September 11, 2024 | Be God's Light
The Call of Jeremiah
Scripture: Jeremiah 1(NIV)
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “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.”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”
“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”
14 The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.
“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.
16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people
because of their wickedness in forsaking me,
in burning incense to other gods
and in worshiping what their hands have made.
17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Devotional
For the next two and a half weeks we will focus on Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry and writings. Jeremiah ministered for forty years, calling the kings and people of Judah to repent and change their ways. They didn’t listen, and Jerusalem was conquered by the superpower of Babylon. Jeremiah, known as the “weeping prophet,” watched helplessly as the temple and walls around Jerusalem were destroyed, and as the best and brightest of Judah were captured and exiled to Babylon in three different waves of deportation.
In order to carry out this difficult prophetic ministry, Jeremiah leaned heavily on his call from the Lord. In verse five, God told Jeremiah that before he was even born, three things were true:
- God knew Jeremiah.
- God set apart Jeremiah.
- God appointed Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations.
How would each of these truths sustain Jeremiah through his four decades of prophesy when kings and people refused to listen and rebelled against his teachings?
During his call, the Lord gave Jeremiah confidence for the difficult task before him. God told him:
- You’re not too young.
- I’ll give you what to speak.
- Don’t be afraid. I am with you and will rescue you.
How would each of these have been a confidence builder for Jeremiah over his next forty years of ministry?
In the New Testament, Paul wrote, “I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). This divine call sustained Paul through the ups and downs of ministry, just as Jeremiah’s did for him.
Is there a time in your past when God clarified your identity, calling, and promises? How have those sustained you over the years?
Poem
From The Knitting
From the knitting in womb, I have called you
I have purposed great plans for your life
You will speak what I tell you
Fear not harm, I will rescue
Though my call is to live days of strife
See, my people have torn themselves from me
Wretched faithlessness full on display
You will speak of disaster
A sworn enemy master
They’ll ignore every warning you say
But my truth from your mouth you will counter—
A great exile from all they have known
Their lives will know violence
Their lyres will silence
‘Til my great reproval is shown
