08/31/2026
WEEK 36: August 31 - September 6 - Jeremiah 37-52; Habakkuk; Nahum; Obadiah; Psalms 86-89
☐ Monday, August 31 - Jeremiah 37-43
Why is Ebedmelech the Ethiopian spared from the destruction of Jerusalem (39:15-18)?
☐ Tuesday, September 1 - Jeremiah 44-48
Jeremiah 44:10 states that Judah has shown no remorse for their actions. Why do you think Judah then or people today are not contrite for their actions?
☐ Wednesday, September 2 - Jeremiah 49-52
Why do you think the captain of the guard left the poorest people in the land of Judah (Jeremiah 52:16)?
☐ Thursday, September 3 - Habakkuk
How often do you feel like Habakkuk when he cries out, “how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen” (Hab. 1:2)?
☐ Friday, September 4 - Nahum, Obadiah
What do you think is meant in Nahum 2:13 when the Lord says, “I am against you”?
☐ Saturday, September 5 - Psalms 86-89
Psalm 89:1 proclaims that “with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.” How can you proclaim God’s faithfulness to all generations this weekend?
As we conclude reading Jeremiah this week, we will also read 3 more minor prophets. As we enter September, we have made it through ⅔ of our reading plan reading portions of 32 books of the Bible. Congratulations on making this far. Including this week, we have 17 more weeks to complete our task of reading the Bible in a year. And remember, this task is not to say you’ve read the Bible in a year. This task is to have regular moments with God by reading His Word. I pray you continue to do so over the next four months.
Jeremiah 37-52 is broken into two sections. The first section is chapters 37-45 which chronicles Jeremiah’s last days which coincide with the last days of Jerusalem. It is at the end of Jeremiah 36 where the chances for Judah run out. Individuals may be saved, but the nation of Judah will be conquered. Within this part of Jeremiah, there will be a contingent of people who escape to Egypt to preserve themselves. Jeremiah warns them that they will die if they attempt to escape God’s wrath in Egypt. If they stay and are conquered by the Babylonians, their families might be part of the remnant. If they journey to Egypt, they most certainly will die “by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence” (Jer 42:22).
Jeremiah 46-51 is a section of prophecies about other nations surrounding Judah at this time. A section of oracles against neighboring nations is featured in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Amos as well. God is not just a god of Israel; God is the God of all peoples. All people must obey God or face his judgment. Finally, Jeremiah 52 is an epilogue of sorts to the book. The text is incredibly similar to 2 Kings 24:18-25:30 summarizing the destruction of Jerusalem and the looting of the Temple. The final paragraph of Jeremiah does convey a little hope. The Davidic king is still alive, and David’s lineage is still intact. This means that a true God-ordained king can come again and fulfill the promise that David’s kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). This fulfillment of course comes through Jesus the Christ (Matt. 1:1-18).
Moving on from Jeremiah, Habakkuk can be summarized by the most quoted phrase from the book: “the righteous live by faith” (Hab. 2:4). The first part of Habakkuk (1:2-2:4) is a fascinating debate between Habakkuk and God. The last part of Habakkuk 2 is a confident proclamation that the Lord will win out against tyranny and treachery. And Habakkuk 3 is a beautiful prayer of God appearing to protect his people. Therefore, even in difficult times, “I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:18)
Nahum and Obadiah are unique in that they are both incredibly short books which do not focus attention on Israel or Judah. Nahum is an oracle about Nineveh, and Obadiah is about Edom. Why does Nahum, a prophet from Judah, care about Nineveh? Nineveh was a major city in the Ancient World and its fall in 612 to the Babylonians was a big deal. If Babylon could overtake Nineveh, they could overtake anyone. So, it was important for Judah to understand from God’s perspective what was happening.
For Obadiah, it is difficult to understand why this short message is in the Old Testament. Verses 1-6 are very similar to Jeremiah 49. Obadiah condemns Edom as parts of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Malachi do. Simply put, there is nothing new in Obadiah. Its focus on the Day of the Lord is probably why it is included. It builds on a similar theme as in Joel 3 and Amos 9. Some even think that Obadiah is a commentary of sorts on those two chapters of the other prophets. Obadiah is very straightforward. Edom will be judged because Edom sinned. Edom has no hope because the Day of the Lord is coming and “[their] deeds shall return on [their] heads” (Obad 1:15).
