I have a job for you
OPINION —
Isaiah’s ministry ended somewhere around the time of Hezekiah’s death in 687 BC. Sixty years later, Jeremiah was called to his ministry in the 13th year of Josiah’s reign (Jeremiah 627 BC/1:2). It would span the final five kings of Judah and extend into the period of the Babylonian Exile. While his focus was primarily on Judah, he was also “a prophet to the nations” and addressed Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom and others (chapters 46-51).
Jeremiah was given a difficult ministry. Chapter 1 gives us the gist of it. Jeremiah had a vision of a boiling pot that was tilted toward Judah from the north (v. 13). This represented Babylon. They would come in judgment upon God’s people because of their wickedness and idolatry (v. 16). Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the people would go off into exile. No one likes to be the bearer of bad news — especially when it has to do with your own people — but that was exactly the task that God gave Jeremiah.
Jeremiah would experience opposition. Of course, no one wanted to hear Jeremiah’s message. It wouldn’t be like getting bad news from a repairman, a dentist or even a doctor. This was bad news from God! God let Jeremiah know from the start that as God’s spokesman he would be opposed by kings, officials, priests and the people —in other words, everyone. “They will fight against you” (v. 19a).
God would be with him. In v. 17, Jeremiah was told, “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.” This would be absolutely overwhelming to anyone, but especially someone of Jeremiah’s age if . . . God had not also assured him He would be with him and rescue him. He told Jeremiah this both at the beginning and the conclusion of his commissioning (v. 8, 19).
Chapter one sets us up for what happens in the rest of Jeremiah. Just as God had told him, Jeremiah had a long, difficult ministry where he experienced hostility and resistance. God was faithful and enabled the prophet to stand even in the hardest of times.
Was does this say to us today?
Ministry, when done right, is rarely easy. Quick, who in the Bible had an easy ministry? It’s hard to come up with anyone, isn’t it? Everyone we’re told about to any significant degree experienced struggles, hardships and challenges in their service to God. That’s the nature of ministry. That why instead of looking for something easy to do, we need to ask God for strength to do whatever He puts before us.
God will grow us into what He wants us to do. Jeremiah was concerned about his ability to speak and his youthfulness (v. 6). God was not. He didn’t want Jeremiah to be either because He would be with him. That answers most of our ministry challenges, doesn’t it? There might be an occasion when we can’t handle something and we need to get help or even pass it on to someone else (i.e., the apostles delegating the helping of widows to the seven in Acts 6), but most of the time we can be part of the solution because God will enable us to do what is needed.
The real question isn’t our ability but our availability. That was the question for Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah and a host of others. It’s not a surprise that it’s usually the question for us as well. God can do amazing things through us when He gets us —not 50%, not 75%, but ALL of us. When He has our com-plete and undivided attention (think of Jonah), that’s when ministry really be-gins.
Find more of Bruce Green’s writings at his website: www.a-taste-of-grace-with-bruce-green.com.
