JEREMIAH 20A
Pashur arrests Jeremiah verse 1- 2
Now Pashur the son of Immer – the priest
who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD
heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things
Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet
and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin
which was by the house of the LORD
Jeremiah changed name of Pashur verse 3- 4
And it came to pass on the morrow
that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks
Then said Jeremiah unto him
The LORD hath not called your name Pashur
but Magor-missabib
For thus says the LORD
BEHOLD I will make you a terror to yourself and to your friends
and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies
and your eyes shall behold it
AND I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon
and he shall carry them captive into Babylon
and shall slay them with the sword
Pashur going to be taken captive to Babylon verse 5- 6
MOREOVER I will deliver all the strength of this city
and all the labors thereof – and all the precious things thereof
and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I
give into the hand of their enemies
which shall spoil them – and take them
and carry them to Babylon
And you – Pashur – and all that dwell in your house shall go into captivity
and you shalt come to Babylon – and there you shall die
and shalt be buried there – you – all your friends
to whom you have prophesied lies
Jeremiah bemoans his occupation verse 7- 10
O LORD – YOU have deceived me – and I was deceived
YOU are stronger than I and have prevailed – I am in derision daily
every one mocks me
For since I spoke – I cried out – I cried violence and spoil
BECAUSE the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me
and a derision – daily
THEN I said
I will not make mention of HIM
nor speak any more in HIS name
BUT HIS word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up
in my bones – and I was weary with forbearing
and I could not stay
FOR I hear the defaming of many – fear on every side
Report – say they- and we will report it
All my familiars watched for my halting saying
Peradventure he will be enticed and we shall prevail against him
and we shall take our revenge on him
Jeremiah states that his persecutors will be defeated verse 11
BUT the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one
THEREFORE my persecutors shall stumble
and they shall not prevail they shall be greatly ashamed
for they shall not prosper
their everlasting confusion shall
never be forgotten
Jeremiah compliments the LORD verse 12- 13
BUT – O LORD of hosts – that tries the righteous
and sees the reins and the heart
let me see YOUR vengeance on them
for unto YOU have I opened my cause
Sing unto the LORD – praise you the LORD
for HE has delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers
Jeremiah curses the day he was born verse 14- 18
Cursed be the day wherein I was born
let not the day wherein my mother bare me be the blessed
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father – saying
A man child is born unto you – making him very glad
and let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew
and repented not
and let him hear the cry in the morning
and the shouting at noontide
BECAUSE he slew me not from the womb
OR that my mother might have been my grave
AND her womb to be always great with me
WHEREFORE came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow
that my days should be consumed with shame?
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. (5975 "stay" ['amad] means contain, hold in, or restrain.
DEVOTION: Jeremiah wanted to stop preaching. He didn’t want to have anything to do with the people who wanted to kill him. They were not listening to his message. The LORD was giving him more messages to tell the people and the leaders. Each message was met with hard hearts. He was tired of getting this reaction. He just wanted to quit. He wanted to go into a corner and hide.
However, the messages of the LORD were coming from deep inside of him. He really cared for the people. He really cared for Jerusalem. He fought harder not to speak but his inner being was on fire for the LORD. He knew that they would not listen but he still knew he had to share the messages the LORD gave him. He could not stop. He could not contain all the words the LORD had given him in his inner being. They had to come out.
The fire of judgment was too great not to express to the people. He didn’t want them to have to face the judgment but he knew it was coming. He had to warn them.
Many pastors come to a point in their lives when they think that another occupation would be better than what they are doing now. The people just don’t seem to be listening to them. There are some that are not called to be pastors who are in the pulpits in America but most are called.
There was a time in my life where I thought the LORD didn't want me to preach again. I tried to stop. But the testimony of Jeremiah is the same as mine. I could not stop. There is a burning inside to spread the good news to others. I felt that if one would respond, that was one more that would spend eternity in heaven.
If we have the fire in our inner being and we should, we need to spread the Word. We need to examine the motivation for our preaching: is it to glorify self or the LORD? If we are called, preach. If we ever feel like giving up, remember Jeremiah. He had it worse than we could ever have it. He knew that he had to preach or perish. Keep on keeping on.
CHALLENGE: Those who preach need to be sure that they are called of God to preach. The Holy Spirit is a witness to this truth. HE informs others of HIS decision. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s directions.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. (7291 “persecutors” [radaph] means pursuers, chase, put to flight, dog, attend closely upon, harass, set off after, or to confront and cause to flee.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is an awe inspiring champion. HE is the one that we look up too when we are facing an enemy. HE is the one who is stronger than any enemy we will meet.
The Bible describes the LORD as omnipotent. There is nothing stronger than HE is, no created being or object. The power of the LORD can work miracles. The power of the LORD can turn water into wine. The power of the LORD can convert a soul. God is all powerful.
Once Jeremiah realized that the God he was serving was able to take care of him in any circumstance he knew he would be a champion too. As a champion all those who thought they were ahead of him were really way behind him because the LORD was holding them back.
Jeremiah knew those who were against him were going to stumble. At first, it didn’t seem so but in the end they always did. They were never going to win the war. They might win some battles because the LORD used those battles to strengthen our faith and the faith of Jeremiah.
The world of those who are against the LORD is full of confusion. They think they have everything under control but in the end they will realize that they don’t even have a little under control.
The LORD is the one who tries the righteous. HE is looking inside of those who claim to be followers of HIM to see what their motive and beliefs really are. They can hide these facts from others but not from HIM.
Those who are genuine followers of the LORD can sing in trying circumstances which makes no sense to those outside of Christ. They can even praise the name of the LORD for the trials.
Does that mean that genuine followers of the LORD don’t get discouraged? NO!! Jeremiah ends this section with a negative statement regarding the day of his birth.
CHALLENGE: Remember that there will be days when we will wish we have never been born. On those days we have to remember that the LORD is an awesome champion in all that HE does.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:13 Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He has delivered the life of the poor from the hand of evildoers. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Devotion: What makes you sing praises to the Lord? Sometimes we praise the Lord for small things, sometimes we simply praise the Lord as His Spirit lifts ours and we begin to exalt His name. Sometimes, like here with Jeremiah, as we are praying and lifting our concerns and feelings to Him and we suddenly begin to praise Him.
Life is difficult and at times those difficulties can cause us to go before the Lord and complain and say things that we may regret. Jeremiah cried out to the Lord in anger and frustration as he faithfully spoke for the Lord. It seemed to him as he looked at his circumstances that the Lord had deceived him and the ridicule he experienced from people was the evidence. Discouraged he considered not speaking God’s word to the people. In spite of this he could not stop and the result was him beginning to praise His God!
The maturity of the prophet is shown as he speaks the truth and then recognizes that the Lord is supreme and in control of situations even if he does not understand all that is happening. We can see that Jeremiah was a man of emotions and often he rode those emotions but he always remained faithful to the Lord’s command. Whether praising or petitioning Jeremiah knew he had to speak what God gave him to say.
Application: For Jeremiah the rollercoaster of emotions was difficult and a constant test for his walk with the Lord. Perhaps, you can relate to him and recognize that the highs and lows of life can be awful on your spiritual development. Like Jeremiah may we learn to walk faithfully forward even when the emotions are all over the board. Proclaim Him despite the emotional upheavals. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
- Chastity (Purity in living)
- Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
- Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
- Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
- Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
- Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
- Frugality (wise use of resources)
- Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
- Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
- Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
- Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
- Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
- Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
- Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
- Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sing unto the LORD verse 13
Praise ye the LORD verse 13
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 8
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1- 4, 7, 8,
11- 13, 16
House of the LORD verse 1, 2
Word of the LORD verse 8
Mighty terrible one verse 11
LORD of hosts verse 12
LORD overthrew verse 16
LORD relented not verse 16
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Friends verse 4, 6
Enemies verse 4, 5
King of Babylon verse 4- 6
Familiars verse 10
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Hitting a prophet of the LORD verse 2
Put prophet in stocks verse 2
Calling a prophet a liar verse 3
Prophesied lies verse 6
Deceived verse 7
Derision verse 7, 8
Mock prophet verse 7
Reproach a prophet verse 8
Not speak for God when commanded verse 9
Defaming verse 10
Fear verse 10
Persecutors verse 11
Confusion verse 11
Evildoers verse 13
Shame verse 18
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prophesied verse 1
Called of the LORD verse 3
Impossible not to spread Word of God verse 9
LORD is with us verse 11
Tries the righteous verse 12
Sees the reins and the heart verse 12
Prayer verse 12
Sing verse 13
Praise verse 13
Deliverance verse 13
Repentance verse 16
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Pashur – son of Immer (priest) verse 1, 2, 6
House of the LORD verse 1, 2
Jeremiah (Prophet) verse 1- 3
Benjamin verse 2
Magormissabib verse 3
Judah verse 4, 5
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
QUOTES
20:9–10At one point Jeremiah must have determined that he would no longer proclaim God’s words or even “mention his name” (lit. “remember him”). Jeremiah faced an impossible dilemma. If he spoke, his audiences would abuse him. If he did not speak, he had no inner peace. Jeremiah discovered that “his word” (not in the Heb. but understood in the context) was in his heart like a burning fire shut up in his bones (cf. Exod 24:17; Deut 4:24; 9:3, where God is called a “consuming fire”). Though proclaiming the word brought ridicule and pain to Jeremiah, he was exhausted from holding it in (cf. 6:11, where it was the Lord’s wrath he could not hold in). Jeremiah never questioned that God had called him to be his spokesman, but he could not understand why it brought him such affliction. No other passage in the Bible reveals so clearly the divine compulsion to speak God’s word (cf. Amos 3:8; 1 Cor 9:16).
Jeremiah was aware of the talk behind his back (“whispering,” i.e., rumors, deliberate talk). It was calculated to destroy his credibility (cf. Gen 37:2; Prov 10:18; 14:5). Now his enemies turned the words on him he had hurled at Pashhur: “terror on every side.” It probably was a nickname they gave him because his messages always warned of terrible things that would overwhelm them. Even his “friends” (lit. “men of my peace,” those he would greet with a wish for their well-being) were watching for him to make a false step or say something they could use against him (cf. Jesus’ audience, Matt 22:15–22).
It is surprising that he could call such people “friends.” They hoped he would be “deceived” (the same word used in 20:7 against God). Then they would overcome him and take their revenge on him. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, pp. 192–193). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
8–9 In v.8 the verb zāʿaq (“cry out”) speaks of a cry of complaint and qārāʾ (“proclaim”) a cry of protest. In summary form, Jeremiah sets forth the gist of his messages: “violence and destruction.” This is not so much a statement of what he himself experienced; rather, his message was consistently one of doom and annihilation (cf. 28:8). “Violence and destruction” was the cry of the attacked, and Jeremiah’s prophecies were about coming disaster. The burden became so heavy that Jeremiah finally decided he would no longer serve as a prophet (v.9). But he found out the impossibility of denying his call. He learned that it was irreversible and that God’s word was irrepressible. Though he arouses opposition from his enemies, he can find no other satisfaction than in preaching God’s truth. His own propensities would have led him to a different calling; but once he was called by the Lord, the divine compulsion, which never left him, marked him out as a true prophet. It is just as dangerous not to go when called by the Lord as it is to run without being called (so Clarke). For Jeremiah the word of God was a reality, not the product of his thinking. It demanded expression in spite of opposition and derision. So great was this compelling force of the revelation that he never doubted its reality. (Feinberg, C. L. (1986). Jeremiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 503). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
20:7–10. Jeremiah opened his heart to God and expressed the depth of his inner emotions. He felt that God had deceived him by letting him be ridiculed by the people for his message. He had faithfully warned them of the coming violence and destruction; but his reward was only their insults. Discouraged, Jeremiah considered withholding God’s Word to avoid persecution. But when he did, the Word became like a burning fire (cf. 23:29) within him so that he was unable to contain it. To feel something in one’s bones meant to feel it intensely (cf. Job 30:17; 33:19).
Jeremiah wanted to quit his ministry because the people plotted against him. The message of terror on every side that he was constantly proclaiming (Jer. 20:3–4; cf. 6:25; 17:18; 46:5; 49:29; Lam. 2:22) was now being hurled back at him (cf. Ps. 31:13). Even his friends were watching for him to slip up, perhaps by uttering a wrong prediction, so they could take their revenge on him as a false prophet (cf. Deut. 18:20). (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1154). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
His “deceptive” call (vv. 7–9). When the servants of God find themselves in trouble because they’ve been faithful in ministry, they’re often tempted to question their call and reconsider their vocation. Then what do they do? One of the first things they ought to do is talk to the Lord about it and tell Him the truth.
The word translated “deceived” carries with it the idea of being enticed or seduced. Of course, God doesn’t lie (Titus 1:2), but Jeremiah felt that the Lord had taken advantage of him and lured him into the ministry. “You overpowered me and prevailed” (Jer. 20:7, NIV). Jeremiah felt like a helpless maiden who had been seduced then taken advantage of by a deceptive “lover.” This is strong language, but at least Jeremiah said it privately to God and not publicly to others.
When you review the account of Jeremiah’s call (Jer. 1), you find no evidence that God had enticed him. The Lord had told him plainly that he would have a difficult time. If he trusted the Lord, however, He would make him a fortified city and a bronze wall before his enemies. God had warned His servant that the demands of ministry would increase and he’d have to grow in order to keep going (12:5). What Jeremiah’s ministry was doing for the nation was important, but even more important was what Jeremiah’s ministry was doing for Jeremiah. As we serve the Lord, our capacity for ministry should increase and enable us to do much more than we ever thought we could do.
After you’ve told God how you feel, what do you do next? Jeremiah resolved to quit being a prophet! He decided to keep his mouth shut and not even mention the Lord to anybody. But that didn’t work, because the message of God was like a burning in his heart and a fire in his bones (see Luke 24:32). Jeremiah didn’t preach because he had to say something but because he had something to say, and not saying it would have destroyed him. Paul had the same attitude: “Yet when I preach the Gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16, NIV) (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 91–93). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
20:9 I will not … speak anymore.A surge of dejection swept over Jeremiah, making him long to say no more. But he was compelled inside (cf. Job 32:18, 19; Ps 39:3; Ac 18:5; 1Co 9:16, 17) because he did not want his enemies to see him fail (v. 10), he felt the powerful presence of the Lord (v. 11), and he remembered God’s previous deliverances (v. 13). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Je 20:9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
So painful was it to his sensitive nature to meet with reproach and rejection everywhere, that he had made up his mind not to prophesy further. “Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name.” This, however, was for him an impossibility. “His word,” he says, “was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary of forbearing, and I could not stay” (ver. 9). “Woe is me,” declared the apostle of the Gentiles, “if I preach not the gospel.” Men sent forth by God with a message from Himself are unable to be at rest if that message is unproclaimed. How different this is to the perfunctory service of multitudes of modern clergymen! “A burning fire” must have vent, and if the word of God be thus surging up in one’s breast he simply must preach. To seek to imitate this is but folly. Any spiritual person, and many utterly godless ones, can readily detect the difference between giving forth that which has been implanted in the inmost soul by the Holy Spirit, and the mere vaporings of a wrought-up sermon. (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (pp. 98–99). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: this daily scorn and reproach which the prophet saw himself exposed unto, for preaching against the sin and wickedness of the people, was a sore temptation upon him to lay down his employment as a prophet. He did not speak this openly, but he spake it in his heart, he had (as he confesseth) many such thoughts in his breast. But he saith he was not able to do what he thought to do, he found in his heart a constraint to go on, that when a revelation came at any time from God unto him, it was like a fire in his bones, which he must quench by uttering what God had revealed to him. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 2, p. 557). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)
Ver. 9. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, &c.] Not that he publicly said this before his enemies, or privately to his friends, but he said it in his heart; he thought, nay, resolved, within himself, to prophesy no more; since no credit was given to him, but contempt cast on him; he was disgraced, and God was dishonoured, and no good done; wherefore he concluded it was better to be silent, and not mention the name of God, and say nothing of any message he had from him, since it was to no purpose. A temptation that oftentimes besets a minister of the word, because of the ill usage he meets with, the ill success of his ministry; and is but a temptation, as such see it to be sooner or later, as Jeremy did. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones; which wanted vent, and must have it, and which only could be quenched by being divulged; and which, until it was done, he was in the utmost pain, as if he had been all on fire; his conscience accused him; his heart smote and condemned him; a woe was to him; see 1 Cor. 9:16: or, there was in mine heart as a burning fire, &c.; a principle of love to God, and to the souls of men; a zeal for his glory, and the good of his countrymen; which made him uneasy, and constrained him to break his former resolution: for the phrase, his word, is not in the original text; though it is in like manner supplied by the Targum, “and his words became in mine heart as fire burning and overflowing my bones;” and so Kimchi, “and the word of the Lord was in my heart as fire burning;” and also Jarchi; the prophecy was as fire, to which it is compared, ch. 23:29. And I was weary with forbearing; to speak; weary to hold it in: and I could not stay; or I could not hold it in any longer; I was obliged to speak in the name of the Lord again, and deliver whatever message he was pleased to send me on. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 514). London: Mathews and Leigh.)