That it was true in his case permits the assumption that it was true of the other prophets also. Jeremiahs unique appointment was to be a prophet to the nations. It gives hope to parents who have lost children in infancy, and even for women who aborted their own babies. Not only did Jeremiah have Gods presence at his side, he also had Gods words on his lips: Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, Now, I have put my words in your mouth (Jeremiah 1:9). With Gods calling comes Gods gifting. The clue is found in Jeremiah's initial response. And third, God reminds Jeremiah that hes given him theauthority to carry out his ministry. Jeremiah spent forty years delivering Gods messages to Judah. Though Jeremiahs birth date isnt exactly clear, he received Gods call at a young age, probably as a teenager (Jeremiah 1:6). The Argument from Contingency: A Proof for God, 6 Verses to Cling to When You Are Overwhelmed. Its a threefold response. This is another connection between Jeremiah and Moses. The book of Jeremiah offers many valuable lessons. Old Testament Law When God calls Jeremiah to ministry, the prophet initially protests, arguing that he was too inexperienced. So, who was this weeping prophet in a dying nation who also brought such words of comfort and promise? A study of Jeremiahs call, when contrasted with that of the other great prophets, reveals that God used a variety of ways in extending a call. Second, God promises to deliver Jeremiah from all danger. 192 views, 0 likes, 2 loves, 13 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from First United Methodist Church of Allen: Roots and Fruits - Wk1 (Psalm. God formed Jeremiah in the womb. Gideon argued, "Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Our mission is to help and serve through prayer, publishing, and community. By the time he reached the end of his ministry, Jeremiah had pronounced a divine sentence of judgment upon every nation from Ammon to Babylon. Every Christian has a calling. Another brief upswing occurred under King Josiah, but after that, Judah was a mess of puppet kings placed by Egypt and Babylon, some reigning for only three months. The Hebrew prophets message as not only an exposition of a previous revelation, but it also included additions to the revelation given previously. 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.". Four decades is a long time to be a weeping prophet. First, God assure Jeremiah that he will tell the prophet where to go and what to say. I knew you. What a beautiful thing for God to say to his children! To download full issues and find more information on the Southwestern Journal of Theology, go to swbts.edu/journal. 2010 by the Theology of Work Project, Inc. Jeremiah died in 570 B.C. Mary added a fifth step to the traditional call narratives. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org. Isaiah did not doubt his ability, he doubted his integrity. It is the sad story of the decline of Gods people from faith to idolatry to exile. (The church was frequented by scholars and other learned individuals.) 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). When Michelangelo painted him on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he presented him in a posture of despair. Yet they reveal more than the prophets griefthey are an attempt to reflect on the meaning of human suffering. As William Tyndale stated long ago: There is no work better than another to please God: to pour water, to wash dishes, to be a [cobbler], or an apostle, all are one; to wash dishes and to preach are all one, as touching the deed, to please God. His name was Jeremiah. For less than $5/mo. All rights reserved. Why was I chosen?, The answer Frodo is given is similar to the one Gods prophets often receive: Such questions cannot be answered. I'm right here by your side." Just as all nations receive Gods sovereign grace, all nations are subject to Gods severe justice. You have found favour with God." document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Calvinism This verse testifies that the personal relationship between God and his child takes place in the womb, or even earlier. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Give possible dates of these kings. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess; not for power or wisdom, at any rate. (LogOut/ Some of Zedekiahs princes had Jeremiah arrested, beaten, accused of treason, and thrown in jail (Jeremiah 37:1-15), from whence he was then thrown in a deep empty well (Jeremiah 38:1-6). The more people tell you not to be afraid, the more you start to wonder what you ought to be afraid of! However, some scholars believe the biblical text may provide a hint that can lead readers to make an informed estimate. (LogOut/ And in the more immediate context in Jeremiah 1:7 its all those people to whom God will send Jeremiah. Jeremiah 10:13 (NIV) "When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. Their kings will come and set up their thrones. 42, (Cambridge University Press, 1841), 102. Jeremiah responded faithfully to God's call to work, and God gave him the knowledge he needed to accomplish it (Jer. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Ephesians 1:3-4). I made a personal commitment to you even before you were born. And what a beautiful thing for parents to say to their children: God knows you, God loves you, and God has entered into a personal relationship with you. This verse holds special comfort for mothers who have had miscarriages. There is no essential difference in the manner of their being inspired by God. He reached the point of calling God "a deceitful brook,waters that fail" and even accused God of deceiving and overpowering him. 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. I don't know how to do this. He has Gods very words in his mouth. New Testament Epistles Old Testament Wisdom. Although Jeremiah's profession was prophet, there is no reason to believe that the pattern of God's call, followed by faithful human response, followed by God's equipping is limited to prophets. He is the one who uproots some nations and plants others. 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). 26; Micah 3:11).First on the priests who "handle the Law," i. e. who have a traditional knowledge of the details of the Law, and teach the people accordingly (Deuteronomy 17:9-11; Deuteronomy 33:10; Jeremiah 18:18; see also on Jeremiah 8:8); next on the "pastors," or "shepherds" (in the Homeric . If I were really supposed to do this, God would make things a whole lot easier for me.Our objections are not much different from those whose calls are recorded in the biblical tradition. Or is this indeed a vision and we just werent told that it was? No matter how low we have fallen, we have not fallen from the love of God, and we are not beyond the reach of His plans. The Spirit moves in us always, nudging us, a still, small voice within that calls us to small, daily duties.. So, in Jeremiah 1:9-10 God makes a symbolic gesture and touches Jeremiahs mouth. Jeremiah was known for his dramatic object lessons. . His shoulders are hunched forward, weighed down by the sins of Judah. New Testament Pastoral Epistles We often think of prophets as people who can tell the future. His early messages focused on condemning false worship and social injustice, with calls to repentance. Manasseh was eventually carried away by Assyrians and repented of his evil ways. Sometimes he could use the third person when speaking of Yahweh, but at other times he could pass over to the first person. Public life is increasingly dominated by pagan ideas and rituals. . Besides, I am just a teenager.. But at the same time the Holy Spirit is the One who breathed out the words of the book of Jeremiah. Stand up and say(AB) to them whatever I command you. Even Jesus could object to God's call. 27 When you tell them all these things, they will not listen to you. God equipped Jeremiah to be an international prophet in some amazing ways. If necessary, ask others to help you figure out what your gifts are. Birth is not our beginning. Their oracles were never such as would contradict what they had learned in their initial experience with God. Once the Lord uproots, tears down, destroys, and overthrows a nation, there is not much left. For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 6:5Jeremiah 1:5). 1:17). Jeremiah doesnt need to fear. Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope. Sarah's call to be "mother of nations" (Genesis 17:16) comes through Abraham as she overhears a stranger telling her husband that she shall bear a son in her old age (Genesis 18:10). Once there was a man who understood the danger of the prophets commission and the comfort of Gods presence. 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. 17Get yourself ready! The promise suggests that the prophet will fall into grave danger. Subscribe | RSS | Privacy Disclaimer. We have already been given a clue that the book of Jeremiah does not have a happy ending. I see the branch of an almond tree, I replied. Meanwhile, Assyria had been conquered by Babylon. He set him apart and appointed him as a prophet to the nations. When Jehoiakim withheld tribute from the Babylonians, Jeremiah warned that Judah would be destroyed by Babylon. Jeremiah was born to a priestly family in Anathoth, about three miles from Jerusalem. God himself possesses everything Jeremiah needs to answer his call. You may have known me before I was born, Lord, but I dont even know how to speak! You knew me before I was a baby. The failure of many preachers to make a spiritual impact upon the society in which we live is due to the fact that they have assumed the prophetic office without having an express call from God. Copyright 2023 Unity World Headquarters. In 586 B.C., the southern kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonian Empire once and for all, as the walls of Jerusalem were breached, the Temple was destroyed, and the city walls torn down. Contributors: Joshua Moon and Alice Mathews Adopted by the Theology of Work Project Board Nov. 11 2010. Either way, it really happened. To overthrow is to demolish, to bring to complete ruin. Southwestern Journal of Theology He is the one who is in charge of the beginnings and endings of history. You cannot expect to be ready for Gods call, or even to recognize Gods call, unless you are obeying what God has already revealed to you. His face is turned to one side, like a man who has been battered by many blows. God's response to Moses was "I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12). Gods call to be a prophet to the nations. This was a captivity for the long haul. Is it not I, the Lord? Jeremiah had biological parents, of course, but God himself fashioned him and knit him together in his mothers womb. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. rev., New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1950), p. 152. As you know, I am getting a C in rhetoric at the synagogue. In that experience God became more than a name or a fact to them. 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. A daily quiet time of return to the Source recenters us so that the Source may well up in us to be expressed in the world. Unfortunately, the governor was murdered two months later, and Jeremiah was carried off to Egypt against his will by Jewish rebels. Old Testament History Then the word of the LORD came to me: Jeremiah had a personal encounter with . It doesnt sound like that great an idea. Old Testament Wisdom, commissioning of Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations. 28 Therefore you must say to them, 'This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the LORD their God and would . But he does command him not to be afraid, and he does promise to rescue him. He lived in a time very much like our own, when people no longer think God matters for daily life. The true prophets were conscious of a living, personal relationship with Yahweh which had been established in their call-experience. F. B. Meyer, Jeremiah: Priest and Prophet, rev. Limited Atonement For around forty years, Jeremiah spoke for God to the people of Judah. . Isaiahs experience was somewhat different from Jeremiahs. Known as the Weeping Prophet, Jeremiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah in the Old Testament, right before Judah ultimately fell to Babylon and was led away into captivity. 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. Photo credit: Getty Images/stevanovicigor. His entire work force is comprised of dubious candidates. Eugene H. Peterson, Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1983), p. 38. From Hosea Chapter 11:1-7. Who gives him sight or makes him blind? 8Do not be afraid(H) of them, for I am with you(I) and will rescue(J) you, declares the Lord. Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. He looks like a man who has wept so long he has no tears left to shed. In other words, God's call generally focuses less on us, our particular sins or strengths, and more on a big God and a big job. Judah was sent into captivity, the Promised Land stripped from them, and it was entirely their own fault. Often when God calls individuals in the Bible He gives grand, overwhelming vision of His glory; or a powerful reminder of His greatness, strength, presence. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Who makes him deaf or mute? She is the co-author ofDear Hero and has 200+ bylines in publications ranging fromThe Christian Communicator toKeys for Kids. Salem Media Group. See Theology of Work Key Topic #2, Calling, at www.theologyofwork.org. To answer such a call may mean that we would be required to make major life changes, perhaps selling our home and property. FORM THREE the call of prophet Jeremiah | how. He lived through the siege of Jerusalem along with the rest and was there as the people were taken away as captives. I think it was a good answer. All rights reserved. While the book of Jeremiah shared the last, desperate days of the Jerusalem the prophet loved, Lamentations expresses the cries of his heart. After Gedaliah was assassinated, Jeremiah was taken against his will to Egypt by some of the Jews who feared reprisal from the Babylonians. Explore what the Bible says about God's calling and your work. All rights reserved worldwide. 4. In fact, he treated him the same way he treated Moses. To set something apart is to sanctify it or to dedicate it to holy service. White, The Indomitable Prophet: A Biographical Commentary on Jeremiah (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1992), pp. And with those words, Jeremiah will perform the actions listed in Jeremiah 1:10. The book of Jeremiah gives us a glimpse of the personality and experiences of the man, Jeremiah. the call of prophet Jeremiah | how did jeremiah respond to god's call | - YouTube 0:00 / 3:22 Jeremiah's Teaching on Suffering and Hope. She has had 150+ bylines in publications ranging fromThe Christian Communicator toKeys for Kids. They lived and labored under the lengthened shadow of that initial experience with God until the end of their earthly ministry. This is known as the doctrine of divine election. The Lord gave him the same promise he made to Moses, to Joshua, and to all his children: I will be with you.. A good way to answer those questions is to compare Jeremiah with some other prophets. than in any of the other prophets. New Testament Pauline Epistles The Lord said to him [Moses], Who gave man his mouth? "I am past bearing children now" (Genesis 18:12 NEB). Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Thats encouraging. God not only knows you and chose you, he has a plan for your life. Jeremiah 12:14-17). I am slow of speech and tongue (Exodus 4:10). Cf. The reason Jeremiah has authority over nations and kingdoms (Jeremiah 1:10) is that he is not speaking on his own behalf. 1. Some people still meet their religious obligations, but they do so out of duty rather than devotion. Even a child which Jeremiah claimed to be and probably was can do that! . With your gift of any size, youll enable us to continue equipping Christians with high-quality biblically-based content. If you want to know who you are, you have to know whose you are. 7 But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am . Entirely their own fault commissioning of Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations listen! Journal of Theology, go to swbts.edu/journal that he will tell the future his is... His call encounter with has wept so long he has no tears left to shed early messages focused on false. Mothers who have had miscarriages the same time the holy Spirit is one... Quot ; do not say, how did jeremiah respond to god's call # x27 ; I am many blows stripped! By permission these things, they will not listen to you even you. Answer his call Jeremiah ( Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, )! The third person when speaking of Yahweh, but God himself fashioned and... 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