THE PROPHETIC CALLING OF

JEREMIAH

sson 1 for October 3, 2015

THE MESSAGE OF THE

But truly I am full of power by the
Spirit of the Lord, and of PROPHETS
justice and
might, to declare to Jacob his
transgression and to Israel his sin.
(Micah 3:8)

Do I have any pleasure at all that

the wicked should die? says the
Lord God, and not that he
should turn from his ways
and live? (Ezekiel 18:23)

Prophets usually had two

main
goals:
1. Condemning
sin.
2. Proclaiming Gods
forgiveness.
They were
in a dilemma. If they
preached the message, they
might suffer persecution or death
(Luke 3:19-20). If they didnt, God
would judge them.
They decided to do the work God
had commanded them to despite
the consequences.
They preached the message they
received from God through
dreams, visions and revelations.

JEREMIAHS BIOGRAFPHY
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who
were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. (Jeremiah 1:1)

Jeremiah was a priest. He was

raised to serve at the temple.
He was born in Anathoth
current Anata, 4km
(2.5miles) NE of Jerusalem.
Abiathar was part of Elis
descendants. He was exiled to
Anathoth when he lost his High
Priesthood. Therefore,
Jeremiah could be one of his
descendants (1K. 2:26).
His prophetic ministry began in
627 BC and didnt stop until
later than 586 BC.

THE PROPHETIC
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you
CALLING
were born I sanctified
you; I ordained you a prophet to
the nations.

(Jeremiah 1:5)

Jeremiah was
about
18-20 years old
when we was
called to the
prophetic
Nevertheless, God
had already
ministry.
chosen him long before that. He
had put him aside (sanctified) to
be a prophet to the nations.
God provides us all with gifts
when we are born, so we fulfill
missions, although we are
responsible to develop those
gifts.
God has a plan for each one of

JEREMIAHS DOUBTS
Then said I: Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for
I am a youth. But the Lord said to me: Do not say, I
am a youth, for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
(Jeremiah 1:6-7)

The young man [Jeremiah] shrank back in terror

from the thought of being a prophet. A sense of
unworthiness overwhelmed him, and his nature
recoiled from a task in which he would be out of
step with the men of his generation. (SDA Bible

He used the same

excuseon
Moses
did,
Commentary,
Jeremiah
1:6).
his inability to speak in public (Exodus
4:10-15).
God equips those He calls. He gave
Jeremiah strong promises when He
called him:
Do not be afraid for I am with
you. (1:8).
I have put My words in your
mouth. (1:9).

THE ALMOND TREE AND THE BOILING

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see?
POTtree. And the word of the Lord
And I said, I see a branch of an almond
came to me the second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see
a boiling pot, and it is facing away from
the north. (Jeremiah 1:11, 13)

The first prophecy is better

understood in Hebrew.
It may be translated like, I
see the branch of a ready
[shaqed] tree You have
seen well, for I am ready
[shaqad] to perform My
word.
The almond tree announces
the coming of spring. When
we see it, we know for
certain that spring is
coming. We can also be sure

THE ALMOND TREE AND THE BOILING

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I
POT
said, I see a branch of an almond tree.
And the word of the Lord came to me

the second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and
it is facing away from the north.
(Jeremiah 1:11, 13)

The pot was tilted from the

north, so it was going to spill the
boiling content to the south over
the land of Judah.
Babylons army came from the
east of Judah. They needed to go
to the north following river
Euphrates to avoid the desert.
They would attack Israel from
the north.

People in Judah had only two

options before that threat: to keep
on sinning or to repent.
Depending on their decision,
Jeremiahs message would either
destroy and throw down or

In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to

his trust and who would stand for the right against great
opposition. In childhood he had proved faithful; and now he
was to endure hardness, as a good soldier of the cross. Say
not, I am a child, the Lord bade His chosen messenger; 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.
E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 34, pg.

Lessons from Jeremiahs calling:

1. We all have been called to condemn sin
and to announce Gods forgiveness.
2. God has prepared a special mission for
each one of us.
3. He equips us to fulfill that mission.
4. He promised to be with us and to
strengthen us.
5. God will certainly fulfill His word. The
signs of the end (almond trees)
announce the events that are going to
take place (boiling pots).