Jeremiah was a peculiar man with a peculiar message. I would put him in the same category as Hosea (who was told to marry a harlot) and John the Baptist in the New Testament. They all have an interesting story to tell us, but we are going to focus on Jeremiah. We will look at his calling and also the content of his message.

In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” This is one of those verses that a lot of people hate because it clearly brings to our attention the sovereignty and control of God. Many people think of themselves as being autonomous, in control of their own lives and destiny; God says that He is in control.

God formed Jeremiah in the womb; that means he also set the time of his birth. But God goes back before his conception and says, “I knew you even before I formed you.” So, when did God first know him? Even before the foundations of the earth were laid, God knew all about him. God knit him together with just the right ingredients so he would be a vessel that could endure persecution, hardship, and abuse.

Many years ago, I worked at a cabinet factory where they used taping machines. We would put wood-grained tape on cabinet doors and drawer fronts for houses and apartments. A few of the new machines were imported from Italy, where they were manufactured. If we had trouble with one of the new machines, they would bring in the technicians from Italy, where the parts were made and the machine was assembled. They made them and understood how they worked; they knew how to correct a problem.

That’s kind of how it is with each one of us, God knows all about us, He put us together (knit us together in the womb). Even when we don’t know or understand what’s going on in our lives, He knows how we work and what we need. John 2:24-25 says, “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.”

In Jeremiah 1:6 he says, “Ah, Lord God, behold I cannot speak, for I am but a youth.” This seems to reveal humility on the part of Jeremiah. If you remember the story of Moses, he said something similar. When Isaiah was called, he said, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips.” Even Isaiah recognized his own sinfulness before God, and in humility repents. God uses humble people to accomplish great eternal things. If we are not humble, He brings us to our knees like He did Peter. After Peter’s humiliation, he went on to become one of the pillars of the early church.

The next thing we want to consider is the message of Jeremiah. He is sometimes referred to as “the weeping prophet,” why was that? His message was a condemning one that foretold of doom, destruction, and judgment. It pointed out the sinful ways of the Jewish people and their leaders. When he spoke the word or message from God, no one wanted to hear it.

Pashhur the son of Immer, who was chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard the warning that Jeremiah had prophesied. In anger, he struck him and put him in stocks in the gate of Benjamin. There was always someone out to get Him. In Jeremiah 18:18 it says, “Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give any heed to his words.” How would you like to be called to a ministry like that? He was called to speak the truth, then tortured and persecuted for doing what God told him to do.

The false prophets were there with their positive thinking, and good news in the days of the kings of Judah. But Jeremiah, who knew the heart and mind of God, rejected their false teachings. He didn’t change or alter his message to suit those around him! He spoke the oracle (message) of God accurately, as he received it from God. He chose to be true to the One who sent him instead of being a man-pleaser.

Jeremiah knew this earth was not his home; he was laying up treasure in heaven, where moth and rust cannot corrupt. Are we following the example of Jeremiah, by being obedient to God and His Word? Or, are we searching for pleasure and fulfillment here in this life? Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com

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Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published three books, “Common Thoughts on The Word” in 2016 and “Eye of a Needle” in 2017 and “Common Thoughts on The Word II” in 2019. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children’s book.