Introduction

Author: Jeremiah the Prophet

• Jeremiah started his service as a youth from a priestly family
• God invited him to prophesy but he was worried 
• Israel had already been made captive to Assyria
  • Jeremiah's prophecies were about "repent so it doesn't happen to you too!"
  • It was revealed to Jeremiah that the Southern Kingdom of Judah would be taken captive by Babylon
• Many kings and the people heard his prophecies, but did not take it seriously.
• Babylonian Captivity
  • Came in several waves
  • In the time of King Zedekiah, they came and seized Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, plundered the gold and the vessels and anything of value in the Temple; and they took captives
  • Jeremiah witnessed all of those things
• Weeping Prophet
  • Prophesied for 40 years before the captivity, and lamented, so he received the nickname "Weeping Prophet"
    
• After the Captivity, some Judean leaders wanted to flee to Egypt and God forbade it by Jeremiah's voice (Jeremiah 43)
  • So they took him and forced him to go to Egypt with them
  • There, he preached that they will be punished
• Tradition tells us that Jeremiah died in Egypt
• Date of Authorship: After witnessing the captivity of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple

Introduction to Lamentations

• The Church arranges for us to read this on the 12th hour of Friday in a mournful tune, because not only did they kill prophets... they killed the Messiah.