God calls Jeremiah and instructs him to speak against his people: and so Jeremiah speaks:
Hear and pay attention,
do not be arrogant,
for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings the darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the darkening hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it to utter darkness
and change it to deep gloom. If you do not listen,
I will weep in secret
because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
overflowing with tears,
because the Lord's flock will be taken captive. And if you ask yourself,
"Why has this happened to me?"—
it is because of your many sins
that your skirts have been torn off
and your body mistreated.
(Jeremiah 13:15-17, 22 NIV)
What a hard calling: to speak against your own people. To point out their sin. But also to promise destruction of his people and even being turned over to other wicked nations.
That is Jeremiah's calling and ministry. There is no promise from God that his people would repent. There is no promise that anyone would respond to Jeremiah. So Jeremiah is called to this fruitless ministry. And yet he is being faithful to do exactly what God called him to do. That sounds like a hard job and a hard ministry to trust God in.
God thank you for my calling in leadership. I pray that you would use me as you choose. I thank you for the joy and fruit you bring through my ministry. But I pray I would trust and have my identity in you and your calling, not in success. I also pray I would not be satisfied with things less than you call me too.
God I want to serve you, glorify you, bring your kingdom and help people to know and follow you. Please guide me and my ministry with InterVarsity at CU.
Amen
But I said, "Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve. "Speak this word to them:
ReplyDelete"'Let my eyes overflow with tears
night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin Daughter, my people,
has suffered a grievous wound,
a crushing blow. If I go into the country,
I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see the ravages of famine.
Both prophet and priest
have gone to a land they know not.'"
(Jeremiah 14:13, 15-18 NIV)
Jeremiah is called to be a prophet in a time of famine and speak of Gods continued wrath and destruction. False prophets bring false hope to the people all around Jeremiah and yet he must speak the truth which is harsh to his people Jeremiah cries out for his people. Israel cries out that they see their sin now in famine and are fasting and confessing sin and would turn to God. But this time God stands firm and will not relent until Israel is destroyed and exiled for their sin and for turning from God. Wow that is a hard ministry
Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,
ReplyDeletea man with whom the whole land strives and contends!
I have neither lent nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses me. The Lord said,
"Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose;
surely I will make your enemies plead with you
in times of disaster and times of distress. Lord, you understand;
remember me and care for me.
Avenge me on my persecutors.
You are long-suffering—do not take me away;
think of how I suffer reproach for your sake. Therefore this is what the Lord says:
"If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
you will be my spokesman.
Let this people turn to you,
but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people,
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
but will not overcome you,
for I am with you
to rescue and save you,"
declares the Lord. "I will save you from the hands of the wicked
and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel."
(Jeremiah 15:10, 11, 15, 19-21 NIV)
Yet Jeremiah struggles and doubts and holds back from speaking the words of God. Jeremiah faces attack and hatred from his own people, disgrace all for Gods name. And yet God holds Jeremiah accountable when he is disobedient. All leaders are still held accountable, our acts for God do not make us righteous. And so God says repent Jeremiah and I will heal you and allow you to be my servant in this ministry. This is a good reminder for me and others who serve in ministry as pastors, leaders and campus ministry staff.
Yet God gives this promise to hold on to:
Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose.
Amen
They keep saying to me,
ReplyDelete"Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it now be fulfilled!" I have not run away from being your shepherd;
you know I have not desired the day of despair.
What passes my lips is open before you. Do not be a terror to me;
you are my refuge in the day of disaster. Let my persecutors be put to shame,
but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
destroy them with double destruction. (Jeremiah 17:15-18 NIV)
Jeremiah continues to trust in God and to be faithful to Gods calling. I the midst of this hard ministry he puts his hope in God. He rests secure in God despite his enemies and how his people doubt him and that he is really sent from God with this message.
They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says." Listen to me, Lord;
ReplyDeletehear what my accusers are saying! Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before you
and spoke in their behalf
to turn your wrath away from them. So give their children over to famine;
hand them over to the power of the sword.
Let their wives be made childless and widows;
let their men be put to death,
their young men slain by the sword in battle. But you, Lord, know
all their plots to kill me.
Do not forgive their crimes
or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
deal with them in the time of your anger.
(Jeremiah 18:18-21, 23 NIV)
Jeremiah's leadership isn't always ideal. Jeremiah becomes afraid of the people when they speak against him and his message from The Lord. He even desires terrible vengeance in his heart against the people and their families. He goes so far as to pray and ask The Lord for harm on their wives and children. That is not the model of leadership I want. But it is good to know this prophets struggled and were afraid and made mistakes in following God and their leadership.
They keep saying to me,
ReplyDelete"Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it now be fulfilled!" I have not run away from being your shepherd;
you know I have not desired the day of despair.
What passes my lips is open before you. (Jeremiah 17:15, 16 NIV)
You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived;
ReplyDeleteyou overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long;
everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the Lord has brought me
insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, "I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,"
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot. I hear many whispering,
"Terror on every side!
Denounce him! Let's denounce him!"
All my friends
are waiting for me to slip, saying,
"Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we will prevail over him
and take our revenge on him." But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonor will never be forgotten. Sing to the Lord!
Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues the life of the needy
from the hands of the wicked. Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,
who made him very glad, saying,
"A child is born to you—a son!" Why did I ever come out of the womb
to see trouble and sorrow
and to end my days in shame? (Jeremiah 20:7-11, 13, 15, 18 NIV)
For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. (Jeremiah 25:3 NIV)
ReplyDeleteThen the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!" Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing." (Jeremiah 26:11-15 NIV)
ReplyDelete