Sunday, July 16, 2017 Lesson: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Time of Action: 627 B.C.; Place of Action: probably in Anathoth Golden Text: But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak (Jeremiah 1:7). I. INTRODUCTION. Job interviews are a fact of life. The person being interviewed usually comes before his or her prospective employer with considerable apprehension. Imagine being called in for an interview by Almighty God! This was essentially what happened to Jeremiah. He was born into a priestly family. There was nothing about him that would have suggested potential greatness in the eyes of the world, but God had great plans for his life. Jeremiah was born about 640 B.C. and raised in Anathoth. He was called to his prophetic office when he was about twenty years old. This week s lesson takes us to the scene of Jeremiah s job interview with God. Notice that it was God who called the meeting.
II. LESSON BACKGROUND. Because of their spiritual decline, the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. Over the next century, the southern kingdom of Judah went through some chaotic times, politically, morally and spiritually. During this period, there were some godly kings like Hezekiah, but he was followed by Manasseh who was an evil king leading the people deeper into sin. Josiah was another godly king, but Judah was so steep in sin that he couldn t do enough to reverse their behavior. As a result, Judah s doom was fixed (see II Kings 21:10-15). The nation of Judah declined even more spiritually after Josiah s death (see II Kings 23:26-27). The Assyrian empire was now in decline and was replaced by the Chaldean Empire of Babylon, while Egypt attempted to regain power in western Asia. Judah was caught in the middle of these powers. During this time Jeremiah s prophetic ministry began. He was born into a priestly family in the village of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin not far from Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 1:1). His prophetic ministry began in the thirteenth year of king Josiah s reign about 627 B.C. (see Jeremiah 1:2), and continued through the reign of Jehoiakim and through the eleventh year of king Zedekiah when Jerusalem and the Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Thus, Jeremiah s ministry covered forty-one years. Our lesson begins with the prophet s call as God s spokesmen to those remaining in Judah.
III. THE LORD S ANNOUNCEMENT (Jeremiah 1:4-5) A. Jeremiah s calling (Jeremiah 1:4). Our first verse says Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Jeremiah s call to the ministry was unmistakable. The word Then refers to King Josiah s thirteenth year when the king began to seek the Lord (see II Chronicles 34:3-4). It was at that time that Jeremiah wrote that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. This was not a one-time experience, for the Lord continued to speak to Jeremiah throughout the reign of Judah s remaining kings (see Jeremiah 1:3). It should be noted that Jeremiah s call was confirmed by visions (see Jeremiah 1:11, 13). B. Jeremiah s ordination (Jeremiah 1:5). In this verse God said Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. God informed Jeremiah that he had been selected before birth to be His prophet. It was completely God s choice not Jeremiah s. The Lord had determined the course of Jeremiah s life even before he was born or conceived. God indicated this by first saying Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. The word knew means far more than intellectual knowledge. It was used of the intimate relations
experienced by a husband and wife (see Genesis 4:1, 17, 25) and conveyed the sense of a close personal relationship (see Amos 3:2). God s intimate knowledge was not restricted to Jeremiah. He knows all true believers in that same way. God also formed Jeremiah just as He has formed each of us. The Hebrew word formed means to fashion, as a potter carefully forms or fashions a piece of clay into pottery. It s encouraging to know that we have not been mass-produced. We have been skillfully formed by the Creator s hand (see Psalms 139:14). Second, the Lord said and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee. Just as God knew Jeremiah before he came to be, He also sanctified him. This means that God set him apart for his special service. When something is sanctified it is set apart for holy use. Synonyms for sanctified are the terms holy, consecrated, and hallowed (see Exodus 20:8, 11). The word could apply to objects, such as those used in the temple worship, as well as people (see Exodus 29:44). The Apostle Paul also wrote that he was separated or sanctified from his mother s womb (see Galatians 1:15). Third, God said and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. To ordain simply means to command or appoint something or someone to a certain function or service (see Numbers 28:6; I Kings 12:32; Psalms 7:13; I Chronicles 9:22; Mark 3:14; John 15:16; Acts 13:48; 14:23). In the church, we speak of ordaining individuals for a given task, however unfortunately sometimes the task goes unfinished due to human failure. But in this case, God s ordination of Jeremiah was different because God would not allow the prophet to fail in his designated mission. Jeremiah s assigned mission was to be a prophet unto the
nations. Jeremiah was of priestly descent (see Jeremiah 1:1) and if he served in that office he would have represented sinful men before God. Now as a prophet he was to represent God before men. The term nations refers to Gentiles. Jeremiah would be used as God s spokesman to a far larger audience. The majority of his recorded messages were to his own people of Judah, but the last part of the book contains a section addressed exclusively to Gentile nations thus fulfilling God s words. Note: Just as God called and set apart Jeremiah for a unique mission, He has also ordained or appointed a path for each of us. Whether it is full-time ministry or another calling, the truth is every believer s occupation should be done for the glory of God (see I Corinthians 10:31). Contrary to popular opinion, for the believer there are no secular jobs. Whatever God has called us to do, whatever occupation we may have, we are responsible to serve Him with our unique gifts and opportunities (see Romans 12:1-8). We can t serve God on Sunday and forget about Him Monday through Saturday. Remember, once God calls us and ordains us and sanctifies us, we are Christians 24 hours a day everyday! IV. THE LORD S ASSURANCE (Jeremiah 1:6-8) A. Jeremiah s objection (Jeremiah 1:6). This verse says Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak:
for I am a child. Jeremiah s calling was to a high office and he realized that the responsibility was great. He was overwhelmed and cried Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. His objection was not exactly the same as that of Moses who said he was slow of speech and of a slow tongue (see Exodus 4:10). But Jeremiah, referring to himself as a child objected to his mission because he felt that he was too young and inexperienced in public speaking which he would have to do as a prophet. However, Jeremiah was not unwilling to serve God, for he addressed Him as Lord or Adonai which means master. Despite making excuses, he recognized God s lordship and sovereignty over his life. Jeremiah was probably about twenty years old at this time. No doubt he felt much like Solomon did when the ruler-ship of Israel was thrust upon him (see I Kings 3:7). The Hebrew word for child is general enough to mean anyone from infancy to young adulthood. The thought of being God s spokesman to the nations terrified Jeremiah, as seen in the words Ah, Lord God! Note: The first step toward usefulness for God must often be recognizing one s own inadequacy. Jeremiah should be commended for his realistic view of himself and his task. The believer who never feels too small for his or her ministry has either too exalted a view of himself, or too low a view of his or her task. The thought of bearing witness of the almighty God before an unbelieving world should send us repeatedly to our knees for wisdom and strength.
B. The Lord s response to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:7-8). 1. (vs. 7). This verse says But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Jeremiah s excuse may have been well intentioned, but the Lord would have none of it. He was not going to let Jeremiah off the hook. Therefore, God commanded Jeremiah Say not, I am a child. In other words, God was telling Jeremiah not to use being a child as an excuse for not answering His call. Jeremiah had an incorrect image of himself. Note: Where service to God is concerned, our limited human viewpoint tends to revolve around the present. But the divine viewpoint sees the past, present, and future all at once. The prophet would not need years of training to share God s message. He would simple be a mouthpiece for God. Like Moses, Jeremiah pleaded that he was unworthy and lacked the ability to speak for the Lord. Both men had to learn that God is able to use weak human vessels by infusing them with divine power. Jeremiah was still a young man and he was well aware of his lack of experience in speaking and confronting people. But what he didn t realize was that those things are not obstacles for God. Therefore, he didn t have to worry about inexperience. After refusing to accept Jeremiah s excuse, the Lord encouraged him first saying for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee. God would make the choices of whom Jeremiah would speak to. God had certain individuals and groups in mind to hear the prophet s
words, and he was to go to only those people. The Lord would send Jeremiah to the people whom He wanted to hear His message. Second, God encouraged him saying and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. The Lord had a specific message for each person and group, so Jeremiah was to declare only what was proper for the occasion. God controlled the message that Jeremiah would give. Whatever, the Lord commanded was what the prophet was to speak. Jeremiah didn t have to decide what to say or how to say it; his message would always be the words of the Lord, not his. This would make Jeremiah s task easier. He didn t have to be eloquent, just faithful. He didn t have to consult with authorities or poll public opinion. Unlike the false prophets, Jeremiah didn t have to make his message fit the political climate of the times. Note: God does not give us spoken instructions directly today as He did to the prophets, but He does reveal His will through His Word. If we want to represent God effectively, we must be sensitive to its teachings and seek to apply them to our lives. The Holy Spirit will then enable us to fit the proper Scripture to the specific needs of people. 2. (vs. 8). The Lord continued to say in this verse Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Having addressed the issue of Jeremiah s inadequacy, the Lord then turned to Jeremiah s very real fear of opposition. God encouraged the prophet saying Be not afraid of their faces. Fear is a direct result of a lack of faith in God. The first humans demonstrated their fear by trying to hide from God (see Genesis 3:8). However, love for God causes fear to disappear
(see I John 4:18). The words their faces refers to the hostile and evil looks Jeremiah would receive from those to whom he spoke. There s nothing so intimidating as the fierce looks from one s enemies, especially if they have the power to do harm and even kill. The fact that God had to command Jeremiah to Be not afraid of their faces indicates that the prophet imagined all sorts of dangerous people who might cross his path if he served God. The Scriptures reveal that Jeremiah had reason to be afraid, because later he was threatened with death (see Jeremiah 26:8) and even tossed into a dungeon (see Jeremiah 38:6). But he needed to look beyond those fears and trust in God s presence as the Lord said for I am with thee to deliver thee. God didn t promise to remove any opposition (see Jeremiah 1:19). But He did promise to deliver Jeremiah from opposition. The Hebrew verb for deliver literally means to pluck or snatch away. God s deliverance of a believer is sometimes compared to plucking him or her out of a fire (see Amos 4:11; Zechariah 3:2). Note: If we look ahead to Jeremiah s actual experiences as he delivered God s messages, we will see that he was justified in being fearful about serving the Lord. The men in his hometown of Anathoth plotted against him (see Jeremiah 11:18-23). Pashur the priest beat him and had him arrested and put in stocks (see Jeremiah 20:1-2). Other priests and false prophets declared that he should be sentenced to death for his prophesies against Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 26:11). In addition, the princes of Judah had him imprisoned (see Jeremiah 37:15) and eventually persuaded king Zedekiah to put him in a dungeon to die (see Jeremiah 38:4-6). God didn t spare Jeremiah from these trials, but He kept His promise to spare
Jeremiah s life (see Jeremiah 1:19). The lives of God s people are always in His hands, not those of the enemy. This doesn t mean that God will never allow His servants to be killed. Many Old Testament prophets were killed by wicked rulers (see I Kings 18:4, 13; II Chronicles 24:20-22), and other servants known for their faith paid for it with their lives (see Hebrews 11:35-38). Christian believers were not exempt either. Jesus foretold the deaths of many Christians (see Matthew 23:34; John 16:2) and history has proved His words to be true (see Acts 7:59; 12:1-2). But even this is under God s control (see Matthew 10:24-31). V. THE LORD S ENDOWMENT UPON JEREMIAH (Jeremiah 1:9-10) A. God s touch and the infusion of His Word (Jeremiah 1:9). This verse says Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. God now gave Jeremiah a sign to confirm his mission. Jeremiah said that the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. God s touch probably occurred in a vision. It showed that God had met Jeremiah s need by empowering his inadequate lips which he would be using in his ministry. God became personally involved in Jeremiah s life. Isaiah had experienced a similar touch, when the Lord
purged or cleansed his unclean lips with a live coal (see Isaiah 6:5-7). The emphasis for Isaiah was on cleansing. But when Jeremiah was touched the emphasis fell on the fact that the Lord had put His words in Jeremiah s mouth, for the prophet said And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. From this point on, Jeremiah would be God s mouthpiece (see II Peter 1:19-21). He could put aside any worries he had about what to say. Any lingering doubts Jeremiah may have experienced would be removed by God s touch. In the difficult times that would follow, the prophet could look back on that moment and be encouraged by the knowledge that the Lord had empowered him. Note: It s interesting that God s words became both a source of joy and frustration to Jeremiah. When he was up Jeremiah declared Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart (see Jeremiah 15:16). This showed that the Lord had truly called him. But because God s message was despised by his enemies, it brought their wrath down upon the prophet. As a result, he decided to no longer speak in the Lord s name. But Jeremiah was compelled to speak for the Lord because he declared that God s words felt like fire in his bones and he could not resist (see Jeremiah 20:7-9). Today, God does not use such symbolism as he did with Jeremiah to impress His witnesses with their task. Nevertheless, we know from Scripture that we go forth with His Word, not ours. As we study and assimilate the Bible, the Holy Spirit makes it so much a part of us that we speak it to others as naturally as if it were our own message (see Luke 12:11-12; 21:12-15). Therefore, we must be careful to give God every opportunity to put His Word in our
mouths. Listening, reading, meditating, studying and memorizing help us to digest the Scriptures, and live by its precepts (see I Peter 3:14-15). Since out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (see Matthew 12:34), those who expect to speak God s truth must first make it a part of themselves. Only then can they speak with confidence. However, we must remember, especially those of us who teach others the Word of God, that in all our teaching and explaining we must make sure that we are not adding to or subtracting from the words of God (see Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; compare Revelation 22:18). Remember, it s God s Word not ours. We are merely mouthpieces for the Lord. B. Jeremiah s task and the power of God s Word (Jeremiah 1:10). In our final verse, God continued to say to Jeremiah, See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. The infusion of the Lord s words into Jeremiah would give him amazing authority. God said See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms. The Hebrew word for set has the idea of appointment and it is used in Genesis 39:4-5 of Joseph, whom Potiphar appointed as overseer of his house. In serving as God s prophet, Jeremiah would convey God s authority over not one but many nations and kingdoms. Jeremiah s authority would be both
destructive and constructive. The use of four metaphors to describe destruction, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, and only two to describe building, to build, and to plant give us a hint of the primary emphasis of Jeremiah s message he would be a prophet of judgment. However, for those who hearkened and repented, the prophet s message brought hope. Their recovery would be like laying a new foundation as seen in the words to build, or like sowing a new seed as seen in the words to plant. Yes, some of Jeremiah s messages were on the themes of building and planting, but these were reserved for the end-times (see Jeremiah 31:31-33). In His grace, God would remove His judgment and bring national healing (see Jeremiah 31:27-28). The present generation refused to turn to the Lord. But a day would come when a regenerate nation would experience hope and life (see Romans 11:26). For sure, a change of heart may change God s response to sin (see Jeremiah 18:7-10), but His standards of righteous judgment never change. VI. Conclusion. Jeremiah had been chosen by God to be His prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah. God had known him, formed him, sanctified him, and ordained him to the monumental task of speaking to His people at a very difficult time. Jeremiah felt personally inadequate for the task, but he was assured by God that he would be given God s words to speak and would be under God s protection. We can
conclude from God s call of Jeremiah that we are to speak forth the words of God with the assurance that He knows us more intimately than anyone could possibly imagine. He knows our weaknesses, but He is not concerned about them because He will be with us to deliver us. We all may not be Jeremiahs, but we all have been called to speak out for God. We need to trust Him to enable us and to protect us. ***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***