Jeremiah 13-19 (Living Parables for the Dead)
The Weeping Prophet
Part 6: Living Parables for the Dead (13-19)
Acting out the Truth
The prophets received and delivered their messages in memorable ways. Jeremiah was given a lesson using a belt (13:1-11) which illustrated that God’s people only have value insofar as they are connected to God. He delivered a powerful message with his shocking twist of the normally positive image of wineskin (13:12-14, 25:15, 51:7).
Methods to the Madness
Jeremiah prophesied about the myriad of ways in which the people would be judged (14:12, 18, 15:2, 16:4). Some would be exiled (13:19, 15:14, 16:13, 17:4), some killed in an attack (15:3, 8-9, 16:16), some would die of thirst/starvation (14:1-6, 22), and others from deadly diseases (16:4), all because their hearts were wicked (17:9-10) and they had not kept God’s Law (17:19-27).
The Potter and the Clay
This section ends with a very powerful illustration in which God is imagined to be like a potter and Judah like clay in His hands (18:1-12). God had intended for Israel to be a vessel perfectly fashioned to pour out God’s love to the world. But instead the clay was marred and impure. The question was, would the lesser vessel continue to harden, or remain soft so that the Potter could continue molding it. The answer was unfortunate, the pot needed to be smashed (18:12, 19:10-11).
Part 6: Living Parables for the Dead (13-19)
Acting out the Truth
The prophets received and delivered their messages in memorable ways. Jeremiah was given a lesson using a belt (13:1-11) which illustrated that God’s people only have value insofar as they are connected to God. He delivered a powerful message with his shocking twist of the normally positive image of wineskin (13:12-14, 25:15, 51:7).
Methods to the Madness
Jeremiah prophesied about the myriad of ways in which the people would be judged (14:12, 18, 15:2, 16:4). Some would be exiled (13:19, 15:14, 16:13, 17:4), some killed in an attack (15:3, 8-9, 16:16), some would die of thirst/starvation (14:1-6, 22), and others from deadly diseases (16:4), all because their hearts were wicked (17:9-10) and they had not kept God’s Law (17:19-27).
The Potter and the Clay
This section ends with a very powerful illustration in which God is imagined to be like a potter and Judah like clay in His hands (18:1-12). God had intended for Israel to be a vessel perfectly fashioned to pour out God’s love to the world. But instead the clay was marred and impure. The question was, would the lesser vessel continue to harden, or remain soft so that the Potter could continue molding it. The answer was unfortunate, the pot needed to be smashed (18:12, 19:10-11).
posted by matthew at 11:17 AM
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