nist theology. With his Temple sermon he condemned the people for being immoral and because of this nothing could save them not even the temple that was so sacred to them. Another reason was that the temple was held as superstition. Almost as a certain security because theology claimed that Yahweh dwelt in the temple and as long as he was there nothing bad could happen to Israel. But as Jeremiah countered only such securities could come from their faith. In this sermon Jeremiah was pitting Mosaic traditions against Zionist-Davidic theology. After the priests and heard of this condemnation they pressed the king to have him executed. Instead he was barred form entering the temple. Jeremiah had instituted the help of his friend and secretary, Baruch, to take dictations. Together they created a scroll that warned of Babylonian danger. When the scroll was sent to the Jehoiakim, the king, He ripped the columns off with a knife and had them burned. Shortly after Jeremiah and Baruch started on another scroll, this one they did not send to the king. After warnings from Jeremiah Jerusalem was subdued by Babylon in 598B.C.E. Many were taken into Exile including the newly appointed king Jehoiachin. In 594B.C.E Babylon seemed vulnerable due to a revolt in King Nebuchadnezzer’s army. Jeremiah was sent to Jerusalem by Yahweh to discourage this optimism; and to reinforce this he put an ox yolk on his shoulders and declared that Babylon would reign over them for a while. He also denounced any prophet who said otherwise. The Jews who were in exile also had such false hopes, which Jeremiah was determined to end. He had sent a letter to the leadership them telling them to not expect a swift return to Jerusalem, but to build homes and starts businesses. During the worst days of the siege in 588B.C.E. Jeremiah purchased some ancestral land. With this act he was affirming his deepest faith in Yahweh that he would not abandon his peo...
