The first few chapters of the book of Jeremiah deal with God’s verdicts upon ancient Israel and Judah.  Ancient Israel, the 10 northern tribes which descended from Jacob, son of Isaac, correspond today to England and America especially.  Judah, the tribe today known as the Jews, has usurped the birthright name of Israel which really belongs to the northern tribes, and calls itself by that name.  Israel today should be know as Judah, not Israel.  Stephen Jones often writes about this distinction and a good summary can be found in his book Struggle for the Birthright which you can read by clicking on that title.  I encourage everyone to read this because it contains very basic information concerning the outworking of God’s plan in history.  Until we see the distinction that God makes between Israel and Judah we cannot even begin to understand the Old Testament prophecies.  For example, consider the following passage:

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, since he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be recorded according to the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and from him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph’s) (1 Chronicles 5:1-2 KJ2000)

Normally, the birthright would go to a man’s firstborn son, but Reuben, the son of Leah, sinned against his father and so Israel bypassed him in favor of the firstborn of his second wife, Rachel.  This explains why the name Israel went with the ten northern tribes rather than staying with Judah in Jerusalem.  The name would have stayed with the northern tribes even if Reuben had received the birthright name because Reuben made up one of those tribes.  Nevertheless, the “prince,” the LORD who is the son of David, came through the Jews (Judah).  The Jews played the preeminent role in the first coming of Christ, while Israel will have the lead part at the second coming of Christ.  Again I refer you to another of Stephen Jones’ excellent books, Laws of the Second Coming. This is a “must read” book.

Now, with this historical background firmly in mind, read the first several chapters of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah preached to Judah one hundred years and more after the fall of Israel in 721 BC.  We have named him “the weeping prophet” because he prophesied and grievously mourned as he watched the destruction of Judah and its capitol, Jerusalem.  Assyria deported the Northern Tribes of Israel over a hundred years before Jeremiah prophesied, yet he speaks to them as if they still exist, and as if they can actually hear him.  God calls to them through his prophet and entreats them to repent and come back to him.  They were idol worshipping sinners whom God “divorced,” yet he says they were more righteous than the Jews of that day.  He still loves them and wants them to return.  But, they never did, at least not to their homeland, and not to their Old Testament religion.  Instead, as we search history, we find that they became the people of Europe, England, and America, the main people on earth who embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And now we find the state of these Christians and their churches to be that in which Israel found itself just before judged and exiled by God more than 2700 years ago.  Knowing these few facts and recognizing the fallen state of Christianity will now allow us to begin understanding Jeremiah’s prophesy.

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