Me? A Prophet? You can't be serious!: Lesson One of 52. Truth and Consequences

To watch this on video: https://youtu.be/niJMyB5R784  

  INTRODUCTION

Some will say, “A study of an Older Testament prophet needs to be spicy and exciting.” It’s dusty after all and was written several hundreds of years before Yeshua was born, lived, died and rose again. Therefore, it’s going to be recognized as ancient by most folks. Studying ancient literature sounds like a boring high school class required by the school system and of little interest to us, as 21^st century people. 

If that’s where you might be in your thinking then I applaud you for joining us today. Your being here is an admission that you want to learn. You want God to speak to you. EXCELLENT! What’s even more significant is that God wants to speak to you. He initiated this prophecy; he called young Jeremiah and he has called you to hear from him, first and foremost. Then as you learn his ways and submit to his call, you will be equipped to share this with others. 

For those watching this study on YouTube, please pause your playback of this class, read chapter one of Jeremiah and rejoin us, thanks.

Welcome back. If at the end of each study, and certainly by the end of the entire full length of the study of this major prophet’s book, if then you only have an information library built up, and you are not personally changed, if you are not sharing what you believe with others, if you are not inviting others to join you in this study or your congregation, if you are still isolating and private, then this will be a failure. I will have taught you nothing. Jeremiah’s warnings will be wasted. Is that extreme? Is that too extreme? No, I believe that our community represented by each of you on this zoom call, and by those of you who watch incidental YouTube sessions, our community is fraught with the danger of pick-and-choose isolation. We have learned this from COVID and the last 19 months—we need one another for mental health and for spiritual growth. Don’t let that lesson wane. More on that as we proceed.

WHO AND FORM

As always when we begin a new series, we want to consider the timing, the authorship, the forms of the new book to study. Jeremiah wrote during a 40-year period or so, just before the captivity of Judah, the southern section of the Promised Land, by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. His oracles are from the decades previous to that capture. He lists the dates in relation to the kings whose dates we can calculate. 

We know Jeremiah is the author. He is the son of a priest named Hilkiah, who lived in Anatot just northeast of Jerusalem about 3 miles, in the land of Benjamin. In the OED, the word jeremiad is a noun that means a long, mournful complaint or lamentation. Other synonyms include diatribe, screed, anger, berating, censure, condemnation, denunciation, dispute, fulmination, harangue, invective, lecture, malediction, philippic, ranting, revilement, sermon, tongue-lashing, vituperation.

I must say that none of those are inviting. They all sound like activities of a meanspirited school marm or the noise associated with parental abuse of children. Let me say, therefore, that none of these is fully descriptive of the prophecies of Jeremiah. For others, he is labelled the “Weeping Prophet” and perhaps that more characterises the man whom we will meet and whose sayings will influence us the next 52 weeks as we study verse by verse from his book. By the way, his prophecy is the longest in the Bible and has more hope than you might initially observe and certainly than the OED gives in his name’s attribution.

The form is an anthology which makes sense. A collection of collections, actually. We see markers at various places in the book which show us that a new ‘chapter’ or a new ‘book’ is beginning there. We will see those at chapters 25, 30, and chapter 46. But plenty of time for us in the meantime. We know in chapter 36 the name Baruch, introduced to us as the scribe for Jeremiah, and we note some history there, too. Much more about that later.

Probably the key text in that chapter is what I would call THE purpose of the book itself. We read in verses 2 and 3:

“Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

That’s the purpose of challenge. That’s the purpose of this book. God wants a clean people to represent him. Let’s dig in.

HISTORY

When was this written? Verse two tells us. In the 13^th year of Josiah. This to help us from Craigie.

“Josiah came to the throne of Judah in 640 BCE when he was eight years old (1 Kgs 22:1; 2 Chr 34:1). His thirty-one–year reign saw a radical shift in the international power structure in the Middle East. Asshurbanipal of Assyria (668–627) inherited a vast empire from his father Esarhaddon (680–669), but in the course of his reign, external and internal pressures so weakened his hold that by the time of his death Assyria was on the verge of collapse. Egypt under Psammetichus I (664–610) declared its independence from Assyria, probably about 665 (J. Bright, A History, 313). On the northern border of Assyria the Medes and their allies, the Lydians and the Cimmerians, exerted steady pressure. In 652 Babylon revolted and was pacified only after a four–year struggle. Asshurbanipal’s struggles to maintain his empire enjoyed a large amount of success, but the decades-long efforts drained the Assyrian resources and made collapse inevitable.”

In other words, the world scene was messy, and the players were vying for international dominance. Israel and Judah were pawns in the chess game as was typical throughout her history. You should know that during these forty years, when Assyria was losing its power, Egypt was regaining some, Babylon was making efforts to rule wider, that in the land of Judah, this was a time of turbulent political intrigue, with pro-Egyptian, pro-Babylonian, and pro-independence parties jockeying for position. Sounds like today, doesn’t it? IT DOES! And as Jeremiah wanted the people of his day to trust in the living God in the midst of such turbulence, so I believe God wants us in our day to do the same.

VERSE BY VERSE

OK, back to the preface.

Verse one. The words of Jeremiah. Clearly he is the author. Paul used this method of introduction. Most of the prophets did the same. But look at verse two. What Jeremiah said, in his words, are THE WORD of the Lord. All his efforts are to help us understand. They are to get us to hear. God’s Word is what Jeremiah wanted us to crave and to obey. No matter the political situation, hence the listing of all the kings in their order. Two kings only reigned for a few months and are not listed, no doubt, due to their insignificance. But Jehoiakim and Zedekiah are listed as markers of Jeremiah’s tenure. Preaching 40 years with little result… that’s tough going for anyone. Who is Jeremiah anyway?

Verse four. Before Jeremiah is used publicly, the conversation with the Almighty takes place. I love that God has a dialogue with the man, a young man, perhaps a 20-year-old, and encourages him and calls him. Listen to the verbs…

I formed you

I knew you

I consecrated you

I appointed you

Do you have any doubt that God oversees the selection of his prophets? God has this plan all mapped out and made no uncertain declarations to the young prophet-to-be. I don’t know how people who are not convinced of the predestination by God of such as we are can make it or understand these verbs. God is the creator, not a wishful thinker. He is the caller; not only an inviter. He makes us holy and appoints. He is the Lord, not an embarrassed offerer. His plans will prevail. Jeremiah, what is your response? 

Verse 6. Jeremiah says ‘alas (literally Hebrew aha). I don’t know how to do what you want me to do. Fair enough. A man needs to know how to change a tyre before he begins to do so. Or to perform Greek declensions. Or to solve quadratic equations. What is God’s answer to Jeremiah’s self-evaluation?

THREE COMMANDMENTS

Verses 7-8. Now in light of God’s actions, Jeremiah is given three instructions. I’m sending you. So go. Don’t be reluctant. Get off your tuchas and walk. A ship doesn’t progress in the marina; it has to launch out so that the rudder is of use. Pull up your anchor, young man. Get moving. And in your going, I will be with you. 

And in your speaking, I will be with you. I’m commanding you. You get to speak. The miracle is not the speaking. Anyone and everyone has a voice. The miracle is that my words will flow out of you. 

A third commandment was then given. Do not be afraid of them. Who is the ‘them?’ Back in verse 5. Them is the ‘goyim.’ The nations around Judah. The Egyptians and the Medes; the Assyrians and the Babylonians and anyone else who popped onto the scene. No matter what the morning email tells you about the global situation, about the problems of governments and peoples and weaknesses in the Jewish realm—do not be afraid. 

To seal the deal, in verse 9, God stretches out his hand. Hebrew ‘shalach’ sent out his hand. Personal. He is involved. It’s the same notion as the right hand of the Lord that does valiantly. The Lord’s right hand is lifted high. The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things for us. This is not a religious response—this is the act of a caring father who personally touches the mouth of the youth.  What does that produce?

Verses 9-10. Affirmation that the words he is hearing will be reproduced in the mouth he will speak, to the nations, to the peoples around him. Jeremiah is being given the keys to the family car. He is being given the house in the suburbs in which to host parties and conduct seminars. He is given all things necessary to conduct his public ministry. 

No longer can Jeremiah say “I’m only a young man. I don’t know how or what to speak.” Now he has God’s Word in his mouth. Like Isaiah whose lips were cleansed in a similar touch, and Ezekiel’s ‘eating’ of the Word, Jeremiah has a similar albeit particular acceptance of the role and the Words. 

Verse 10. Look at the six verbs. These are the results of Jeremiah’s prophecies. Four of the six are words that tear down. Only two are edifying. I think if this were an episode of Mission: Impossible, and I were given the choice of this assignment, I might decline. Sounds like I’m going to be the bearer of bad news twice as often as good news. No one really wants this job, do they?

TWO VISIONS

Now come two visions that help the reader understand the strengthening of young Jeremiah to the tasks just assigned. 

First the almond tree; second the boiling pot.

Verses 11-12. A quick read leaves us without awareness of this passage. You might know the phrase in 12, “God is watching over his word to perform it.” That’s encouraging already. What you don’t get in the English is the use of a play-on-words in Hebrew. Shakéd is the Hebrew word for almond. The tree of the almond blossoms very early in the secular calendar in Israel, in January, and leads us to know that spring is coming soon. The Hebrew word for ‘watch over’ in this same verse is shokéd. Obviously the same consonants and reminds us that as the almond is tasty, and as the promise of the hope of almonds is coming when we see the blossoms, so God’s Word, not yet fulfilled, but is surely coming and will be tasty in our lives as well. 

By the way, 9 times in chapter one we see the word DAVAR ‘Word’ or a variant of it. It’s God’s word that matters to Jeremiah and Baruch who will scribe this later at least twice. If you don’t hear anything else in today’s lesson, hear this—God’s Word is what matters in life.  How we should live with our neighbours; how we should behave in society and in our household; how we should get along with God and ourselves in the private times… it’s all in the Book. 

Verses 13-16. The boiling pot. Specifically a normal campfire pot is in view and it tips over due to a wind from the north. The contents spill to the south. The nations and clans from the north could be any number of tribal enemies including Assyria or even Babylon. When they come and set up encampments, God says, “I will deliver you. I will give you my words. Don’t be dismayed (or terrorized).” I’ve got this under control. 

Boiling pots are good, but spilled ones are trouble. God says, ‘yes, it’s going to spill, but I’ve got this.’ The amber alert is on your phone, but I’m in control. It’s unclear to me who is going to cop this judgment at the gates of Jerusalem. Jeremiah is being given responsibility to preach to the nations, and yet the idolatry that is in view is clearly something which God doesn’t like when ISRAEL performs it. The idea of ‘forsaking’ God (verse 16), Hebrew Azav, is especially hard to hear for us believers in these days. Remember the words of Yeshua on the cross, as he cried “Eli, eli lama azavtani” (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) That cry of anguish from Son of God to his father is pain staking. For the first time in all eternity, the Son and Father were separated, forsaken due to the sin of humanity now laid on God, the Son. 

I think idolatry is the sin of Judah at this point, and God tells Jeremiah not to be afraid, and to proclaim this truth. Verse 17. Gird up your loins, roll up your sleeves, buckle up, get ready to rumble—the words are going to start NOW.

Jeremiah, you are going to hear it from princes, priests and people… hang in there. This is only chapter one. You must proclaim truth. There will be consequences.

What are we learning? God will call whom he will call and make us into spokesmen for him. He will sanctify us and give us words to speak. The key to knowing what to say is to know the One who gives us the words to speak. Have a time with God each day, morning or evening or both (Eccl. 11.6) and learn his ways, learn his words, learn his teachings and share with others who know him as well. That’s why we study together. That’s why we have Discipleship Groups. That’s why we who are now out of lockdown can meet together. Tonight we have our monthly Shabbat fellowship meal and gathering. Please, dear friends, take God’s word on board each day. Share with each other the good things of the Lord. Amen? 

CONCLUSION

God is calling each of us to know him and to walk with him, today and throughout our days. Have you received Yeshua as your messiah and Lord? Have you renounced your sin, your idolatry, your forsaking God and given him First Place in your life? If not, please, do so now, just now, as we pray together. Use your own words, if you want, but yield, surrender, to the Lord of life. 

PRAYER

Then please write us (admin@jewsforjesus.org.au) to tell us what you have just done, and we will send you literature and encourage you. You are part of our family; we love and appreciate you. And we want you to enjoy the presence of the Lord who calls, who knows, who blesses and builds us up. 

We hope to see you again next week as we study chapter 2, and until then Shabbat shalom!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Craigie, Peter; Kelley, Page; Drinkard, Joel. Word Biblical Commentary. Book of Jeremiah.  1991. 

Weirsbe, Warren. Be Decisive. David Cook Publishers, Colorado Springs 1991.