Jeremiah was not the brightest among the prophets; Isaiah held that distinction. Nor is the book of Jeremiah the most difficult to understand; that award probably goes to the one by Ezekiel. Jeremiah is not even the most influential (that’s Daniel) nor the most notorious (Jonah, without a doubt) nor the most to be pitied (hello, Hosea). But of all the prophets, for sure, Jeremiah was the most heroic; he was as a “pillar of iron” and “walls of bronze” (Jeremiah 1:18). Consider this: for forty-two years, he stood alone in Judah, preaching, warning, and pleading, trying to awaken the nation about the judgment that would surely come if they didn’t turn around. But in all those years, he never once saw any sign of encouragement. And when doom finally fell, Jeremiah lived through the whole humiliating experience, writing a brief sequel titled Lamentations. But before we get to the lament, we must first look at the jeremiad—the sad prophecy of doom.

A Survey of Jeremiah

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