We thank God for His grace and blessings upon our Bible Seminar and Church Anniversary services last weekend. Today we shall mediate on Jeremiah chapter 1, about God's calling Jeremiah to serve Him.
THE PROPHET JEREMIAH AND THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Jeremiah 1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that 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. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month
Jeremiah means "the LORD (Jehovah) will lift up, exalt." We should not mistake the prophet Jeremiah with eight other men also named Jeremiah (2 Kings 24:18; 1 Chronicles 5:24; 12:4, 10, 13; Nehemiah 10:2; 12:1; Jeremiah 35:3).
The prophet Jeremiah was the son of the priest Hilkiah in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin (Jer 1:1). We should not mistake his father Hilkiah with the high priest Hilkiah in Jerusalem, who found the book of the law in the house of the Lord in the days of king Josiah (2 Kings 22:8; 2 Chron 34:14). In the New Testament, his name is spelled Jeremias (Matthew 16:14) and Jeremy (Matthew 2:17; 27:9) in the KJV.
Jeremiah was born about 650 B.C under the wicked king Manasseh of the kingdom of Judah, but after Manasseh was taken captive to Assyria, he humbly repented and God brought him back to Jerusalem (2 Chron 33:10-20). However, Manasseh's repentance could not change the ungodly and idolatrous life of his son Amon and of the people of Judah, full of sins, transgressions, idolatry, corruption, and ungodliness. God's Word and law was not respected nor obeyed!
Jeremiah was called to serve the Lord when he was about 20 to 23 years old (about 627 B.C) in the 13th year of king Josiah's reign, who was a godly king like king David (2 Chron 34-35). The prophet Jeremiah helped with the revival or reformation under king Josiah. The temple was repaired, idols and their altars were destroyed, God's Word was taught, and the Passover was kept, and so on. The revival or reformation lasted 18 years until king Josiah was killed in battle against king Necho of Egypt, and "Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day" (2 Chron 35:20-25). After Josiah's death, the following kings like king Jehoahaz (only 3-month reign), king Jehoiakim (608-597 B.C), king Jehoiachin (about 598 B.C), and the last king Zedekiah (about 597 B.C) were all ungodly and did not listen God's Word and warning through the prophet Jeremiah nor repent of their sins and idolatry. In the end Jeremiah witnessed the fulfilment of God's Word before his eyes: the people of Judah were taken in captivity to Babylon in 586 BC. Thus, Jeremiah served the Lord as His prophet about 41 years.
JEREMIAH WAS CALLED TO SERVE THE LORD
1. Jeremiah was called and ordained by the Lord Himself: The Lord's Word came to Jeremiah and called him to be His prophet (Jeremiah 1:4, 13). The Lord said, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the wombI sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." We can see the Lord, who is always sovereign, almighty, all-knowing, holy, righteous, faithful, merciful, longsuffering toward His people although they were unfaithful. The Lord also has His plan for each of us before we were born, according to His election of grace, so we should be thankful to Him always (John 15:16; Rom 11:5; Eph 5:20). Here we also see that it is the Lord who forms a human being in the belly of the mother's womb, so we ought not to support abortion, as it is a sin of murder.
The Lord Jesus called and ordained His apostles, "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach" (Mark 3:14). Paul gave his testimony of the Lord's call, "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity" (1 Timothy 2:7). A true servant of the Lord must be called and ordained, not by himself nor by men, but by the Lord Himself. What about us?
2. Jeremiah's humility as a child, "Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child " (Jeremiah 1:6). Jeremiah was in his early twenties, but he humbly regarded himself as a child, who does not how to speak and needs to be taught, instructed, guided, and protected! The Lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). To be used by the Lord, we ought to be humble like the Lord Jesus, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19; 30), and "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil 2:8). John the Baptist humbly said, "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven... He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:27, 30). Paul was a humble apostle, saying, "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God," (1 Corinthians 15:9-10), and then "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints," (Eph 3:8), and then "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1:15). What about us?
3. Jeremiah was commanded to preach all the exact Word of God, " But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak" (Jeremiah 1:7). The Lord Jesus also commands His disciples to do the same, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" without addition nor subtraction (Matthew 28:20). What about us?
4. Jeremiah was commanded to fear God alone, and not men, because the Lord was with him, "Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD" (Jeremiah 1:8). The Lord Jesus also teaches His disciples to fear God alone, and not men, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). What about us?
5. The Lord put His Words in Jeremiah's mouth, "Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth" (Jeremiah 1:9). The Lord spoke to Moses, "Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exodus 4:12). The the Lord Jesus also promises that the Holy Spirit will teach us what to speak, "For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say" (Luke 12:12). Our responsibility is to diligently study God's Word and let the Holy Spirit and God's Word dwell richly in our heart and mind, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), and "... be filled with the Spirit" (Eph 5:18) and "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col 3:16). What about you?
6. The Lord set Jeremiah to be His prophet, "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant" (Jeremiah 1:10). Jeremiah would foretell God's Word of judgement, "to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down" as well as to give God's promise of comfort, "to build, and to plant." The holy Lord hates sins, the righteous Lord condemns sins, and the gracious and merciful Lord always calls sinners to return to Him in repentance and submission so that they may be saved, comforted and built up. When we read God's Word, we always find His Word of rebuke against sins and ungodliness as well as His Word of comfort, encouragement, and edification to repentant sinners, obedient children, and faithful servants. The Lord Jesus is the Prophet of prophets and the Preacher of preachers. The Lord rebuked the hypocrisy and ungodliness of the Pharisees and the scribes (Matthew 23), but He also gave His Word of comfort and encouragement to repentant sinners (Matthew 11:28-30; John 8:11). True prophets and preachers must be like the Lord Jesus. What about us? Sadly, many nowadays love to invite and hear the preachers who only preach the messages of comfort and encouragement without repentance, obedience, submission, or self-denial, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim 4:3-4).
7. The Lord confirmed that His Word would be fulfilled, "for I will hasten my word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:12). Surely God will perform all His words, "Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD" (Ezekiel 12:28). All God's words of promises and comfort as well as His words of warnings have been fulfilled, are being fulfilled and will be fulfilled. We must trust in God's Word (Psalm 119:42) and tremble at His Word (Isaiah 66:2). What about you?
THE MINISTRY OF JEREMIAH
The Lord showed Jeremiah two visions. One is a rod of an almond tree (in Hebrew "awake tree"), a reminder of God's watchfulness to fulfil His word, "Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. 12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:11-12).
The other vision is a seething pot, the face of which is toward the north, even the attack from the Babylonians, whom God used to chastise His people due to their sins, transgressions, idolatry and ungodliness, "And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. 14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands" (vv 13-16).
The Lord commanded Jeremiah to be ready for the ministry of a prophet.
1. Be ready to do the Lord's command, "Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise" (Jeremiah 1:17).
2. Be prepared to speak all what the Lord commanded him, "speak unto them all that I command thee" (v 17).
3. Be not afraid of men, "be not dismayed at their faces" (v 17), only fear God, and not men.
4. Be made as a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls (Jeremiah 1:18). The young prophet Jeremiah was strengthened by God's grace and power to be strong, determined, faithful, patient, brave, steadfast, and unmovable like a defenced city, an iron pillar, and brasen walls.
5. Be against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land (v 18). It is not easy for the young man Jeremiah to stand alone and to speak God's Word of warning and rebuke against the whole ungodly nation, including the kings and the priests!
6. Be persecuted, "they shall fight against thee" (Jeremiah 1:19). Jeremiah would be hated, rejected, beaten, and imprisoned. The Lord Jesus lived a good, holy and perfect life, but He was despised, envied, hated and persecuted. His true servants and children over the ages have also suffered the same, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20). We should not be surprised when facing opposition and persecutions from the ungodly.
7. Be triumphant because the Lord was with him, "they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee" (v 19). The Lord always promises to be with His servants: with Moses (Exodus 3:12), with Joshua (Joshua 1:5), with Gideon (Judges 6:16), with His disciples, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20), and so forth. It is vital for us to have the almighty, all-knowing, sovereign, wise, good, gracious, loving and merciful Lord to be with us. What about you? Do you have the Lord with you?
God has chosen each one of us, even before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4) to worship Him and to serve Him, no matter who we are according to different talents He has given to us (Matthew 25:14-30). May God help us fear Him alone, obey Him alone and serve Him faithfully until the end despite all the opposition and persecutions. Amen. HN.
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