Lesson 1 for October 3, 2015

“But truly I am 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.

“The words of Jeremiah 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.

Nevertheless, God had already 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 years old when we was called to the prophetic ministry.

“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:

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.”

The pot was tilted 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. 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).

“In the youthful Jeremiah, 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)