Nov. 27, 1949 JEREMIAH — SPOKESMAN FOR GOD Jer. 1:9, 10, 18, 19; 22:1-3; 37:15-17
Pointers on the Lesson Jeremiah has often been called the weeping prophet. The designation is in harmony with the facts. Jeremiah min istered for God during the time of de clension in Judah. As Alvin Bell has said, “His was the sad ministry of ac companying a doomed nation to the death-chamber for its execution.” Jere miah prophesied just prior to the cap tivity of Judah and on into the period of the captivity. He ministered under the last five kings of Judah and re mained in the land after the captivity was a fact. There was much during this time to break the prophet’s heart. How dull of hearing and how wayward were God’s people! The realization of their carelessness opened a fountain of tears in the prophet. There is a minor tone throughout the book that bears his name but in it all Jeremiah proves a faithful servant of God. The Prophet’s Equipment 1:9, 10, 18, 19 Jeremiah had what every successful minister must have— the touch of God’s hand upon his life. Furthermore, he had a word from heaven to deliver. He was to declare only God’s words. He was al so appointed to the oversight of nations in the sense that he would be enabled to predict their destruction or restora tion in accordance with their conduct. Prophets are said to do what they fore tell shall be done, for their word is God’s word. So closely knitted to God was the prophet in his ministry that Jehovah’s words and deeds are described as the prophet’s. The prophet was possessed of a strength that enabled him for all that he faced. He was “a defenced city,” gar risoned about with the almighty power of God. No enemy could overpower him. He was also like “an iron pillar’* and “brazen walls.” Why all this? Because the Lord was with him. Every servant of God has the same strength available to him. (See Eph. 6:11-18, Rom. 8:31, and Matt. 28:20.) The Prophet’s Ministry 22: 1-3, 13, 14 It was the prophet’s responsibility to bear the word of God to the nation. He was to go to the king who in that day was the spiritual head as well as the civil head of the people and proclaim that word to him. The message to the king in turn was to be reflected in the life of all those under him. In short then it was the prophet’s duty to tell Judah what God expected of them in the way of deportment day after day. The servants of God have the same re sponsibility today. Sometimes the mes sage may not be pleasant as indicated in verses 13 and 14. But whether the mes sage be pleasant or grievous, the true servant must be faithful in declaring it.
The Prophet’s Persecution 37: 15-17
Tremendous Revealing Powerful You have never seen or read a book like T h e C ase A g a in st C o m m u n is m . It is a Christian book revealing the false ideals and sinister methods of atheis tic communism. Written by Chester E. Tulga, D.D., this is a book every Christian should read and reread.
God has not promised that the way of His servants shall be easy. On the other hand He has said, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer perse cution” (2 Tim. 3:12). But when such persecution comes God’s presence is as sured. So with Jeremiah. A dungeon be came his lot for a time. But even in the dungeon his ministry went on. He was like the Apostle Paul in this respect. Helps for the Children A Prophet and His Friend Jer. 39 Memory Verse: “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord” (Jer. 17:7). You will remember that God had told His people through Jeremiah, the prophet, that soon an enemy would in vade their land. When the enemy came, the king, Zedekiah, and his men fled from Jerusalem at night. The Chaldeans’ army pursued them and brought them to the enemy king. The wicked king killed the Jewish men, put out Zede- kiah’s eyes, bound him with chains, and carried him to Babylon. The Chaldeans burned the palace and all of the houses and broke down the great walls of Jerusalem. Most of the people were taken as captives to Babylon, but the very poor Jews were left in the land to care for the fields and the vineyards. The king of Babylon told the captain of his guard to care well for Jeremiah and “to do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.” Jeremiah was taken out of the court of the prison where he had been kept since he was removed from the dungeon. Before Jeremiah was freed, the Lord told him to tell his Negro friend, Ebed-melech, not to be'afraid of the en emy. His life had been saved because he had put his trust in the Lord. Many precious blessings are promised to those who put their trust in the Lord. Jeremiah said, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord.” Blessed means completely happy and satisfied. Some people think that they would be com pletely happy and satisfied if they were wealthy or great leaders or had out standing talents. None of these things is sufficient for true joy and peace. Only those whose trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ are ' truly satisfied with life. æ C O W N
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