Jeremiah 1

< Back to Jeremiah Index


TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Call and Commission of Jeremiah

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. The call of believers is predetermined by our sovereign Lord.

  2. The call of believers is confirmed by our loving Lord.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Let’s gird up our loins!

QUESTIONS

  1. What span of time did Jeremiah minister in Judah?

  2. Why was Jeremiah called the “weeping prophet”?

  3. When did God predetermine the ministry of Jeremiah?

  4. What were the two signs that the Lord gave to Jeremiah to confirm his ministry?

  5. What would be an appropriate paraphrase to use today for “Gird up your loins”?

ANSWERS

  1. Jeremiah ministered from 627 BC until after the nation had gone into captivity in Babylon in 586 BC. Isaiah had prophesied about 100 years earlier.

  2. Jeremiah was called to the unhappy task of denouncing the people and warning them of the coming judgment of God upon Judah, including the destruction of their temple.

  3. God predetermined Jeremiah’s ministry as he sanctified him and ordained him as a prophet while he was still in the womb, before he was born.

  4. The Lord gave Jeremiah the confirming signs of a branch of an almond tree and the sign of the boiling pot facing away from the north.

  5. An appropriate paraphrase of “Gird up your loins” for today’s use would be “Get ready for action.”

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. The Lord formed, sanctified and ordained the ministry of Jeremiah before he was born. Can this be applied to believers today? Has God not predetermined your ministry before you were born? Have you identified any confirming signs of your ordained ministry from the Lord?

  2. It is important to note from this chapter that Jeremiah did not ask for a sign (signs)from God to indicate a call to ministry. Jeremiah also did not ask for a sign (signs)

CHALLENGE

  1. Have you prayed for and trusted the Lord to provide for you in ministry as he did Jeremiah, with words to speak, confidence and determination, and assurance that the opposition would not overcome you?

KEY VERSES

  • “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you . . .” Jeremiah 1:5a



Jeremiah, Old Testament, TalksDeb HarmsJeremiah 1