4th Quarter 2015 – Good Word

The official study guide has entitled the last lesson simply as “Lessons from Jeremiah.” A fruitful way of focusing on that theme would be to ask for personal testimonies – around the circle, perhaps –...

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Back to Egypt

Lesson 12 for the week of December 12 to December 19

Key Texts: Jeremiah 40-44 Jeremiah 40-44 tells the tragic story of intrigue and broken promises. It tells how Jeremiah, against his own counsel and against his own will, was taken to Egypt by the rebels....

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The Covenant

Lesson 11 for the week of December 5 to December 12

Key Texts: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12 Questions for Discussion 1. Question: Given the somber news that dominates the book of Jeremiah, how does one explain the sudden appearance of the new covenant promise in 31:31-34?...

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Destruction of Jerusalem

Lesson 10 for the week of November 28 to December 5

Key Texts: Jeremiah 29:1-14; 37:1-10; 38:1-6; Question: In the light of the horrible events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem, do you think Jeremiah would have preferred to die, or suffer through with his fellow countrymen?...

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Jeremiah’s Yoke

Lesson 9 for the week of November 21 to November 28

Key Texts: Jeremiah 16:1-13; 27, 28 The official study guide for this week’s lesson uses “yoke” in two different senses: 1. A reference to the “yoke” of Jeremiah’s difficult life, thus laying the foundation for...

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Josiah’s Reforms

Lesson 8 for the week of November 14 to November 21

Key Texts: 2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chron. 34-35 In lesson #3 we documented the gradual nature of Josiah’s awakening. Those steps can be listed briefly again here: Josiah’s reign began in 639 when he was...

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Crisis Continues

Lesson 7 for the week of November 7 to November 14

Key Texts: Jeremiah 10, 26 The official “theme” for this week’s lesson is not very revealing, but the primary passages point to two very diverse but significant issues: Israel’s attraction for other gods (Jeremiah 10)...

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Symbolic Acts

Lesson 6 for the week of October 31 to November 7

Key Texts: Numbers 19, Jeremiah 13, 18, 19 Symbolic acts can be very helpful, but also deadly. Differences in personalities and cultures can lead to significant distortions. In this lesson we will consider one of...

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More Woes for the Prophet

Lesson 5 for the week of October 24 to October 31

Key Texts: Jeremiah 18:18-23; 20:7-13, 14-18 The theme for this lesson in the standard Sabbath School lesson guide is similar to the one for the last lesson (“Rebuke and Retribution”) in that both focus on...

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Rebuke and Retribution

Lesson 4 for the week of October 17 to October 24

Key Texts: Jeremiah 11:18-23; 12:1-6; 15:10-12, 15-21; 17:14-18 Jeremiah’s “Confessions” For lessons 4 and 5 we will be focusing on a cluster of unique passages in Jeremiah called by scholars as Jeremiah’s “Confessions.” The title...

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The Last Five Kings of Judah

Lesson 3 for the week of October 10 to October 17

Key Texts: 1 Chron. 34; Jeremiah 21-22 A Touch of Good, an Avalanche of Evil Josiah and his four sons were listed in connection with the first lesson of this quarter. That list is repeated...

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The Crisis Within and Without

Lesson 2 for the week of October 3 to October 10

Key Texts: Jeremiah 2 Jeremiah Against the Backdrop of History The standard Sabbath School study guide takes this second lesson to survey the history of Israel up to the fall of Jerusalem during the time...

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The Prophetic Calling of Jeremiah

Lesson 1 for the week of September 26 to October 3

Key Texts: Jeremiah 1:1-19; 7:5-7 The Book of Jeremiah The book of Jeremiah is remarkable for several reasons. Canonical status. The man for whom the book is named was thoroughly vilified by the believers in...

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Tag: 4th Quarter 2015