Jer. 15:10-21, Jeremiah’s Opposition

One thing about Jeremiah is his faithfulness to God’s message in the face of specific and strong opposition.  Here are some illustrations.

·       The first opponents of Jeremiah’s ministry were his family and community (he was from the priestly line and lived at Anathoth. one of four cities of Benjamin where priestly descendents could live and farm, Josh. 21:18).  The opening chapters of Jeremiah contain his message from the LORD.  It challenges the religion of the day that trusted, not in God, but in the temple (7:1ff).  The people doubted that God would let Jerusalem be destroyed because His temple is there.  Initially it was the men from Anathoth (11:21-23), including his “brothers” (12:6).  This opposition hit Jeremiah hard.  Even could not believe these people he knew would stand against him.  Added to this was God’s prohibition that Jeremiah was not to pray for the people (15:1ff).  Again, Jeremiah was being given a message unlike any other prophet.  While other prophets declared God’s coming judgment, for Jeremiah the key was that the time had come for the prophecies to be fulfilled (1:11-16).  Jeremiah hit rock bottom (15:11).  But in 15:15-18 he committed himself to the LORD and His message.

·       In Jer. 18 Jeremiah uses the illustration of the potter and clay, that God would remake Israel as the potter remade something good from something bad.  Jeremiah was opposed by the priests (18:18).  Jeremiah did not flinch but prayed for God’s vengeance on his enemies.  He then continued to preach, building on the “potter” illustration (Ch. 19).

·       Again, in Jer. 20 Jeremiah was opposed by Pashur, a priest of importance in Jerusalem.  He put Jeremiah in stocks.  When he was released the next day, Jeremiah confronted Pashur.  There was no backing down, even though he struggled personally (20:7-18), he proclaimed God’s message.

·       Jeremiah was opposed by governmental leaders, and ultimately by King Jehoiakim himself.  In Ch. 36 Jeremiah was told by God to put the message in writing and to read it in public.  Jeremiah did this.  But the book was taken and read to the king who was sitting by the warm winter fire.  Column by column the king cut the message from the scroll and threw it in the fire.  Jeremiah, who was in hiding, immediately made another copy of the book.  No backing down!

·       Again, Jeremiah was thrown into prison (Jer. 37) and then was opposed by the “princes” of Judah who had him thrown into a pit full of muck (Jer. 38).  After being saved through a godly man, Ebed-Melech (a servant of the king), Jeremiah still gave God’s message to the king (38:14-23).

What an example we have in Jeremiah.  His ministry was incredibly hard.  But it was God’s ministry and God’s word and Jeremiah was faithful in it all!