top of page
Search

May 22, 2021 – Jeremiah 1

I love the book of Jeremiah, not because it is filled from beginning to end with hope (actually, it’s not), but because Jeremiah is so approachable. With all his struggles, yet ultimate faith in God, we can see ourselves. Yet, the important thing here is the message, which cannot be separated from the prophet himself. And it all begins with God’s call to Jeremiah. But, as with the other prophetic books, one cannot really understand the message without understanding the historical context.


The opening verses name the kings who ruled during Jeremiah’s ministry, which gives us that historical context. These were the last days of the kingdom of Judah, and things were not hopeful because of the people’s continued stubbornness and refusal to return to God, and also because of the impending judgment and disaster which were sure to come. (Before anyone gets too despondent, remember that we know the end of this story, both for Judah and for us. God’s grace overcomes! But these days of Jeremiah were tough!)


Jeremiah labored at a task few of us would be capable of performing. Over a period of forty years he persisted in bringing bad news to his people: judgment was coming, swift and terrible. As John Wesley observed: “It was the great unhappiness of this prophet, to be a physician to, but that could not save, a dying state, their disease still prevailing against the remedy.”


What a painful and thankless job! What kept Jeremiah at it? The answer is found in the following verses, which depict the call of Jeremiah. That’s for tomorrow . . .

5 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

The psalmist declares, “[The Lord’s] delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his ste

David wrote, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I

The extreme positions so many in our country take on abortion is heartbreaking. Our culture certainly has moved away from any pretense of a biblical worldview and biblical ideals. I always think of

bottom of page