Dr Reverend Sandra Moses

The Mantle of Jeremiah

Posted: September 4, 2015

Mantle of Jeremiah-various compilations
The book of Jeremiah takes pains to depict Jeremiah as a legitimate prophet of the Israelite god, Yahweh. In Jeremiah’s time, Judah was a nation divided over foreign policy and religion, and prophets with opposing messages claimed to speak for Yahweh (Jer 28). According to the book of Jeremiah (our only source of information about him), it was Jeremiah’s determination to preach the word of Yahweh despite opposition that established his authenticity. He forcefully asserts the truth of his denunciatory prophecies against the optimistic predictions of other prophets, whom he accuses of prophesying lies (Jer 23:9-40).
Yahweh designates Jeremiah a “prophet to the nations” (Jer 46-51) and commissions him to pronounce judgment against not only Judah but also other nations: “See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer 1:10).
When appointed, Jeremiah, like many biblical figures, professes his unworthiness. As Moses claims to be “slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exod 4:10), so Jeremiah exclaims, “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy” (Jer 1:6). Because Jeremiah’s prophetic career might have spanned as much as 40 years, he may indeed have begun prophesying while young (Jer 1:2-3). But like other biblical figures, Yahweh promises to help him overcome his inadequacies and his opponents (Jer 1:7-9).
Jeremiah warns that Yahweh will bring disaster on Judah because the people rebelled against Yahweh by worshipping other gods, by pursuing policies hostile to Babylon, whose dominion Yahweh had ordained, and by allowing widespread social injustice (Jer 22:8-9).
Jeremiah’s condemnatory prophecies and his pro-Babylonian stance earn him many enemies. Some ridicule him and others even plot against his life (in his own hometown of Anathoth, no less; Jer 11:18-23). Jeremiah is beaten and imprisoned and his writings are destroyed (Jer 20:1-6, Jer 36:20-26, Jer 37:11-16). He narrowly escapes death at the hands of a mob of religious officials and other prophets (Jer 26). Jeremiah’s perilous career places him in the company of several other biblical prophets (Jer 26:20-23), and his willingness to prophesy despite antagonism is poignantly highlighted in several passages, sometimes called the Confessions of Jeremiah, in which he laments his persecution, often in the style of the Psalms.
A public showdown between Jeremiah and Hananiah, a rival prophet, dramatizes the battle over true prophecy (Jer 27-28). Using a wooden yoke around his neck as a prop, Jeremiah tells his audience at the Jerusalem temple that Judah must submit to Babylon to survive. But Hananiah, who seizes Jeremiah’s yoke and smashes it, counters that Yahweh has broken the “yoke” (that is, the “power”) of Babylon and will restore Judah’s fortunes in two years. The confrontation with Hananiah is just one example of Jeremiah’s dramatic use of props, symbolic acts, public performances, and other forms of “guerilla theater” to convey thedivine word (see, e.g. Jer 19).
Though Jeremiah stresses that Yahweh will “pull down” and “pluck up,” he also shows that Yahweh will “build” and “plant.” Calls to repentance and promises of deliverance often dot Jeremiah’s warnings. Additionally, the book contains two chapters, appropriately known as the Book of Comfort, devoted to the promises of a new covenant and restoration (Jer 30-31).
Possibly one of the most difficult tasks of all is to preach repentance to a nation going astray. Jeremiah was a prophet called to do just that. He could be considered a mighty man of valor like those listed in the books of the former prophets (see Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles), not only because he was courageous, but because he was mighty in spirit, in character and in endurance.
God knew Jeremiah before he was formed in the womb and called him to be a prophet when he was still young (probably close to 20 years old). Resisting God's plan for him to be a spokesman to the nations, Jeremiah said to God, “Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6). But God told him to not let that be a hindrance to him, and He encouraged Jeremiah to not be intimidated by the people when he delivered God's message.
Jeremiah yielded and followed God's instruction. And because of God, Jeremiah had the courage and stamina to prophesy destruction to the kings, princes, priests and people of Judah. He spoke out against them, telling them that if they did not give up their sinful ways and turn back to following God, they would certainly face death, capture or worse.
A compassionate prophet
Jeremiah uses a lot of emotion in his writings as he reflects the sadness of God in this situation. The nation of Israel had been so wicked—they turned away from God like an unfaithful wife who became a harlot, disregarding the covenant they agreed to after coming out of Egypt (Exodus 24:3). God was very disappointed with the nation, and was determined to carry out justice.
God had compassion toward Jeremiah and wanted to protect him in this time of destruction and woe. He said that Jeremiah should not marry so that he would not have to see his wife and children suffer miserably (Jeremiah 16:2-4). The grief and emotional toil from seeing Judah suffer caused Jeremiah to write: “Hear and give ear … But if you will not hear it, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock has been taken captive” (Jeremiah 13:15, 17).
Similarly, he also writes: “Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah 9:1). Through his writings, Jeremiah shows that he wants all the people of Judah and Israel to come away from sin and evil doing, a sentiment that reflects God's own desire for mankind.
Trusting God
Jeremiah had some very good characteristics that would classify him as a mighty man of valor. He was an obedient man, and he knew what had to be done for the people of Judah. With God's strengthening, he was able to stand up to Judah's false prophets who prophesied nothing but good for the nation. God told Jeremiah: “…They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you … I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible” (Jeremiah 15:20-21).
Just imagine how it would feel to be standing against so many prophets who carried a lot of weight within the nation, and to be the only one preaching darkness and destruction! This was certainly a trial of endurance for Jeremiah. The princes and priests of Judah repeatedly attempted to quiet him. They wanted to kill him, but, amazingly enough, they were afraid to, because he had spoken to them as a prophet from the Lordtheir God.
Jeremiah dejectedly wrote, “Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! … Every one of them curses me” (Jeremiah 15:10).
Jeremiah was imprisoned, almost starved and even accused of defecting to the Babylonians. Probably the worse fate of all was when he was held prisoner in a pit of stinking mire.
In spite of these trials, Jeremiah remained loyal to God and carried out his duties as a prophet. Jeremiah endured and relentlessly proclaimed God's message to Judah for 40 years until their capture. And it was not a calm and peaceful time for the people of Judah as they went through several attacks and endured famine until their final capture. How difficult it would have been to deal with the stubbornness of these people!
Watching his nation collapse
It was a sad end of events for Jeremiah to finally see the people of his nation carried off into captivity, but it was what had to happen since they would not repent.
He writes in Lamentations of his grief in seeing such suffering: “My eyes fail with tears, my heart is troubled; my bile is poured on the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because the children and the infants faint in the streets of the city. They say to their mothers, ‘where is grain and wine?' as they swoon like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their life is poured out in their mothers' bosom” (Lamentations 2:11-12).
After Judah's capture by the Babylonians, King Nebuchadnezzar had mercy on Jeremiah because he had continually urged Judah to surrender. King Nebuchadnezzar rewarded him and offered him as much honor as he would accept, but Jeremiah continued to work steadfastly for God and cried out against the Babylonian king for the unmerciful destruction of the people of God.
Throughout the story of Jeremiah, we can see that he had a very valiant nature and godly character. He was very obedient and compassionate, and can definitely be considered a mighty man of valor. His strength was in his endurance. He just kept plodding along, doing the job God had given him. What a terrific example encouraging us to continue on, holding fast and having faith in God for whatever work He has us do