CRE NOTES FORM

THREE
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 The Holy Spirit is the third person in blessed trinity that is made up of God the father,
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
 During his farewell, Jesus assured his disciples that when he this world god would send
them the Holy Spirit.
 The Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the Bible;
(1) During creation in Genesis,
(2) At the annunciation of the birth of Jesus,
(3) At the beginning of the ministry of Jesus,
(4) During baptism,
(5) Revelation of Jesus in the temple
(6) Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit during his mission or ministry, after resurrection and
before ascension

Teaching of Jesus on the role of the Holy Spirit

 The Holy Spirit would act as a counselor.

 Holy Spirit would reveal to the disciples all the truth about God.
 He would remind the disciples everything that Jesus taught them.
 He would pronounce judgment to all sinners.
 He would strengthen their faith during persecution.
 Holy Spirit would be a companionship to the disciples.
 Holy Spirit would help the disciples to understand Jesus as the son of God.
 He would help the disciples to predict the future events.
 Holy Spirit would forgive sins through the disciples of Jesus.
 Holy Spirit would empower the disciples to become Jesus witness all over the world.

Peter message on the day of Pentecost

 Pentecost was Jewish festival celebrated after every 50 days after the Passover, it
commemorated the giving of the mosaic law on mount Sinai

Background to the day of Pentecost

 During the day of the Pentecost the disciples had gathered together when the holy spirit
filled
  The holy spirit came to them in form of a strong wind and tongues of fires which rested
on the head of each disciple
 The disciples spoke in different tongues on about the mighty works of God
 The foreigners who were gathered were able to understand what the disciples were saying
in their own languages
 Some were amused but other accused the disciples of being drunk

Peters message on the day of Pentecost

Peter stood up to defend accusation of being drunk and started explaining what was happening

 It was very early in the morning so the disciples could not be drunk
 Coming of the holy spirit was fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy
 Jesus was the son of God
 Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fulfill his promises
 The apostles were living witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
 God has made Jesus both judge and lord
 God raised Jesus from death to fulfill his David prophecy
 Jesus was delivered into the hands of evil men suffered and was crucified
 Jesus performed mighty deeds through Gods power
 The disciples and all Jews were the witnesses

The people were moved by peters message and asked what to do to escape God’s punishment but
peter invited them to repent and about 3000 people accepted peter’s message and baptized on
this day.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit

Gifts of the Holy Spirit are special powers or abilities to carry out special tasks

 The gift of wisdom - this helps Christians to understand the truth about God.
 Healing – ability to cure all types of diseases.
 Gift of performing miracles – ability to perform supernatural activities i.e. walking on
water.
 Gift of prophecy – ability to proclaim God’s message
 Gift of speaking in tongues – the Holy Spirit enables Christians to speak in a language
that he/she does not use on the ordinary.
 Gift of knowledge – this means intuition into matters of the kingdom of God
 Gift of faith – ability to believe and trust in God
 Gift of interpretation of tongues – enable one to interpret speaking in tongues

Paul’s teachings on the gifts of the holy spirits

 The gift of tongues is meaningless without love

 The gift of prophecy or knowledge in preaching too is useless without love
  Having a gift of faith so strong as to move a mountain or giving oneself as a martyr is
useless without love

Paul’s teaching about love

 Love is patience
 Love is kindness
 Love is not jealous or boastful
 Love is not disrespectful in dealing
 Love is not arrogant
 Love is not irritable or resentful but rejoices in truth, bears all things, hopes all things and
endures all things

Paul’s teachings on comparison between prophecy and tongues

 Those who speak in tongues cannot be understood by the audience who cannot interpret
the message.
 Those who speak in tongues communicate with God and so benefit themselves.
 When tongues are not interpreted they cause confusion to the hearers.
 A prophet message may touch a sinner who may repent and turn to God
 Prophecy contributes to the common good of the church

Criteria for discerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit

The New Testament gives the guidelines on how one may distinguish both the Holy Spirit and
evil one and between a true prophet and false one.

 Those with an evil spirit will curse Jesus.

 A person under the influence of the Holy Spirit will proclaim Jesus as the lord.
 A true prophet invites sinners to repent
 A false prophet will ask for payment for his prophecies
 A false prophet prophecies peace to please people
 A true prophet speaks the truth including God’s judgement to sinners irrespective of the
consequences

The fruits of Holy Spirit

Those who live by the spirit through faith in Christ produce the fruitful of the Holy Spirit which
is:

 Love
 Joy
 Peace
 Patience
 Kindness
 Generosity
  Faithfulness
 Gentleness
 Self – control

Manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church today

 Some Christians have the gift faith in God and are able to pray and believe that God will
grant their needs
 Those with the gift of knowledge are able to understand the scriptures better.
 There is speaking in tongues today
 Healing and performing miracles are evident today in the church
 Some Christians have witnessed healing and surviving miracles
 The gift of wisdom used by Christians to interpret the scriptures
 The gift of distinguishing sprits helps Christians to differentiate between the holy spirit
and evil spirit
 People with the gift of prophecy tell people what God intends to do
 Christians demonstrate love by carrying out works of charity and showing concern to
everybody in the society regardless of sex, age or status.

Ways in which the gift of the Holy Spirit have been abused in the church today.

1. Some pastors pretend to have the gift of prophecy hence giving false prophecies
2. Commercialization of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. People are asked to pay before they are
prayed for.
3. Some Christians who poses the gifts of the Holy Spirit develop pride.They look down
upon those who do not have.
4. Wrong use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit where faithfuls enter into a trance that may lead
to injuries
5. Distinguishing oneself as a person of a special call. Some preachers even start using
others for their own good or even receive gifts from them.
6. Using the gifts for self-exaltation(glorification)
7. Pretending to have a particular gift e.g speaking in tongues
8. Speaking in tongues in public and yet there are no interpreters
9. Lack of love when exercising gifts of the Holy Spirit
10. Some spiritual gifts are taken as superior than others
11. Unscrupulous Christians may impart demonic powers from the evil one on innocent
faithfuls

Ways in which the fruit of the Holy Spirit has been abused in Kenya today

1. Some Christians fail to work because they expect assistance from others
2. Some Christians over-depend on other people’s efforts
3. Some church leaders start many projects in the church expecting members to support
4. Some church leaders ask their congregation to cater for their personal needs like buying vehicles
and paying for their further studies
5. Some members of the church fail to return borrowed money expecting the church members to
understand
 6. When the church leaders demand for payment for all services they render e.g conducting
masses, officiating weddings, funerals etc

Ways through which Christians demonstrate the fruit of Generosity/kindness

1. By giving alms to the poor e.g food, clothes etc

2. By welcoming strangers in their homes
3. By putting their skills, time and resources to the service of the church
4. Sharing the word of God with others
5. Visiting the sick and prisoners
6. Rehabilitating street children, drug addicts and alcoholics
7. Caring for orphans e. g educating them
8. Ministering to and caring for people living with HIV/AIDS and other diseases such as cancer.

CHAPTER TWO

THE UNITY OF BELIEVERS

 Unity of believers refers to the oneness of those who have faith in Jesus Christ.
 These people were known by different names such as:
o The Christians
o Disciples
o The people who belong to the way
o The faithful
o Brethren
o The church
o The saints

Ways in which the unity of believers was demonstrated in the early church

 They prayed together

 They shared their meals and belongings
 They met together to receive apostolic
 They celebrated the lord’s supper together
 They welcomed each other to their homes and offered hospitality to them
 They showed concern and helped the less fortunate in the society
 They sold their property and distributed the money among themselves according to their
needs
 They preached the same gospel of Jesus They accepted new converts to the church
without discrimination
 They removed divisive traditions and customs for the membership of the church
 Churches in different places kept in touch with each other through missionary work

Ways in which the unity of believers is demonstrated in Kenya today

1. The church organizes interdenominational prayers

 2. Christians preach peace love and forgiveness for one another
3. Believers reconcile warrying parties
4. Christians in Kenya accept to form organizations such as national churches council of
Kenya
5. By promoting Christian youth movements in institutions such as Christian union
6. By living exemplary lives-being hospitable
7. By providing charitable services to the needy without discrimination
8. They celebrate Holy communion together
9. They meet together for fellowship

Factors promoting unity in Kenya

1. The national language

2. Education system
3. One currency
4. The national flag
5. The national anthem
6. Religion and religious practices
7. National sports and games
8. National holidays and celebrations
9. Employment

The concept of the unity of believers as illustrated in the New Testament

1. People of God 1 Peter 2:9-10

 In the Old Testament the Israelites were chosen people of God bound to him by Sinai
covenant.
 In the New Testament, the perception of the people of God is different.
 They possess various characteristics as found in the book of 1 Peter 2:9-10 as discussed
below:

Characteristics of the people of God

1. They are a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy nation

2. They belong to God
3. They have been called to declare wonderful works of God
4. They have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light
5. They are united with God through His son Jesus
6. They were once not a people but they are now the people of God
7. They have received God’s mercy
8. They share in the resurrection of Christ by not engaging in evil practices (living holy
lives)
9. They believe in God Through faith in Jesus Christ
10. Their destiny is no longer in this world but in the eternal home
 2. The body of Christ
1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:1-12
Paul uses the analogy of human body to demonstrate the unity of believers
1. Saint Paul describes the believers as the body of Christ.
2. Christ is the head of the church
3. The believers form parts of the body
4. The body has different organs in the same way the church has different members
5. Believers need to work together for the well-being of the church
6. Every part of the body is needed to make it whole
7. Different church members are given different spiritual gifts to carry out God’s work just
as different body organs works
8. Believers are united through baptism in the Holy Spirit
9. There should be no division in the church since all believers are members of the body of
Christ

3. The vine and the branches.

Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine to teach about the believer’s union with God

 Jesus is the true vine planted by God.

 Christians are the branches of the vine tree.
 God is the vinedresser from which the universal church grows
 Christians are related to God through Jesus
 Christians have a responsibility of remaining faithful to Jesus Christ because they depend
on him for spiritual nourishment
 Unfaithful followers are the unfaithful branches which are cut away /destroyed
 Believers can only bear fruit if they remain united to Christ
 Christians should rely on God for all providence
 Christians are expected to obey God’s commandment and love one another as Christ love
the church.

Manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Christ today

 Those who believe in healing may stop members from seeking medical treatments
 The gifts of the faith give Christians courage to condemn evil in the society.
 There is speaking in tongues today
 Healing and performing miracles are evident today in the church
 Some Christians have witnessed healing and surviving miracles
 The gift of wisdom used by Christians to interpret the scriptures
 The gift of distinguishing sprits helps Christians to differentiate between the holy spirit
and evil spirit

4. The church/the Assembly of God (Ephesians 5: 21 – 32)

Paul illustrates the unity of the church using divine marital relationship-husband and wife
relationship

 Just as wives submits to their husbands, Christians should submit to Christ. - Christians
are to be subject to other members by serving them.
 Christ is the head of the church just as the husband is the head of the family.
 Just as a husband and a wife come together from different backgrounds, so do members
of the church.
 Just as a husband and a wife become one flesh, Christians are supposed to be united.
 The union between a husband and wife is meant to last forever so Christians are called
upon to maintain steadfast faithfulness to Christ until eternity.
 Members of the church learn to live together in harmony just as a husband and wife
 Jesus loves us unconditionally just as husband and wife love each other.
 Just as Christ nourishes the church, husbands should care for their wives

e) The bride
Revelation 21:1-12, 2 Corinthians 11:2
1. Christians are the bride who are married to Christ who is the bridegroom
2. The church is to be committed to Christ just as the bride is to the bridegroom
3. Just as a bride keeps herself pure, Christians are expected to be pure and not corrupted
in sin.
4. Just as the bride is taken home by the husband, Christians will be taken home by the
husband, Christians will be taken to a new Jerusalem i.e
5. The believers are united in love with Christ as the groom and the bride are also united in
love
6. Just like the bridegroom and the bride the believers are to live exemplary lives that are
accepted to God.
7. Just as a bride is expected to be faithful to her husband, so are Christians expected to be
faithful to God.
8. The church which is the bride is God’s own choice and God who is jealous will not
tolerate rivalry.

CAUSES OF DISUNITY IN THE EARLY CHURCH

After Jesus ascended to his Father and left the Holy Spirit to look after his followers, the
disciples established congregations or communities to spread the Word of God. As believers of
Christians met and prayed together, there were disagreements and divisions brought about by
several factors and issues.
These were:
Dispute in the Church Leadership
Christians wanted different leaders. Some claimed to be followers of Paul, Apollos, Cephas or
Christ. Paul told them that Christ couldn’t be divided. He told them to be united since the
church is led by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:10 -21).
Sexual Immorality
Sexual immorality was another cause of disunity in the early church. Some Christians were
doing or having irresponsible sexual behaviors. These were incest, fornication, and prostitution.
Paul condemned such behaviors and told Christians to stop sinning and honor God with their
bodies. He told them that the body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthian
5: 1-13, 6:12 – 20).

Christians settling disputes in civil courts.

Christians in Corinth were taking each other to courts of law to settle disputes. Unfortunately,
these were pagan courts.
Paul advised they ought to talk over issues among themselves and agree to solve problems on
their own (1 Corinthians 6).

Dispute over marriage and divorce.

Some Christians were opposed to marriage. Others were encouraging divorce.
Paul addressed these issues in 1 Corinthian, chapter 71-16. Paul advised Christians that it was
okay to marry or not to marry. But marriage was needed to stop immorality.

Eating of meat offered to idols.

Some Christians were eating meat offered to idols while others were against it. Paul advised
Christians not to eat anything that will cause their faith to weaken or fail. (1Corinthians 8
and10: 14 – 20.

Dispute over the covering of the Head during worship

Traditionally, women were expected to cover their heads and to dress modesty so as not to
disrupt the attention of others during worship. The practice was not being observed in Corinth
and women had started going to church without veils.
Paul reminded them of this requirement while women were advised to keep their hair short. He
advised both men and women to dress decently.

The abuse of the Lord’s Supper

Some Christians were overeating and over drinking during the Holy Communion. They also
grouped themselves according to social classes. (1 Corinthians 11:17 – 33).
Paul reminded them that the purpose of celebrating the Holy Communion is to come together
as believers to share and partake of the Lord’s Table.

The Misuse of Spiritual Gifts

Misuse of spiritual gift especially the gift of speaking in tongues. Paul taught that all gifts are
equal (1 Corinthians 12).

Misunderstanding of the resurrection of the Body

There was a misunderstanding about the resurrection of the body and the dead. Some were
saying there is no resurrection. Paul preached that if there is no resurrection then their
preaching was in vain as they were witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians
15).

Causes of disunity in the church in Kenya today

 The formation of splinter groups-division in the church

 Misuse of church funds by management
 Sexual immorality in the church
 Church’s failure to satisfy the spiritual needs of the members
 Differences in practice of baptism
 Different beliefs about the resurrection
 Appointment of women as church leaders
 Discrimination against some members of the church
 False pastors who are after money
 The misunderstanding of the use of spiritual gifts
 Misinterpretation of scriptures resulting in disagreements
 Pride of some Christians
 Greed for material wealth
 Failure of some leaders to be good role models

Ways in which unity is maintained among Christians today

 By reading the Bible

 By preaching love and forgiveness for one another
 Christians visit the bereaved families and offer material support, prayers e.t.c.
 Unity is experienced when Christians gather to help the needy
 When members of the church pray together
 When members of the church visit the needy orphans and sick people
 Interdenominational prayers are held at the central place for the nation
 Christians invites disadvantaged members to their gatherings
 Condemning practices and customs which threaten unity in the society
 Encouraging and promoting dialogue among people
 Reconciling warring parties and encouraging peace agreements
 Avoiding discriminations such as tribalism in the church
 Providing guidance and counseling to affected people

Causes of conflict between the youth and the church today

 Mode of dressing
 Language-mode of communication
 Controversies over the kind of music and dance the youth take part in
 Issues related to sex and marriage
  Rigidity in biblical interpretations by the church
 Controversies over observance of church activities

CHAPTER THREE

SELECTED OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS AND THEIR TEACHINGS

DEFINITION OF PROPHETS

A prophet

 A prophet is a person who predicts what will happen in the future.

 A prophet is a person who receives messages from God through a special channel such
as vision, dream, prayer and tell people what God has revealed to him

Prophecy

 A divine message from God’s servant

 An utterance by a prophet about an event or events to take place in future

Other terms used to describe a prophet in the Old Testament

 Messenger of God
 Shepherd of God’s people
 A watchman of God’s people
 Man of God
 A servant of God
 A servant of Yahweh
 A man of Spirit
 A seer
 A nabi

Categories of prophets

There are two major categories of prophets

1. True prophets
2. False prophets
 1. True Prophets

Categories of True prophets

a. Major prophets
Their books are long and contain clearly written message

b. Minor Prophets
The books are short and contain less information than those in the major books

c. Early Old Testament prophets

 They belonged to guilds or schools. They lived together in communities under a chief
prophet who was their leader
 They appeared early in the history of Israel as a nation e.g. Moses, Elijah, Samuel,
Nathan

d. Professional prophets

 They earned their living through their work of prophecy like Samuel was given a silver
coin as token for his prophecy
 They were true prophets and they never give prophecies in favor of what the king
wanted to hear

e. Canonical prophets

 Their writings were accepted as truth from God. Their prophecies are recorded and
preserved under books bearing their names
 They include both the major and minor prophets

f. Cultic Prophets
 These are prophets who served in places of worship for example at Bethel and
Jerusalem
 They were associated with religious activities in shrines

2. False prophets

 They were prophets who were claimed to speak in the name of Yahweh but were not
called by Yahweh.

The importance of prophets in Israel

  Condemned all forms evil in Israel committed by its leaders e.g. corruption by prophets
Amos & Elijah.
 Foretold future events that affected both positively and negatively the history of Israel
like destruction, birth of Messiah etc.
 Guided and counseled the people whenever they broke God's covenant,
 They were the mediators between God arid Israel.
 Warned people of God's coming judgment when they had failed to repent.
 Gave people hope of being restored if they were willing to repent.
 They communicated God’s message about the future
 They preached practical monotheism and condemned idolatry
 They acted as priests to the people
 They acted as the conscience of kings-advised the kings when they were

Characteristics of true prophets

 They received God's call in form of a vision, symbolic actions, dreams, signs etc.
 Acknowledged one true God - Yahweh.
 They were obedient to God’s call
 They spoke with authority to the people whom God had send them to.
 They lived exemplary lives meditating the law of God.
 They were pious people who spoke and acted the way of the word.
 They revealed Gods word in symbolic ways like Isaiah walking naked and Hosea
marrying a prostitute.
 They faced opposition from their own people.
 They heard God's voice calling them to be His spokesmen.
 They stood for the covenant way of life
 They were prayerful
 They condemned evils in the society.
 They challenged false prophets
 They proclaimed God’s judgement and punishment

Characteristics of false prophets

 They claimed to speak in the name of God

 They demanded payment for their services
 They lived immoral lives
 They gave messages that give wanted to hear
 They gave false testimonies/prophecies
 Practiced prophetic ecstasy (prophetic exaltation)
 They challenged the work of the true prophets
 They promoted idolatry
 They were not guided by Yahweh but their own imaginations
 Some were paid servants of kings and only said what pleased the king
How prophetic messages were written

 Some prophets dictated their message to their secretaries e.g. Prophet Jeremiah
dictated to his scribe Baruch
 Prophets themselves wrote down the prophetic messages e.g Isaiah 30:8, Habakkuk 2:2-
3
 Prophet’s disciples preserved the message orally which were later written and in
cooperated in the books of Kings (2 kings 18-20)
 Some prophetic messages were written by God himself e.g. the ten commandments
 Some prophetic messages were preserved in form of letters
 They were written in stone tablets and scrolls

Ways in which the Old Testament prophets received their messages from God

1.Through visions

2. Through dreams e.g. Daniel

3. Through ordinary events e.g. boiling pot

4. Through historical, natural or unnatural events

5. Hearing God’s voice

6. Through God answering their prayers

7. Personal experiences for example, prophets Hosea and Jeremiah

Ways in which the Old Testament prophets deliver God's message to the people

Through songs and poems

Through miracles
Through symbolic actions
Through sermons
Through, scribes
Through story telling

Relationship between the old testaments prophets and the New Testaments

 Old testament prophets condemned insincere worship and elaborate sacrifice which
was also condemned by Jesus in the New Testament
 Theme of salvation in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the new testament through the
coming of Jesus Christ
  The prophecy of suffering servant in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament
through the suffering of Jesus Christ
 The prophecy of the new covenant in the Old Testament is inaugurated by Jesus during
the last supper
 Nathan’s prophecy to king David of great descendant who would establish everlasting
kingdom is affirmed by the angel Gabriel ‘s message during annunciation of the birth of
Jesus Christ.
 Jesus upheld the law of Moses and asserted that He did not come to abolish the law but
to fulfil it
 Jesus gave law a deeper meaning and set up higher standards than those contained in
the law of Moses
 The coming of John the Baptist fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of a forerunner to
prepare for the coming of the Messiah
 Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem was a fulfilment of Zachariah’s prophecy who
talked about a humble king who would bring peace.
 Isaiah 7:14 is fulfilled in the conception of Mary and later giving birth to a son called
Immanuel. Isaiah had prophesied that a virgin will bear a son called Immanuel.
 Jesus condemns all the evils condemned by the Old Testament prophets,
 Micah 5:2 - states that the messiah will be born in the city of David which is fulfilled in
Luke 2;4 which says Jesus was in Bethlehem the city of David,
 Nathan's prophecy about a descendant of David establishing an everlasting Kingdom (2
Sam 7:13-14) is fulfilled in the kingship of Jesus.
 Joel 2:28 is fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts. 2) when the disciples are filled with
the Holy Spirit.
 Jesus himself read Isaiah 61:1-2 and said that the scripture was fulfilled in his coming.

Similarities between the traditional African and Old Testament prophets

 Both were approached to reveal and interprets God’s message to the people
 In some cases, prophets led people in religious rituals
 In both cases they were consulted to settle disputes in community
 In both cases they were charismatic personalities
 They both condemned social injustices and evil
 They both felt the irresistible force to carry out God’s message
 In both cases they had supernatural powers
 They both warned people of impending danger and foretold the future
 The prophecies in both came to pass
 They were both called by god to convey his messages
 Both were mediators between God and the people

Differences between Old Testament and traditional African prophets

  Prophecies of the old testament prophets were recorded and written while those of
traditional African prophets were never written or recorded
 Old testament prophets were rejected by their own people while those from traditional
African were loved by their own people
 Traditional African prophetic character was hereditary while in the Old Testament was
never hereditary.
 Old testament prophets received their message from God while traditional African
prophets received their messages from the spirits and ancestors
 Old Testament prophets were universal while traditional African prophet were local i.e.
elect with only one community.
 The authority of some traditional African prophets was from spirits and ancestors while
that of Old Testament prophets was from God.

The relevance of the Old Testament and the traditional African prophets to Christians today

 Christian should lead a prayerful life

 Christians should condemn in the evil in the society
 Christians should preach the gospel to all people without discrimination
 Christians should assure people of God’s protection in their lives if they obey God’s
teaching
 Christians should be courageous in when doing the work of God
 Christians should lead exemplary lives
 Christian should obey God’s message and those in lawful
 Christians have a duty to reveals Gods nature to the people

Ways in which a Christian can know a false prophet today

If their words never come to pass.

If he practices magic.
If his teachings are not in line with the Bible.
When he asks for payment.
If he condones sin and evil.
If his life does not bear a fruit of the spirit.
If he speaks about things that do not exist.

How Jesus fulfill the roles of a prophet

Jesus taught people on their duties to God.

Jesus proclaimed judgment of God on sinners.
Jesus condemns sin and evil.
He taught on the universality of God.
Jesus performed miracles.
He had disciples through whom the people got his teachings.
He was rejected and persecuted for the gospel.
He taught people and asked them to repent.
He led an exemplary life.
He warned people of coming disasters and asked them to repent and foretold the future,
He reminded people on their social responsibilities.

PROPHET AMOS

The background of prophet Amos

 Amos started his prophetic mission during the reign of king jeroboam II of Israel and u
 Uzziah of Judah, during this period Israel did not have any external threat hence attaining
great prosperity economically.
 Peace prevailed in both Judah and Israel.
 Before the calling, Amos was a herdsman i.e. shepherd and dresser of fig trees.
 His home was in Tekoa near Jerusalem in Judah.
 Amos was not a professional prophet but was sent by God to proclaim his message.
 During this time, the people of Israel worship, idol and were too greedy in their business.
 The wealth people were becoming rich at the expense of the poor.
 They had switched their items of trade to wine and oil i.e. they were drunkard.
 They understood the judgment in as the coming of the “Day of the Lord.”
 God was going to punish the Israel for forsaking him and worshipping idols and
oppressing the poor

The call of Amos

 The word of the lord came to Amos while he was a shepherd in Tekoa and the word of
the lord came to him during the reign of king uzziah of Judah and jeroboam II of Israel.
 The lord sent him to go and prophecy in the northern kingdom.
 Amos prophesied terribleble things about Israel that the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid
to waste and the lord shall rise against the house of jeroboam with the sword.
 He prophesied that jeroboam shall die by the sword and Israel must go into exile away
from his land.
 He was ordered to flee from the land of Judah by Amaziah the priest but Amos responded
that he was not a prophet’s son not a prophet but a herdsman sent to prophesy to the
people of Israel.

Visions of prophet Amos

1. The vision of locusts

 God was sending locust to eat all their plants as a punishment for Israelites for their sins.
Amos pleaded with God and the punishment was withdrawn.

2. The vision of fire

  A great fire started to burn up the land from the sea. Amos prayed and pleaded God and
the punishment was withdrawn.

3. The vision of the plumb - line and crooked wall

 The crooked wall was checked by a plumb-line, this symbolized the crooked ways of the
people of Israel.
 Amos remained silence due to sinful ways of the people of Israel.

4. The vision of the of the destruction of altar

 Amos saw lord standing by the altar. The lord was commanding destruction of the
temple. This was because of it had became a centre of evil activities.
 The destruction was total and nobody was to escape.

5. A basket of ripe fruits

 The lord showed Amos a basket of ripe fruits meaning the time had come for the
Israelites to be punished because they trampled over the ready false balances and buying
the poor with silver.

The main teachings of prophet Amos

 Social justice and responsibilities

 Hypocritical religion in Israel
 Judgement and punishment against Israel and other nations
 Israel’s election
 The day of the lord
 The remnant and restoration

a) Social justices and responsibilities

There was lack of social justice and responsibility by the king of Israel. Social justice means
dealing with other people fairly. It implies showing concern for the needs of others.
Lack of responsibility. This refers to the rulers and people of Israel being accountable for their
actions. In modern life, it is doing ones duty and fulfilling ones obligation to God and others. The
Israelites forgot their responsibilities to the covenant demands. There were rampant social
injustices committed by the rich rulers, court officials and more others

The injustices condemned by Amos

 Murder
 Robbery with violence
 Land grabbling
 Sexual immorality like incest and cultic prostitution
 Drunkenness where even the Nazarites were forced to drink wine
  Pride in material possession and false sense of security
 Cheating in business i.e. use of false measures, selling of bad foodstuffs
 Selling of the poor into slavery because they were unable to pay debts
 Living a luxurious life by the women of Samaria in expenses of the poor

b) Hypocritical religion in Israel

 Amos condemned the following hypocritical worship which was demonstrated by

Israelites.
 Amos condemned the false religion while emphasizing true religion.
 People engaged in insincere worship by observing external religious rites yet they evaded
justice and oppressed the poor.
 Their tithe was from stolen land and animals sacrificed had fed on unjustly seized land.
 Amos asked them to avoid combining ceremonial worship with injustices.
 Amos told them that God would not accept their worship while they practised injustice.
 Amos warned them of the coming punishment of being taken to exile because of their
idolatry.
 Amos demanded that they conduct the religious ceremonies in purity and return to the
covenant way of life.
 He stated that true religion is practicing justice and righteousness.

c) Judgment and punishment against Israel and other nations

Prophet Amos pronounced severe God’s punishment and judgment to Israel and her
neighboring nations.
i) Israel.
She committed several crimes, which were condemned by Prophet Amos. Israel committed
crimes of injustice, disobedience to God, breaking their covenant with God, idolatry, hypocrisy
among other sins. Punishments were severe. Israelites would be exiled forcibly and painfully.
Earthquakes, famines, fires, oppression from foreign kings, epidemics and divine silence, would
destroy their kingdom and holy places.

ii) Syria.
Its capital was Damascus. Syria committed war crimes. The soldiers were excessively cruel in
times of war. They murdered their prisoners brutally. For this cruelty, their punishment was to be
severe. Their palaces would be destroyed by fire and the people would be exiled in Kir.

iii) Gaza and philistines.

Their crime was capturing other people and selling them into slavery. For this sin, God’s
punishment was destruction of their city by divine fire. It would burn down the wall of Gaza city
and destroy it. God would have no more association with them.

iv) Tyre.
Their Crime was violation of a treaty of friendship they had made. They broke it by capturing a
“whole nation into exile in the land of Edom”. The punishment was …God would send fire to
destroy city of Tyre and its fortress (Amos 1:9-10).

v. Edom.
Her people were descendants of Esau. Yet Edom was ruthless to the Israelite to whom they were
closely related. For this crime of ruthlessness, the punishment was … God would destroy them
by fire
v) Ammon
committed crime of brutal killings. The people of Ammon attacked and killed their
neighbours. They “ripped open pregnant woman in Gilead” (vs. 13). God’s punishment was
destruction of the fortress and wall of the city of Rabbah by fire. “Their king and his officers will
go into exile: (vs. 15).

vi) Moab.
The people of Moab; their crime was mishandling the body of the king of Edom. They burned
his bones to ashes. God’s punishment was destruction of the city of Kerioth by divine fire. The
people, their rulers and leaders would be killed in battle.

vii) Judah.
Their crimes were
(1) failure to obey God’s commands
(2) despising god’s teaching.

viii) Samaria, Egypt and Ashdod.

Their crime was dishonesty and “filling their mansions with things taken by crime and violence”
(Amos 3:10). Women of Samaria committed the crime of drunkenness, oppressing the weak and
poor. The punishment for all these countries is destruction of their land, mansions and army.

ix) Amaziah the priest of Bethel.

He strongly opposed Amos and told him to go back and prophesy in Judah. Amos told Amaziah
God sent him to Israel. His punishment for opposing God’s messenger was.. Amaziah’s wife
would be a harlot, his children will die in the war, his land will be given to others, and Amaziah
will die in a foreign land (Amos 7: 14-17).

i. Judgement and punishment for Israel and Judah

The Israelites would be punished because of committing the following sins

 They enslaved those from poor background.

 They practiced bribery in the court of law.
 They practiced hypocrisy and worshipped idols.
 They grabbed poor’s land.
 High sexual immorality.
 High interest charges levied on loans borrowed by the poor.
 Judah was to be punished because of forsaking God’s covenant treaty.
ii. Nature of the punishment that would befall Judah and Israel

 There would be earthquakes

 God would cover the land total
 judgment of Israel would be severe than that of other nations because they were God’s
chosen people and knew the law of God which they had forsaken
 The people would hunger for the word of God
 Amaziah the priest and the king would die by the sword
 The rich who had oppressed the poor would lose their properties
 Their land would be occupied by foreigners
 The people of Israel would be taken into exile
 The holy places would be destroyed
 Israel would be surrounded by their enemies
 Punishment would be effected on the day of the lord

Repentance and hope

God promised the people of the Israel many things if they repented their sins.

 God promised to restore the exiles.

 To rebuild the ruined cities.
 To spare the remnant.
 To raise a Davidic descendant to rule the people of God.
 To prosper in agriculture.

Israel’s election

 The Israelites had obligations to make the will of God known to other nations.
 God had promised great blessings to the Israelites who were God chosen people.
 The Israelites were called to serve God.
 Her election did not mean special privileges
 God’s continued favour to them would be determined by their obedience to him
 Israelites were given special land to inherit
 God made Israelites his only chosen people bound to him through the Sinai covenant.
 God delivered Israelites out of slavery land due to love

The Day of the Lord

Concept of the Day of the lord originated from Israelites political suffering.
According to them the day of the lord would intervene and restore them back to the lost glory.

Concept of the day of the lord according to the Israelites

 It would be a day of prosperity.

 A day when justice would prevail.
 A day of light and brightness.
  A day of rejoicing for all Israelites.
 Israel’s victory against their enemies.
 A day of excitement of the people of Israel.
 A day of establishment of God’s will to them.

The day of the lord from Amos teachings

 The Israelites who survived after conquest were the remnant.

 The eye of the lord would only be sent against sinful kingdom only.
 There would be re-union of the kingdom of David.
 Israel would conquer their enemies.
 The exiles would be restored back to their land.
 The cities would be rebuilt.
 They would settle in their promised land permanently.

The teachings of Amos on the Remnant and Restoration (Amos 9:8- 15)

(i) Remnants are the righteous people who were exempted from the punishment of Yahweh.
(ii) God was going to restore Israel through the remnants that were not destroyed.
(iii) He would restore the remnants who would rebuild the destroyed cities so that those who
bore his name would occupy them.
(iv) After restoration, the remnants would enjoy the fruits of the land.
(v) This gave hope and assurance to the Israelites that God kept the promises he made to
Abraham.

How the teaching on Remnant and Restoration is relevant to Christians today.

(i) Christians should learn to stand by the teachings of Jesus even if everyone is doing evil for
they in turn will be the remnant.
(ii) Christians especially the youth should shun immorality and drug abuse because the body is
the temple of God.
(iii) Christians are the today's remnant and so they should live exemplary lives.
(iv) Christians are the remnant whom God continues to use in the world.
(v) Christians need to know that the remnants are only those who choose, to live a righteous life,
(vi) The Christians will enjoy eternal life in paradise just as the Israelites did after destruction.

What prophet Amos condemn in the Northern Kingdom

(i) Mistreatment of the less privileged in the society.

(ii) Women who were living luxurious lives
(iii) Wealthy traders who overcharged their goods;
(iv) Murder.
(v) Cult prostitution.
(vi) Exploitation of the poor.
(vii) Bribery.
Ways in which the rich oppress the poor during the time of prophet Amos.

(a) Merchants robbed the poor.

(b) The rich grabbed land from the poor.
(c) They cheated them in business by use of false scales. :
(d) The poor were sold into slavery if they failed to pay their debts.
(e) They were denied justice in law courts.
(f) They were sold poor quality goods.
(g) They were charged high interest rates.

How was God going to punish the Israelites according to Amos .

(a) God will crash Israel.

(b) The enemy will surround Israel
(c) The Israelites would go to exile.
(d) God will completely reject Israel.
(e) There would be drought and famine.

The basic teaching of Amos

(a) His theme was divine judgment of sin.

(b) He emphasized social justice, "let justice run down like waters and righteousness like a
mighty stream
(c) Social justice was inseparable from piety.
(d) He called the people to repent and reform.
(e) He foretold the destruction, and desolation that was among the Israelites.
(f) He concludes by setting up of Messiahs Kingdom and spiritual happiness of the Kingdom of
Israel.

The characteristics of God according to Amos:

* He is Holy and righteous
* He is the sustainer
* He is a just God
* He is the restorer
* He is a universal God
* He is the creator
* He is super natural

The similarities in the divine call of prophet Amos and Jeremiah (Prophetic Vocation*)

* They taught on the universality of Yahweh

* They pronounced their messages fearlessly'.
* Their prophecies though rejected came to pass.
* They proclaimed God's judgment but gave hope that He would not destroy them forever.
* They believed in Yahweh as a righteous and for giving God,
* They forbade hypocritical worship and insisted on true -worship.
* They foretold of natural calamities and harsh punishments to non-repentant.
* They-both condemned evils of their day and told people to turn to God by repenting.
* They both received support in their work.
* They received God's support in their prophetic Ministry.
* They responded in faith and obedience to God's calling.

Reasons why Amos was against the Israelite way of worship.

* They had broken their covenant with God.

* They worshiped idols
* They exploited one another
* Their worship was external
* Their sacrifices and offerings were a show off.
* Their worship was syncretic in nature.

Relevance of Amos teachings to Christians today.

 The messages of the prophecy of Amos are relevant to Christians today. This is because
God is universal. He chose Israel but still punished her for her disobedience and sins just as
He punished other nations like Syria and Gaza.
 The message that God hates hypocrisy is very clear. Thus Christians should truthful and
practice what they preach. They must worship God in sincerity. Other messages are:
 Justice. Christians should be just / fair in dealing with others.
 Self-Indulgence. Christians should not pursue luxury and self-indulgence when others lack
the basic needs.
 Bribery. Christians should condemn bribery and corruption, and uphold justice.
 Punishment. Christians should bear in mind that God will punish every evil.
 Wealth. When Israel became wealthy, they departed from the covenant with God. Christians
should share their wealth with the needy and acquire their wealth justly
 Hypocritical religion. Amos taught about hypocrisy in religion. This was for example
offering empty sacrifices. Christians have to learn to be sincere, to be concerned about their
internal well-being and soul more than outward observances of religion.
 Drunkenness. Christians should not engage in activities that can divert their faith from God.
If that happens, they should learn to be Repentant.

PROPHET JEREMIAH
Introduction
-Israel had not taken heed to Amos’ prophecies. This was especially on idolatry. So, God sent
another prophet to continue with the same work. Jeremiah was therefore appointed as a prophet.
-Jeremiah is one of the Old Testament Major Prophets. He was called to a prophet at around 627
B.C. He was called as a young man, probably 20 years old. He prophesied in the southern
kingdom- Judah, for a period of 40 years. His prophetic ministry took place before and during
the exile of Judah.
1.BACKGROUND TO PROPHET JEREMIAH
a. Political Background.
 Prophet Jeremiah lived in the 7th century BC and prophesied for a period of 40 years
during the reigns of the following kings:
Josiah (639-597 BCE)
Jehoahaz (609 BCE)
Jehoiaki (609-597 BCE)
Jehoiachin(597 BCE)-for 3months
Zedekiah (597-587 BCE)-josiahs’s youngest son.
 He began his ministry in the 13th year of king Josiah in 626 BCE
 During this period Assyria was the super power in the region.
 Judah was conquered and ruled by Assyrians
 The Assyrians were later on conquered by Egyptians
 The Egyptians ruled Judah up to 605 BC.
 Egyptians were conquered by Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. This was
according to the prophecies of Jeremiah.

Social background
 The people of Judah were divided into three social classes:
i)At the top were the Aristocrats-These were the ruling class, which consisted of the
king, his family, royal officials, princesses, priests, and professional prophets. This class
of the rich oppressed the poor.

ii)Below them was the class of technical professional such as stonecutters, carpenters,
builders, masons, blacksmiths, masons, and others craftsmen (2 Kings 12:12).

iii.Below them was class made up of poor people such as slaves, widows, orphans, and
foreigners. All these poor people were mistreated.

 In terms of ethics, there was moral degradation.

 They committed the following social evils: adultery, prostitution, murder, false witness,
and corruption.
 Rulers had failed to lead the people to the covenant way of life-led them astray.
 The society was corrupt and the people did not want to repent. It is against this
background that Jeremiah addressed the social evils.

c)Religious Background.
 The Kings and people of Judah worshipped idols.
 They practiced human sacrifice
Divination and magic was also practiced.
 They listened to false prophecies/prophets
  They abandoned their covenant with God and their way of life
 They also practiced syncretism, which is worshipping God and other false gods like Baal.
 They practiced religious hypocrisy
 King Josiah tried to restore true worship by carrying out several reforms.
- Prophetess Huldah prophesied that Judah would be punished after Josiah’s death
since he humbled before Yahweh.

2.THE PERSONAL LIFE AND THE CALL OF JEREMIAH

a. The personal life of Jeremiah
 -Jeremiah was born in a small village of Anathoth near Jerusalem.
 -He was the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests in Anathoth
 -He descended from a priestly family but he was not a priest.
 -He had a deep knowledge of the history of the Israelites, the law of Moses and the
teachings of the earlier prophets.
 -He was called by God to be a prophet when he was still a young man.
 -He had a scribe known as Baruch who recorded his teachings and prophecies in a scroll.
 -He prophesied during the reign of kings Josiah, Jehoakim, Jehoahaz, Jehohachin and
Zedekiah.
 -He was commanded by God not to marry or participate in social functions.
 -He preached against evils in the society and prophesied against the coming judgement.
 -His message also contained hope and the future restoration of the Israelites.
 -He faced stiff competition from his people. He was persecuted, imprisoned and even
abducted.
 -Despite these challenges he persevered with his prophetic call.
 -God gave him strength until the Israelites were taken into exile by the Babylonians
during the reign of king Zedekiah.
 -He remained in Palestine with his friend Gedaliah who was made a governor by the
Babylonians.
 -When Gedaliah was assassinated some of the Jews who remained in Judah feared for
their lives and forced Jeremiah to flee with them to Egypt.
 -Jeremiah probably died in Egypt.

b. The Call of Jeremiah. Read

Jeremiah 1: 19.
 -Jeremiah was called to be a prophet in 627 B.C during the reign of King Josiah.
 -He received his call in form of a dialogue with Yahweh.
 -God told him that he had appointed him to be his messenger; even before he was formed
in his mother’s womb; God had selected him to be a prophet.
 -Jeremiah said he was too young and did not know how to speak.
 -God assured him that He had given him divine authority to act and speak.
  -God touched Jeremiah’s mouth. This symbolized that God is the one who shall put
words in his mouth.
 -Jeremiah responded to God’s call in faith and obedience.
o He was given a message that God was going to bring judgment upon the Kingdom
of Judah.
o God promised to make him a fortified city, an iron pillar and bronze wall for
protection.
 -During his call, Jeremiah saw two visions.
i) The vision of “a branch of an almond tree”.
Meaning
The tree seemed dead, bare, yet life was in it. This vision was telling Judah that although God
seemed to be ‘sleeping’, He was watching over them if they obey Him.

ii)A boiling pot facing away from the north” and it was about to tip over towards Judah.
(1:13).
Meaning
The boiling pot tilted away from the north signified that the destroyers of Judah would come
from the north. The pot was ready to boil over and spill its contents. This meant that Judah was
soon going to have trouble.
Babylon would pour horrifying disasters on Judah.

Reasons why Jeremiah was reluctant to God’s call

 -He felt inadequate-he was too young
 -He argued that he did not know how to speak
 -He was afraid because the task before him was a difficult one.
 -He knew that he would face stiff opposition from people.
 -His message of God’s judgement would make him unpopular among his people.
 -He did not have the message to deliver to the people.
 -He might have lacked absolute faith in God.

Lessons from the call of Jeremiah

 -God has a purpose for each person He calls.
 -God can call anybody to do His work. He calls the unborn, the young, old, rich, and
poor.
o God prepares people for His work, through specific experiences at family level, in
school, and church.
 -A person who is called to serve God should be ready to meet opposition.
 -God protects His servants and promises to be with them.
 -Jeremiah felt inadequate to speak. Christians should not let their human weakness hinder
them from performing their tasks.
 -Christians should respond to God’s call in obedience.
  -To serve God one needs courage and honesty.
 God demands obedience from His servants.
 -God knows His servants individually.
 -Christians should live morally upright lives and condemn evil.

3.THE EVILS ADDRESSED BY JEREMIAH.

Read Jeremiah 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 23, and 28.
There were many evils in Judah and Israel. We have mentioned some of them. These were:
necromancy, dishonesty, deception, false prophecy, human sacrifice, and idolatry
a. Necromancy.
 -Necromancy is the art of seeking hidden knowledge from the mysterious world of
spirits: using magic, and divination, which is invoking the dead.
 -Words related to necromancy are divinations, magic, sorcery, and playing tricks on
people’s minds.
 -Divination was condemned in the Hebrew culture
 -Diviners, magicians, sooth Sayers and fortunetellers used necromancy.
 -The practice of divination was practiced by some kings and leaders of Israel such as
King Saul (1sam 28:3-25) and king Manasseh of Judah(2kings21:6)
 -Prophet Jeremiah condemned necromancy.
Reasons that led the Israelites to engage in necromancy
 -They were influenced by superstitious worship of their neighbors.
 -They lacked faith in God
 -They practiced idolatry which involved acts of divination
 -They were misled by false prophets
 -Kings such as Zedekiah were not exemplary and therefore performed acts of divination.
 -The people did not heed the instructions of God’s prophets.
 -They lacked knowledge of the true Yahweh

Reasons why Jeremiah condemned necromancy

 -Necromancy was a form of cheating and therefore an evil practice. The diviners gave
false information from their own imagination.
o This practice polluted the true worship of Yahweh
 -It showed Israelites lack of faith in the one true God.
 -By consulting the mediums, the Israelites disobeyed God (Jer 27:8-10).
 -It indicated lack of knowledge of the power and nature of the one true God.
b. Deception and Dishonesty
 -Dishonesty is lack of moral integrity or moral uprightness.
o Deception is cheating, and telling lies intentionally.
 -It is also giving false and misleading information.
The Israelites were dishonest because:
  They worshiped God and at the same time committed social injustices against their
brothers and sisters.
 They laid traps for each other-People pretended to be friendly and at the same time
conspired to kill.
 Prophets and priests spoke nothing but lies-They listened to false prophesies like that of
Hannaniah.
 Their outward rituals in worship did not match their inner piety.
 They offered sacrifices to pagans and expected God to receive their sacrifices as well.
 Jeremiah challenged the Israelites to ‘circumcise their hearts which were deceitful-to
repent. As a result of that, Yahweh would punish them through an invasion by a foreign
nation and exile.

Reasons why Jeremiah condemned Deception/Dishonesty

-It led to syncretism.
-It led to hypocrisy in worship
- It led to breaking down of the covenant way of life.

c. False prophesy by Hannaniah.

Jeremiah 28
 -Jeremiah’s prophecy was challenged by Hananiah who was a false prophet in the temple
of Jerusalem.
 -During the reign of King Zedekiah, Hannaniah broke the yoke that Jeremiah was
wearing.
 -Hannaniah spoke in the name of Yahweh.
 -He lied to the people as he spoke from his imagination and dreams.
 -Jeremiah denounced Hannaniah.
 -He predicted and prophesied the death of Hannaniah in the same year.
 And it came to pass.
 -Jeremiah had also prophesied that the captivity of Judah should be long contrary to
Hannaniah who said Judah will be exiled for 2 years.

Reasons for condemning false prophets

 False prophets did not condemn sin.
 They encouraged idolatry in Judah
 They led people into evil practices
 They contradicted the teachings of the true prophets making them unpopular to the
people.
 Their prophecies were never fulfilled.
 They prophesied for money and in the process misled people away from Yahweh.
 False prophets prophesied from their dreams, imaginations and not from God.
 They gave people false hopes.
  They intended to make themselves popular, with the King and the people.

d. Human sacrifice.
Jeremiah 7:30-32, 32:35
 -Human sacrifice is the act of killing human beings for a religious or spiritual purpose.
 -The people offered human sacrifice to idols and oppressed each other. --The Israelites
copied this activity from the Canaanites.
o Children were believed to be the best sacrifice since people believed they would
get great favors from the deities.
 -Some kings such as Ahaz and Manasseh sacrificed their sons to idols. -Jeremiah
condemned human sacrifice.
 -It was carried out in the valley of Ben Hinnom.

Reasons for condemning human sacrifice

 Human sacrifice was an act of idolatry. It indicated infidelity of the Israelites to the one
true God.
 It demonstrated Israel’s disrespect for the sacred gift of life.
 It showed their lack of knowledge of the true nature of Yahweh.
 Human sacrifice defiled the land for life is in the blood. Blood speaks hence the land was
crying at this vengeance.
 God does not delight in human sacrifices.
 Human sacrifice was a sign of lack of love of God and love for one another.
 It is a demonstration of disregard for human life.
 Only God has the right to take away life.

e. Idolatry
Read Jer 2: 20, 2:1- 3, 5: 7- 8.
 Idolatry is the worship of many gods.
 Idols are images made by people for worship.
 The Israelites practiced syncretism, which we said was the worship of Yahweh and idols.
 The people of Israel were worshipping Baal the Queen of heaven, sun, moon, stars, and
also Yahweh (Jer 8:2).
 Idols were placed even in Yahweh’s sacred places.
 The temple was defiled by idols.
 Jeremiah condemned it. He told the people of Israel that “{they have forsaken the
fountain of living waters (GOD) and hewn out for themselves broken cisterns (idols) that
can hold no water” (Jer 2: 11-13).

Why did Jeremiah condemn idolatry?

 Idolatry is like adultery and prostitution.
  It was a sign of lack of faith in Yahweh.
 It defiled the land and its people.
 Idolatry led to divine judgment and punishment.
 By worshipping idols Judah broke the covenant and their relationship with God.
 It showed abandonment of Israel’s first love.
 It was pursuit of vanity
 It was rebellion against God.
 It a moral corruption that led to human sacrifice

And unless the people of Judah repented, they would be punished; as there is only one true living
God to be worshipped and obeyed.

Forms of idolatry today

 -Worshipping material things
 -Valuing physical appearance-beauty
 -Making sacrifices to spirits in order to appease them.
 -Visiting witchdoctors or diviners
 -Power
 -Devil worship
 -science and technology
 -careers
 -Sports-football
 -Personality cult

4.THE TEMPLE SERMON

Jeremiah 7:1-8,1-3
Sermon-refers to the interpretation of God’s words by a pastor, priest or lay leaders.
-The temple sermon was delivered by Jeremiah at the gate of the temple court. This was the main
entrance through which the people of Judah went in to worship Yahweh
-God told Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the Temple court and address the worshippers.
-Jeremiah condemned evil from this point.

Evils condemned by Jeremiah during the Temple Sermon

Jeremiah 7:1-8:1-3
a) Insincere worship
-The people of Israel would break the commandments and do evil then proceed to the temple to
worship Yahweh.
-Their outward expression of religion did not reflect their inner piety.
-He told them that external religious practices were meaningless and useless before God’s sight.
b) Idolatry
He condemned the people of Judah for worshipping idols and offering sacrifices to them.
Example of the goddess they worshipped was the “queen of heaven”

c) Exploitation of the poor (orphans,aliens and widows)

-The people of Judah were accused of oppressing the vulnerable in the society.
-They were also unjust in their dealings with one another.
-Jeremiah told them to mend their ways and execute justice.

d)Defilement of the Temple

-The people of Judah had defiled the Temple by putting the idols they worshipped in it.
-They also made the Temple a place of shrewd business and aden of robbers.
-They also defiled it by going to worship in it and doing evil deeds afterwards.

e) Wrong beliefs about the Temple

-They believed that the temple of God being a holy place could never be destroyed.
-They therefore lived sinful lives and went to the temple to worship as a ritual.
-Jeremiah condemned such beliefs and told them that God was going to destroy the temple in
Jerusalem just as He had destroyed the altar in Shiloh.

f) Murder
-Jeremiah accused the people of shedding innocent blood which went against the covenant that
God had made with them. (Jer 7:6)

g) Human sacrifice
-The people of Judah engaged in human sacrifice to their gods.
-They did it at the valley of Ben Hinnom.
-He condemned this act and declared punishment to the people of Judah.

h) Rebellion
They showed rebellion by sinning against God and refusing to repent.
-They did not listen to the prophets and leaders sent to urge them to change their ways.
-Jeremiah prophesied that because of their sturborness and rebellion of the people,God had
forsaken them.(Jer 7:16)

g) Empty sacrifices
The people of Judah offered sacrifices to God at the same time to pagan gods. Jeremiah told
them that the sacrifices meant nothing to God since they were sinful.

The Relevance of Jeremiah’s teachings to Christians today.

 Christians should denounce hypocrisy in the society today.
  They should not result to witchcraft, divination and sorcery.
 They should be upright, and worship God in sincerity.
 They are to proclaim divine judgment upon those who refuse to obey God’s will, just like
Jeremiah declared God’s judgment upon Judah due to the sins of the people.
 Like Jeremiah, Christians should speak out against modern idols like love of money,
power, and obsession with sports, sex, and drugs among other evils.
 Christians should condemn destruction of human life, violence; murder, abortion, parents
killing their own children, genocide and exploitation of the poor.
 Christians should be aware of the existence of false teachings and prophecies.
 They should pray for God’s guidance and wisdom to be able to distinguish truth from
false teaching. Christians have a responsibility to correct one another and call on sinners
to repent.
 Christians are to be trustworthy, upright, and merciful to the poor and condemn
dishonesty.
 They should practice justice in their relationship with others; preach against
disobedience, stubbornness and pray to God to help them overcome these vices.

JEREMIAH’S TEACHINGS ON JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT

Read Jeremiah 5:12-18, 6;1-30, 7:30, 8:1-17, 10: 17-25, 15;1-9, 17:1-13, 25: 1-38
1.JUDGEMENT AND PUNISHMENT
 Punishment is a penalty, for an offence or a crime committed.
 Judgement was used by the prophets to refer to the punishment and destruction that befell
individuals, communities and nations as a result of disobeying God’s commandments.
 But in punishing people, God is a just judge. He does not punish people without a reason
irrespective of their status.
 God judges people by looking into their hearts. Divine judgment is for a group. For
example, the people of Judah were punished as a group. However, God searches each
person’s heart and judges accordingly.
 God executes His judgment by means of political and historical events. -Divine
punishments are in forms of natural disasters like drought, famine, and epidemics.
 God’s punishment is unavoidable, and inescapable. Judah took the best option by
surrendering to the Babylonians.
 The purpose for God’s judgment is to correct the sinner. God gave his people a chance to
repent before he punished them.
 God’s judgment is universal. It is not limited to one nation. God punished the neighbors
of Judah who at that time were Egypt, Moab, Ammon, and Babylon. God’s punishment is
severe compared to that of venomous snakes that bite the people of Judah.
 God’s judgment is not necessarily a punishment from God for one’s sins.-It is symbolic.
The sufferings of Jeremiah were symbolic of the life of the people of Judah.

The people of Judah experienced the following punishment:

  The city of Jerusalem was captured and came under the rule of Babylon.
 Many people were killed during the Babylonian invasion including Zedekiah’s sons and
government officials.
 King Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babylon as a prisoner of war
 The temple and the buildings of Jerusalem were completely destroyed (Jeremiah 39:8)
 The Babylonians looted the city of everything of value.
 Those who were taken to exile were the leading class of Judah which included royal court
officials, residents of Jerusalem, priests, army officers and craftsmen.
 Those who remained in Judah were the “poor of the land” The Babylonian government
gave them the vineyards and fields of those who had gone into exile.

2. SYMBOLIC ACTS RELATED TO JUDGMENT AND PUNISHMENT

Symbolic actions are intensified form of prophetic speech or an acted form of the word of God.
They are also referred to as acted parables.
God commanded Jeremiah to present his prophetic message of judgement through symbolic acts.

Symbolic acts of Jeremiah

i. The linen waist cloth (Jer.13)
ii. Jeremiah’s personal life (Jer.16)
iii. Jeremiah’s visit to a potter (Jer.18)
iv. The broken earthen flask (Jer.19)
v. The symbolic vision of 2 baskets of figs (Jer.24)
vi. The wearing of the yoke (Jer. 27)

i)The Linen Waist Cloth.

Read Jer.13
Jeremiah was instructed by God to buy a linen waistcloth and wear it around his waist without
dipping it in water. He was told to hide the cloth in a hole near river Euphrates. Afterwards he
was told to take the cloth. He found it spoilt for wearing.
-Significance. The liner material was for priestly garments in Israel. It symbolized Israel’s
holiness. The unwashed cloth represented Judah’s sinful pride. Israel used to cling close to God
but now Israel / Judah were spoilt, rebellious, and arrogant and pursued foreign gods. God was
going to destroy them if they did not repent. The spoilt linen waistcloth was a symbol for future
God’s action.

ii) Jeremiah’s personal Life.

Jeremiah 16.
His life was a symbolic act. He was told not to marry, have children, and not attend funerals,
social gatherings, feasts and wedding parties.
-Significance. The personal life of Jeremiah was one of suffering. This signified the suffering
that the people of Judah would be subjected to. Judah was punished because of their wickedness
and rebellion.
Jeremiah’s loneliness signified the perishing of families through the sword, famine and disease.
It would be a time of terror for the families of Judah. Their normal social life of feasting, merry
making would come to an end. There would be no weddings and no one to bury the dead. Hence
Jeremiah was forbidden from mourning for the dead.

iii)Jeremiah at the potter’s house (Jer.18)

Jeremiah was told to go to a potter’s house. He found the potter making a clay vessel.
“Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into
something else (18: 4).
The potter made a better pot, more perfect vessel than the spoilt one.
-Significance. God is the potter. People of Judah are the clay. As the potter destroyed to vessel,
God intended to destroy Judah because of their wickedness and mold those who repented into
better people. God was going to shape them into faithful people. God’s judgment was to be a
corrective punishment.

iv)The broken clay Jar.

Read Jeremiah.19.
God told Jeremiah to buy a clay flask
He then took some elders and priests to the valley of Valley of Hinnon. He delivered a sermon
condemning the people of Judah for their idolatry and other evils. Jeremiah then broke the clay
jar in their presence and announced to them that Yahweh would destroy Jerusalem and Judah as
Jeremiah had destroyed the jar.
-Significance. The kings, priests and prophets of Judah would be shattered like the clay flask
because of their sins. Since, they brutally sacrificed their children; they are to suffer horrifying
experiences at the hand of their enemies. They shall suffer starvation and turn into cannibals;
eating their own children and neighbors (v.9).
Broken pieces of a clay pot cannot be molded. No one was to escape judgment. However, there
is hope after punishment.

v)Two Baskets of Figs

Jeremiah.24
Jeremiah received the visions, after the deportation and exile of leading citizens of Judah and
Israel to Babylon. Two baskets of figs were placed in front of the temple. One basket had very
good figs, which had ripened. The other basket had bad figs unfit for human consumption.
-Significance. The basket of good figs signified the first exile. God would renew their hearts; use
them to fulfill his promises to the Israelites. He would recreate them to a new people. The basket
of the bad figs represented people living in Jerusalem and Egypt. Since they were not exiled they
had a self-righteous attitude. They thought that God spared them because they were truthful but it
was not so. They shall also be destroyed through famine, and diseases. This vision signifies hope
and restoration of the Israelites.

vi)Jeremiah Wears an Ox Yoke.

Read Jeremiah. 27.
 When Zedekiah son of Josiah became the ruler of Judah,
 Jeremiah was instructed by God “to make” for himself “a yoke out of leather straps and
wooden crossbars” and to wear it around his neck (27: 2).
 Jeremiah moved around in the yoke for quite some time in public.
 He was also given a message for ambassadors of kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre,
and Sidon, who were coming to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. They were to give
God’s message to their kings. The message was to “submit to King Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylonia; his son, and his grandson.
 Any nation that accepted this message shall not suffer; but if any nation will not submit to
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonian rule, God will punish that nation by war, starvation
and disease” Read Jer 27:6-8.
 The message for king Zedekiah was to surrender to the Babylonian rule and live, if he
resists he would perish.
 The message for priests and people of Judah was not to be misled by the false prophets.
The temple would be destroyed. Its treasures looted by the Babylonians.
-Significance. The yoke represented the Babylonians rule. Nebuchadnezzar was used by God to
bring judgment to all nations. Yahweh is a universal God and his judgment is universal. Sinners
are punished regardless of their origin or nation. Those who repent are spared.

Methods used by prophets to convey God’s messages

- Oracles; ‘Thus says the Lord’
- Allegories
- Parables
- Songs
- Symbolic Visions
- Symbolic actions
- Dramatized messages

Reflection questions
Q: Why did God inspire Jeremiah to use symbolic acts to convey his message?
Answer
Israelites were stubborn. Jeremiah acts were reminders to Judah to turn to God and stop idolatry
and all the sins they were committing. They had drifted too far from God. False prophets were
prophesying lies to them. The people of Judah were expected to meditate on these acts and
understand God’s will for them and see the seriousness of the matter. This was also to imprint a
lasting impression in their minds.
Q. Which methods do pastors / priests use to communicate God’s message to Christians
today?

3. THE FALL OF JERUSALEM AND THE EXILE OF THE ISRAELITES

Jeremiah 39)
 Jeremiah’s prophecy came to pass. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in the ninth year of
King Zedekiah in 587BC.
 The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and seized it.
 King Zedekiah fled but; he was captured by the Babylonians army.
 He witnessed the execution of his sons.
 His eyes were gauged out. He was then taken in chains to captivity in Babylon.
 Solomon’s temple was looted and destroyed.
 Villages, Jerusalem and the palace were destroyed and burnt down.
 The priests, court officials, army officials, people in the upper class, craftsmen were
executed.
 City people were taken to Babylon as captives.
 -The poor, aged and a few people were left behind and given vineyards to farm.
 -Nebuchadnezzar’s army was brutal to the Israelites. Many were killed. A few like Ebed
– Melech were spared as prophesied by Jeremiah (he had rescued him from the well).
 Nebuchadnezzar ordered the release of Jeremiah. He was treated well because of having
predicted the fall of Jerusalem.
 Judah became a province of Babylon.
 Gedaliah was appointed governor of Judah and stayed at Mizpah, the headquarters of
Judah.
 Later Jeremiah was forced to go to Egypt by the Israelites. Jeremiah died in Egypt, an old
man, and still faithful to his call.

JEREMIAH’S TEACHINGS ON SUFFERING AND HOPE

1.The suffering and lamentations of Jeremiah
Jeremiah 11, 12, 17:14 – 18, 18:18- 23, 20: 1 – 6, 27, 37, and 38.
-Jeremiah sufferings were experiences that were painful; physically and emotionally
-In suffering there is loss and grief.
-Lamentations are strong emotional expressions of pain and grief.
Jeremiah suffered in the following ways
I. Rejection by his own family and relatives. They plotted to kill him. This grieved Jeremiah.

II. The people of Anathoth planned to kill him but God protected Jeremiah. He pronounced
God’s judgment upon them
III. Jeremiah suffered when he was accused falsely. He was accused of blasphemy after the
temple sermon. He foretold the destruction of the temple, just like Jesus Christ in the New
Testament didHe was accused of treason. That he was planning to leave Jerusalem and join the
Babylonians. This led to Jeremiah being arrested and put in an underground jail.

IV. Jeremiah received death threats because of speaking for God. King Jehoiakim plotted to
kill prophet
Uriah. The prophet escaped to Egypt but he was followed to Egypt, arrested and killed by king
Jehoiakim. The king had planned to accuse Jeremiah of Uriah death. Ahikam and other elders
defended Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 26)

VI. Jeremiah suffered loneliness and solitude. He felt emotional anguish and complained to
God of his orders not to marry; neither attend social gathering and celebrations. This made
Jeremiah lonely since he did not participate in the family life, political life, community activities
and religious life.

VII. Jeremiah experienced inner personal struggle due to his love for his own people He did
not want to see them suffer but the people were stubborn Read Jer. 12:1 – 6, 15:10 – 21, and 27.
VIII. He suffered emotional pain and agony. His messages were mainly of severe judgment
and punishment and yet people were not heeding to them.

IX. He went through a spiritual struggle in his relationship with God. He felt frustrations,
doubts, self-pity and despair. He wondered why God made him suffer. Why do the wicked
prosper? He also wondered why God was taking too long to fulfill his prophecies. God assured
him that Judah would be punished and promised to give Jeremiah victory against his enemies.

X. Jeremiah suffered physical assault, imprisonment and an attempt on his life. Pashhur, the
chief temple priest ordered beating and chaining of Jeremiah to the temple gate. Jeremiah
prophesied that Pashshur’s name would change to ‘terror everywhere’.

XI. He was thrown into a muddy cistern. King Zedekiah released Jeremiah from the cell to his
court. Jeremiah continued to prophecy and was thrown in a muddy cistern. Here he was rescued
by Ebed- melech an Ethiopian Eunuch. The court officials had accused him of not being
patriotic. Jeremiah remained in jail until the Babylonians overthrew Jerusalem. He did not
change his prophecies. Read Jer. 10:1 – 6, 27, 37, and 38.
The relevance of the sufferings and lamentations of Jeremiah to Christians today
 Christians learn to be ready to face opposition and rejection from their own family
members and relatives for the sake of the gospel.
 Christians should be prepared to suffer persecution for the Lord.
 Christians should be ready to make sacrifices for the sake of God. Be ready to lead
humble lives.
  Christians should always stand for the truth like Jeremiah
 Christians should forgive and love their enemies.
 Christians should be aware of false prophets in their midst whose main goal is to mislead
them.
 Jeremiah’s open confessions to God encourage Christians to be open to God.
 Christians should let God avenge for them just like Jeremiah prayed to God to revenge
his enemies.
 Christians should not lose hope in times of difficulty. Christians learn that tribulations
strengthen their faith.
 Christians should learn to deal with negative emotions such as self – pity, grief and trust
God.
 Jeremiah was told by God to repent of his negative utterances. Christians should do the
same as they are assured of divine security and protection against their persecutors.

2.The symbolic acts related to hope and restoration

-Hope is a feeling of expectation for something to happen
-Restoration is the process of returning something to its original position or state.
-The symbolic acts were 5 in number:

1.The Vision of the Two Baskets of Figs

Jeremiah 24:1-10
Jeremiah saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple as explained earlier. One basket
had very good figs, which had ripened. The other basket had bad figs unfit for human
consumption.
-Significance. The basket of good figs signified the first exile. God would renew their hearts; use
them to fulfill his promises to the Israelites. He would recreate them to a new people. The basket
of the bad figs represented people living in Jerusalem and Egypt. Since they were not exiled they
had a self-righteous attitude. They thought that God spared them because they were truthful but it
was not so. They shall also be destroyed through famine, and diseases. This vision signifies hope
and restoration of the Israelites.

2.The buying of Land

Jeremiah 32:1-15
God instructed Jeremiah to buy a field from his cousin Hanamel of Anathoth. Jeremiah bought
the field for 17 cents of silver. He then handed the title deed and open copy to Baruch. Baruch
was told to keep the title deed and the copy in an earthen vessel for preservation for a long time.
Jeremiah prophesied the restoration of the exiles to their homeland.
The significance of this symbolic act is the assurance of restoration of Judah and Israel after
suffering.
People will be restored to their homeland. After 70 years people of Judah would reconstruct their
homes, cultivate their land, and own property (Jer 32; 1 -15).
3.The wearing of the wooden ox yoke
Jeremiah 27
Jeremiah was told to make for himself a wooden ox yoke and put it around his neck. The yoke
was a sign of captivity and suffering. However,It was also a sign of hope if the people of Judah
were willing to submit to the Babylonian rule. God would restore them back to their land. Their
yoke would be broken and they would be set free.

4.The letter to the Exiles

Jeremiah 29
 The exiles in Babylon were in a state of despair as they thought that
 Yahweh had deserted them or was powerless in the face of the Babylonian gods.
 Jeremiah therefore wrote a letter of encouragement to the exiles. In his letter he
encouraged them in the following ways:
 To build houses and settle down
 To plant gardens and eat their produce
 To marry and have children and increase in number
 To live in peace in the Babylonian cities and pray for the welfare of their masters.
 Not to listen to false prophets who told them lies about the safety of the city of Jerusalem
and their return home.
 God would restore them back to their land only after 70 years were over
 The exiles were to trust in God and not to give up.

Lessons that Christians learn from Jeremiah’s message of hope and restoration
 God is faithful and He keeps His promises to mankind. He promised the Israelites that He
will restore them to their land and He did.
 God rewards and restores those who obey His commandments and punishes sinners.
 God restores His people back to a right relationship with Him
 God is always ready to forgive those who repent as he did with the exiles during
Jeremiah’s time.
 Christians have the choice to choose either judgement and punishment or hope and
restoration.
 God loves and cares for His people and does not delight in their suffering.
 Christian leaders should encourage their followers not to give up when they experience
suffering and challenges.
 Christian leaders have a duty to remind their followers about God’s commandments and
that God is faithful to those who obey.

JEREMIAH’S TEACHING ABOUT THE NEW COVENANT

A covenant is an agreement. Another word for covenant is testament. Jeremiah taught that there
would be a new covenant between God and Israel. This new covenant would be different from
the Old (Sinai) covenant. The new covenant would renew the broken relationship between God
and his people.

Characteristics of the New Covenant as foreseen by Jeremiah

 God’s law would be written in people’s hearts unlike the old covenant where the law was
written on stone tablets.
 There would be personal knowledge of God. Every individual would know God
personally and not through prophets as it was during times of Jeremiah and previous one.
 Each person would be responsible for his/her sins. God would forgive sins and remember
them no more.
 There would be spontaneous forgiveness of sins
 The new covenant would be initiated by God Himself. In turn,God expected each person
to respond to His promises in faith and obedience.
 It would be an everlasting covenant between God and the people of Judah and Israel. It
would not be broken again.
 The New Covenant will bring about a change of human nature by giving Israel a new
heart(A new will).
 The restored community will be ruled by a righteous king raised from the house of David.
 The New covenant would bring into being a New Community, Yahweh’s people.

The relevance of the New Covenant to Christians

 Christians should internalize God’s law in their hearts
 They should strive to have a personal relationship with God.
 There is individual responsibility for one’s sins.
 There is forgiveness of sins if one repents.
 Those who repent their sins have a new beginning
 Christians who live righteous live have been promised an everlasting relationship with
God.
 The New Covenant was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ.
 Through the New Covenant, Christians are able to recognize God’s unfailing love for His
people.
 Christians realize that they are the New Israel, the people of God and this is fulfilled by
the coming of the Messiah.

b. Differences between the old covenant and the new covenant

Old Covenant New Covenant

Old Covenant New Covenant

Laws were written on stone tablets Laws would be written in people’s hearts
It was between God and the community It would be between God and an individual
 It was between God and the Israel It would be between God and the whole world
Priests and prophets mediated between God Each person would know God personally
and people
Sin was punished collectively Sin would be punished individually
The covenant was broken when people sinned It would be an everlasting covenant
It was sealed by animal sacrifice It would be sealed by the blood of the
lamb(Jesus)
Sins were forgiven and remembered Sins would be forgiven and forgotten
It was based on law It would be based on faith

What are the similarities between the old and the new covenant?

 Jesus fulfilled the new covenant. Jesus is the ‘righteous branch’ from the lineage of
David. In the last supper, before his death, Jesus said ‘this cup which is poured out
for you is the new covenant in my blood. Read Luke, 22:20.
 The death and resurrection of Jesus marks the new covenant. Jesus spoke of forgiveness
of sins of humanity Jesus forgave people’s sins, for example, the sinful woman in
Simon’s house (Luke7: 36 – 50).
 In the new covenant the law would be written in people’s hearts. Jesus summarized the
Mosaic Law into ‘love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and love your
neighbor as you love yourself.
 Jesus established the kingdom of God as a new community of God’s people based on
faith (the Christians).
 Jesus fulfilled the new covenant prophecies The teachings of Jeremiah new covenant of
hope and restoration is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the new testament church (Christians)
Heb.8:7 – 12.

RELATING THE TEACHINGS AND PROPHECIES OF JEREMIAH TO THE NEW

TESTAMENT AND CHRISTIAN LIFE TODAY
 Jeremiah was rejected by his relatives, friends and the Israelites. In the New Testament,
Jesus was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth: and by the religious leaders of Israel.
 Jeremiah was called to be a prophet as a young man. In the New Testament Jesus called
the twelve disciples to prepare them to preach the Good News.
 Jeremiah compared himself to a lamb being led to the slaughter. Jesus in the New
Testament is referred to as a lamb led to the slaughter.
 Jeremiah’s life was full of sufferings and challenges which symbolized divine judgment
over Judah. Jesus Christ also suffered to bring salvation to all mankind.
 Both Jeremiah and Jesus experienced spiritual agony. Jeremiah experience agony and felt
left alone by God. Jesus too felt agony when praying in the garden of Gethsemane and
when on the cross.
  Jeremiah taught that God is universal and a just judge. The gospel of Jesus is universal
and everybody is judged according to his or her faith in God.
 Jeremiah and Jesus accused the Israelites of turning the temple into a “den of robbers”.
Both challenged false beliefs about the temple.
 Jeremiah and Jesus were both accused of blasphemy. Both challenged false beliefs about
the temple.
 Jeremiah condemned the hypocrisy of the people of Judah. Jesus condemned the
hypocrisy of the Pharisees in their observance of religious practices.
 Jeremiah asked people to repent for their sins in order to avoid God’s punishment. John
the Baptist preached a message of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
 The new covenant was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
 Jeremiah spoke of hope and restoration. Jesus gives hope of eternal life in the New
Testament.
ii. Relationship of Jeremiah’s teaching to Christian today.
 Christians are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are empowered by the Holy
Spirit to endure suffering and to grow spiritually.
 Christians like Jeremiah face false prophets who speak in Jesus name.
 Christians are to be watchful and obey Yahweh
 Like Jeremiah Christians should call people to repentance.
 The new covenant is fulfilled in Christian’s individual relationship with God.
 Christians are the new people, the new Israel as prophesied by Jeremiah.
 His teachings reveal that God is universal. Christians are from all corners of the earth.
 Christians should prepare for divine judgment by practicing love, righteousness, self-
denial, and faith in God.

THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH

1.BACKGROUND TO NEHEMIAH

 Nehemiah means “Yahweh has comforted. The name is symbolic because Yahweh used
Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem and bring comfort to the Jews.
 Nehemiah was the son of Hacaliah of Judah.
 He was neither a prophet nor a priest but one of the Jews who had been exiled in
Babylon
 Nehemiah came to the limelight when the people of Judah and Israel had been conquered
by Babylonians.
 He served as a cup-bearer to the king Arterxerxes of Persia.
 The Persian king allowed Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall which was
destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC.
 He started his mission 13 years after the first group of the Israelites returned to Judah.
 Nehemiah later ruled as a governor of Judah appointed by the Persians.
N/B A cup bearer is a servant who fills and serves or distribute glasses of while in a palace
or a royal court.

a) Political and historical background.

 The kingdom of Judah had been taken over by Babylon.

 The Babylonians had destroyed the walls of the city, the Temple and that of Jerusalem.
 The king, the royal court officials and able people were deported /exiled to Babylon
 Persia conquered Babylon and the Jews came under the control of Persians.
 The Persian kings ruled the subjects through governors.
 The conquered people were to pay tribute /taxes to Persia.
 The Persian king /Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Judah.
 The Jews in exile returned to Judah in 3 stages:
(i) The first stage came shortly after the Persian conquest of Babylon in 538 BC
led by Sheshbazzar.
(ii) The second group came eight years later (458 BC) led by Ezra.
(iii) The third came thirteen years after the second (444 BC) led by Nehemiah.

b. Socio-economic background

Social

 When the exiles arrived in Babylon, they were settled in various places-in the villages,
rural areas and others in the capital.
 The exiles had lost not only their homes but also their land and social influential status.
 They were torn from their clans and families thus depriving them the solidarity provided
by relatives.
 Settling down in exile was difficult for the deportees but they soon became integrated
following Jeremiah’s advice.
 The exiles were settled in compact groups especially in the Southern region of Babylon.
 The land of Israel was partly occupied by foreigners.
 The foreign cultures of neighboring rulers influenced Israelites who returned. They for
example, intermarried with foreigners, a custom that God did not allow. Israelites were
not to intermarry with other people according to the Mosaic Law. In spite of this
however, Jews maintained their separated identity. Some of the foreigners despised Jews.
 The wealthy Jews oppressed the poor Jews.
 In Jerusalem there was starvation.
 Nehemiah condemned oppression of the poor.

Economic
 Although they experienced difficulties, they were able to engage in economic activities.
 Many of the deportees were in the leadership class but they could not fit in the
complicated and sophisticated administrative system of the Babylonians since they were
not educated.
 Some exiles established themselves in other areas such as banking and trade and some
became wealthy.
  Others became high ranking political officials such as Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel,
Nehemiah and Ezra.
 The prosperity of the exiles may explain why they were unwilling to go back to
Jerusalem.

c. Religious background

 The religious life of the exiles was disrupted after destruction of the temple and city.
 They worshipped God in their private homes and rural congregations which became
synagogues.
 They retained most of their religious practices i.e. circumcision, Sabbath observance and
use of psalms to worship.
 They doubted Yahweh as their God at the time of defeat thus their morale for worship
was very low.
 They believed that the Babylonian god Marduk was more powerful than the Lord.
 God sent prophets like Ezekiel and Deutero-Isaiah to give them a new message of hope
 After the rebuilding of the temple, the true worship of Yahweh was restored. Ezra led the
reformation and ensured that idol worship was not practiced in Yahweh’s house.

2. PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF NEHEMIAH

Nehemiah 1;1-11, 2:-8, 4:4-9, 5:9, 6:9, 13, 14, 22, 29, 31

a. The call and Mission of Nehemiah

 The name Nehemiah means ‘The Lord has comforted’

 He was a high-ranking official in the court o the kings of Persia. He was a royal cup-
bearer to king Artaxerxes 1of Persia
 While Nehemiah was at the king’s palace in Susa, his brother Hanani, together with some
other Jews from Judah informed him of the problems that were being experienced by the
Jews in Palestine who had escaped from exile.
 Nehemiah was concerned for his own people in Judah He felt grief for the poor condition
and entered into a period of fasting and prayer.
 The experience can be referred to as Nehemiah’s moment of being called.
 His office of a cup-bearer gave him the opportunity to intercede for his people in Judah
and the Jerusalem city to the king.
 Nehemiah then asked the king to allow him to go to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the city.
 The king granted him his request to go to Jerusalem as a governor.
 Nehemiah ruled as a governor for 12 years.
 He organized the Jews to rebuild the broken wall of Jerusalem city despite opposition
from not only ‘the people of the land’ but also the neighboring Samaritans who had
controlled Palestine during the period of the exile.

b. Occasions when Nehemiah prayed

  When he learnt of the suffering in Judah and the ruined state of city – he confessed for
the sins of the people.
 Before requesting king Artaxerxes to be permitted to return to Judah. He prayed to God
grant him favor before the king.
 When the Samaritans criticized the rebuilding of the wall he prayed for the Yahweh’s
protection and revenge against the enemies.
 During the exploitation of the poor by the rich he prayed God to change their hearts.
 When he was frightened by Shemaiah to hide in the temple following the plot to kill him
to punish his enemies.
 During the cleansing of the temple following it defilements by Tobias he prayed God to
destroy the temple which he had rebuilt.
 After chasing away Sanballat’s son-in-law who married a foreigner yet he was the priest
by background – he prayed for God’s punishment over him.
 Before assigning duties to the priests from the Levites following their consecration – he
prayed that God may remember him with favor.
 After warning the Jews who had violated the Sabbath law by carrying out trade – he was
given the strength to evict them from Jerusalem’s gate.
 When he was frightened by Shemaiah to hide in the temple following plot to kill him – he
prayed God to punish his enemies

Factors that led Nehemiah to engage in prayer.

 A feeling of compassion for the ruined state of Jerusalem city.

 The need for a favor from the king in order to return to Judah.
 To seek protection from God against his enemies such as the Samaritan
 To plead with God not to destroy the temple following its defilement by Tobiah
 To be given guidance to assign duties to the priests after consecration
 The need to punish Sanballat for marrying a foreigner yet he was a priest.

Occasions when Christians pray today

 During modern day temptations

 During church services/sabbath
 When praying for the sick/less fortunate people in the society
 When interceding for others /enemies
 During religious ceremonies for example weddings, baptism
 When asking for forgiveness for the wrong doings
 When giving God thanksgiving for his blessing.

Importance of prayer in the life of a Christian

 Their sins are forgiven through prayer.

 Virtues of patience and persistence are acquired through prayer.
 Through prayers the need of the need of Christian are met.
 It enables Christians to face temptations with courage.
  Prayers strengthen are relationship with God.
 A prayer enables one to glorify God because of his greatness.
 It enables one to seek God’s will and receive his revelation.
 Christians uses prayers to intercede for the need of the others.
 Prayers promote unity for the believers as they fellowship together.

3. NEHEMIAH’S LEADERSHIP

Good leadership qualities derived from Nehemiah

Patriotism

 He was patriotic and went to rebuild Judah when the wall had been demolished.

Diplomacy

 He used diplomatic skills to convince the king to allow him to go and build the wall.

Effective planner

 He planned how to go back to Judah putting tough security measures.

 He organized how to obtain construction materials
 He inspected the wall of Jerusalem before construction work begun.

Team builder

 He mobilized the workers and inspired them to work hard

Hardworking and dedication

 He was able to complete rebuilding the wall within 52 days

 His dedication to work enabled him not to give up despite the many threats he received
from the enemies.

Initiative

 He initiated the idea of rebuilding the wall.

Reformist

 He improved the lives of the poor.

 He purified the temple worship and reinstated the Levites back to their duties.

Courage
  He had courage and withstood threat of his life and attempt to stop work of construction
of Jerusalem by the enemies.

Faithfulness

 He prayed to God for guidance in all situations.

Prayerful

 He prayed now and then during challenges of his life.

Humility

 He was a humble person who respected authority.He humbly requested for permission
from his boss to go and rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

Mindfulness/compassion

 Nehemiah was a leader who was always mindful/concerned of other people’s

welfare.He urged the rich and the officials not to oppress the poor

Integrity

 Nehemiah was firm and principled in his engagements.He could not stand for the
iniquities that had been going on for quite a while.

Wisdom

 He checked the damaged walls at night without disclosing to anyone .It was wise for
him to do so to avoid confrontation with his enemies.

Lessons Christians learn from Nehemiah's leadership?

 Christians learn to pray at all times. This will enable them get guidance and strength in
confronting a situation.
 Christians learn to trust and have faith in God, despite the circumstances.
Christians learn to be brave and courageous in case of opposition to preaching the gospel
of Christ
 Christians learn to be committed to their calling. They should perform their
responsibilities without being reluctant and discriminative.
 Christians learn to maintain integrity no matter what difficulty they face. Christians
should be role models and lead by example
 Christians learn to love their people and country. They should help their leaders in
promoting peace and development.
 Christians learn to be honest and respectful to the authority.
  Christians learn to promote justice and fight for the rights of the less privileged in the
society.
 Christians learn to be people with initiative. Nehemiah was willing to go back to Judah
to rebuild the wall without any compulsion.
 Christians should also start project of development for the good of the nation.

4. PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY NEHEMIAH

a. problems experienced by Nehemiah in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem

 The officials of Tekoa did not co-operate with him. (Nehemiah 3:5)
 Opposition from the Jewish nobles. (Nehemiah 4;19)
 There was a plot to kill him. (Nehemiah 6;2-3)
 False accusations from his enemies (Nehemiah 6:5-9)
 False prophets tried to discourage him. (Nehemiah 6:14)
 He was ridiculed by Sanballat and Tobiah. (Nehemiah 2:17-19,4:2-3)
 A trap was laid to drill his mission of rebuilding the wall. (Nehemiah 4;12)
 Fear among the people/Insecurity from the enemies. (Nehemiah 4:11-12) Nehemiah
encouraged them through prayers and organized people to defend the city.

Other problems experienced by Nehemiah in his vocation.

 Oppression of the poor by the rich who demanded high interest on borrowed money.
 Foreign influence in Israel brought by intermarriage by foreigners threatened to
extinct Jews culture and language.
 Violation of the sabbath laws as the Israelites went on with their daily chores on the
Sabbath day.
 Abuse of the temple by Eliashib who housed Tobiah a foreigner in the temple.
 Misuse of the Levites were denied their share of contributions as required by the law.

Measures taken by Nehemiah to solve the anti-social problem among the Jews

 Debt reduction-Nehemiah rebuked the noble and officials who were a section of the exile
in the public for their anti-social conduct.
 He ordered the return of productive fields and vineyards which had been mortgaged
to their former owners.
 They were also to give back the “hundredth” that had been charged.
 He ordered the freeing of sons and daughters who were subjected to slavery on account
of private debts. He condemned creditors for selling people into slavery.
 He also ordered the Jews to return back to the poor the lands and houses that they
possessed.
 He handled the crises that ended with reconciliation between the debtors and the
creditors.

Lessons Christians learn from Nehemiah’s experiences and leadership

  Christians should trust in God in all their undertakings if they have to succeed.
 They should work towards improving the welfare of their people
 Christians should obey lawful authority.
 Christians should inspire to work for God.
 Christians should lead a prayerful life.
 Christians should be aware of the forces that are against their efforts to serve God and the
community.
 Christians should condemn social injustices and evils in the society.
 Christians should be faithful to God.
 Christians should be diplomatic and reformist to the society.
 Christians should demonstrate wisdom in solving issues that affect the society.

Problems experienced by Christian leaders in their work today.

 Opposition from political leaders/society

 Lack of cooperation from the members of the church/lack of unity among
Christians.
 False prophets/cultic affiliation/hypocrisy/black magic /witchcraft
 Misinterpretation of the scriptures
 Drug abuse among the members
 Lack of adequate time for pastoral care
 Poor infrastructure that made it possible to reach some areas.
 Insecurity in some parts of the country.
 Lack of resources to enable them spread the Good News/poverty
 Lack of professional training to enable them do their work effectively.
 Permissiveness/moral decadence, which has become the order of the day.
 Negative influence from the mass media/pornography.

Ways in which Christians should respond to those who oppose them in their work

 Find out cause/reason for opposition and initiate dialogue

 Pray for/with the opponent for an amicable solution to the problem.
 Seek reconciliation through a third party
 Change his/her approach to issue/reform where necessary.
 Assist them when in problems
 Involve them in decision making/activities
 Preach about unity
 Guide and counsel them.

THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

1.THE RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT (NEH 8-12:1-26)

(a)People gathered in the square before the water Gate in Jerusalem. Ezra read the law of Moses
alongside- other scribes it was explained to the people. The
people were saddened because they had not obeyed the law., They cried and wept. Nehemiah and
the other either priest instructed, the people, to go to their homes and celebrate because it was a
holy day for God. Their relationship had been renewed (Nehemiah 8:1-12).

(b) After the reading of Mosaic law, the people remembered that they were not following the
feast of tabernacles (Booth). They therefore celebrated for 7 days having built booths in which
they dwelt. The law of Moses was read for the seven days and on the eighth day they assembled
to end the feast. (The feast was a reminder of their days in the wilderness when they dwelt in
tents) (8:13-17).

(c) There was public confession of sin as the Book of the law was read to the people.
They worshipped God for several days. During this period, they separated themselves from
foreigners because they had been contaminated / defiled by them. (Neh 9:1-10)

(d) Ezra led the people in a prayer of confession in this he recognized God's wondrous
deeds since the time of Abraham until the Israelites settled in Canaan. Despite this acts the
Israelites rebelled against God but because of his love he forgave them.

(e) Ezra repented on behalf of the people and people agreed to make a new covenant with God
and swore to keep it. The covenant was sealed and an agreement signed by the priests, Levites
and Princes. (Neh 9:1-38

(f) The people made public vows to follow God's laws and pronounced a curse to those who will
break the covenant. (Ne h10:29)

(g) There was a re-distribution of the people in Jerusalem and country side.

Some of the resolutions they made include; not to intermarry with, foreigners, to write, off the
debts of their debtors, to.- follow the laws regarding the temple, regard the upkeep of the temple
by bringing all their offerings and tithes to God, among others. (Neh 10:30-39)

QUESTION.

Describe the stages followed during the renewal of the covenant at the time of Nehemiah

 The people gathered in the public square in Jerusalem.

 The priest Ezra read the law to the people
 They performed repentance gesture of raising/ lowering their hands.
 The people constructed makeshift tents/shelters to celebrate the feast of the booths.
 There was a national day of confession-they fasted as they wore sack clothes
 Ezra led people in a prayer of confession
 They sealed the covenant by signing an agreement under the leadership of Nehemiah and
the priest.
  The people promised not to go against the Mosaic Law.
 There was a re-distribution of the people in Jerusalem and country side.

Promises and vows made by Israelites during the renewal of the covenant.

Israelites promised God that they would

 Live according to God’s law, by obeying all his commands and requirements.
 Stop intermarrying with foreigners living in their land.
 Cancel debts every 7th year
 Contribute annually towards the temple expenses to ensure that the house of God was not
neglected.
 Provide sacrifices and offerings for the temple and arrange for provision of wood for burnt
sacrifices according to the law.
 Offer first fruits of their harvest and dedicate the first born and flocks as required by the law.
 Pay for their tithes as required by the law.
 Not farm every seventh year/leave the land to rest
 To preserve the integrity of the community
 Not do business on the Sabbath day.

Lessons Christians learn from the renewal of the covenant

 Christians learn that God is loving and full of grace that he forgives his people if
 Christians learn that no man is perfect and we are all prone to sin but as Christians they
should strive to be pure before God.
 Christians learn the importance of repentance which brings reconciliation not only with
God but with fellow human beings
 Christians learn to intercede for others who need forgiveness from God and man
 Christians learn the need of reading God's word always to remind them of their
obligations towards God and man
 Christians should be forgiving because it is the foundation of good relationships.

2.DEDICATION OF THE WALL OF JERUSALEM

Nehemiah 12:27-43

 Dedication is to devote something in honor of a person held dear or to set aside

something for some special purpose.

 Several groups of people were summoned to assemble in Jerusalem

 The priests and Levites purified themselves.
 They also purified the people, the gates and walls of Jerusalem (Neh 12:30).
  Singers came from all the villages of Jerusalem. They sang with instruments gotten from
the temple
 The princes of Judah were brought upon the wall.
 The community formed a grand procession which moved in opposite directions on top of
the city towards the Temple.
 Ezra led one group in a procession towards the right.
 Nehemiah led another group in the opposite direction towards the left
 The two groups later met in the temple.
 There was singing and a lot of festive
 Elaborate sacrificial rituals were also conducted
 Nehemiah appointed men who were to be responsible of the temple contributions.
 The Levites were reinstated their share as required by the law.
 Then Jerusalem temple was dedicated to God and the city of Jerusalem became a symbol
of divine protection again. The pride of Judah was reinstated.

Measures taken by Nehemiah to ensure completion of rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem

 He assessed the damage of the wall to know what he needed.

 Praying for success in the rebuilding of the wall
 He organized the builders
 He selected guides to ensure that his enemies did not attack the builders
 Solicited for funding from Persian government
 He personally participated and supervised the progress of rebuilding the wall
 He encouraged the builders to continue with the building as God was with them.

3. NEHEMIAH'S FINAL REFORMS (NEH 13)

(a) Separation from foreigners (13:1-3)

Israelites separated themselves from people of foreign descent. He brought order in marriage by
cursing and beating men who had married foreign wives. He made them to swear that they would
not allow foreign marriages.

(b) Cleansing of the temple (Neh 13:4-9)

Nehemiah got Tobiah out of the temple along with his belongings because he was a foreigner.
According to Mosaic law this defiled the temple. He ordered for the cleansing of,the temple and
its use for rightful religious functions.

(c) Reinstating the Levites and the Temple workers.

They had been denied their dues for upkeep and so they had resolved to farming soas to take care
of themselves. He appointed new people to be in charge of temple contributions and gave the'
Levites singers 'back their duties. (Neh 13:10-13)
(d) Observance of the Sabbath Law

Nehemiah ensured that the Sabbath law was kept and that trading activities were not done on this
day. He appointed Levites to close the gates of Jerusalem during the fire Sabbath and guard's to
keep its gates (Neh. 13:19-20).
(e) Nehemiah purified the office of priesthood and Levite by maintaining that it was a holy
and respectable office. .

(f) Nehemiah ordered an end to mixed marriages. He even ensured that those who had
intermarried divorced. He stated that foreign women had caused the down fall of great kings like
Solomon. He condemned such marriages and the people who had done so.

Relating the exemplary life of Nehemiah to St. Luke’s Gospel and Christian life today.

a) Prayer
Nehemiah’s success was based on his prayer- fullness before approaching any issue. He prayed
for strength, guidance, decision making etc. St Luke gospel emphasizes the importance of prayer.
Jesus prayed constantly and taught his disciples too. However Jesus emphasized humility which
was not applied in Nehemiah's prayer life. Christians need to be persistent in prayer and apply
humility, forgiveness and intercession

b) Nehemiah sacrificed some of his personal rights to the poor and condemned any form of
oppression against such people. Jesus miracles and death is a sign of compassion for his people.
Christians learn to practice compassion towards the needy.

c) Condemnation of evil - Nehemiah condemned all forms of evils of his time. Jesus in his
ministry condemns evil against God and man. Christians are called to condemn evil practices of
their time e.g corruption

d) Reformer - Nehemiah brought reform in the life of his people. He led the people in the
renewal
of the covenant.
Jesus is fee maker of the new covenant which reconciles man to God.
Christians learn the need for repentance alw ys in order to be reconciled with God

e) Courage and bravity

Nehemiah faced much opposition from his people while bringing reforms in Israel.
Jesus too was opposed by his people including the Scribers and Pharisees. In all they did not give
up in accomplishing their mission. Christians should be courageous whenever they encounter
obstacles in their Christian life,

f) Nehemiah observed the law of God. Jesus too followed the law and stressed that he had come
to fulfill it. Christians team to follow the commandments of God in reverence.
g) Nehemiah condemned discrimination because of any circumstance.
Jesus is a universal leader who encompasses the poor, and all irrespective of colour or race.
Christians must condemn all forms of discrimination and preach equality.

Reasons why Nehemiah carried out religious reforms in Judah

 To preserve the identity of the Jews as God’s people

 To separate the Jews from foreign influence
 To purify the temple which had been defiled by keeping a foreigner
 To reinstate the services of the Levites as priests of the Temple
 To restore the tithing system that had been forgotten for the upkeep of the temple.
 To ensure that the sabbath day was free from business activities.
 In order to cleanse the Jews who had intermarried with foreigners /exposed to idolatry

Reasons why Nehemiah introduced the policy of separation of Jews from foreigners

 Nehemiah wanted to keep the Jewish community

 The Jews were a minority group which needed to preserve their identity/culture
 He wanted to separate /unite the Jews who returned from exile.
 To solve conflicts over land ownership
 Intermarriage would lead the Israelites into idol worship
 The law of Moses was against association with foreigners
 Children born out of intermarriage could not speak the Hebrew language
 Religious reforms could not be effectively carried out.

QUESTION.

Why is it difficult to have reforms in Kenya?

 Lack of political will by leaders

 There is a lot of corruption
 Tribalism
 Weak institutions to carry out meaningful reforms
 Too many political parties without clear reforms agenda
 Selfishness and lack of vision among the reformers
 Lack of finance to restructure the economy.