Exodus: A Group StudySample

What is this passage saying?

Yahweh calls Jeremiah to be a prophet to Judah in the years preceding their exile to Babylon. Although Jeremiah doubts Yahweh’s calling, Yahweh assures him of His power and protection.

What is this passage teaching?

Like Moses, Jeremiah had serious doubts about his calling. He thought he was too young and inexperienced to be a prophet of the Lord God (Jeremiah 1:6). However, Yahweh assures Jeremiah that He will deliver him in every circumstance. Although Jeremiah’s prophetic career would be difficult, Yahweh would make him “a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land” (Jeremiah 1:18). Jeremiah’s calling is not to be popular, well-liked, or skilled, but to be faithful to Yahweh and His word. Just like Moses, Jeremiah’s effectiveness would not reside in the winsomeness of his speech or the acuity of his gifting, but in Yahweh’s presence (Jeremiah 1:19).

How do I respond?

Jeremiah was called to prophesy in an incredibly difficult time. His calling was to prophesy to people who would never listen or repent. He would see the destruction of his country, the starvation of Jerusalem, and large swaths of Israelites carried off hundreds of miles as exiles. At one point, Jeremiah accused God of deceiving him into prophetic ministry (Jeremiah 20:7) because of its difficulty. Have you ever felt deceived by God’s calling in your life? Maybe you stepped out in faith, trusting God to provide, and everything seemed to fall apart. Take heart, even the prophet Jeremiah felt this way. In that season, keep your eyes on God and His faithfulness towards you. Like Moses and Jeremiah, He is working on a plan you cannot see.