WHAT A DIFFERENCE YOU CAN MAKE!

Josiah hearing the book of the law (1873) (from here (en.wikipedia.org))

The prophet Jeremiah began to declare God’s approaching judgment on Judah in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign when the king was just 21 years old. Not anxious to speak words of doom and judgment to the people chosen by God, Jeremiah was told by God that He would protect His prophet no matter what. Jeremiah was faithful to God and told the people exactly what God told him to say.

A look back at Judah’s history explains why Jeremiah had to prophecy as he did. Judah was the product of a national split after Solomon had ruled Israel as king and died. His son Jeroboam went into idolatry, taking ten of the twelve tribes in Israel with him. Jeroboam set up two golden calves for the Hebrews to worship rather than their being tempted to return annually to…