Studies In Jeremiah

1. Studies In Jeremiah Presentation 01

2. The Call Of God Chapter 1v1-19 Presentation 01

3. Introduction Jeremiah has been described as the most autobiographical of the prophets we certainly know more about him that any other prophet. He is also probably one of the most misunderstood of the O.T. leaders. The book of Jeremiah, it has been claimed is the least read and least understood book in the Bible due, in part, to the fact that its composition does not follow a historically linear pattern. The name Jeremiah means ‘the Lord’s exalts’ and is thought to reflect his parent’s expectations or hopes for the nation. Presentation 01

4. Introduction Jeremiah’s home was in the Levitical town of Anathoth. He was born into a priestly family though nothing indicates that he exercised a priestly office. He was the greatest spiritual personality in Israel in his day and has been described as the most psychological of the prophets because he reveals his personal feelings as he proclaims God’s message. Indeed, many think his greatest contribution to posterity is his personality: “By birth a priest, by grace a prophet by trials of life a bulwark for God’s truth; by daily spiritual experience one of the greatest exponents of prophetic faith in his unique relation to God; by temperament gentle and timid, yet constantly contending against the forces of sin; and by natural desire a seeker after the love of a companion, his family, friends, and; above all, his people - which were all denied him.” Presentation 01

5. Introduction Jeremiah was borne in 646 B.C. and 20 years later he began his 40-year ministry in a chaotic age, days of political, social, moral and spiritual turmoil. He lived at a time when Judah was under the dominion of Egypt, Assyria and then Babylonia. God does not speak or work in a historical vacuum! When we study biblical books and ask what does God intend to say to us today through them we must remember that. For this reason it is important when looking at a book like Jeremiah to ask where it fits into ‘heilsgeschichte’, God’s scheme of ‘salvation history’. Presentation 01

6. Introduction If we fail to understand the past, we will not grasp the meaning of the present far less with the eye of faith discern some of the possibilities of the future. In order to understand Jeremiah’s ministry, we need to place it first in a broad historical context, secondly in its more immediate historical context [he ministered during the reign of 6 different Jewish monarchs] and finally against the background of the political turmoil that was taking place in the Middle East. Presentation 01

7. Introduction The arrangement of the material in the book of Jeremiah has posed a number of problems not least because the prophecies are not arranged chronologically. The following suggested chronological arrangement has been suggested: 1. Reign of Josiah: Chs. 1-6 2. Reign of Jehoahaz: Nothing [cf. 22.10-12] 3. Reign of JehoiakimChs. 7:1-13:17; 13:20-20:18; 25-26; 35-36; 45:1- 46:12;47; 48?; 49. 4. Reign of JehoiachinChs. 13:18-19; 22-23? 5. Reign of Zedekiah Chs21; 24; 27-34; 37-44; 46:13-28; 50-52? Presentation 01

8. Introduction As far as the theological emphasis of the book is concerned the following issues are addressed: An underlying confidence in God and his promises. God’s goodness, his claims on man, his requirements of repentance and faith and the physical and spiritual welfare of the people of God. Jeremiah makes clear how temporal the secondary features of Judah’s faith were, for they trusted in their outward acceptance of the covenant [11v1-5],circumcision [9v25-26], the temple [7v1-15], the sacrificial system [6v20, 7v21-23], the outward possession of the law [8v8], prayer [11v14,15v11] the throne [22v1-9] and the ark [3v16]. Presentation 01

9. Introduction The great Messianic hope also runs through this book as Jeremiah looks into the distant future and sees Israel returning in penitence to the Lord [32v37-40]. The Messiah will rule over her in justice and righteousness [23v5-8]. The remnant of the nations will enjoy blessing at this time [3v17; 16v19] the establishment of a new covenant [31v31-34]. The book of Jeremiah has also been described as a handbook for learning the art of having fellowship with God. Presentation 01

10. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah We read, “the word of God came to Jeremiah”. Thisyoung priest, living in a small village, is told that God intended to use him to be a messenger to the nation. This purpose of God was neither, an emergency plan nor, an afterthought, but something which God had planned even before his birth! It would seem that Jeremiah’s parents had no idea that the child born to them had been set apart by God for special service. In the mysterious past God had decided that Jeremiah would be his man. His natural gifts and spiritual consecration were therefore no accident. Presentation 01

11. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah And so Jeremiah is given to understand that God, unknown to him, had shaped his past in order that he might be equipped for future ministry. This is how we are to look at life, and how we are to understand our conversion and call to service. It is what theologians call prevenient grace. The work of preparation, which God does in our lives prior to our becoming Christians. We need to learn to look back and to marvel at our past history and think, “God intends to use even that!” Presentation 01

12. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah Of course God does not necessarily break into all our lives with the same clarity experienced by Jeremiah to tell us that we have been called for a particular service. It may be that Jeremiah had such a spectacular call to service because he had a particularly difficult job to do. His unique call would stand as a constant reminder to him in the most adverse of situations that he was God’s man called to do God’s work! Presentation 01

13. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah His call was so vivid because his ministry was to be particularly painful in character. His commission was to “root out, pull down and destroy, and to throw down to build and to plant.” The greater part of his work was to have a destructive nature. Clearly, he was not going to be an O.T. Billy Graham. There would not be a significant revival as the result of his preaching. His would be extremely discouraging and disheartening work. The unshakeable conviction that God had called him to this task would help to keep him going! We all need to be fully persuaded in our own minds, about particularly demanding pieces of Christian service, that God has called us! We dare not enter them because of their personal appeal or because people will then think more highly of us, or in order to please our family! Presentation 01

14. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah Secondly Jeremiah’s call is marked by his own reticence, “Ah Sovereign Lord...” v6. He felt he was a child in knowledge and experience. Yet God has often selects the young for significant service. Think of Samuel, Timothy, Joseph, David and Daniel. During the Reformation, John Calvin had completed his major theological work by the age of 22. John Wesley had founded Methodism at the age of 25. Hudson Taylor was 17 when he began to prepare for missionary service in China! In every age of the church, young people have read this passage and thought since youth did not disqualify Jeremiah so it might not render them unfit for God’s special service. Presentation 01

15. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah Jeremiah was reticent about his suitability for the task. He was no public speaker. He could not string two sentences together. He would not be asked to take part in the school play - he would have taken stage-fright! He was unsuited to this job! But God’s best speakers are frequently those who are least eloquent. If a person possesses great gifts of oratory then he is the danger of relying upon those skills and attributing the results to his gifts rather than to the power of God’s Spirit. Presentation 01

16. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah Jeremiah also thought himself temperamentally ill equipped for prophetic office. He was a sensitive, delicate, diffident soul and not fitted to do the work of a spiritual bulldozer. If forced to speak, he would rather that his subject was one he could warm to like the boundless mercy, compassion and tenderness of God. But to announce a message of judgement, that was not something he could easily grapple with! Here then is the mystery of God’s purposes that he should chose as a prophet to the nations a man so apparently unfitted by gift and temperament. Presentation 01

17. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah Now the whole atmosphere of the nation in which Jeremiah lived was marked by unbelief - did this in some way influence him? He tells God that he has made a mistake in choosing him - i.e. he knows better than God! Notice too that unbelief tends to concentrate upon the demands of service rather than upon its privileges - this is precisely how Jeremiah reacted. God knows all of these limitations when he calls us to service but he doesn’t see them as something which should stand in HIS way! If only we could learn this basic lesson that strength is only made perfect in weakness. It is to those who have no might that God increases strength. Presentation 01

18. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah God’s choices often startle us. He does not choose those we feel are most naturally fitted for particular tasks. Recall Samuel’s confusion when he went to Jesse’ household to choose a future king of Israel. God bypassed the brothers who seemed so physically mature and strong and chose instead, a pimple-faced shepherd boy Cf.1 Sam. 16v6-7… We are further reminded in 1Cor. 1v27 that God has chosen, “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; and the weak things of the world to shame the strong... so that no one may boast before him.” Presentation 01

19. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah Note too the special equipment that Jeremiah received for his life’s work. It is symbolised here by God touching his mouth, and saying, “Now I have put my words in your mouth”. This explains Jeremiah’s future ministry, his prophetic insight and foresight, the keenness of his spiritual discernment and the soundness of his political judgement. Today, we would describe his speech as inspired. And so it was for God gave him the words to speak. Jeremiah’s equipment included a message from God which was particularly adapted to his need. Jeremiah had protested his unfitness and God responded by saying, “You shall go.. You shall speak...” What is God’s point? Jeremiah’s need to subject himself unreservedly to God’s authority. Presentation 01

20. The Call And Commission Of Jeremiah Finally, Jeremiah’s equipment included a word of encouragement, “Do not be afraid of them for I am with you and I will rescue you”. Jeremiah would meet with many hostile faces, brows that were lowered, eyes that flashed hatred and lips curled in scorn. But over against that he was to place the promise of God’s presence and the guarantee of strength and protection amid all the difficulties and dangers of his future service. God did not promise Jeremiah freedom from painful circumstances but deliverance within them. There is a world of difference between the two. Presentation 01

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