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Week 21: Is There any Hope Left for You, Jerusalem? Jeremiah 13 (Download this week's PDF here or follow along below) |
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Review the big story: God created the cosmos and humans and called it all good. We were created to live in harmony, but sometimes we miss the mark. All of humanity missed the mark, and they had to live with the consequences, but God stuck with them and continued to love them. Then God called a family to be a blessing to the whole earth. Like the humans before them, the generations of this family often missed the mark, but God was faithful. When the people became slaves in Egypt, God raised up Moses to be their leader. God performed many signs and wonders, and delivered them from slavery. In the wilderness, they learned to be a people of God, trusting in God’s provision, living out God’s commandments, and wrestling with the law in shalom community. As they prepared to go into the promised land, they were given the shema, words of love to keep with their whole beings. God gave the people a new leader, Joshua, and through miraculous works brought the people into the promised land. Once there, they had to learn again how to be God’s people. They missed the mark a lot, and God sent judges to guide them. Ordinary people showed creativity and steadfast love in the way they continued the story of the people of God. God called a young boy, Samuel, to be a bridge between the people and God. Prophets like Samuel would continue to try to keep the people faithful to God in the time of the kings, beginning with Saul and David. David’s son Solomon, the third king of Israel, built a temple in Jerusalem to be a gathering place for worship of God. But Solomon and all the kings continued to miss the mark, and the kingdom divided into the north (Israel) and the south (Judah). Prophets like Elijah kept God’s vision alive and continued to call the people back to God. Huldah, another prophetess, helped young King Josiah interpret the book of the law that was discovered in the temple and bring the people back to God for a generation.
Tell the story: The northern kingdom of Israel “fell to,” or was conquered by the Assyrians in about 722 BCE. About a hundred years after that, Jeremiah prophesied in the southern kingdom of Judah. During his time of being a prophet, Judah fell to the Babylonians. There are several “object lessons” in Jeremiah’s life with God, and this story is one of those. The Lord told Jeremiah to go buy himself a loincloth and wear it. Then he was to bury it, and, after a time, to recover it - now ruined. God then compared the loincloth to the people of Israel. God sticks with the people, but there are huge consequences for their actions.
Prime the pump:
Microsong: "Is There any Hope Left for You, Jerusalem?"
God gives Jeremiah a picture of God’s ruined family...
Is there any hope left, is there any hope left, is there any hope left for you, Jerusalem? Any hope?
Any hope left? Is there any hope left for you, Jerusalem?
- Key verses: Jeremiah 13:11
Tell the story: The northern kingdom of Israel “fell to,” or was conquered by the Assyrians in about 722 BCE. About a hundred years after that, Jeremiah prophesied in the southern kingdom of Judah. During his time of being a prophet, Judah fell to the Babylonians. There are several “object lessons” in Jeremiah’s life with God, and this story is one of those. The Lord told Jeremiah to go buy himself a loincloth and wear it. Then he was to bury it, and, after a time, to recover it - now ruined. God then compared the loincloth to the people of Israel. God sticks with the people, but there are huge consequences for their actions.
- Read Jeremiah 13 (or for just the loincloth story, Jeremiah 13:1-14)
Prime the pump:
- Things to notice:
- Because this part of the Bible isn’t as linear in its narration, it is harder to keep a steady timeline of what is happening here! Consider creating a timeline of the events of Part 5 - and maybe you want to continue it with Part 6. Notice how long (or short) the time frame is between these stories we’re reading.
- If you’ve been mapping, find Parath on a map.
- Read 13:14. Does that make you squirm? Sit with that. Wrestle with it.
- Background information:
- A loincloth is, essentially, underwear. God compares the people of Israel to underwear, and God’s self to the “loins.” Read verse 11. What does this mean?
- When a loincloth is ruined, it exposes the genitals. What kind of “exposure” do you think Jeremiah and God might be worried about for the Israelites?
- In verse 1, God tells Jeremiah not to enter water/dip the loincloth in water. Some interpret this to mean Jeremiah is to wear the loincloth and get it dirty before burying it, and some think it may be to ensure that the loincloth is not altered or damaged before it’s buried.
- The bit about jars filled with wine in verses 12-14 can be confusing, and it’s written to be a kind of riddle. The people are telling Jeremiah that jars are made to be filled. The riddle is that they’re filled with wine, causing them to be unstable and liable to fall. They think they’re fine, doing what they’re meant to do, but really, they’re setting themselves up for disaster.
- Verse 17 is intriguing. First, it shows a window into God’s longings for the people. There is also an interesting word at work, which the NRSV translates as “pride.” The Hebrew word here is geiwah, an obscure word. “Pride” as its translation is only a guess. Robert Alter tells us that it also has been connected with a word in Job that can mean “community.” (Alter, Robert. 2019. The Hebrew Bible, vol. 2: Prophets. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, pg. 905.) Read the passage with that word, and it changes considerably!
- Here’s a window into the tough job biblical translators have to do. The NRSV translation flips verse 27b - the original Hebrew has what NRSV translates as “How long will it be” last in the passage. But the literal Hebrew translation is “after when still.” (Alter, Robert. 2019. The Hebrew Bible, vol. 2: Prophets. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, pg. 907.)
- Conversation starters:
- Jeremiah wasn’t terribly popular, because his messages for the people were often critical of their behavior and often predicted the fall of Jerusalem. So he was imprisoned and persecuted. He seemed to see his role as a prophet as perpetual torment. Yet he faithfully prophesied. Wonder about the sense of calling that would lead a person to do something so unpopular and unpleasant.
- This story, like many of Jeremiah’s stories, lends itself to enactment and humor. Here is a video of Ted Schwartz’s dramatic interpretation of this story. Try retelling the story. Play with the verbs and nouns. Discover the humor. Why is it that humor has such power to make us listen and see things in new ways?
Microsong: "Is There any Hope Left for You, Jerusalem?"
God gives Jeremiah a picture of God’s ruined family...
Is there any hope left, is there any hope left, is there any hope left for you, Jerusalem? Any hope?
Any hope left? Is there any hope left for you, Jerusalem?
Sing the big song:
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
Eve and Adam, they tried to hide. The world got violent and God replied with a mark and flood and a rainbow sign, God’s love written on skin and sky,
And then God called a family to be a blessing to the earth, ohh ohhh
A mother and her favorite son wrestle for the blessing, another son becomes a slave, the land is saved from famine.
God’s family grows. Egypt oppresses. They groan to God and God sends Moses.
Ten strange signs day “Please release them!” By the sea God saves them. Ohh ohhh.
The people complain God rains bread. Daily food and ten new rules.
Five sisters come and ask for land. God says “Yes, amend the law!”
Moses says, “In your new life across the Jordan, love God with your whole heart and with all your being, and your strength, now listen: God is One, only God! God is One, only God!”
Cross over Jordan, stories and stones. Circuits and shouts and the walls come down.
God sends judges like Deborah and the land has rest.
Ruth’s worth more than seven sons; Redeem the lost with steadfast love.
Corruption in the temple, and God sends Samuel.
God gives them a prophet, they ask for a king. Does God need a temple? A wise king forgets. And when a bully rules the land, a nation tears apart. And loses David’s heart…..
Through a widow’s gift and a prophet’s cry. God brings life in desperate times.
Josiah reads a misplaced scroll. He turns to God wholeheartedly. Like David did. In his time.
God gives Jeremiah a picture of God’s ruined family…
Is there any hope left, is there any hope left, is there any hope left for you Jerusalem? Any hope? Any hope left? Is there any hope left for you, Jerusalem?
God loves every one of us, it’s true, and God loves the universe.
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
Eve and Adam, they tried to hide. The world got violent and God replied with a mark and flood and a rainbow sign, God’s love written on skin and sky,
And then God called a family to be a blessing to the earth, ohh ohhh
A mother and her favorite son wrestle for the blessing, another son becomes a slave, the land is saved from famine.
God’s family grows. Egypt oppresses. They groan to God and God sends Moses.
Ten strange signs day “Please release them!” By the sea God saves them. Ohh ohhh.
The people complain God rains bread. Daily food and ten new rules.
Five sisters come and ask for land. God says “Yes, amend the law!”
Moses says, “In your new life across the Jordan, love God with your whole heart and with all your being, and your strength, now listen: God is One, only God! God is One, only God!”
Cross over Jordan, stories and stones. Circuits and shouts and the walls come down.
God sends judges like Deborah and the land has rest.
Ruth’s worth more than seven sons; Redeem the lost with steadfast love.
Corruption in the temple, and God sends Samuel.
God gives them a prophet, they ask for a king. Does God need a temple? A wise king forgets. And when a bully rules the land, a nation tears apart. And loses David’s heart…..
Through a widow’s gift and a prophet’s cry. God brings life in desperate times.
Josiah reads a misplaced scroll. He turns to God wholeheartedly. Like David did. In his time.
God gives Jeremiah a picture of God’s ruined family…
Is there any hope left, is there any hope left, is there any hope left for you Jerusalem? Any hope? Any hope left? Is there any hope left for you, Jerusalem?
God loves every one of us, it’s true, and God loves the universe.