01. the prophetic calling of jeremiah

01. the prophetic calling of jeremiah

• 1.
  Lesson 1
• 2.
  Key Text: “Before Iformed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” Jeremiah 1:5
• 3.
  We know moreabout the life of Jeremiah than we do about any other Old Testament prophet. The biographical facts in his book help us understand better his work as a prophet. Jeremiah had such an effect on history that, even at the time of Jesus, he was a revered prophetic figure. At the same time, the prophet’s work, judged by human standards, shows only slight success. Despite decades of fervent warning and pleadings, the people for the most part didn’t listen to the messages he gave them from the Lord.
• 4.
  Nevertheless, despite the opposition, Jeremiah could notbe bought or sold; he stood as “a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall” (Jer. 1:18, NIV), not in his own strength but in the Lord’s. Jeremiah’s lot in life wasn’t a happy one in many ways. His calling brought him suffering, woe, rejection, even imprisonment. Worse still was the fact that so many of these troubles came from the very ones whom he was seeking to help, seeking to point in the right direction. Thus, in his own way, Jeremiah prefigured what Jesus Himself would face hundreds of years later in the same land.
• 5.
  “But truly Iam full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.” (Micah 3:8) “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23) Prophets usually had two main goals: 1. Condemning sin. 2. Proclaiming God’s forgiveness. They were in a dilemma. If they preached the message, they might suffer persecution or death (Luke 3:19-20). If they didn’t, God would judge them. They decided to do the work God had commanded them to despite the consequences. They preached the message they received from God through dreams, visions and revelations. Thanks to their perseverance, we are able to read about God’s message today.
• 6.
  “The words ofJeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.” (Jeremiah 1:1) Jeremiah was a priest. He was raised to serve at the temple. He was born in Anathoth—current Anata—, 4km (2.5miles) NE of Jerusalem. Abiathar was part of Eli’s descendants. He was exiled to Anathoth when he lost his High Priesthood. Therefore, Jeremiah could be one of his descendants (1K. 2:26). His prophetic ministry began in 627 BC and didn’t stop until later than 586 BC. According to Jeremiah 1:2-3, he served as a prophet for more than 40 years during the reign of the last five kings of Judah.
• 7.
  Nevertheless, God hadalready chosen him long before that. He had put him aside (sanctified) to be a prophet to the nations. God provides us all with gifts when we are born, so we fulfill missions, although we are responsible to develop those gifts. God has a plan for each one of us. We must discover our mission and fulfill the purpose and the plan God has prepared for us. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Jeremiah was about 18-20 years old when we was called to the prophetic ministry.
• 8.
  “The young man[Jeremiah] shrank back in terror from the thought of being a prophet. A sense of unworthiness overwhelmed him, and his nature recoiled from a task in which he would be out of step with the men of his generation.” (SDA Bible Commentary, on Jeremiah 1:6). “Then said I: ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.’ But the Lord said to me: ‘Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.’” (Jeremiah 1:6-7) He used the same excuse Moses did, his inability to speak in public (Exodus 4:10-15). God equips those He calls. He gave Jeremiah strong promises when He called him:
• 9.
  “The word ofthe Lord came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’… And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, ‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.’” (Jeremiah 1:11, 13) The first prophecy is better understood in Hebrew. It may be translated like, “I see the branch of a ready [shaqed] tree… You have seen well, for I am ready [shaqad] to perform My word.” The almond tree announces the coming of spring. When we see it, we know for certain that spring is coming. We can also be sure that the Word of God will fulfill. What was going to be fulfilled in that moment? A “boiling pot.”
• 10.
  The pot wastilted from the north, so it was going to spill the boiling content to the south over the land of Judah. Babylon’s army came from the east of Judah. They needed to go to the north following river Euphrates to avoid the desert. They would attack Israel from the north. “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’… And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, ‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.’” (Jeremiah 1:11, 13) People in Judah had only two options before that threat: to keep on sinning or to repent. Depending on their decision, Jeremiah’s message would either “destroy and throw down” or “build and plant.” (Jeremiah 1:10).
• 11.
  Further Thought: Martin Lutherwrote about the prophet in the introduction of his commentary to the book of Jere- miah: “Jeremiah was a sad pro- phet, who lived in a deplorable and difficult period and, what is more, his prophetic service was extremely difficult as he was stru- ggling and fighting with a bad- tempered and stubborn people. Apparently he did not achieve much success because he experienced how his enemies became more and more evil. They tried to kill the prophet several times. They pressed hard against him, whipping him several times. Yet, he would live to see with his own eyes how his country was devastated and his people taken into exile.”
• 12.
  “In the youthfulJeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and who would stand for the right against great opposition. In childhood he had proved faithful; and now he was to endure hardness, as a good soldier of the cross. ‘Say not, I am a child,’ the Lord bade His chosen messenger; ‘for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.’” Lessons from Jeremiah’s calling: E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 34, pg. 407)
• 13.
  Slideshare.net/chucho1943 We invite youto download and study each one of the 13 lessons about this serie THIS SERVICE IS FREE AND YOU CAN USE IT JEREMIAS