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Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 1

"The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah..."

Text: Jeremiah 1:1

A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF JEREMIAH

The Book of Jeremiah began simply with these words. A bit of a background would help us understand and appreciate the life and ministry of Jeremiah, a significant prophet of the LORD.

“The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah,
of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.”
Jeremiah 1:1

1. The words of Jeremiah

a) The book of Jeremiah may be likened to a memoir.
b) It contained the words of Jeremiah.
c) The Book would also contain “the word of the LORD” (Jeremiah 1:4).

2. The son of Hilkiah

a) Hilkiah was named “the high priest” in the reign of king Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:9).
b) He was in charge of the repairs of the Temple, the house of God (2 Chronicles 34:8-13).
c) He discovered “the Book of the Law of the LORD” (Deuteronomy) {2 Chronicles 34:14}.
i) Judah had slipped away from their faith in God.
ii) There were kings who became idolatrous.
iii) They neglected the Temple that Solomon had built.
iv) The Word of God was scarcely known in Judah.
d) Jeremiah was one of the sons of Hilkiah the high priest. Hilkiah’s family was a prominent one in Judah.
i) But he was not destined to be a priest.
ii) God had given him a different calling.
iii) He would become a prophet of the LORD instead.

3. “Anathoth in the land of Benjamin”

a) This land was mentioned specifically in Joshua 21:18.
b) Israel assigned land (cities and houses) {Cf. Joshua 21}:
i) To the Levites.
ii) To the priests.
c) Different tribes would donate land and houses for those who served the Lord.
d) Anathoth was in the land of Benjamin.
e) It was dedicated to the priests for the duration of their life.