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1 4EXPLORE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>THE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BIBLE$ For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from Adult yourselves; Commentary it is God s gift summer 2011 not from works, Jeremiah, so that Lamentations no one can boast. Anchored in Faith

2 A D U L T C O M M E N T A R Y This periodical is designed for all adults using the Explore the Bible Series PRODUCTION & MINISTRY TEAM Janice Meier Content Editor Pat Phillips Production Editor Dawn Rodgers Wyse Graphic Designer Brent Bruce Graphic Design Specialist Alan Raughton Lead Adult Ministry Specialist David Apple Adult Ministry Specialist Dwayne McCrary Editorial Project Leader MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL Bret Robbe Director Leadership and Adult Publishing Ken Braddy, Ron Keck Managing Directors Leadership and Adult Publishing David Francis Director, Sunday School Bill Craig Director, Leadership and Adult Ministry Gary H. Hauk Director, Publishing LifeWay Church Resources Send questions/comments to Editor, ETB: Adult Commentary One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN Or make comments on the Web at Printed in the United States of America Explore the Bible: Adult Commentary (ISSN ; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2011, LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries visit com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For subscriptions or subscription address changes subscribe@lifeway. com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. The 2000 statement of The Baptist Faith and Message is our doctrinal guideline. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. The suggestions in this resource for pronouncing Bible names are from That s Easy for You to Say: Your Quick Guide to Pronouncing Bible Names by W. Murray Severance, Copyright 1997 by Broadman & Holman Publishers. Used by permission. Cover photo credit Photography by Paul Hart 2010 istockphoto, LP

3 Contents Jeremiah, LAMENTATions: Anchored in Faith Unit 1 Navigating Life s Storms June 5 Accept Your Commission Jeremiah 1:1-19 June 12 Get Back on Track Jeremiah 2:1 6:30 June 19 Live Above Board Jeremiah 7:1 10:25 June 26 Rise Above the Tide Jeremiah 11:1 15:21 July 3 Never Say It s Hopeless Jeremiah 16:1 18:23 July 10 Submit to Divine Discipline Jeremiah 19:1 21:14 July 17 Keep Your Behavior in Line Jeremiah 22:1 25:38 Unit 2 Staying on Course July 24 Settle Down Jeremiah 26:1 29:32 July 31 Check Your Direction* Jeremiah 30:1 33:26 August 7 Stay True Jeremiah 34:1 39:18 August 14 Follow Orders Jeremiah 40:1 45:5 Unit 3 Serving the Commander August 21 Recognize the Lord s Authority Jeremiah 46:1 52:34 August 28 Rely on the Lord s Love Lamentations 1:1 5:22 *Evangelistic Lesson

4 The Week of June 5 Accept Your Commission Background Passage: Jeremiah 1:1-19 Lesson Passages: Jeremiah 1:4-14,17-19 INTRODUCTION What do you think so far? I asked. Bill s response was enthusiastic, I think this task is what God created me to do. For several weeks Bill and I had been visiting people one night per week for the purpose of sharing Christ with them. Prior to this experience Bill had never been involved in personally sharing Christ with others. He was relatively new to our church. However, he was not a new Christian. Nevertheless, he had never shared the gospel with someone who did not know Christ. That night he told me, Now I know I m doing the work Christ has called me to do. Christ has indeed commissioned His people, and He has a plan for every one of us to help in fulfilling His purposes. Jesus announced, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you (Matt. 28:18-20). Christ has given each of His disciples a job to do. Churches constantly struggle to find enough teachers and workers. Sometimes classes cannot be constituted or continued simply because no one will assume leadership roles in them. Churches also frequently experience an acute shortage of volunteers to fill other service roles, including committee work, nursery work, and leaders and participants in the church s ministry projects. God called Jeremiah to complete a difficult assignment. He instructed the prophet to deliver an unpopular message of judgment to the people of Judah. Jeremiah obeyed. As one who listened to God s instructions and followed them, Jeremiah modeled the kind of faithful obedience God s people today are challenged to demonstrate. Although not all of us may be called to speak for Him as Jeremiah did, each of us can serve Him in some capacity. Will we accept His commission? Jeremiah 1: Divine Commission (Jer. 1:1-10) 2. Divine Confirmation (Jer. 1:11-16) 3. Divine Challenge (Jer. 1:17-19) 10 Accept Your Commission

5 THE BACKGROUND God prepared Jeremiah to fulfill the unique role He had planned for him (Jer. 1:5). The prophet was born into a priestly family (1:1). The fact that his family was from Anathoth means that most likely Jeremiah could trace his priestly lineage back to Eli, the famed priest at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:9-17; 2:12 3:21). Abiathar [uh BIGH uh thahr], a descendant of Eli, served as a priest during David s reign. Because Abiathar supported Adonijah instead of Solomon as King David s successor, Solomon banished Abiathar to Anathoth [AN uh thawth]. This banishment fulfilled the Lord s prophecy against Eli s family (1 Kings 2:26-27). Since it is unlikely that a small village like Anathoth contained several unrelated priestly families, Bible scholars commonly trace Jeremiah s lineage to Abiathar and Eli. Thus Jeremiah came from at least four hundred years of priestly tradition. Though nothing in the Scripture suggests that Jeremiah ever performed priestly duties in worship, such a family history would have helped to prepare the prophet for his role by creating a personal connection with Israel s history. It also meant that he would have been exposed to the Lord s law and probably studied it regularly as a child and as a youth (Deut. 31:9-30. [See pages 6-7 of the Introduction to this Commentary for information on Judah s historical situation at the time of Jeremiah s ministry.] Jeremiah knew about God s judgment; his own family had experienced it. He knew God s law; he had studied it. He also knew what it was like to live a life devoted to the Lord. Both Jeremiah s history and experience prepared him for the task to which God called him. God has a job for each of His people to do. That assignment fits the abilities He has given us. The Lord also has prepared us for the assigned task through experiences and educational opportunities He has allowed to enter our lives. 1. Divine Commission (Jer. 1:1-10) THE BIBLE PASSAGE We know something about the call experiences of certain Old Testament prophets, including Isaiah (Isa. 6:1-8), Ezekiel (Ezek. 1 3), Amos (Amos 7:14-15), and Jonah. The books that bear the names of these men record something about the circumstances of God s commission to them to preach His Word. The Book of Jeremiah also contains the account of Jeremiah s divine commission. The meaning of the name Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1) is uncertain. Suggestions include the Lord hurls, the Lord loosens (the womb), and the Lord exalts. The name occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament to refer to men other than the prophet (2 Kings 23:31; 1 Chron. 5:24; Neh. 10:1-2; Jer. 35:3; 52:1). Hilkiah [hil KIGH uh], the name of Jeremiah s father, also appears elsewhere. A high priest by the name of Hilkiah found the book of the law during the reign of Josiah [joh SIGH uh] (2 Kings 22), but Old Testament scholars are hesitant Week of June 5 11

6 to conclude that the Hilkiah mentioned in 2 Kings 22 was Jeremiah s father. Anathoth (Jer. 1:1) was located about three miles northeast of Jerusalem. The thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah (1:2) has been identified as 626 B.C., approximately 40 years before the complete destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Josiah reigned from about 640 B.C. to 609 B.C. Verse 3 of Jeremiah 1 states that Jeremiah s prophetic ministry extended through the 11th year of Zedekiah [ZED uh KIGH uh] (587 B.C.). During that year, Jerusalem was destroyed. Jehoiakim [jih HOY uh kim] (1:3) and Jehoiachin reigned between Josiah and Zedekiah, so Jeremiah prophesied during their reigns also. Jeremiah s ministry extended beyond the reign of Zedekiah and through the brief term of Zedekiah s successor the governor Gedaliah (Jer ). After Gedaliah was assassinated, the prophet was taken to Egypt against his will. In Egypt he continued to deliver messages from the Lord (Jer ). Thus the prophet s ministry endured at least four decades. Verse 4: The word of the LORD came to me: The expression the word of the LORD came is a common Old Testament way of referring to the divine inspiration of a prophet and his words (see Jer. 1:2; Ezek. 1:3; Hos. 1:1; Joel 1:1; Mic. 1:1; Zeph. 1:1; Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1). The phrase to me alerts us to the fact that Jeremiah provided us with an autobiographical account of his call experience. The Lord still speaks to His people. We are not divinely inspired as was Jeremiah, so we depend on God s clear revelation in His Word, the Bible. God speaks to us through His Word. The Lord also reveals His specific direction for us through His Holy Spirit within us, but we must be careful that such spiritual impressions agree with Scripture, which is authoritative. Verse 5: I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations. This verse communicates several important biblical themes. First, God creates every person. The Lord said to Jeremiah, I formed you in the womb. Similarly, David wrote, For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother s womb (Ps. 139:13). Conception, growth during gestation, and birth are the works of God. Second, this verse affirms the doctrines of predestination and election. These doctrines are related to God s foreknowledge. The Lord told Jeremiah that He chose him before He formed him in the womb. The verb translated chose literally means to know. The Sovereign Lord knows us and the details of our lives even before we take shape in the womb. This fact does not mean that we have no choice or will in the direction our lives take. God s choice or election of us is consistent with the fact that He has given us free will. As finite beings we cannot explain how both of these facts exist in relationship to one another, but both are true. Reflecting on God s omniscience, the psalmist David wrote, This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it (Ps. 139:6). 12 Accept Your Commission

7 Parallel to the Lord s statement that He chose Jeremiah before He formed him in the womb is His announcement, I set you apart before you were born. God predestined, or planned in advance, for Jeremiah to be a prophet. Jeremiah s vocation was not an afterthought; God foreordained it. God has a purpose for our lives, and it is amazing to realize He had that purpose even before we were born (see Eph. 1:3-6). The verb translated set... apart often is used in the Old Testament to refer to being consecrated or reserved for the Lord s service. Jeremiah s knowledge that the Lord had planned for him to be a prophet must have provided reassurance during the difficult times the prophet faced. The fact that the Lord called Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations meant that he would address people and issues beyond Judah. Jeremiah fulfilled that call (Jer ). Other prophets proclaimed messages against various nations as well (Isa ; Ezek ; Amos 1 2). GROW: Read the articles entitled Election and Predestination on pages and respectively in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. What difference should recognizing the reality that God has chosen us make in the way we live and serve? Verse 6: But I protested, Oh no, Lord GOD! Look, I don t know how to speak since I am only a youth. Jeremiah felt intimidated by the Lord s call. He had not volunteered; rather, the Lord was drafting him, and he was reluctant. He raised two objections. First, I don t know how to speak. Moses also objected to the Lord s call with similar words of protest. The Lord responded to Moses with the question, Who made the human mouth? (Ex. 4:11). Since God made us, He is well aware of our strengths and weaknesses, and He does not call us to do what He will not enable us to do. The expression I am only a youth indicates Jeremiah was claiming that his age was a hindrance to his fulfilling the Lord s call. Gideon also expressed a similar claim (Judg. 6:14-15).The Hebrew word translated youth could refer to a small child, to a person around 40 years old, and to ages between these two extremes. Some Bible scholars believe Jeremiah was a teenager or somewhere around 20 years old when the Lord s call came. In any case, the Lord knew Jeremiah s age and degree of maturity, as He knows ours. We can be sure that he has taken those things into account before He issues His call. When the Lord calls, the issue is not our age but the reality that He is with us and will help us. In summary of verses 4-6 of Jeremiah 1, the emphasis falls on the fact that the Lord had an assigned commission for Jeremiah before he was born. The Lord not only had an assignment for Jeremiah, but also He has an assignment for each of His children today. Week of June 5 13

8 Verse 7: Then the LORD said to me: Do not say: I am only a youth, for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. Jeremiah s divine call came as a conversation between him and God. The Lord spoke to him (Jer. 1:5), Jeremiah responded (1:6), and then the Lord continued to speak (1:7-10). The Lord countered Jeremiah s objections with commands and a promise. He commanded, Do not say: I am only a youth. The Lord would not accept Jeremiah s age as an excuse, so He commanded Jeremiah not to repeat it. When we feel unqualified to serve God, the call itself qualifies us. The Lord made His instruction clear. Jeremiah was to go to everyone the Lord sent him and he was to speak whatever the Lord told him. Speaking only the message the Lord gave him would distinguish Jeremiah from false prophets who were speaking their words, not God s (Jer. 23:25-32). As contemporary believers, we also are to go wherever the Lord sends us, even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Furthermore, we are to speak what the Lord tells us, not merely our own opinions about God. The Lord has spoken in His Word, and that message is what we are to speak to others. His Word is authoritative and powerful; it is living and effective (Heb. 4:12). Verse 8: Do not be afraid of anyone, for I will be with you to deliver you. This is the LORD s declaration. The Lord also commanded Jeremiah, Do not be afraid of anyone. Fear of people s reactions and fear of failure hinder many of God s people from obeying Him. The Lord s commands came with a promise: I will be with you to deliver you. The presence of God with us makes all the difference. Joseph was a slave and prisoner in Egypt, but God was with him, and Joseph became a ruler whom God used to deliver many people. Gideon was the youngest in an insignificant family (Judg. 6:15), but God promised His presence, and Gideon became a great deliverer. The Lord also has promised His presence with us. After Jesus command to make disciples of all nations, He said, Remember, I am with you always (Matt. 28:20). Verse 9: Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with My words. Jeremiah testified that the Lord touched his mouth. In touching his mouth, the Lord gave Jeremiah enabling power to speak for Him. Isaiah was keenly aware that his lips were unclean, and the Lord sent one of the seraphim to touch Isaiah s lips with a burning coal (Isa. 6:5-7). Jeremiah was keenly aware that his speech was inadequate, and the Lord touched his mouth. Isaiah needed the Lord s cleansing. Jeremiah needed the Lord s power. The Lord provided what both prophets needed to serve Him. The Lord also told Jeremiah, I have now filled your mouth with My words. The Lord inspired Jeremiah to speak His message. God gave the same message to Ezekiel by instructing him to eat a scroll, symbolizing the 14 Accept Your Commission

9 internalization of God s Word he was to preach (Ezek. 2:8 3:3). Peter later expressed the same truth: No prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). We can trust the messages of the biblical prophets; they spoke from God. If we are going to serve God effectively today, we need to be receptive to God s Word and allow Him to touch us with His enabling power. Verse 10: See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and demolish, to build and plant. The Lord said to Jeremiah, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms. This expression does not mean the Lord was giving Jeremiah a leadership position over the nations. Rather, it signifies that the Lord s authoritative word through His prophet would include messages of judgment against nations other than the prophet s own country (see Jer ). Using six verbs, the Lord described the task He was commissioning Jeremiah to carry out. Four of those verbs related to destruction, or God s judgment to uproot and tear down, to destroy and demolish. It s easier to speak a positive message. It s more difficult to share bad news and speak of God s coming judgment. Jeremiah often suffered because of the message he proclaimed, but he remained faithful to the commission he received. Although Jeremiah s message was largely one of judgment as indicated by four verbs related to destruction, the Lord also included a positive element in Jeremiah s ministry. The smaller constructive element in Jeremiah s ministry is defined in terms of only two verbs to build and plant. The prophet actually utilized these various terms in his preaching ministry. Several times he referred to God s coming judgment with the words uproot (Jer. 12:14,17; 45:4) and tear down (31:28; 33:4). The Hebrew term translated destroy literally means to cause to perish, and Jeremiah preached that this destruction would be the result of Judah s refusal to repent (6:21; 12:17; 27:10,15). The prophet characterized his message to the scribe Baruch with the term demolish (45:4). Jeremiah also preached the positive message the Lord gave him. He announced the Lord would build (24:6; 31:4,28; 33:7; 42:10) and plant (31:28; 42:10) after His judgment on His people. Thus, Jeremiah obeyed the Lord s commission explicitly. The Lord responded to Jeremiah s excuses by commissioning him as His spokesman and by equipping him with His presence and power to accomplish His purpose (1:8-10). The four verbs of destruction in contrast to the two verbs of construction emphasize the difficult nature of Jeremiah s mission. The Lord gives His people the power they need to accomplish the mission He has given them, no matter how difficult. SERVE: What excuses have you tried to give the Lord because you were reluctant to accept the responsibility He assigned you? Week of June 5 15

10 2. Divine Confirmation (Jer. 1:11-16) The Lord provides the reassurance we need when He gives us a difficult commission. As for His commission to Jeremiah, the Lord first issued it verbally. Next, He did so visually. He gave Jeremiah two signs, or visions, to confirm the commission He was giving the prophet. This occasion was not the only time the Lord provided visual aids to confirm His commission. When the Lord called Moses, He provided several signs to help authenticate His call staff turned serpent, hand turned leprous, and Nile River water turned to blood (Ex. 4:1-9). The Angel of the Lord sent miraculous fire to consume Gideon s offering (Judg. 6:17-21). The Lord showed visions to Ezekiel when He called him (Ezek. 1:1-28). Such sensory experiences help to confirm the Lord s message in our minds. Verse 11: Then the word of the LORD came to me, asking, What do you see, Jeremiah? I replied, I see a branch of an almond tree. The Lord s call to Jeremiah continued as a dialogue. The Lord first addressed him personally and asked, What do you see, Jeremiah? Jeremiah saw a branch of an almond tree. What was the significance of the branch of an almond tree? Some Bible scholars have pointed out that the almond tree blossomed early in the spring before other trees did. Perhaps Jeremiah even observed buds or blossoms on the branch. The message conveyed by the almond branch was that the Lord would bring His word to pass. The fact the almond tree blossomed early in the spring may further emphasize the Lord would soon or promptly carry out His purposes. Some scholars view the use of the term translated branch as a specific reference to God s coming judgment. The Hebrew word rendered branch also can be translated rod. The word appears in a few Old Testament passages as a reference to instruments of punishment or warfare (see Num. 22:27, translated stick ; Ezek. 39:9, translated clubs ). Perhaps seeing such a branch or rod would bring the theme of the Lord s judgment to Jeremiah s mind. However, the key element pointing to the theme of the Lord s judgment occurs in the wordplay that becomes clearly evident in the Hebrew text of the following verse. Verse 12: The LORD said to me, You have seen correctly, for I watch over My word to accomplish it. The Lord explained the significance of the vision of the almond branch to Jeremiah. The Hebrew word translated almond is shaqed [shaw ked], and the Hebrew word rendered watch is shoqed [show ked]. In a play on words, the Lord called Jeremiah s attention to the fact that He was awake and watching over His word to bring it to pass. Jeremiah needed confirmation or reassurance that the Lord was watching over His Word, especially here at the beginning of his ministry when he doubted his ability to do what the Lord was calling him to do. Jeremiah s task was to preach the message the Lord gave him to preach; the Lord would see to it that His Word was accomplished or fulfilled. Through this vision the Lord reas- 16 Accept Your Commission

11 sured Jeremiah regarding his assigned commission. Jeremiah could act with the assurance the Lord s word would not return empty or void (Isa. 55:11). Verse 13: Again the word of the LORD came to me inquiring, What do you see? And I replied, I see a boiling pot, its lip tilted from the north to the south. Have you ever spilled hot coffee on yourself? If so, you probably know the experience can be very painful! The second vision the Lord showed Jeremiah portrayed imminent judgment using the imagery of a pot about to pour out scalding liquid. The Lord again addressed Jeremiah personally and asked, What do you see? This time Jeremiah saw a boiling pot. The Hebrew phrase refers literally to a pot that is being breathed or blown upon. The imagery is that of a pot whose contents are seething. The pot of boiling liquid had its lip tilted from the north to the south. The tilting created further danger. The tilted, boiling pot appeared ready to spill its contents in a southward direction. Verse 14: Then the LORD said to me, Disaster will be poured out from the north on all who live in the land. The Lord explained the meaning of the vision of the boiling pot. The Hebrew word translated disaster sometimes refers to calamity and sometimes to wickedness. In the Book of Jonah this term referred to the wickedness and evil of the Ninevites (Jonah 1:2; 3:10) and also to the disaster the Lord was sending on them because of their wicked ways (3:10; 4:2). In Jeremiah 1:14, the term refers to the suffering the people would experience when the contents of the boiling pot spilled, suffering that resulted from the people s sins. This judgment would come from the north. Judah was more vulnerable to attack from the north. The contour of its land demanded that almost any invasion come from the north. East and south of Judah lay barren desert. The Mediterranean Sea was located on the west. Thus invaders almost always came from the north. Approximately a century earlier, the Assyrians had conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel from the north. The enemy that eventually conquered Judah the Babylonians came from the north. Although Babylonia geographically lay east of Judah, the Babylonians invaded Judah from the north by way of Syria. Verse 15 conveys more specific information about the extent of the disaster. The language suggests a massive invasion from the north. Verse 16 supplies the reason for the invasion. The Lord identified the attacks as His judgments against His people for all their evil. Specifically, His people had abandoned the Lord and worshiped other gods. The covenant unfaithfulness of the Lord s people is a consistent reason given in Scripture for the fall of both Israel and Judah (2 Kings 17:7-18; 22:16-17). The two visions the Lord gave Jeremiah emphasize the Lord was watching over His word of threatened judgment to carry it out. The visions reassured Jeremiah that his commission was primarily to deliver a message of judgment that would certainly occur. The Lord provides the reassurance we need when He gives us a difficult commission. Week of June 5 17

12 GROW: The Lord s judgment is a prominent theme in Jeremiah. How do you think the people in Jeremiah s time conceived of God s judgment? How do you think the Lord s judgment comes to people today? What connection do you see between taking sin seriously and recognizing God s judgment in your life? 3. Divine Challenge (Jer. 1:17-19) The Lord assigned Jeremiah the onerous task of announcing the coming judgment. The commission Jeremiah received was difficult and demanding. The Lord knew Jeremiah would face hardships because of the message he was assigned to deliver. Thus the Lord s words to His prophet included preparation for what lay ahead. Verse 17: Now, get ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them or I will cause you to cower before them. A friend of mine used to say, Pressure is not knowing what to do. The Lord helped relieve Jeremiah s anxiety by giving him clear instructions about what he was to do. Jeremiah could never claim ignorance; the Lord precisely spelled out the prophet s commission. The Lord first instructed Jeremiah to get ready. In the original Hebrew language, the phrase is literally, Gird up your loins. It refers to lifting the bottom of a long robe and tucking it into one s belt. That action freed the feet and legs from the interference of the robe so one could run and work. The Lord had a difficult task for Jeremiah to carry out. It was time for him to buckle down to the business of fulfilling the Lord s call. Next the Lord commanded Jeremiah to stand up. This command warned Jeremiah that he would face opposition and needed to be prepared to withstand it. The third command, tell them, calls attention to the fact that Jeremiah s commission involved speaking for Him. God was also clear about the content of Jeremiah s message. Jeremiah was to speak everything that the Lord commanded him. Jeremiah was not to share his opinions; that s what the false prophets did. Jeremiah was to speak the Lord s message, not the message the people wanted to hear. The Lord s fourth command to Jeremiah was, Do not be intimidated by them. The Hebrew verb translated intimidated also means to be shattered. The term was used in a physical sense, as in the breaking of a bow (Jer. 51:56). It was also used to refer to a person s emotions being shattered or crushed (Isa. 51:7). The Lord knew that Jeremiah would face opposition when he delivered the Lord s message of judgment. Here, at the beginning of Jeremiah s call, the Lord told Jeremiah he needed to guard against being crushed emotionally. The Hebrew verb translated cause... to cower in the latter part of the verse 18 Accept Your Commission

13 is the same root word translated intimidated. In essence the Lord said to His prophet, Do not be shattered in front of them, lest I will cause you to be shattered in front of them. The precise meaning of the threat is unclear, but the warning is ominous. Jeremiah must learn to see success as faithful obedience to the Lord, not as a positive reception by the people. Verse 18: Today, I am the One who has made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the population. The Lord s commands came with promises. He is always with His people, and He always helps us to do His will. Where the Lord guides, He provides. The Lord announced to Jeremiah that He would make him a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls. These word pictures are military images. They identify strong defensive fortifications. The Lord was promising to make Jeremiah stronger than any assault that would come against him. The Lord kept His promise. During his ministry Jeremiah experienced both emotional and physical persecution. The prophet complained to the Lord about his difficulties, but he never quit. The Lord enabled him to endure. Verse 19: They will fight against you but never prevail over you, since I am with you to rescue you. This is the LORD s declaration. Jeremiah could have easily felt outnumbered, trapped, and overwhelmed. However, the reality of future opposition was not the Lord s final word. The Lord also told Jeremiah that his opponents would never prevail for He was with Jeremiah to rescue him. What a great promise! Jeremiah s success did not lie in leading Judah to repentance. The people did not turn from their sinful ways, and Judah fell to the Chaldeans [kal DEE uhnz] in Jeremiah s lifetime. Jeremiah s victory lay in faithfully delivering the Lord s message in the face of opposition. The Lord measures His people s success in terms of their faithfulness to Him and to the commission He gives them. The Lord assured Jeremiah of victory in his commission as Jeremiah relied on the Lord s resources. The Lord assures us of success as He measures success when we rely on and obey Him, and such assurance gives us courage to respond to a difficult commission. The Lord s people today face opposition too (2 Tim. 3:12). However, Christ has promised us His presence (Matt. 28:20), His power (Acts 1:8), and His peace (John 14:27; 16:33). No one will prevail against us, not even the Devil himself, because the One who is in [us] is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). GROW: What task might the Lord be calling you to do? How has He prepared you to accept that commission? What difference would accepting that assignment make in your life? Week of June 5 19