Jeremiah 1.3 - Historical Context

Jeremiah's prophecy is another chapter in the story of of a faithful god shepherding his wayward people.

Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had long since fallen and now Judah found itself stuck between giant political and military powers. To the Southwest, was the Kingdom of Egypt. To the East was the Assyrian Empire, and then Babylon.

Jeremiah's time spanned from the hopeful reforms of King Josiah and through the corrupt mess of his successors, to the eventual destruction and final exile.

In the final days of the Kingdom of Judah, the Judean kings were reduced to groveling for the favor of one empire or another. This stood in stark contrast to the heroic Josiah - the fearless king who stood against both Eastern and Western powers. Josiah was fierce about standing for independence, even to his own detriment.

Josiah's passion for political independence was like his passion for religious Independence. Instead of compromising with the pagan pantheon, Josiah fought for the Old Ways. Not his successors, however. Both politically and religiously, they sought to emulate their neighbors. Chasing idols and strange religious practices, the kings drew the ire of Jeremiah, who promised destruction.

The kings were double dealing. They were double dealing the powers of the world and the power of Heaven. The end of Judah was inevitable.