(Jeremiah 13, 18, 19,24,27,32 and 37)

Jeremiah performed a number of prophetic actions to explain events in Judah and Israel by employing the use of ordinary happenings in his life to present and reveal the messages of God. He saw in these ordinary events spiritual meaning and these became signs from God.

Whereas some of these messages pointed towards punishment and destruction of Judah and Israel, others pointed towards redemption and the restoration of the nation.

Jeremiah saw a branch of an almond tree which was leafless but with the buds about to grow again (Jer. 1 : 11-12).

Jeremiah explained this sign to mean that God was watching over the people of Judah to see his words come true.

The sign also pointed towards the difficult prophetic work that Jeremiah would experience.

Jeremiah saw a pot boiling in the north which was about to overflow towards him (Jer. 1: 13).

This sign was interpreted to mean that destruction would boil from the north on all the people of Judah.

Besides, the sign also meant that God had withdrawn his protection and exposed his own people to their enemies.

The Lord commanded Jeremiah to buy some linen shorts and put them on but without washing (Jer. 13: 1 ff).

Besides, he was later instructed to go and hide the shorts in a hole in the rocks. However, when he was asked to get them back, he found that they were ruined and could no longer be of any use.

Accordingly, the Lord made Jeremiah to understand that he would destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem for having refused to obey him, worshipped and served other gods.

Besides, like the shorts to Jeremiah, the people of Judah were no longer any good to him and to the Lord.

In addition, just .as shorts fit round the waist tightly, the Lord intended to make all the people of Israel and Judah hold tightly on to him.

The linen shorts symbolized the people of Israel as God's chosen and special people.

The Lord further commanded Jeremiah to remain single. He was forbidden from having a family and children in a place like Judah.

Accordingly, the Lord revealed to the prophet what would happen to the parents and their children. They would die of terrible diseases to the point that no one would be there to mourn for them.

Besides, destruction was looming for Judah. The people would be killed in war and starve to death for the birds and the wild animals to eat.

In addition, the sign meant that judgement was so near that the time for raising children would hardly be there.

It also signified that God was about to withdraw his blessings and cause infertility of the body.

The Lord forbade Jeremiah from entering a house where there was mourning. He was not to grieve for anyone.

The above sign meant that the Lord would punish the people without mercy thus he would put everyone to death.

The Lord commanded Jeremiah to stay away from any house having a feast for he was forbidden from sitting down with them to eat and drink.

This pointed towards a gloomy and sorrowful time coming ahead of the people. The Lord promised to silence their sounds of joy and of wedding feasts.

Jeremiah saw a barren land which was so wasted that there was no light and the mountains were shaking thus making the people to tremble fear.

This implied that a period of dark ages was ahead of Judah that everyone in the land would suffer the consequences of their misconduct.

It also meant that the people of Judah would tremble during the time of destruction. Besides, Jeremiah interpreted the sign to mean starvation and death in the land of Judah. The Lord sent Jeremiah to a potter's house from where he saw the potter working at his wheel. However, whenever a piece of it turned out to be imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else (Jer. 18: 1 ff).

The potter symbolized God and the pottery meant the people of Judah

As the potter desired to see his piece of work shaped in the way he wanted it be, God expected the people of Judah to behave in the way he wanted.

This sign showed how Judah had become imperfect before God who had the right to do whatever he wanted on them because they had disobeyed and turned against him.

Besides, it signified repentance and a call upon Judah to change their ways and the things they were doing.

The sign also pointed towards the Lord's sovereign and universal nature as he showed Jeremiah that he had the power to uproot, break down or destroy any nation or kingdom and therefore a call upon them turn to him.

Jeremiah further performed the sign of a broken jar. Accordingly, the Lord ordered him to buy clay jar and take along with him some of the elders and the old priests to the valley of Hinnom to witness him break the jar in pieces before them (Jer. 19: 1 ff),

The clay jar symbolized the people of Judah whom the Lord had chosen as his own special people.

The breaking of the clay jar meant that God was going destroy or smash the people of Judah and its city.

It signified the disunity among the people of Judah symbolized by the broken pieces of the clay jar.

Besides, it signified the Lord's determination to bring disaster on Judah for having abandoned him and offered sacrifice to other gods.

In addition, it was a call for the people to turn back to monotheism instead of worshipping other gods.

Jeremiah received the vision of two baskets of figs which were placed before the temple. One basket was contained good figs and the other rotten ones ready to be thrown away (24: 1 ff).

The basket of good figs was interpreted to mean the people of Judah who had been taken to exile in Babylon.

The Lord told Jeremiah that the exiles had now learnt lessons and had become faithful to him.

The basket of rotten figs signified those who had stayed behind in Jerusalem and had continued with their sinful nature and were going to be destroyed.

The vision signified repentance. The people turned to God after being punished by exile life

Besides, it signified the end of exile in Babylon for the lord promised to watch over the people and bring them back to their land.

The vision showed that God's punishment was redemptive. They were taken to exile in order for them turn back to the Lord.

The prophetic sign indicated the theme of remnant. God showed his willingness to make a new start with his people.

The Lord instructed Jeremiah to put on a wooden yoke around his neck. (Jer. 27: 1 ff).

This was interpreted to mean that the lord had allowed of Judah to put foreign domination particularly under the king of Babylonia (Nebuchadnezzar).

It also meant that the people of Judah would be treated as slaves when under foreign domination.

The Lord commanded Jeremiah to buy a plot of land in the territory of Benjamin: He was instructed to process the land title and give it to his secretary-Baruch to keep for future use.

This prophetic sign indicated that there was hope for Jerusalem and the people of Judah.

It showed that normal life would be restored in the future for the people of Judah. The lord told Jeremiah to keep the titles for future use.

It also meant that the people of Judah would return to their own land and their own city. Therefore, it signified the end of their exile life.

Jeremiah was taken to a dry well, tied up and left without anything to eat. However, he was later released

The sign meant that the people of Judah captured and taken to exile for the experience difficulties.

Besides, it signified a return of Judah from exile after their long period of suffering.

Revision Questions

1.          Comment on the use of symbols in the book of Jeremiah.

2.          Comment on the prophetic signs of Jeremiah.

3.          How were these prophetic signs fulfilled in the history of Israel?

·       God kept on watching the people of Judah particularly their conduct.

·       Judah was later invaded by their enemies the Babylonians who came from the northern direction.

·       The people of Judah were taken into exile in Babylonia where they served as slaves.

·       The people of Judah continued with their misconduct of serving other gods and they became useless before the Lord.

·       Judah's cities particularly Jerusalem were destroyed by their enemies and every valuable looted.

·       The people of Judah who remained behind during the Babylonian exile continued with their sinfulness

·       There was massive death in Judah during the Babylonian invasion.

·       The Lord exposed his own people to their enemies by withdrawing his protection from them.

·       God spared some of the people of Judah during the massive destruction by the Babylonians (the remnants)

·       The people who remained in Judah continued to be unrepentant.

·       There were cries of sorrow in Judah as people were attacked by their enemies.

·       While in exile, the people of Judah were harshly and cruelly treated by their captors.

·       The people of Judah were later taken back to their land from exile.

·       The people of Judah enjoyed God's protection upon their return from exile.