Jeremiah a "prophet to the Nations"?

[Elijah John]

In the opening chapter of the book of Jeremiah, God called him to be a "prophet to the Nations".

How so?

Which nation(s)?

What was Jeremiah's message to those nations? Did he preach Judaism, or more broadly, ethical monotheism? Repentance? Christ?

[JehovahsWitness]

In the opening chapter of the book of Jeremiah, God called him to be a "prophet to the Nations".

How so?

Which nation(s)?

Which nations?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 043#845043

What was Jeremiah's message to those nations? Did he preach Judaism, or more broadly, ethical monotheism? Repentance? Christ?

The messages for the most part amounted to (paraphrasing) "God is going to destroy you and the horse you rode in on"




JW

[Elijah John]

In the opening chapter of the book of Jeremiah, God called him to be a "prophet to the Nations".

How so?

Which nation(s)?

Which nations?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 043#845043

What was Jeremiah's message to those nations? Did he preach Judaism, or more broadly, ethical monotheism? Repentance? Christ?

The messages for the most part amounted to (paraphrasing) "God is going to destroy you and the horse you rode in on"

Seems Jeremiah's message and the scope of his preaching, then, was far more limted than Paul's being "an apostle to the Gentiles".

Did anyone then, or anyone else from Israel preach YHVH to " the Nations"? It is known that Jews accepted allies, fellow monotheists (God fearers) to worship YHVH with them, but was anyone called specifically to preach to them?

"God fearers" were allowed (or encouraged) to worship with Jewish congregations, but were not required to formally convert to Judaism in order to do so.




JW[/quote]

[JehovahsWitness]

Did anyone then, or anyone else from Israel preach YHVH to " the Nations"?

The bible Prophets were sent to the Israelites rarely to the nations. Off the top of my head.. Jonah and Nahum were sent to the Assyrians ... the message for the nations amounted to "God is going to destroy you and the horse you rode in on".

Was anyone called specifically to preach to them?

No, although anyone could join the nation and worship their God as a proselyte (Trump had yet to be born to build a wall) there was no provision in the Jewish system to reach out to foreigners and share their faith. The diaspora brought many people in touch with Jewish culture and it seems that by the first century there were those that did travel seeking converts. But in any case there's no such provision in the written law in fact the law discouaged contact with non-Israelites and explicitly prohibited intermarriage.

"God fearers" were allowed (or encouraged) to worship with Jewish congregations, but were not required to formally convert to Judaism in order to do so.

That is correct but they were not allowed full worship either. By the first century the Jewish temple for example did have a court called the "court of the Gentiles", but the bible reports a riot because it was believed that the Aposle Paul had bought a foreigner into the inner court at the temple. Doing such a thing would have been considered "defiing" it.

The Jewish religion was essentially for the Jewish people.

[brianbbs67]

Many things in the OT were for man. Meaning all men. Like the law.

But, the first example I can think of in the OT, is Balak and Baalam. The Moabites(Lot's and his daughters kids) worshipped the Lord also. In fact, Baalam was a wonder worker for his people. God seems to make deals(covenants of a sort) with many of the OT peoples. He even calls Nebbakanzzer His servant at one point.

[JehovahsWitness]

Many things in the OT were for man. Meaning all men. Like the law.

But, the first example I can think of in the OT, is Balak and Baalam. The Moabites(Lot's and his daughters kids) worshipped the Lord also. In fact, Baalam was a wonder worker for his people. God seems to make deals(covenants of a sort) with many of the OT peoples. He even calls Nebbakanzzer His servant at one point.

Are you suggesting YHWH approved of Baal worship?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 5 by brianbbs67]

Yes but as I said prior to Jonah, the biblical prophets were not sent to the nation's.

It must have been an unusual request for Jonah.

JW

[steveb1]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

Found this at what seems to be a literalist site:

Evidence That Jeremiah Prophesied to the Nations

Well, there’s the fact that chapters forty-six through fifty-one is one long section of prophecies — not to Judah — but to the surrounding nations.

In addition there are prophecies concerning the nations interspersed throughout his prophecies about Judah.
What It Doesn’t Mean to be a Prophet to the Nations

But to say that Jeremiah is a prophet to the nations doesn’t mean two things.

First, it doesn’t mean that other prophets were not made to be prophets to the nations. Isaiah has much to say about the nations. Some of the minor prophets have quite a bit to say about the nations, too.

And second, it doesn’t mean that Jeremiah was sent only to the nations. Obviously, most of what he says is directed toward Judah.

https://www.explainingthebook.com/what- ... e-nations/

Hardly a detailed explanation, but apparently the author thinks that since about five chapters are devoted to prophesying to other nations, this qualifies Jeremiah as "prophet to the nations"...

[brianbbs67]

Many things in the OT were for man. Meaning all men. Like the law.

But, the first example I can think of in the OT, is Balak and Baalam. The Moabites(Lot's and his daughters kids) worshipped the Lord also. In fact, Baalam was a wonder worker for his people. God seems to make deals(covenants of a sort) with many of the OT peoples. He even calls Nebbakanzzer His servant at one point.

Are you suggesting YHWH approved of Baal worship?

No, of course not. I am saying God worked with other nations also. The OT quotes that Baalam did wondrous works in the name of God. Numbers 22-24. Baalam was a descendant of Lot, they only family spared destruction. Moabites were one of Lot's offspring.