Jeremiah 1 - 3 "Called To Serve God - What Would You Do?"

 Click HERE to read the passage.

God has patiently sent warning after warning over the past 200 years or so through his prophetic spokesmen in an attempt to lovingly turn Judah from her hard-hearted ways. Now, for the last time, God sends an ultimatum through a tender man of steel - Jeremiah. Through tear-filled eyes, he never waivered from telling the people exactly what God felt they needed to hear. However, the results were terrible!  No one wanted to listen. The people were tired of the prophetic warnings and the mandate to follow God's ways. They had nothing left in them but deep rebellion and bitterness towards God and Jeremiah.

Jeremiah has often been referred to as the "weeping prophet."  On countless occasions he is accosted by the people of Judah. Since he was God's representative, they grew to literally hate him. Nearly every time he spoke God's message of warning, they wanted to hurt him.  Imagine that - being hated for telling the people the truth.

And, much like Isaiah the prophet, Jeremiah was called by God to be His prophet many years prior to his birth. God told him... "Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” However, Jeremiah wasn't too fond of the idea and felt his age would be a hinderance for being effective.  In 1:6 Jeremiah tries to get out of the job by telling God, "O Sovereign Lord, I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”  But, since God can do anything through anybody, God doesn't see this as a huge challenge so He says to Jeremiah, "for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you."

What would you do if God gave you the same message?  What would race through your mind?  How would you react? Would you try to reason with God and figure some way out of the deal?  Well, that's exactly what Moses tried to do in Exodus 3. And, that's what Jeremiah tried to do as well. However, God will have His way. Think of Jonah who tried to run away from the presence of God when God told him to go and proclaim a message to the Ninevites. Jonah ran, but God stopped him by allowing a great fish to swallow him up. We can't hide from God, and running doesn't do us any good. So, what would you do?

The reality is...God is calling every one of us believers to be His messengers!  That's right!  God may NOT be calling you to be a pastor, or an evangelist, or a bible professor, but He does call you to be His ambassador (or messenger) to all those around you!  Listen to what the apostle Paul wrote about us believers in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 - "And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 

No matter how scared Jeremiah might have been about the task before him, God told him the task is really quite simple! Notice what God says in 1:17 - "Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them."  What do you do when God says that?  The gig is up and you obey God...right?

So, the first message Jeremiah received from God as a young man of about age 17 to 22 was that God had already determined what his job was going to be for the rest of his natural life. Chapter 1 is that story.  

In Chapter 2, we see the second message God gave to Jeremiah. It's a message that reminds the people of Judah of all that God did in the past when He lead Israel out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and how God gave the Israelites an entire country to enjoy. Through Jeremiah, God shares how His heart is deeply broken over their lack of gratitude and remembrance of all the wonderful things He's done for them.  He's hurt that the priests who one day used to teach His truth have now turned away and ignore Him completely. He's crushed that they have reduced Him to a mere piece of carved wood called an "idol." God is so hurt that He shares this startling remark - "The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,”  One can only imagine how heartbroken God's angels must have been over this!

As a result, God accuses them of prostitution!  Listen to what He says, "Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, ‘I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols."  It's so bad, that He embarrasses them with this statement - "Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!"

In fact, their sin is so great in God eyes that God says something that is so deeply disturbing!  In 2:22, God says to them, "No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!"

Yet, despite God's deep frustration, anger and hurt over the sins of His people, He still lovingly interjects some hope in Jeremiah's message in 3:12-13 - "O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken! “Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord, “for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel."

This is a great verse! Why?  Because it reminds us of God's infinite mercy and grace. No matter how badly you've sinned, God says there's always a way back to Him! That's fabulous news!

The way to Him is simple. Listen to what He said above - "come to me again"  "acknowledge your guilt"  "admit that you rebelled"  "confess that you refused to listen to my voice"  and   "for I am your master".  So, what's the benefit of doing all of that - "I will bring you back".

Listen, it's right here in black and white. The way back to God is simple!  You must be willing to turn from yours sins, turn fully to God, acknowledging the fact that you've sinned against Him, confess the sins you've committed against Him, and then open your heart to follow Him as your master!

What else did you get from the reading of today's passage?