You Can Be A Leader (Jeremiah 1:4-19)

Jan 31, 2024

Welcome to the first submission in the “Lessons on Leadership” blog at the Scattered Abroad Network. The goal of this blog is to do a simple, but prolonged task: to cover some of the best leaders that the Bible details within a three-year study. As our blog team at SAN met to discuss the first leader we wished to tackle, we decided upon Jeremiah. Often called the weeping prophet, we felt it important to detail the life of a suffering prophet who was determined to continue to preach and teach. This month, we are covering chapter one, verses four through nineteen. Let’s dive into the Word of God together as we contemplate being a Leader in our modern world.

INTRODUCTION

Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, was of a priestly lineage (making him a Levite and descendant of Aaron) and was situated in Anathoth (three miles northeast of Jerusalem and an area known for its population of priests) at the opening of his book. He would be called roughly sixty years after the Prophet Isaiah’s death. He would have served simultaneously with Ezekiel and Daniel, but they would have served from Captivity. He is a contemporary of Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. He is called in the thirteenth year of King Josiah’s reign (Jeremiah 1:2-3), which likely places this time period around 627-626 BC. Manasseh (Josiah’s grandfather) was an incredibly wicked king at the beginning of his reign, however, upon his captivity, he humbled himself and gained favor with the Lord (2 Chronicles 33:12). During the remainder of his reign, he eliminated the idolatrous practices of the Kingdom only to have Amon reintroduce the land to such wickedness when he trespassed more and more (2 Chronicles 33:23). His own servants would eventually kill him, and his eight-year-old son would take his place (2 Chronicles 33:24-34:1). Josiah would have been classified as one of the “good ones” who served the Lord and walked in the righteous paths (2 Chronicles 34:2). While some may think our upbringing is the only factor in our righteousness, Josiah shows that we still have a choice to be as wicked as those who raised us. At the time of Jeremiah’s writing, there would have been three main powers: Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon.

Jeremiah would not have an easy time as a prophet of the Lord (Jeremiah 9:1). He was not a sensitive individual, but one full of compassion. In this way, he was a lot like the Apostle Paul, who wept over the condition of the people (Acts 20:17-19, 27, 37-38; Philippians 3:18). He was not just a prophet who only served as God’s mouthpiece. He truly and genuinely cared for the people to whom he would prophesy. We need more Gospel preachers who will stand firm for the truth, but do so with the utmost amount of love and genuine concern, while not compromising the authority that God has bestowed upon us (Romans 10:14; 2 Timothy 4:1-5). Jeremiah suffered verbal abuse (Jeremiah 8:18, 21; 15:10, 15-18; 18:18-20; 20:7-9; Lamentations 3), physical abuse (Jeremiah 11:21; 15:10; 18:18; 20:2; 26:8; 32:3; 37:16; 38:6-13; Lamentations 3:53-55, 62), and emotional pain (Jeremiah 11-12; 16:2). While there are many similarities between him and Paul, one cannot overlook the comparisons that can be made to our Savior. They wept over the state of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 19:41-44). They lived under similar world conditions, growing up in quiet country places (Anathoth/Nazareth). They would both be rejected by their own people. They despised the blind leaders and false teachers that riddled the priesthood of their days. They wept for the sinners that were around them. All of these thoughts and troubles that Jeremiah faced brought him to the point of utter discouragement. He did not want to continue preaching anymore. Yet, the power of the Word of God could not be contained within him (Jeremiah 20:9). He adhered to the Word of God with utmost faithfulness (Jeremiah 26:2-3). He was consistent in his preaching and did not waver (Jeremiah 25:3). There were many false prophets in His time (Jeremiah 5:30-31). This should not come as a surprise to us today (Titus 1:9-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5). Sadly, many refused to obey just like many refused even our Lord (Isaiah 1:2; John 6:60-66).

Jeremiah is an encouraging book for any Christian to read today, but it is especially encouraging to ministers. Though we are blessed not to face the exact same difficulties of Jeremiah’s day, numerous lessons can be provided for us. So, as we begin our study of the Jeremiah text, we will ponder the Larger text, Local text, and learning from the passages set before us.

LARGER TEXT

The Book of Jeremiah is not written in any chronological order. This book is one of judgment. What God had forewarned in Deuteronomy 28 was now coming to fruition, and Jeremiah is to inform people that punishment would be coming.

LOCAL TEXT

Divine inspiration (V. 1-3). The “words of Jeremiah” show us that this will primarily account for his journey as a prophet of the Lord (1:1). We are informed that the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in these days (1:2) emphatically informing us that this will be God’s message spoken through Jeremiah. Such a message should provide great comfort to Jeremiah, in that he would not have to fret about figuring out what these people needed to know. God knows what is in man (Matthew 12:25; 22:18; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; 11:17; 16:15; John 2:25; Acts 15:8). He understands our spiritual needs better than we could ever provide for ourselves. Similar to our own understanding of rearing children, sometimes it will not make sense to a child when a parent gives instructions. Yet, if the child is to benefit from the knowledge his parents possess truly benefit, he has to allow them to lead him. This was God’s intent for parental leadership: spending their entire days teaching their family members how to live godly lives (Deuteronomy 6:1-10). It was through a prophet that God gave such a command, and now it is Jeremiah’s turn to prophesy to the Lord’s people what message he would have them learn at each moment of their current day. Today, this is accomplished through preaching (Romans 10:14), and it is the minister's job to take the revelations given by God and faithfully teach these truths to a lost generation. It is also the minister's responsibility to edify God’s people trying to navigate a sin-sick and twisted world. Comparatively speaking, there is not a major difference between Jeremiah’s day and our own. Sadly, too many people rely upon their own words instead of the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). How can anyone anticipate leadership in their future if their present is spent denying the One who holds the future (Psalm 31:15)?

Doubted inspiration (V. 4-8). Leaders are not born, but rarely are they “made” either. Leaders are those who, despite their own doubts, concerns, or fears, answer the call. Jeremiah did not crave leadership. He was not the one clamoring to be on the front lines. He seems to think that God’s selection needs some reconsidering.

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”^[1]

This should be considered a high honor. To think that you would be selected to join the “elites” of God’s leadership, selected to usher in a righteous mindset among your people devastated by sin. Consider how great of an honor people consider it to be named Valedictorian of their graduating class. These students have graduated with the highest grade-point average in their four years of high school. Among their accolades is the honor of addressing the graduating class. It does not take long to search the Internet to notice how many of these speeches have surpassed their immediate graduation ceremony. So many are concerned today with gaining a following, and they spend many hours a day trying to garner the attention of others through social media or any other vast number of content producers. We typically flock to these people who have found an audience only to contemplate how difficult it is to “make it big” in such a fast-paced and ever-growing industry. Imagine if tomorrow you were called by Christian Ronaldo (who has 891 million combined social media followers^[2]), and he donated his entire social media presence to you. What would you say? What would you do with such an intense platform? Can there be a better impact found in 2024 to reach the lost? How would we turn that down? What if the President allowed you the opportunity to take his place when he is to address the nation? Would you seize such and run with the chance presented before you? Or would we be like Jeremiah and doubt our ability to make an impact?

Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”^[3]

Does this reasoning sound familiar? It should. Jeremiah’s concern is not an uncommon one in Scripture. Even today, we still have people utilizing the same rationale. In the Bible, we have examples of numerous individuals who tried to deny what God wanted to accomplish. Moses said just about anything to convince God not to choose him (Exodus 4:1-17). King Saul blatantly told David he could not go fight Goliath because of his youth and inexperience (1 Samuel 17:33). Jesus, at the young age of twelve was astonishing the leaders of His day because of the ability that He possessed in teaching the Law, and asking questions that were beyond His expected understanding (Luke 2:46-47). Paul urged Timothy not to have any qualms about his youth and allowing it to prevent him from performing his ministerial duties (1 Timothy 4:12). God has often used young individuals to accomplish His will. We should be reminded that at the time, Jeremiah was not too much older than the twenty-one-year-old king Josiah, who was serving.^[4] If a twenty-one-year-old could be king over God’s people, surely one relatively close in age could serve as a prophet.

Friends, when people today begin to place a determined age upon the ideal ministerial candidate, they are very likely eliminating people that God Himself would have chosen to be prophets in Bible days. Yes, wisdom should be utilized in our selection of a preacher. Age discrimination in regard to the pulpit is not Biblical leadership, especially when we find examples of young men breaking down barriers and teaching people the way of the Lord and how they can truly follow Him. I cannot stress to you how badly the church today needs preachers and how congregations are desperately looking for anyone who will faithfully stand in the gap and herald the saving message of Jesus (Acts 4:8-12). Jeremiah did not want to proclaim the message because, in his mind, he was inadequate. God had been preparing him for this day since before he was born. Before he was formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5), God had already determined the purpose that Jeremiah would one day serve (side note: What a proverbial death blow this is to the mindset of abortion). This verse reminds us of Samson, who was foretold to be born before his mother was pregnant (Judges 13:5). God could have chosen to take the route where He commanded Jeremiah: “You will be a prophet, and that is that.” Instead, He encouraged him to believe that he can do it, while also pointing out that you do not turn down instructions from the Almighty.

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. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.^[5]

Jeremiah’s youth did not have to deter him, because God would give him the words to speak. He did not have to be worried about the terror of his audience, because God would be with Him (Ezekiel 2:3, 6). While it does not appear that Jeremiah was allowing his head to be so inflated that he could not imagine anything but serving the Lord, he proves that our humility can go too far. When the Lord is calling you to join the fight, it means you are more than qualified. Jeremiah’s doubt is criminally sweeping the congregations of the Lord’s body today, with many who do not feel adequate, able, or any other rationale that Satan has slyly convinced us of to keep us out of the fray. We need more leaders. We must be willing to step up to the plate and go to bat for the Lord!

Denied inspiration (V. 9-19). What happens when we do not have the integrity to follow the inspired Word of God? Chaos. God is instructing Jeremiah to infiltrate a nation that had been deniers of His Word to the point of captivity. How does the Lord combat the individuals who had denied the inspired warning? He sends a prophet that will be set over them.

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”^[6]

Jeremiah has three specific tasks: Root out and pull down, destroy and throw down, and finally, build and plant. Two of the three instructions are from a negative standpoint. Today, there are countless prosperity gospels and “fluff and stuff” preachers that have so painfully missed the point of Jeremiah. God wants Jeremiah to build and plant, but He also knows that some things must, by necessity, be rooted out and destroyed. In the New Testament, Jesus stressed how the vine would sometimes need pruning and have unprofitable branches cast into the fire (John 15:1-8). Timothy would further be instructed on what true Gospel Preachers do when they preach. They reprove, rebuke, and exhort (2 Timothy 4:2), which should remind us of the 2/3 rule that Jeremiah also followed. God does not deny that there are positive sides to following Him. Yet, it should not, and must not be ignored that the only reason the negative exists is because people have never consistently found the positive side fulfilling (2 Timothy 4:3-5). Jeremiah was not considered a “feel-good prophet,” nor would he be.

Next, Jeremiah has a vision (Jeremiah 1:11); the first is the “Rod of an almond tree.” The almond tree had a special significance which indicated a chastening and a hastening to perform such a task. No delay is granted. It will be as swift as the almond tree (Jeremiah 1:12). In the second vision, Jeremiah sees a boiling pot (Jeremiah 1:13). Calamity and destruction will be boiled over from the Lord’s cup of wrath.

Then the Lord said to me: “Out of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord; “They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah. I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.^[7]

This boiling pot comes from the north, overflows, and impacts the land. The thrones set in the gate would be where the coming judgment was administered. God had been quite clear about His people’s practice of worshiping idolatrous gods. This would be the main reason they were driven away to captivity. God told them why judgment would come upon them. These people placed their trust in the wrong locations and, as a result, would see their own places of safety and solitude seized by the nation from the north (most likely the Chaldeans).

“Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”^[8]

Jeremiah is given some encouragement from the Lord during such a trying time. Yes, being a prophet of the Lord in this period of history would have been less than desirable, but if the people have the courage to heed what God says, they could make it through. If we do not heed what He says, the punishment will always fit the crime. God knows that Jeremiah will be public enemy number one, but he could endure this with God fortifying him as an indestructible city (Jeremiah 1:18). A city described as having walls made out of brass (which were able to withstand any battling rams) and had top-to-bottom protection since attacks would be coming from all sides. But they would not prevail against him as God would provide the words needed and be with Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:19).

LEARNING THE TEXT

As we bring this first portion of Jeremiah to a close, we must ponder what can be learned from our text of study. While this book is from the Old Testament and many would suggest that we cannot gain anything from it today, we can learn much from those things that are in the Old Testament (Romans 15:4). Consider the following text takeaways:

#1. God is going to accomplish His will (v. 4-5). You cannot stop it. What God wants to be done will be done no matter the cost. Many people are all talk and no action, and the timeless phrase “actions speak louder than words” truly originated with the Father. He has not only stated that He loves us, but that He was willing to pay the ultimate price (John 3:16; Acts 20:28; Philippians 2:1-11). In the case of Jeremiah, God needed a man to stand in the gap. This was known to God long before Jeremiah would even be formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Today, we know that certain passages cannot be applied to us contextually, such as Jeremiah 29:11. This is not to say, though, that God has not laid out options for us to choose to serve the Lord. The church has been established with numerous opportunities to lead and serve. We see this before the official establishment of elders, deacons, and located preachers.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.^[9]

These first-century Christians served the apostle's doctrine. They served each other. They served those without and those who were within. What resulted from all of this? They were blessed. There must be no shred of doubt that this method can still work today in regard to our leadership. God, in His divine wisdom, knew that there would need to be some guidance in order for the working of the church to function properly, so, He established a clear-cut path for leaders to follow (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5). Is your congregation lacking in leadership? I don’t ask that to try and insinuate that your congregation’s current leaders are not what God would have them to be. I do not worship with every faithful body that meets. I do not have the knowledge of what things are done in closed-door meetings, and therefore, cannot make an arm-chair quarterback decision about the specific leadership setup that you have. That being said, we all can see areas where definite improvement could happen.

For example, how often are those slots for the leaders in worship filled at the last minute? Yes, people get sick and go out of town, and that necessitates a replacement to be found. Yet, should it be such a struggle to find a replacement? Could there be more leaders in our public worship assemblies? What about the bible classes that take place each week? Does your congregation struggle to fill the classrooms with teachers for the respective quarter? Have you sometimes been asked to fill in and teach only to turn it down because it is just “not you?” Could we have more bible class teachers? Lastly, what about the positions of leadership in the church itself? Could the church thrive more if it had more deacons? I struggle to find why qualified men should not serve as deacons. Certainly, we need more elders who will continue to serve the Lord through His inspired pattern. If we do not find people today to be leaders, we will be in danger tomorrow and are already in danger today. NFL teams that are successful do not wait until they have an issue to replace a key area of need. They actively try to mold the next starter, and often even draft a position a few years before they need them. Successful companies do not wait until there is a hole to fill before they try to train someone to be prepared to fill it. Perhaps if more young men were encouraged to get an education in the Bible, they would desire to serve as elders to ensure the congregation does not suffer.

Finally, it cannot be overstated just how much we need Gospel preachers today. Every single congregation needs to have a godly preacher who enables them to know what God would have them to be doing. A minister who can go into the area and reach the lost through studies and community outreach. Now, more than ever, there appears to be an apathy to one of the greatest jobs in the world. There are so many who may think that they are being humble by avoiding the “limelight” or even that there is no way that they could be good enough. Moses said that there was surely someone better. Jeremiah felt that he was too young. Consider the arrogance (even if unintended) that shows up with these two. While these two had an incorrect view of God's command, Isaiah showed true humility. He knew that there was no specialness to him that confirmed to the Lord that he would be the one called (Isaiah 6:5-7), and yet when God asked for a servant, Isaiah answered the call (Isaiah 6:8). God once again asks for more men like Jeremiah to stand (Romans 10:13-17). Will we answer the call?

#2. Our concerns/excuses are not as difficult as they appear (v.6-8). I know what you are probably thinking. Sure, the need for preaching is prevalent, but I have all these different reasons why I cannot. Tell that to Jeremiah. He seemingly had one of the greatest reasons not to be a prophet of the Lord—a lack of spiritual/physical maturity. What should have been a slam dunk to the mere suggestion of service was met with an emphatic block. God told Jeremiah that he was not disqualified because of his age or inexperience. Suppose that the Lord could meet with us today. What would we say that would justify us not answering the call? Would our current age be a deterrent? Would our settlement in life be a deterrent? Would our spouse be a deterrent? Would a degree be a deterrent? There are numerous hypothetical and even some real-world scenarios that we could discuss and point out that could help us sleep better at night in not answering Zion’s Call. Friends, why should anything keep us from following the great example of our Savior and humbly serving the Lord (Philippians 2:1-11)? What impact could we all make if we determined to be a leader for the Lord, and made our daily contributions to the Kingdom work as simple servants pointing people to the King?

#3. God has done much of the work for us (v. 9-10). Jeremiah would be one who spoke the message of God, but they would not be his teachings. He would speak what the Lord told him to speak. Yes, today, we do not have the benefit of God simply telling us what to say (1 Corinthians 13:10; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Yet, we have been given the completed Words of the Lord that pertain to all things we could encounter in this life (2 Peter 1:1-4). There should not be any type of confusion when someone sits down to consider what needs to be preached in any upcoming service. God has done so much of the work for us in providing us with the completed Word of God. He has done all of the work for us in regard to our salvation (Romans 6:5-8), and should that not make our lives easier in regard to preparation? Yes, studying requires effort. Yes, it will take many hours to accomplish a single sermon. But we should never pretend that God has not given us the biggest boost and head start we could have ever gotten in our modern world.

#4. Without a leader, problems brew (v. 11-19). Why did God have to make Jeremiah a fortified city? He would have enemies before he could even finish his first prophecy. God was with Jeremiah, because he was heading toward a group of people not known for their spiritual leadership. The modus operandi of the Israelites, when it came time to select a leader, was nine times out of ten, severely lacking in their desire for righteous leadership. They rejected God in order to be like the other nations (1 Samuel 8:5). This should not have surprised anyone who knew their history (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). Jeremiah was going to a people who had proven inept in their ability to lead righteously. God, having warned His people about the consequences of such (Deuteronomy 28:15-68), sends Jeremiah to tell them the problems that their lack of godly leadership has cost them. Can we see any parallels to our own countries? Can we see any parallels in our own congregations? If the answer to either was yes, then we know we have work to do. One of my favorite movies is Remember the Titans, and one of the scenes depicts one day after football practice, Julius and Gerry arguing about the attitude that existed among the team and how it was going to cost them in the long run. During this conversation, each of them questions the other’s motives, and specifically, Julius’s attitude is called into question when Gerry says, “That’s the worst attitude I ever heard.” Julius famously responded, “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain.”

We must be sure that we do not find ourselves leading with such a poor attitude that others around us begin to follow suit. The interesting thing about Gerry and Julius is that they were both wrong. They both had to grow and adapt. In the context of the movie, their racial tension was so high that they could not see past it to be great together. We should not allow anything that does not prevent us from serving God to allow us not to be a leader. When that happens, problems brew.

CONCLUSION

You can be a leader. I know it might seem like there are a million reasons not to step up and lead, but remember, leaders are not born. They are not always “made” like some type of technology from some factory. They make a choice. They stand up and say that they will do the work of the Lord when no one else will. Won’t you consider leading God’s people? We cannot do this without men and women who will step up and serve the Lord faithfully.

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^[1] The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982, p. Je 1:4–5.

^[2] https://explodingtopics.com/blog/social-media-following#

^[3] The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982, p. Je 1:6.

^[5] The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982, p. Je 1:7–8.

^[6] The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982, p. Je 1:9–10.

^[7] The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982, p. Je 1:14–16.

^[8] The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982, p. Je 1:17–19.

^[9] The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982, p. Ac 2:42–47.