Mary added a fifth step to the traditional call narratives. God replied: "For to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever . But once you know what God has called you to do, trust him to equip you to do it. 4The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5Before I formed you in the womb(A) I knew[a](B) you,before you were born(C) I set you apart;(D)I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work. The reason Jeremiah has authority over nations and kingdoms (Jeremiah 1:10) is that he is not speaking on his own behalf. Even in Egypt he continued to rebuke his fellow exiles. This promise is for the whole church. Southwestern Journal of Theology In fact, he treated him the same way he treated Moses. She is the co-author ofDear Hero and has 200+ bylines in publications ranging fromThe Christian Communicator toKeys for Kids. Was Jeremiah being modest or faithless? Jeremiah served God even when it meant giving up everything and facing persecution in a culture that had abandoned God. He was called as a prophet in the thirteenth year of the reign of King Josiah. It is like the king who sent one of his knights off to rescue his fair princess. God is with you! The dialogue begins in Chapter 2 as a voice speaks from out of the throne vision: "Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak with you" (Ezekiel 2:1). And then the last two are positive build and plant. King Solomon ruled over the Israelites, Gods people, in the tenth century B.C. It is a word that Jeremiah uses more than all the other biblical writers combined, often to describe the uprooting of idols (e.g. He sent dozens of messengers proclaiming repentance, but these messengers were killed, abused, and mocked. Meanwhile, Assyria had been conquered by Babylon. Harry Freedman (ed. Public life is increasingly dominated by pagan ideas and rituals. As you know, I am getting a C in rhetoric at the synagogue. . But things got worse again as he was followed by Amon, a completely wicked king. A fetus is a person. After several years of preaching, Jeremiahs family turned against him and even plotted to kill him (Jeremiah 1:8, 11:21-23, 12:6). NIV, Lucado Encouraging Word Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow Gods Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture, NIV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture. He was not sure what to say or how to say it. To answer such a call may mean that we would be required to make major life changes, perhaps selling our home and property. 3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. In reply to his distraught parents, he asked incredulously, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 223-24. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3951_1_83').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3951_1_83', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); This experience was the beginning of a moral and spiritual fellowship which was maintained by the surrender of the prophets will to the purpose of God and by a progressive purification of the inner life. So, with that assurance given to Jeremiah, responding to his age-based doubt, the Lord continues his commissioning of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:9-10. Once God had issued his divine call and dealt with his dubious candidate, he gave him a dangerous commission: You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Even Jesus could object to God's call. When did God choose him? Eugene Peterson offers these practical conclusions about Gods choice of Jeremiah: 4. But he does command him not to be afraid, and he does promise to rescue him. But Dad said: "Go ahead and try. New Testament Pauline Epistles Rescued from what? It is the sad story of the decline of Gods people from faith to idolatry to exile. I am inclined to believe that the difference in the inspiration of the great prophets and that of genuine spiritual leaders of today is not in the manner of inspiration, but in the content of the revelation. Rev. He reached the point of calling God "a deceitful brook,waters that fail" and even accused God of deceiving and overpowering him. Telling someone Do not be afraid is the kind of advice that tends to have the opposite effect than the one intended. Old Testament Wisdom, commissioning of Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations. A good way to answer those questions is to compare Jeremiah with some other prophets. Yet even after he received his divine call, he was still a dubious candidate: Ah, Sovereign Lord, he said, I do not know how to speak; I am only a child (Jeremiah 1:6). First, God assure Jeremiah that he will tell the prophet where to go and what to say. I am not made for perilous quests, cried Frodo. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. 3. I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. A Divine Call Jeremiah's sufferings began with a divine call: The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." ( Jeremiah 1:4-5) Photo credit: Getty Images/KatarzynaBialasiewicz. 4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew[ a] you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.". Jeremiah 12:14-17). The first two actions seem to focus on the initial stages of destruction rooting out and pulling down. God said much the same thing to Jeremiah. The great prophets of the Old Testament had divine authority when they spoke for God because of their vital experiential knowledge of God. And hell do so on the global scene. Salem Media Group. If God has actually called you to do a particular job, then he will do for you what he did for Jeremiah: He will give you everything you need to do that job. Jeremiah responded faithfully to God's call to work, and God gave him the knowledge he needed to accomplish it (Jer. In any case, we can be confident that God will equip us for our work, whatever it is, if we will be faithful to him in it.[2]. Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Their kings will come and set up their thronesin the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;they will come against all her surrounding wallsand against all the towns of Judah. Jeremiah knew what God wanted him to do. He did not argue with Jeremiah about his speaking credentials or quibble with him about his age. (LogOut/ The book of Jeremiah is Gods words and Jeremiahs words. It is very possible that a preachers sense of inner compulsion to be Gods true spokesman to the present day will be in proportion to his consciousness of a call from God. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Although Jeremiahs profession was prophet, there is no reason to believe that the pattern of Gods call, followed by faithful human response, followed by Gods equipping is limited to prophets. Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project, 10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know, Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership, Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work, Introduction to Jeremiah and Lamentations, Jeremiah and His Times (Jeremiah and Lamentations), Work-Related Themes in the Book of Jeremiah, Goodness and Defilement of Work (Jeremiah 2), Acknowledgement of God's Provision (Jeremiah 5), Material Success and Failure (Jeremiah 5), Injustice, Greed, the Common Good, and Integrity (Jeremiah 5-8), Work Within a Balanced Life (Jeremiah 17), Bless Wider Society Through Your Work (Jeremiah 29), The Goodness of Work Restored (Jeremiah 30-33), Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. In some ineffable way, God has a personal knowledge of the individual that precedes conception. Now God builds and plants that same resurrection power into the life of every believer. The way the people of God, now the church (in Jeremiah's time, the people of Israel) . However, Hezekiah was immediately followed by his wicked son Manasseh. Thats encouraging. He still speaks to those who have seeing eyes, hearing ears, and a surrendered heart. Some people still meet their religious obligations, but they do so out of duty rather than devotion. We offer practical, uplifting resources to help people of all faiths apply positive spiritual principles to their lives. When preachers preach according to Gods Word they are mightier than presidents. Who Was Jeremiah - the "Weeping Prophet". There is a meaningful sense in which the words of Jeremiah are recorded in the pages of the Old Testament. Every resource on our site was made possible through the financial support of people like you. Michigan, Milford | 220 views, 6 likes, 1 loves, 9 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Christ Lutheran Church and School: Service from Christ. Almost always gives a huge, overwhelming task to accomplish. She is a literary agent atC.Y.L.E., the publicity manager atMountain Brook Ink, and a freelance editor withSherpa Editing Services. Start for FREE. Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth! Jeremiah wails in Jeremiah 15:10. This verse is not only Jeremiahs job description, it is also a helpful plot-summary of his book. All rights reserved. Although his experience was unique to him, his call illustrates the call of God upon every person who has ever had a personal relationship with God. When God called Jeremiah to become a "prophet to the nations," Jeremiah cried: "Ah, Lord God! Stand up and say(AB) to them whatever I command you. You know what God has called you to do, trust him to equip you do. 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