Why Didn't Jeremiah Quit?
Why Didn't Jeremiah Quit?
Jeremiah 25:1-4
Introduction: Chapter 25 marks the beginning of Jeremiah's sixteenth prophecy. Throughout his entire ministry, Jeremiah's message has remained the same. From the beginning, his message has been God's own words. He had no mind to speak his own mind and had no need to speak his own words.
The teachings of this prophecy are fairly simple, but there is one particular truth that, to me, stands out more than the others.
1. The chronology. - Jeremiah 25:1-3"The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened."
- We now come to a two-part time line mentioned in these verses.
* During the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign. This was also the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign in Babylon.
* During the twenty-third year of Jeremiah's ministry. For 23 years, the Lord had spoken to His people through His prophet but to no avail. Jeremiah prophesied for 18 years under Josiah and three months under Jehoahaz and four years under Jehoiakim. He is now in the midst of his twenty-third year of preaching to these hard-hearted people.
2. The contents. - Jeremiah 25:4-7"And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt."
- Notice Jeremiah's declaration in verses 4-6. For over two decades, the prophet has warned God's people to repent or perish.
- Notice Judah's deafness in verse 7. Jeremiah's message fell on deaf ears and defiant hearts.
Jeremiah was a faithful man of God. He was faithful, first of all, to God and, secondly, to God's message. There were times he wondered if it was worth it all, but he went right back to preaching the truth to a wayward generation.
For nearly 500 years, God's people had neglected the sabbath and had turned from God to idols. God sent Jeremiah to His people to warn them of the impending judgment that would come if they did not turn from their evil ways. They would not listen to Jeremiah, neither did they listen to any other prophet who preceeded him. For nearly 500 years, God's people continued to ignore and refused to hear the message from God's man.
Now, for nearly 23 years, Jeremiah has been preaching the same message to these same people. For 23 years, these people turned a deaf ear to his message. For 23 years, they ridiculed and defied God's man. For 23 years, they disregarded and questioned God's message. To me, 23 years is a very long time. (Figuring that by the year 2002, that would mean Jeremiah had been preaching to God's people since 1979.)
Twenty-three years is a long time for a man to preach with no results. Twenty three years is a long time for a man to preach to deaf ears. Twenty-three years is a long time to be ridiculed and punished for your ministry, yet Jeremiah remained faithful. I wonder how long today's preachers would endure such suffering. I dare say, most would not endure for 23 years.
Perhaps Jeremiah stayed with it for all 23 years because he knew his purpose in life. He was not looking for purpose, because God gave him that purpose at the beginning of his ministry.
Remember, the name "Jeremiah" means "whom Jehovah appoints." Apart from his appointment by God, certainly the prophet could not have continued to faithfully preach.
Jeremiah was called to preach when Hilkiah found the book of the law. Anytime you "find" the Bible, great things happen. He was called into the ministry when he was still a child, undoubtedly a young man in his teens. Jeremiah ministered during the last 40 years of Judah's history, from the thirteenth year of Josiah to the destruction of Jerusalem and beyond.
Jeremiah lived to see his nation go down into sin, war, and, finally, judgment. Through it all, he was faithful to preach the Word of God. What was his message? His message was one of judgment upon sin. How difficult this must have been to deliver a death blow to the nation he loved so well!
No Old Testament prophet suffered persecution and resistance from false prophets as did Jeremiah. He was called a traitor and was even persecuted by his own people. The opposition was intense. If Judah would have repented, and turned to God, He would have delivered them from Babylon. Because they persisted in their sins, the nation had to be punished.
Jeremiah did not quit, because Jeremiah had a purpose. He knew who he was and what he was supposed to do for his God. In Jeremiah 1:5, God explains Jeremiah's call, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."- God designed Jeremiah for the job He had called him to do.
- God placed the right ingredients in Jeremiah.
* "...I formed thee..., I knew thee..., I sanctified thee..., and I ordained thee..."
- This was all a part of God's divine will and preparation.
- God had a plan and purpose for Jeremiah.
- God always designs a tool to meet a particular purpose.
Conclusion: Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here. Jeremiah had plenty of reasons and opportunities to turn his back on God and these backslidden people, but he did not. He knew his calling; he knew God's will; he dared not change it.
Do you know your purpose in Christ? A Christian, without direction, is like a ship without a helm. He will go where the wind blows and list with every wave that comes his way. With no anchor and no rudder, he never understands the direction of his life.
Though I cannot tell you God's exact will in every area of your life, I can tell you you're here to bring honor and glory to Him. You were saved to serve and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. You are to be a fruitful Christian and live an abundant life. Doing these things and what is already written in the Book will keep you in the place where God can show you His exact will.
