Author: While there are disputes due to different literary styles and structure of the book, it is not impossible to ascribe authorship to Jeremiah as is stated in 1:1. Jeremiah is also thought to be the author of 1 & 2 Kings, which further supports his authorship as both books end identically in 2 Kings 25:27ff and Jeremiah 52:31ff.  The book often mentions a companion, Baruch, who wrote some of Jeremiah’s messages (36:1-4,32), and it is widely agreed he wrote down “the words of Jeremiah,” as mentioned in 1:1. 

 

Dating and Setting: Jeremiah prophesied in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, along with the Babylonian “puppet kings,” Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin. Jeremiah begin prophesying in 627 during the 13th year (1:2) of Josiah’s reign, and concluded in the fifth month of the captivity (1:3) which was around 585. Jeremiah spent all of his days prophesying to the Southern Kingdom of Judah and after 42+ years of faithful ministry, was forced to settle for his remaining years in Egypt.

 

Purpose of Writing: While the message shared during Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry changed multiple times in obedient response to the Lord, the reason written remains the same. Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire all due to the disobedience and refusal to turn from idolatry that was an ongoing problem for God’s people. The message that Jeremiah shares is that if they would have just been obedient and upheld the covenant, God would have not only spared them from destruction, but they would have prospered. Throughout Jeremiah’s time prophesying he shares that obedience was repentance and returning to the covenant, however obedience shifted to submitting to Babylon and going into inevitable exile. While in exile, the letter written from Jeremiah was a constant reminder that they deserved to be where they were in exile in Babylon. God repeatedly tried to show mercy, but due to their hard-heartedness, refusal to listen, and to learn from the previous mistakes of Israel and their destruction in 722, God was not lacking justice in their exile to a foreign land. 

 

Theme: An important part of studying God’s Word is finding an overarching theme to each book and chapter. The theme of each chapter must fit into the theme of that book, and the theme of the book must fit into the overall purpose of the Word of God. A main theme in Jeremiah is that through obedience to God, one finds abundance of life, through disobedience, there is heartache and death. Jeremiah lives a life of obedience and despite a “lack of fruit” in getting people to repent, life was found in not blending in