Jeremiah 1:1-19
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
The Call of Jeremiah
4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”
7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12 The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
13 The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you see?”
“I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north,” I answered.
14 The LORD said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the LORD.
“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.
16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people
because of their wickedness in forsaking me,
in burning incense to other gods
and in worshiping what their hands have made.
17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
Romans 15:13
Our God of Hope
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet of the LORD...Jeremiah preached during the reign of five different kings...Jeremiah saw the nation and his people drifting from God, and the nation was disintegrating...The nation would soon be at war with Babylon...But during his life, the nation was under threat from Assyria, Egypt, and finally Babylon...He saw his nation fall, and most of his people exiled to Babylon...After the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 b.c., Jeremiah preached a few years exiled in Egypt...As we read through Jeremiah's two books, the Book of Jeremiah, and the Lamentations of Jeremiah, they seem pessimistic...He had valid reasons to lament and be discouraged...Sometimes in our lives, some of the memorable times are times of distress...Sometimes the realities in life are disparaging and overwhelming...
Jeremiah loved his people and he loved his LORD...He spoke often to God, and spoke often to his people...He gave speeches of despair and lament to his people as God's judgment approached war with Babylon...Jeremiah had great concern for his people...Yet, his love for God had to be told and expressed through his despairing pessimistic preaching...
Jeremiah had to face and live through, what was going on around him...These realities of life can sometimes discourage us...We age, we see death, we see illness, we see war, and we see the sinful natures around us...
The last verse in chapter one, the LORD declares that the nation will be at war, but to have hope, for the Babylonians will not overcome them...Jeremiah must stand up, be strong, and trust in the LORD...There will be a remnant of God's people left in exile, after the war, and He will give them hope, and that remnant of Judah and Israel would be rescued and brought back to rebuild their nation...
Throughout the writings of Jeremiah, they are sprinkled with hope and words of encouragement...Jeremiah trusted in the LORD, and had hope for his nation and people...Our God is a God of hope...St. Paul writes about our God of hope in his letter to the Romans, and tells us that "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."...Even in the worst of times He is there...