Lesson 1 - Jer. 1:1-10, 17-19 - CALLED
INTRODUCTION: his week we start a new quarter in on the Book of Jeremiah. Written over a period of 40+ years, between 626-585 B.C., it reports the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah both before and after the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. It follows the dialogues of a prophet who condemned Judah's unfaithfulness to God, warned the rulers, the priests, and the people of God's coming judgment in the form of the Babylonian Conquest, and offered hope (after their defeat) of a New Covenant. It is the longest book of the bible in terms of words and verses and is certainly one of the most complex. As the 24th book of the OT, it's sandwiched between Isaiah and Ezekiel. While Jeremiah's ministry is largely concerned with preaching the word of God about the state of affairs in Judah and Jerusalem, it also portrays the life and the times of the prophet himself. The last lesson in this study will be from the Book of Lamentations, a lament or mourning that expresses sorrow over what had happened in Judah as a result of the sins of the people and their rejection of God. The enduring principle we learn from Jeremiah is that just like his audience, we, too, must obey God, even when it is difficult and recognize that God's will in our lives is far more important than our own desires; and likewise, we are to trust that God, in His infinite wisdom and perfect plans, will bring about what is best for those who have faith in Him.
Today, in Jer. 1:1-10, 17-19, we'll see the Lord speak to Jeremiah and tell him that He had known he would be a special prophet even while he was in his mother's womb. The Lord then informed him he would be a prophet not only of Judah but to many nations. When the stunned young Jeremiah (early-20s?) told the Lord that he was too young to be a prophet and didn't know how to speak properly, God basically told him to stop looking for excuses and declared that wherever he went to preach the Lord would be with him and protect him; and the hand of God touched the mouth of Jeremiah and gave this young prophet the ability to speak well (Jer. 1:9).
Read Jer. 1:1-3 - THE WORDS OF JEREMIAH THE SON OF HILKIAH
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
Note: This book was written for the survivors of the nation of Judah-people who had seen their beloved Jerusalem utterly destroyed and themselves taken into exile. Jeremiah's writings are intended to put their suffering into context, showing them that the Lord has not abandoned them but allowed this suffering in order to bring about their redemption. From Jeremiah's perspective, Babylonia wasn't simply a mighty empire that crushed God's people, but was in truth an instrument of God's judgment that He used to bring Judah to its knees.
v. 1a: "The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah," - Although Jeremiah was the son of a priest, there's no evidence that he ever performed priestly function. But it does reveal that he was well-trained in religious laws and ceremonial matters. Later, he will denounce the priests for their sins.
v. 1b: "of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, - "Benjamin" was one of the tribal territories of Judah and the town of "Anathoth" was located about three miles north of Jerusalem (see local map), making it an easy journey by foot.
v. 2: "to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign." - It was the LORD, and Him alone who took the initiative to give His Word to Jeremiah. This 13th year in the reign of King Josiah marks the date at about 627 B.C. Josiah, considered a good king because of his religious reforms, had been preceded by a series of bad kings who had been evil in God's sight.
v. 3: It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month." - Jeremiah's prophetic work also spanned the reigns of Kings Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C) and Zedekiah (597-586 BC.), when exile of the population of Jerusalem began in the fifth month of 586 B.C. The writer apparently left out the reigns of Jehohaz and Jehoiachin, who only reigned a few months apiece. The reference to the date the inhabitants of Jerusalem were deported is significant because it marked the climax to Jeremiah's preaching ministry and fully authenticated his prophecy. We know from elsewhere in the Book that Jeremiah also prophesied after the fall of Jerusalem.
Read Jeremiah 1:4-6 -BEFORE YOU WERE BORN I CONSECRATED YOU
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "Oh, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth."
v. 4: "Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying," - These verses tell of the call of Jeremiah, which was similar in ways to the call of Moses (Ex. 3). Gideon (Judg. 6), Isaiah (Isa. 6) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 1-3), which all report an encounter with God to speak His Word. This account prepares us for the prophet's ministry as it begins to unfold in Chapter 2. The events recorded here prepare Jeremiah for that ministry, a ministry that frequently discouraged him and made him wish that God had never called him, hence, he will be known as the "weeping prophet."
v. 5a: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you;" - The word "formed" is the same one used when God formed Adam from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:7). God had set Jeremiah apart for this purpose even before He formed him in his mother womb. And to refuse such a call wound be the equivalent of rebellion against God.
v. 5b: "I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations." - Prophecy is the specific task for which God has set Jeremiah apart. He's to be a prophet not only to Judah, but "to the nations," in his day the nations of the Ancient Near East (see map); but today, to the whole world. People today think of "a prophet" as someone who foretells the future; however, a prophet's central task is to act as God's spokesperson-to proclaim the Word which God gives them.
v. 6: "Then I said, "Oh, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth." - Jeremiah initially responds by protesting his inadequacy for the task: (1) he doesn't consider himself an accomplished speaker; and (2) he's too young for the task to which God has called him. Scholars estimate that Jeremiah was about 20 at the time, maybe even younger. This should remind us of God's selection of young David as king from among his older and more accomplished brothers (1 Sam. 16). Moses made a similar protest when God commanded him to go before Pharaoh (Ex. 3:11)
Read Jer. 1:7-8 - I AM WITH YOU
7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak. 8 "Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD.
v. 7a: "But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth, - The plain and simple fact of the matter is that God calls whom God calls, regardless of their age or background-Jeremiah's "youth" will not excuse him. It doesn't matter.
v. 7b: "Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak." - Jeremiah's task is not to preach creatively but to proclaim faithfully. He will not be responsible for devising clever ways of getting people's attention, but will simply proclaim whatever words that God gives him. This can be frightening, insofar as God tends to put words of coming judgment in the mouths of prophets-words that people don't like and nobody wants to hear.
v. 8: "Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. - God promises to protect Jeremiah, which isn't a promise that God routinely makes to prophets. Prophets were often persecuted and sometimes killed (1 Kings 18:4). However, as we'll see, when God promises to deliver Jeremiah, He's not promising him an easy ride. He will never have the joy and comfort of being married and having children of his own. Instead, he'll be laughed at, unfairly criticized, threatened with death, beaten, and incarcerated along the way.
Read Jer. 1:9-10 - THE LORD TOUCHED MY MOUTH
9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 "See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant."
v. 9a: "Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me." - By stretching out His hand to touch Jeremiah's mouth, God graphically symbolized the transfer of His Words to His prophet. This gives us a powerful picture of how the LORD Himself would participate in everything which Jeremiah would be called to say and do.
v. 9b: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth." - These words closely resemble God's earlier promise to Moses: "I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him" (Deut. 18:18). God can use very ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary work if they trust Him in spite of their fears, obey him in spite of their inexperience, and proclaim His Word in spite of their feelings of inadequacy.
v. 10: "See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant." - To do this, God appointed Jeremiah to a position of authority "over the nations" in the sense that he would announce God's will to them. And during the course of it, He would announce both good news and bad-predictions of judgment and messages of comfort and encouragement; and as a matter of introduction, this verse anticipates the message of the entire book. The Bible gives us a realistic message that Jeremiah preached in his own day. It's the same message that churches need to be preaching today if we expect to make a difference in our post-Christian world: Ours is a time when a negative message-coming judgment before anything positive can begin-is direly needed. We must squarely face the fact that our culture is in trouble-really and truly ripe for the judgment of God.
Read Jer. 1:17-19 - THEY WILL NOT OVERCOME YOU
17 Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them. 18 Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD.
v. 17a: "Now, gird up your loins and arise." - In those days men tucked the skirt of their robes into their belts to free themselves up for work or battle. So, God's telling Jeremiah to get ready for work.
v. 17b: "and speak to them all which I command you." - The key word here is "all." First, Jeremiah is to tell the people the words the Lord tells him to say. And second, in the telling, he's to tell them everything, holding nothing back. He's firmly warned to leave out the bad parts.
v. 17c: "Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them." - God instructed Jeremiah not to let his fears discourage Him from being obedient to God's word, because if he did, God would really give him something to fear! His opponents were only mortal men.
v. 18: "Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land." - Jeremiah will face fierce opposition from his own people, and in particular from the kings, princes, and priests-the most powerful people in the land. But against that, God would safeguard him, like a fortified city with iron pillars and walls of bronze. He would be impregnable.
v. 19: "They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD." - While the Lord doesn't promise Jeremiah an easy road-to expect hardship-He promises that He will protect his life. God already knows the outcome and knows that Jeremiah will prevail. The Lord would rescue him as he rescued the Israelites in the Exodus (Ex. 18).
APPLICATION-When, like Jeremiah, we are called by God:
1. A prophet's central task is to act as God's spokesperson. Prophets, then and now, are duty bound to proclaim the Word that God gives them. For Jeremiah, it was the specific words that God gave to him; for us, in the 21st Century, it's the Bible, all 66 books. It's God's Word right in front of us.
2. A prophet's primary job is not to preach creatively but to proclaim faithfully. In Jeremiah's time it was the words which God gave him; for us today, it's the unvarnished truth of the Bible. It's our job to proclaim it to anyone/anywhere who needs to hear it.
3. God can use ordinary people to accomplish his extraordinary work. Jeremiah was a young person with no speaking skills. If we trust God in spite of our fears, if we obey him in spite of our lack of experience, and proclaim His Word in spite of our feelings of inadequacy, He promises to equip us.
4. The message that Jeremiah preaches is the same message that churches need to be preaching today. It's a message-coming judgment-that churches need to proclaim if they expect to make a difference in our post-Christian world. Ours is a time when a negative message-the consequences of sin-is needed before anything positive-redemption-can begin.
5. If we, like Jeremiah, are faithful to proclaim God's Word to a hostile audience, God will deliver us. If you are a Christian looking for an easy, stress-free ministry in our post-Christian culture, you're being unrealistic in your point of view. Like Jeremiah, God's way is not to stop the fight, but the stand by and support the fighter.
