Lesson 137 scripture dig Jeremiah 42-52

Lesson 137: Jeremiah 42–52

All together:

I. Jeremiah 42–44  Jeremiah warns the remnant of Judah not to go to Egypt

---What are some specific things prophets have directed the youth of the Church to do to protect themselves from the evil influences of the world?

---How might you be tempted to disobey the Lord’s counsel given to you through prophets?

---As you study Jeremiah 42–44  look for principles that will help you understand the consequences of choosing either to obey or to disobey the prophets’ counsel.

---After the Babylonian army came a second time against Jerusalem, they carried most of the Jews away with them to Babylon. The small group of Jews who remained in Jerusalem were called a “remnant,” meaning those left behind. Several of the remnant believed that if they went to Egypt they would be spared from further abuse from the Babylonian army.

1.

---Read Jeremiah 42:1–3 aloud looking for what the Jews who were left in Jerusalem did.

---What did the Jews who were left in Jerusalem do?

---According to verse 3, why did they ask Jeremiah to pray to the Lord?

---Read Jeremiah 42:4 aloud looking for Jeremiah’s response.

---What do you think Jeremiah meant when he said that he would keep nothing back as he declared God’s word to the Jews?

---Scan Jeremiah 42:5–6 looking for how the people responded to Jeremiah.

---Notice the phrase “whether it be evil” in verse 6, in this case, “evil” refers to something the people didn’t want to do, rather than something bad.

---What did the people promise to do when Jeremiah revealed God’s will?

---What did the people say would happen to them if they obeyed the Lord’s counsel given through His prophets?

---What do you think the phrase “it may be well with us” means?

---Read aloud the following statement from the First Presidency, found in For the Strength of Youth:

“We promise that as you keep the covenants you have made and these standards, you will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, your faith and testimony will grow stronger, and you will enjoy increasing happiness” (For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], ii).

2.

---Jeremiah 42:7–8 states that after 10 days Jeremiah called the people together to reveal God’s will about whether or not they should go to Egypt.

---Read Jeremiah 42:9–12 looking for how it would be well with the people if they listened to the counsel Jeremiah gave them.

Discuss:

---What counsel did Jeremiah give?

---How would it be well with the people if they obeyed the prophet’s counsel and stayed in the land of Judah?

---Take turns reading aloud from Jeremiah 42:13–17 looking for the warning Jeremiah gave the Jews of what would happen if they did not obey the Lord’s counsel.

---What warning did Jeremiah give the Jews?

---What principle can we learn from these verses about what happens to us when we disregard the Lord’s counsel given through His prophets?

When we disregard the Lord’s counsel given through His prophets, we bring __________________________________.

3.

---Go back to your list of ways that prophets have directed the youth of the Church to remain spiritually clean and protect themselves from evil. Discuss the following:

---What consequences might people bring upon themselves if they disregard the Lord’s counsel given through prophets?

---In contrast, what blessings have you seen as you or others have obeyed the Lord’s counsel given through prophets?

                ---Why do you think people sometimes choose to disregard the counsel of the Lord given through His prophets even though they have been warned of the consequences?

---Read Jeremiah 43:1–4 aloud looking for how the people responded to Jeremiah.

---According to verses 2–3, what excuse did the proud men give for disobeying Jeremiah’s words?

---What excuses do the proud give for disobeying the prophets’ words in our day?

---Ponder the following questions:

---Am I disobeying any counsel from the Lord given through His prophets? If so, what counsel am I disobeying?

---Make a goal concerning what you will do to better follow the counsel of the Lord given through His prophets.

4.

---In Jeremiah 43:5–13 the remnant of the Jews not only disobeyed the Lord and went to Egypt, but they also took Jeremiah with them. After they arrived in Egypt, Jeremiah prophesied that when the Babylonian army destroyed Egypt, the king of Babylon would make his throne there.

---Read the chapter summary for Jeremiah 44 aloud.

---What did Jeremiah prophesy about the Jews who were living in Egypt?

---Verses 15–19 say that the Jews in Egypt refused to listen to Jeremiah and told him they felt more blessed when they worshipped the false gods of Egypt than when they stopped worshipping them.

---Read Jeremiah 44:22–23 aloud looking for what Jeremiah told the Jews in Egypt. The phrase “ye have burned incense” refers to worshipping false gods.

---What does the phrase “this evil happened unto you” in verse 23 mean?

5.

II. Jeremiah 45–52  Jeremiah prophesies of the destruction of several nations but also testifies of the strength of the Redeemer to deliver the people

---Think of a time when you felt discouraged because of opposition you experienced when you tried to do the right thing.

---What gave you hope during your time of discouragement?

---In Jeremiah 45  Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch, felt discouraged, and the Lord sent him a message of encouragement through Jeremiah.

---In Jeremiah 46–52 we read that Jeremiah prophesied of the destruction of several nations, but he also shared messages of hope. As you study Jeremiah 46–52  look for a truth that would help bring hope during times of discouragement.

---Read these verses silently, looking for messages of hope

 Jeremiah 46:27–28; Jeremiah 50:17–20; Jeremiah 50:33–34.

---You may want to mark in your scriptures words or phrases you find that reflect messages of hope.

---What were the messages of hope for scattered Israel?

---What truths can we learn about the Redeemer from these messages?

Through the strength of our Redeemer, we can ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­________________________________________________________.

---What are some things the Lord can deliver us from?

---Answer the following question in your scripture study journals:

When has the Lord delivered you?

Lesson 137: Jeremiah 42–52

The remnant of the people of Judah, who were not taken captive by the Babylonian army, sought the Lord’s counsel concerning whether they should go to Egypt. At their request, Jeremiah prayed to know the Lord’s will for them, and the Lord promised that the remnant would be safe if they stayed in the land of Judah. Jeremiah further prophesied that if the people disobeyed the Lord and went to Egypt, they would be destroyed. Jeremiah foretold the destruction of many nations, including Babylon. He also testified of the Redeemer’s strength to deliver them.

All together:

I. Jeremiah 42–44  Jeremiah warns the remnant of Judah not to go to Egypt

---What are some specific things prophets have directed the youth of the Church to do to protect themselves from the evil influences of the world?

---How might you be tempted to disobey the Lord’s counsel given to you through prophets?

---As you study Jeremiah 42–44  look for principles that will help you understand the consequences of choosing either to obey or to disobey the prophets’ counsel.

---After the Babylonian army came a second time against Jerusalem, they carried most of the Jews away with them to Babylon. The small group of Jews who remained in Jerusalem were called a “remnant,” meaning those left behind. Several of the remnant believed that if they went to Egypt they would be spared from further abuse from the Babylonian army.