The Book of Jeremiah

The author sticks closely to the original aim of the Epworth Commentary series. This series is designed specifically for preachers. In writing the commentary, McKeating devised the following checklist (p. 1-2): 1. “The preacher needs to have obvious difficulties explained, and information offered on matters with which he/she may be unfamiliar.” 2. “The preacher needs background information about the events and circumstances of the period, and about the society in which the prophet was operating.” 3. “The preacher is likely to need help in seeing the book of Jeremiah as a whole; i.e., in perceiving its structure and in picking out the broad issues with which the prophet deals. A particular problem is that the book of Jeremiah is not organized chronologically. Most readers appreciate assistance in establishing the order in which things happen.” 4. “The preacher may appreciate help in seeing connections, both within the book, and between the book and other parts of scripture.” 5. “The preacher is likely to appreciate other ‘leads’ which will provoke thought.” 6. “In all this, the preacher is likely to be asking, in relation to any particular passage in the book: What is this passage about? To whom is it addressed? And what is it trying to say to this people in that situation?” 7. [Full Review]