study this Book?

The book of Jeremiah contains the prophecies, warnings, and

teachings that were part of the prophet Jeremiah’s ministry to the Southern

Kingdom of Judah. Because many of Jerusalem’s leaders and people rejected

Jeremiah and other prophets and continued to sin, Jerusalem was destroyed,

and many Jews were taken captive to Babylon. This book illustrates that the

covenant between God and Israel does not make God’s people invincible. If

they do not fulfill their part of the covenant and heed the Lord’s word, they

withdraw themselves from God’s care and protection.

As students study this book, they will deepen their understanding of the

covenant between the Lord and His people. By studying the Lord’s work to

restore His people and help them overcome the effects of their sins, students

can learn of the Lord’s power to save and bless us. Students can also learn

from Jeremiah’s example that each of us has God-given responsibilities to

accomplish in this life and that the Lord will help us fulfill these responsibilities

as we turn to Him, regardless of how difficult those responsibilities may be.

Who wrote this Book?

Jeremiah is responsible for much of the content of this book, but he

likely used scribes to record his words as he dictated them (see Jeremiah

36:4). Jeremiah was born into a family of priests and preached to the

Southern Kingdom of Judah for approximately 40 years, seeking to “stem …

the tide of idolatry and immorality” (Bible Dictionary, “Jeremiah”). He was

eventually imprisoned in Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 37:15; 1 Nephi 7:14), and

“after the fall of Jerusalem [around 586 B.C.], the Jews who escaped into

Egypt took Jeremiah with them (Jer. 43:5–6), where, according to tradition,

they stoned him to death” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Jeremiah”;

scriptures.lds.org).

When and where was it written?

Jeremiah began his ministry in 626 B.C., the thirteenth year of the reign

of King Josiah (see Jeremiah 1:1–2) and continued to preach until after the

downfall of Jerusalem in approximately 586 B.C. (see Bible Dictionary,

“Jeremiah”). His preaching overlapped with the ministries of other prophets,

including Lehi (see 1 Nephi 1:4, 18–20), Zephaniah (see Zephaniah 1:1), and

Urijah (see Jeremiah 26:20–24). Some of Jeremiah’s words were recorded

before the destruction of Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 36:32).

What are some distinctive features of this Book?

Most prophetic books in the Old Testament focus primarily on the word

of the Lord as revealed by the prophets but not on the lives of the prophets

themselves. The book of Jeremiah is an exception. In addition to including

Jeremiah’s prophecies, the book contains biographical information about

Jeremiah and insights into the emotional and mental anguish he sometimes

experienced as he ministered in the midst of so much opposition (see

Jeremiah 8:18–9:2; 15:15–18; 20:7–9; 26; 32; 37–38).

The book also addresses the doctrine of foreordination, which teaches

that the Lord calls individuals to fulfill certain responsibilities and assignments
in mortality. The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew

thee … and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

Knowing that the Lord had intended him to be a prophet in difficult times may

have given Jeremiah the strength and faith he needed to preach the Lord’s

word in the face of persecution.

A theme that runs throughout the book of Jeremiah is that just as the

Lord had watched over His people as they experienced destruction, He would

also gather, restore, and strengthen them (see Jeremiah 31:28). In one

revelation recorded in the book of Jeremiah, the Lord said He would make “a

new covenant” with His people, meaning the new and everlasting covenant of

the gospel established by Jesus Christ during His ministry and restored in the

latter days (Jeremiah 31:31–33; see also D&C 22:1; 66:2). Jeremiah also

prophesied that in the latter days, the Lord would send forth fishers and

hunters to gather Israel to Him, an event that would be more impressive to

those who witnessed it than the deliverance of the children of Israel from

Egypt (see Jeremiah 16:14–16).

Jeremiah “dwells much on the inwardness of the Lord’s relation to the

mind of His servants. External service is useless where there is no devotion of

heart and life; superficial reforms were of no avail—a complete regeneration

in the national life was required” (see Bible Dictionary, “Jeremiah”).

II. Israel and Philippine’s Setting

The setting of both country is not the same.

The Philippines is a country in Asia that was colonized by Spain and

then by the United States. Israel is a country in the Middle East that was

colonized by Britain, France, and Germany. The two countries have different

histories, but they are both considered to be "the West" in terms of culture and

values. They share many similarities, however, including a common religion

(Judaism, Christianity) and similar cultures. There are many similarities

between Israel and the Philippines. In both cases, a small country is

surrounded by larger countries. Israel is surrounded by Egypt on the east,

Jordan on the north, Syria, and Lebanon on the west and Gaza on the south.

The Philippines has been surrounded by Malaysia, Indonesia, and China on

three sides and both nations have been invaded by other countries. The

Israeli government is very religious, and this has led to a situation where

many people in Israel (and especially among the population of Palestinian

origin) feel that they are being treated unequally by the government. They feel

that their rights as citizens of Israel are being violated. In fact, after the 1967

war, many Palestinians fled to Jordan and stayed there because they felt that

their rights were being violated there. In contrast, the Philippines' government

is largely secular. The country was colonized by Spain for over 300 years, but

it was only in 1898 when the Americans took control of it from them during

their war with Spain. During this period, Filipinos did not have much say in

their own affairs as they were ruled by foreigners whom they didn't elect as
their leaders; many of them even fled to other countries such as Japan or

Korea because they felt oppressed by their colonizers. Religion is a very

important part of the Philippines, and it's a big deal when someone can

observe their beliefs. It's also a big deal when someone doesn't want to

acknowledge their beliefs. This is the same in Israel, but with a different set of

circumstances. There are many people who don't want to acknowledge their

Jewish heritage because it makes them uncomfortable or gives them guilt. But

there are others who do want to acknowledge it and have found ways to do so

in a way that makes sense for them. In Israel there are many religious

minorities and they all experience pressure from within their own communities

and from outside of them as well. This how difficult it can be for some people

who don't fit into the mainstream culture: they're still living with family

members who are not accepting of them, or don't really understand where

they're coming from, or just plain don't like what they believe because it's

different than what they believe themselves.

III. Reasons Why God Requires Jeremiah to Rebuild Nation Israel

In Jeremiah 33, the Lord gave Jeremiah a message that all of Judah’s

efforts to fight against Babylon will fail miserably (33:1–5); but God will work to

bring the nation back to its land, rebuild it, and forgive it (vv. 6–8). However,

the pinnacle of Jeremiah’s message in this chapter is the Messiah and the

Davidic Covenant. Three specific elements appear in the flow of Jeremiah’s

prophecy.

First, the Lord tells Israel and Judah all about the coming of Christ and

that he shall execute judgement and righteousness in the earth. However, the

context does not point to the First Advent but, rather, the Second Advent. The

prophecy highlights the fact that God’s ultimate plan for Israel’s restoration is

something far greater than the nation’s return from exile in Babylon.

The second element of this prophecy is God’s promise, “David shall

never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel” (v. 17). While

somewhat comforting to the people of Israel, this statement causes a certain

amount of theological consternation.

Clearly, no Davidic king has ruled after Zedekiah was taken to Babylon.

But in the later context of the chapter, it points out to the ongoing

multiplication of Davidic sons (Jer. 33:21). No doubt those who heard

Jeremiah remembered Moses had warned the Israelites of the curse of being
cast out of the land due to sin (Dt. 28), followed later by restoration (chaps. 29

—32). Nonetheless, the Davidic line would not be broken. There are probably

descendants of David alive today. Furthermore, Jesus—a descendant of

David—is alive and waiting to take His place on David’s throne.

Third, Jeremiah invoked the permanence of the Davidic Covenant to

assure Israel that God will never cast His people away forever. God reasons

from the impossible, telling people that, if they could stop the orderly

succession of day and night, then it would be possible for the line of David to

be broken. In this way, He acknowledges the ongoing, permanent nature of

the Davidic Covenant, which He initiated in 2 Samuel 7.

Such a promise would give the Jewish people hope for the near future

when they returned from exile. However, it would also cause their minds to

walk down the corridor of time to see the end-times glory of the Messiah

reigning over Israel forever. Israel is a nation that God will never cast away for

good; it will remain the apple of His eye.

IV. Relevance of the Purpose of God in the Rebuilding of a Nation in the

Present

In recent years, "nation building" has been transformed from a concern

of diplomats into an issue of global importance. Millions have watched the

efforts of America, Britain, and the United Nations to rebuild Bosnia,

Afghanistan, Iraq and other struggling countries. While it is shocking to see

the devastation and suffering caused by war, it has also been sobering to

witness the difficulties, frustrations and intrigues that have accompanied these

human-driven attempts to intervene and rebuild nations where millions have

been abused and exploited.

Again and again, the 20th century witnessed the phenomenon of failed

nations. All too frequently, the excitement and euphoria of a newly

independent nation soured into disillusionment as leaders driven by vanity

and greed (and governments riddled with corruption) robbed national

treasuries, exploited national resources for private gain, destroyed economies

and allowed their nations' infrastructure to decay and disintegrate. The

resulting poverty and suffering spawned waves of emigrants fleeing faltering

countries in search of a better life. Yet this surge of immigrants and asylum-

seekers—which continues into the 21st century—also threatens to overwhelm

social services and ignite fires of resentment in host countries that feel the

cultural fabric of their own nations weakening and beginning to unravel.

Failing nations and cultural decline have made nation building a major

concern in our world today. There is no shortage of candidates willing to

tackle the challenge. Communists, socialists, monarchists, dictators, and

democracies—and even religious leaders—have all tried their hand at solving

these problems. Yet none have found the key for building truly successful

nations or salvaging faltering countries. All nations today are struggling with

their own serious problems!

So where should we look for solutions? Is there a sound model that

clearly explains how to build solid and successful nations? Are there

instructions to follow, and specific steps to be taken? It is widely perceived

that the U.S. does not know what it is doing; The Economist magazine last

year illustrated the point vividly with a cover graphic showing "Uncle Sam"

frantically searching through a pile of books, seeking useful information about

nation building (March 8–14, 2003).

Yet there are solutions and practical guidelines about nation building in

a source that is little understood and seldom consulted today. Modern

planners do not investigate the Bible for answers to complex social problems,

because they consider it only a religious book with mythical stories and wispy

ideas. However, the Bible contains a blueprint for nation building that God

recorded thousands of years ago for our benefit. The gospel of Jesus Christ is

about right government and a new world order. God put this information in the

Bible for a reason, though that reason has been obscured from most people's
 vision. As we will see, the Bible contains vital perspectives and practical

guidelines for dealing with real problems that face society today. It offers hope

—and offers exciting news about the future, in which you could play a role!

REFERENCES

https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2004/july-august/nation-building-gods-

way

https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/jeremiah-lamentations

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-seminary-teacher-

manual/introduction-to-the-book-of-jeremiah?lang=eng

https://enterthebible.org/courses/jeremiah/lessons/background-of-jeremiah