Welcome to the first installment of the Bible study! Over the next year we will be exploring the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was given a difficult task as a prophet to the people of Israel just before, during, and after the exile to Babylon. He had an unpopular message to deliver to people who didn’t want to listen. From the opening verses, we learn that Jeremiah prophesied from about 629 BC until his death in Egypt around perhaps 580 BC (hard to say).
Jeremiah means “the LORD throws/hurls”. The verb is first used in Exodus 15:1: “Both horse and driver / he [God] has hurled into the sea.” He is a priest from the Anathoth, which was a Levitical town (Joshua 21:18) 2-3 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
Chapter 1 describes Jeremiah’s call from the Lord. What must he have felt? He plays the “I’m too young” card, which may have been an excuse or it may have felt like a very valid reason. “I’m not ready to do something like that!” I don’t think his reluctance is necessarily bad. It is probably a good indication of humility.
Given all the resistance he would face, could Jeremiah handle it? In verse 17, God says “Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.” (ESV) The word “dismayed” (חתת) is translated by other versions as “terrified” (NIV), “break down” (NRSV), or “shattered” (LEB). Jeremiah uses it more than any other book. I think of the idea of someone metaphorically breaking under pressure. Humanly speaking, it sounds impossible to faithfully and consistently deliver the message and survive. But there was one essential ingredient to Jeremiah standing against the backlash: “I am with you” (v 19). This doesn’t mean nothing bad would happen to him (quite the opposite), but God did protect him to enable him to continue to carry the message to the people.
To Ponder…
- God had a specific purpose and plan for Jeremiah. What has God called you to do? Are you obeying? If you’re not sure, ask him.
- Jeremiah had a message for the people that they didn’t want to hear. How interested are you in hearing from the Lord? What if it isn’t positive?
- Do you believe that God is with you?