WAS JEREMIAH A SUCCESS ?

By : Pastor Mike Stahl

Well , most definitions include references to achieving  goals and acquiring wealth , prestige , favor , and power . "Successful " people enjoy the good life - being financially and emotionally secure , being surrounded by admirers , and enjoying the fruits of their labors . They are leaders , opinion makers , and trendsetters . Their example is emulated ; their accomplishments are noticed . They know who they are and where they are going , and they stride confidently to meet their goals .

By these standards , Jeremiah was a miserable failure . For 40 years he served as God’s spokesman to Judah , but when Jeremiah spoke , nobody listened . Consistently and passionately he urged them to act , but nobody moved . And he certainly did not attain material success . He was poor and underwent severe deprivation to deliver his prophecies . He was thrown into prison (chapter 37 ) and into a cistern ( chapter 38 ) , and he was taken to Egypt against his will ( chapter 43 ) . He was rejected by his neighbors  ( 11: 19-21 ) , his family ( 12:6 ) , the false priests and prophets ( 20:1, 2 ; 28: 1-17 ) , friends ( 20:10 ) his audience ( 26:8 ) and the kings ( 36:23 ) . Throughout his life , Jeremiah stood alone , declaring God’s messages of doom , announcing the new covenant , and weeping over the fate of his beloved country . In the eyes of the world , Jeremiah was not a success .

But in God’s eyes , Jeremiah was one of the most successful people in all of history . Success , as  measured by God , involves obedience and faithfulness . Regardless of opposition and personal cost , Jeremiah courageously and faithfully proclaimed the Word of God . He was obedient to his calling . The basic theme of Jeremiah’s message was simple : " Repent and turn to God , or He will punish." Because the people rejected this warning , Jeremiah then began predicting the destruction of Jerusalem .

Jeremiah confronted many people with their sins : kings , false prophets , those at the temples , and those at the gates . A lack of response made Jeremiah wonder if he was doing any good at all . He often felt discouraged and sometimes bitter . To bring such gloomy messages to these people was a hard task .

We, too , have a responsibility to bring this news to a  fallen world : Those who continue in their sinful ways are eternally doomed . Although we may feel discouraged at the lack of response , we must press on to tell others about the consequences of sin and the hope that God offers . Those who tell people only what they want to hear are being unfaithful to God’s message .

In Jeremiah’s day , just as in our day - RIGHT NOW  - society was deteriorating economically , politically , and spiritually . Wars and captivity dominated the world scene . God’s Word was deemed "offensive."

King Josiah’s reformation failed because the people’s repentance was shallow . They continued in their selfishness and worship of idols . In Chapters 7 thru 10:25 ,God sends Jeremiah to the Temple gates to confront the false belief that God will not let harm come to the Temple and those who live near it . Jeremiah rebukes the people (in Ch. 7) for their empty religion , their idolatry , and the shameless behavior of the people and their leaders . Judah , he says , is ripe for judgment and exile . This came to pass during the reign of Jehoiakim , a puppet of Egypt . The nation , in shock over the death of Josiah , was going through a spiritual reversal that removed much of the good Josiah had done . Jeremiah told them of their false religion , idolatry , and hypocrisy . He was almost put to death for this sermon , but he was saved by the princes ( chapter 26 ) .

Sin and Punishment go hand-in hand , my dear friends . Because of sin , Jerusalem was destroyed  , the Temple was ruined , and the people were captured and carried off to Babylon . The people were responsible for their destruction and captivity because they refused to listen to God’s message .

You see , sin un-confessed brings God’s full punishment . It is useless to blame anyone else for our sin ; we are accountable to God before anyone else . We must answer to Him for how we live . God is the righteous Creator . He is accountable to no one but Himself . He wisely and lovingly directs all creation to fulfill His plans , and He brings events to pass according to His timetable . He IS Lord over all the world . Because of God’s majestic power and love , our only duty is to submit to His authority . By following His plans , not our own , we can have a loving relationship with Him and serve Him with our whole heart .

Jeremiah predicted that after the destruction of the nation , God would send a new Shepherd , the Messiah . He would lead them into a new future , a new covenant , and a new day of hope . He would accomplish this by changing their sinful hearts into hearts of love for God . God still transforms people by changing their hearts . His love can eliminate the problems created by sin . We can have assurance of a new heart by loving God , trusting Christ to save us , and repenting of our sin .

As I mentioned earlier - Jeremiah served God faithfully for over 40-years . During that time the people ignored , rejected , and persecuted him . Jeremiah’s preaching was unsuccessful by human standards , yet he did not fail in his task . He remained faithful to God . People’s acceptance or rejection of us is not the measure of our success . God’s approval alone should be our standard for service . We must bring God’s message to others even when we are rejected . We must do God’s work even if it means suffering for it .

Many people lack the long-term commitment , care , and willingness that are vital to sticking with a task despite all odds . But Jeremiah was a prophet who endured .

Jeremiah’s call by God teaches how intimately God knows us . He valued us before anyone else knew we would exist . He cared for us while we were in our mothers’ wombs . He planned our lives while our bodies were still being formed . He values us more highly than we value ourselves.

Jeremiah had to depend on God’s love as he developed endurance . His audiences were usually antagonistic or apathetic to his messages . He was ignored ; his life was often threatened . He saw both the excitement of a spiritual awakening and the sorrow of a national return to idolatry . With the exception of the good king  Josiah , Jeremiah watched king after king ignore his warnings and lead the people away from God . He saw fellow prophets murdered . He himself was severely persecuted . Finally , he watched Judah’s defeat at the hands of the Babylonians .

Jeremiah responded to all this with God’s Word and human tears . He felt firsthand God’s love for his people and the people’s rejection of that love . But even when he was angry with God and tempted to give up , Jeremiah knew he had to keep going . God had called him to endure . He expressed intense feelings , but he also saw beyond the feelings to the God who was soon to execute justice but who afterward would administer mercy .

It may be easy for us to identify with Jeremiah’s frustrations and discouragement , but we need to realize that this prophet’s life is also an encouragement to faithfulness .

Some of the lessons from his life that we can learn from are : 1) The majority opinion is not necessarily God’s will ; 2) Although punishment for sin is severe , there is hope in God’s mercy ; 3) God will not accept empty or insincere worship ; 4) Serving God does not guarantee earthly security .

The key verses in Jeremiah are : " Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. " ( 1: 6-8 ) .

In God's eyes , YES ! Jeremiah WAS a SUCCESS !!

Until next time - May The The Lord continue to Bless and keep you all - ALWAYS . .

In HIS Service ;
Your Brother in Christ ;
Pastor Mike