Calling of a reluctant prophet
The weeping prophet: Jeremiah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsAim: Introduction to book of Jeremiah and survey of chapter 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
The book of Jeremiah is a history, sometimes not chronologically in order, of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is called to speak the people of Judah.
Time: His ministry started in about 627 BC under King Josiah; His ministry ended about 586 BC at the fall of Judah to Babylon.
Kings he was under
Josiah (640-609)
Jehoahaz (609)
Jehoiakim (609-598)
Jehoichin (598-597)
Zedekiah (597-586)
What’s the problems then?
Idolatry
Many turned away from worshipping Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and were worshipping many gods, such as Baal, Molech, Asherah.
All throughout the book you will see Jeremiah to call to repentance and return to the Lord God.
He denounces idolatry, condemning the people of idol worship. He shows the consequences of abandoning their covenant with God (good example (Jer2:11-13)
Injustice and corruption
There was much social injustice, and corruption. The wealthy and the powerful oftentimes would exploit the poor and the vulnerable. Lots of inequality and oppression going on.
Jeremiah will be an advocate for justice, God’s justice vs. social justice. About the exploiting of the poor and the vulnerable as mentioned before. He calls for the leaders to practice righteousness and to protect and defend the poor, and the needy; example (Jer22:3)
False prophesy
Many false prophets proclaiming things like peace when there was no peace. They would speak contrary to God’s message through Jeremiah.
People want to believe ear tickling things not hard things like repentance, so people were quite apt not to give any weight to Jeremiah’s message of repentance.
Jeremiah will expose, call out the false prophets and their messages. He warns the people to not be deceived by their messages of peace and prosperity. To turn to the true God and His Word; Example (Jer23:16-22)
Moral decline
The very fabric of the society was declining, sin was rampant with dishonesty, adultery, and other sinful practices. Jeremiah will speak out about the moral decline, the moral decay and to return to a life of righteousness, godliness, and obedience to God’s laws.
He calls for repentance, over and over throughout the book. Repent of sinful ways and return to obedience to God. Example: (Jer3:12-14)
Political alliances
Instead of trusting God, the people were making alliances with other countries such as Egypt and Assyria, hoping to get protection from Babylon.
Jeremiah would remind them again, repent from your ways and return to the Lord.
Jeremiah warned of the dangers of making alliances and trusting alliances in stead of trusting God. Example: (Jer2:18-19)
Despite all these things he does bring a message of hope, a message of restoration. There was not going to be any escape from this judgment, but a day was coming when God would restore them and make a new covenant; (Jer31:31-34)
All of these social issues contributed to the decline of Judah and the being taken away into captivity because they did not repent and be faithful to God.
Prophesies in Jeremiah - Spread throughout the book, and there are some 40-50 major prophesies.
Some that are more known are
Call of Jeremiah (Jer1:4-10)
we will read this one in just a couple of minutes
The Linen belt (Jer13:1-11)
A symbolic act illustrating the fate of Judah
The temple sermon (Jer7:1-15)
A warning to the people about their false sense of security
The New Covenant (Jer31:31-34)
A promise of a new covenant between God and His people
Prophet with preordained purpose
Prophet with preordained purpose
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.Jer1:3-4
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. 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 a prophet to the nations.”
We see the start, even the predestined start of what would be a 40-year ministry of Jeremiah. One of faithfulness and courage, even when the is much discouragement and opposition to him.
What can we learn from Jeremiah and this passage for our application?
There was a divine calling and a divine timing. God has called us for “a time such as this.”
We see the words of Jeremiah, and the words of God. When God calls man he does not erase their personality. Jeremiah was called young, called when he was scared and reluctant.
“God wanted a man with a very gentle and tender heart for this unrewarding ministry of condemnation. Jeremiah’s subsequent career shows that he had this quality in full measure.” (Cundall).
Just as a side note the passage only lists three kings, but there were five of them, but two of them Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin were very short in tenure (about three months each).
Jeremiah was called during the reign of Josiah, who became king when he was eight years old, and at this time in the thirteenth year of his reign. So Josiah was only 20 at the time.
Jeremiah was called while yet in the womb, just as John Baptist was called and praised while yet in the womb, you too it has been known you would chose Christ and be here for such a time as this.
Interesting trivial fact: “Ancient Jewish legends say that Jeremiah was so called that he was born circumcised and that he came out of the womb prophesying. In fact, as the legend goes, in his out-of-the-womb prophecy he complained of the faithlessness of his mother. When she protested, he had to explain that he meant ‘Mother’ as a symbol for Jerusalem.”
Divine equipping
Divine equipping
6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” 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. 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.”
Jeremiahs excuse and reluctance was for God’s ability to work through him regardless.
God equips the called, not called the equipped. He calls for us to trust Him and step out in faith. God does not care about our reluctance, does not care about our age. He cares about our surrender and obedience and He will work with it from there.
Oftentimes we may feel ill equipped, or feel inadequate in our calling. We need to remember God’s promises that He calls us, He equips us, He uses us for His purpose.
Found this interesting regarding the youth excuse. First, the Lord told him do not say “I am a youth.”
God used David a young shepherd boy, protector of the flock, slayer of lion, bear, giant killer, and became King of Judah, then all Israel, known as a man after God’s own heart.
God used John the Baptist, starting in the womb. One writer said you can never be too young to be filled mightily with the Spirit of God to do the work of God.
God used Timothy a young man, mentored by Paul, and the Lord used to carry on the work in Ephesus.
God can use you regardless of your age, your part, believe it, be willing, and then be obedient to what He calls you to do.
Divine promised perseverance
Divine promised perseverance
11 The word of the Lord came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.
15 “For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah. 16 “I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
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.
In these verses you see divine training (his first visions)
Almond branch: Which is just happens that Almond trees are very common in Anathoth then, and even today.
“We might have thought that, as a preparation for his prophetical work, he would have seen mysterious wheels full of eyes, or flaming seraphs and cherubs, or the wonderful creatures that were cased to appeal in the dreams of Ezekiel and the revelation to John. Instead of this, Jeremiah simply sees ‘a rod of an almond tree;’ and, beloved friends when you look into the Bible, you will see some very simple things there.” (Spurgeon)
You also see divine understanding of the visions
Such as the boiling pot would be those coming in judgment from the North, to bring calamity.
Then divine assurance of God’s hand of protection even when things are going to be very hard.
God calls for Jeremiah to be faithful and steadfast in the face of the coming opposition.
God calls for Jeremiah to prepare for what was coming, but gives assurance of His protection over him.
Another commentator said: “The promise of God proved true, but so did the other aspect to the promise. The enemies of Jeremiah did not prevail against him, and her served God with distinction through great trials for 40-years.”
Application for us: Our journey with God will have challenges. God’s word gives promises, gives clarity, gives courage to stay the course for God is faithful to complete the good work in you until the day of Christ Jesus!
(Transition) So, there you have it, the introduction to the weeping prophet: Book of Jeremiah. My hope and desire is to survey each chapter as we go and look for key points, and key applications for us today. It should be a fun journey.
