Prophets and Kings
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 34: Jeremiah
Among those who had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival
as the result of the reformation under Josiah was Jeremiah, called of God to
the prophetic office while still a youth, in the thirteenth year of Josiah's
reign. A member of the Levitical priesthood, Jeremiah had been trained from
childhood for holy service. In those happy years of preparation he little
realized that he had been ordained from birth to be "a prophet unto the
nations;" and when the divine call came, he was overwhelmed with a sense
of his unworthiness. "Ah, Lord God!" he exclaimed, "behold, I
cannot speak: for I am a child." Jeremiah 1:5, 6. {PK 407.1}
In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to
his trust and who would stand for the right against great opposition. In
childhood he had proved faithful; and now he was to endure hardness, as a good
soldier of the cross. "Say not, I am a child," the Lord bade His
chosen messenger; "for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and
whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not [408] afraid
of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee." "Gird up thy
loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed
at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee
this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the
whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against
the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight
against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee,
saith the Lord, to deliver thee." Verses 7, 8, 17-19. {PK 407.2}
For forty years Jeremiah was to stand before the nation as a
witness for truth and righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was
to exemplify in life and character the worship of the only true God. During the
terrible sieges of Jerusalem he was to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah. He was to
predict the downfall of the house of David and the destruction of the beautiful
temple built by Solomon. And when imprisoned because of his fearless
utterances, he was still to speak plainly against sin in high places. Despised,
hated, rejected of men, he was finally to witness the literal fulfillment of
his own prophecies of impending doom, and share in the sorrow and woe that
should follow the destruction of the fated city. {PK 408.1}
Yet amid the general ruin into which the nation was rapidly
passing, Jeremiah was often permitted to look beyond the distressing scenes of
the present to the glorious prospects of the future, when God's people should
be ransomed from the land of the enemy and planted again in Zion. He foresaw
the time when the Lord would renew His covenant relationship with them.
"Their soul shall be as a watered [409]
garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all." Jeremiah 31:12. {PK 408.2}
Of his call to the prophetic mission, Jeremiah himself
wrote: "The Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord
said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day
set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down,
and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9,
10. {PK 409.1}
Thank God for the words, "to build, and to plant."
By these words Jeremiah was assured of the Lord's purpose to restore and to
heal. Stern were the messages to be borne in the years that were to follow.
Prophecies of swift-coming judgments were to be fearlessly delivered. From the
plains of Shinar "an evil" was to "break forth upon all the
inhabitants of the land." "I will utter My judgments against
them," the Lord declared, "touching all their wickedness, who have
forsaken Me." Verses 14, 16. Yet the prophet was to accompany these
messages with assurances of forgiveness to all who should turn from their
evil-doing. {PK 409.2}
As a wise master builder, Jeremiah at the very beginning of
his lifework sought to encourage the men of Judah to lay the foundations of
their spiritual life broad and deep, by making thorough work of repentance.
Long had they been building with material likened by the apostle Paul to wood,
hay, and stubble, and by Jeremiah himself to dross. "Refuse silver shall
men call them," he declared of the impenitent nation, "because the
Lord hath rejected them." Jeremiah 6:30, margin. Now they were urged to
begin building wisely and for eternity, casting aside the rubbish [410]
of apostasy and unbelief, and using as foundation material the pure gold, the
refined silver, the precious stones—faith and obedience and good
works—which alone are acceptable in the sight of a holy God. {PK 409.3}
Through Jeremiah the word of the Lord to His people was:
"Return, thou backsliding Israel, . . . and I will not cause
Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not
keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast
transgressed against the Lord thy God. . . . Turn, O backsliding
children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you." "Thou shalt
call Me, My Father; and shalt not turn away from Me." "Return, ye
backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." Jeremiah
3:12-14, 19, 22. {PK
410.1}
And in addition to these wonderful pleadings, the Lord gave
His erring people the very words with which they might turn to Him. They were
to say: "Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God. Truly
in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of
mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. . . .
We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned
against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this
day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God." Verses 22-25. {PK 410.2}
The reformation under Josiah had cleansed the land of the
idolatrous shrines, but the hearts of the multitude had not been transformed.
The seeds of truth that had sprung up and given promise of an abundant harvest
had been choked by thorns. Another such backsliding would be [411]
fatal; and the Lord sought to arouse the nation to a realization of their
danger. Only as they should prove loyal to Jehovah could they hope for the
divine favor and for prosperity. {PK 410.3}
Jeremiah called their attention repeatedly to the counsels
given in Deuteronomy. More than any other of the prophets, he emphasized the
teachings of the Mosaic law and showed how these might bring the highest
spiritual blessing to the nation and to every individual heart. "Ask for
the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein," he pleaded,
"and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16. {PK 411.1}
On one occasion, by command of the Lord, the prophet took
his position at one of the principal entrances to the city and there urged the
importance of keeping holy the Sabbath day. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were
in danger of losing sight of the sanctity of the Sabbath, and they were
solemnly warned against following their secular pursuits on that day. A
blessing was promised on condition of obedience. "If ye diligently hearken
unto Me," the Lord declared, and "hallow the Sabbath day, to do no
work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and
princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses,
they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
and this city shall remain forever." Jeremiah 17:24, 25. {PK 411.2}
This promise of prosperity as the reward of allegiance was
accompanied by a prophecy of the terrible judgments that would befall the city
should its inhabitants prove disloyal to God and His law. If the admonitions to
obey the [412] Lord God of their fathers and to hallow His
Sabbath day were not heeded, the city and its palaces would be utterly
destroyed by fire. {PK
411.3}
Thus the prophet stood firmly for the sound principles of
right living so clearly outlined in the book of the law. But the conditions
prevailing in the land of Judah were such that only by the most decided
measures could a change for the better be brought about; therefore he labored
most earnestly in behalf of the impenitent. "Break up your fallow
ground," he pleaded, "and sow not among thorns." "O
Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved."
Jeremiah 4:3, 14. {PK
412.1}
But by the great mass of the people the call to repentance
and reformation was unheeded. Since the death of good King Josiah, those who
ruled the nation had been proving untrue to their trust and had been leading
many astray. Jehoahaz, deposed by the interference of the king of Egypt, had
been followed by Jehoiakim, an older son of Josiah. From the beginning of
Jehoiakim's reign, Jeremiah had little hope of saving his beloved land from
destruction and the people from captivity. Yet he was not permitted to remain
silent while utter ruin threatened the kingdom. Those who had remained loyal to
God must be encouraged to persevere in rightdoing, and sinners must, if
possible, be induced to turn from iniquity. {PK 412.2}
The crisis demanded a public and far-reaching effort. Jeremiah
was commanded by the Lord to stand in the court of the temple and speak to all
the people of Judah who might pass in and out. From the messages given him he
must diminish not a word, that sinners in Zion might have the [413]
fullest possible opportunity to hearken and to turn from their evil ways. {PK 412.3}
The prophet obeyed; he stood in the gate of the Lord's house
and there lifted his voice in warning and entreaty. Under the inspiration of
the Almighty he declared: {PK
413.1}
"Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter
in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this
place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple
of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these. For if ye thoroughly amend your
ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his
neighbor; if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and
shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your
hurt: then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to
your fathers, forever and ever." Jeremiah 7:2-7. {PK 413.2}
The unwillingness of the Lord to chastise is here vividly
shown. He stays His judgments that He may plead with the impenitent. He who
exercises "loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the
earth" yearns over His erring children; in every way possible He seeks to
teach them the way of life everlasting. Jeremiah 9:24. He had brought the
Israelites out of bondage that they might serve Him, the only true and living
God. Though they had wandered long in idolatry and had slighted His warnings,
yet He now declares His willingness to defer chastisement and grant yet another
opportunity for repentance. He makes plain the fact that only by the most
thorough heart reformation could [414] the impending doom be averted.
In vain would be the trust they might place in the temple and its services.
Rites and ceremonies could not atone for sin. Notwithstanding their claim to be
the chosen people of God, reformation of heart and of the life practice alone
could save them from the inevitable result of continued transgression. {PK 413.3}
Thus it was that "in the cities of Judah, and in the
streets of Jerusalem" the message of Jeremiah to Judah was, "Hear ye
the words of this covenant,"—the plain precepts of Jehovah as
recorded in the Sacred Scriptures,—"and do them." Jeremiah
11:6. And this is the message he proclaimed as he stood in the temple courts in
the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim. {PK 414.1}
Israel's experience from the days of the Exodus was briefly
reviewed. God's covenant with them had been, "Obey My voice, and I will be
your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have
commanded you, that it may be well unto you." Shamelessly and repeatedly
had this covenant been broken. The chosen nation had "walked in the
counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not
forward." Jeremiah 7:23, 24. {PK 414.2}
"Why," the Lord inquired, "is this people of
Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?" Jeremiah 8:5. In the
language of the prophet it was because they had obeyed not the voice of the
Lord their God and had refused to be corrected. See Jeremiah 5:3. "Truth
is perished," he mourned, "and is cut off from their mouth."
"The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and
the crane and the swallow observe the time of their [415]
coming; but My people know not the judgment of the Lord." "Shall I
not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not My soul be avenged
on such a nation as this?" Jeremiah 7:28; 8:7; Jeremiah 9:9. {PK 414.3}
The time had come for deep heart searching. While Josiah had
been their ruler, the people had had some ground for hope. But no longer could
he intercede in their behalf, for he had fallen in battle. The sins of the
nation were such that the time for intercession had all but passed by.
"Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me," the Lord declared,
"yet My mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of My sight,
and let them go forth. And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee,
Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them. Thus saith the Lord; Such
as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and
such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity,
to the captivity." Jeremiah 15:1, 2. {PK 415.1}
A refusal to heed the invitation of mercy that God was now
offering would bring upon the impenitent nation the judgments that had befallen
the northern kingdom of Israel over a century before. The message to them now
was: "If ye will not hearken to Me, to walk in My law, which I have set
before you, to hearken to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I sent
unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all
the nations of the earth." Jeremiah 26:4-6. {PK 415.2}
Those who stood in the temple court listening to Jeremiah's
discourse understood clearly this reference to Shiloh, [416] and to
the time in the days of Eli when the Philistines had overcome Israel and
carried away the ark of the testament. {PK 415.3}
The sin of Eli had consisted in passing lightly over the
iniquity of his sons in sacred office, and over the evils prevailing throughout
the land. His neglect to correct these evils had brought upon Israel a fearful
calamity. His sons had fallen in battle, Eli himself had lost his life, the ark
of God had been taken from the land of Israel, thirty thousand of the people
had been slain—and all because sin had been allowed to flourish
unrebuked and unchecked. Israel had vainly thought that, notwithstanding their
sinful practices, the presence of the ark would ensure them victory over the
Philistines. In like manner, during the days of Jeremiah, the inhabitants of
Judah were prone to believe that a strict observance of the divinely appointed
services of the temple would preserve them from a just punishment for their
wicked course. {PK 416.1}
What a lesson is this to men holding positions of
responsibility today in the church of God! What a solemn warning to deal
faithfully with wrongs that bring dishonor to the cause of truth! Let none who
claim to be the depositaries of God's law flatter themselves that the regard
they may outwardly show toward the commandments will preserve them from the
exercise of divine justice. Let none refuse to be reproved for evil, nor charge
the servants of God with being too zealous in endeavoring to cleanse the camp
from evil-doing. A sin-hating God calls upon those who claim to keep His law to
depart from all iniquity. A neglect to repent and to render willing obedience
will bring upon men and women today as serious consequences as came [417]
upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which the judgments of Jehovah can
no longer be delayed. The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a
solemn warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and admonitions given them
through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity. {PK 416.2}
Jeremiah's message to priests and people aroused the
antagonism of many. With boisterous denunciation they cried out, "Why hast
thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like
Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the
people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord." Jeremiah
26:9. Priests, false prophets, and people turned in wrath upon him who would
not speak to them smooth things or prophesy deceit. Thus was the message of God
despised, and His servant threatened with death. {PK 417.1}
Tidings of the words of Jeremiah were carried to the princes
of Judah, and they hastened from the palace of the king to the temple, to learn
for themselves the truth of the matter. "Then spake the priests and the
prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to
die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your
ears." Verse 11. But Jeremiah stood boldly before the princes and the
people, declaring: "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and
against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your
ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord
will repent Him of the evil that He hath pronounced against you. As for me,
behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto [418]
you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring
innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants
thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words
in your ears." Verses 12-15. {PK 417.2}
Had the prophet been intimidated by the threatening attitude
of those high in authority, his message would have been without effect, and he
would have lost his life; but the courage with which he delivered the solemn
warning commanded the respect of the people and turned the princes of Israel in
his favor. They reasoned with the priests and false prophets, showing them how
unwise would be the extreme measures they advocated, and their words produced a
reaction in the minds of the people. Thus God raised up defenders for His
servant. {PK 418.1}
The elders also united in protesting against the decision of
the priests regarding the fate of Jeremiah. They cited the case of Micah, who
had prophesied judgments upon Jerusalem, saying, "Zion shall be plowed
like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house
as the high places of a forest." And they asked: "Did Hezekiah king
of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the Lord, and
besought the Lord, and the Lord repented Him of the evil which He had
pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our
souls." Verses 18, 19. {PK
418.2}
Through the pleading of these men of influence the prophet's
life was spared, although many of the priests and false prophets, unable to
endure the condemning truths he [419] uttered, would gladly have seen
him put to death on the plea of sedition. {PK 418.3}
From the day of his call to the close of his ministry,
Jeremiah stood before Judah as "a tower and a fortress" against which
the wrath of man could not prevail. "They shall fight against thee,"
the Lord had forewarned His servant, "but they shall not prevail against
thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And
I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out
of the hand of the terrible." Jeremiah 6:27; 15:20, 21. {PK 419.1}
Naturally of a timid and shrinking disposition, Jeremiah
longed for the peace and quiet of a life of retirement, where [420]
he need not witness the continued impenitence of his beloved nation. His heart
was wrung with anguish over the ruin wrought by sin. "O that my head were
waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears," he mourned, "that I might
weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! O that I had in
the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people,
and go from them." Jeremiah 9:1, 2. {PK 419.2}
Cruel were the mockings he was called upon to endure. His
sensitive soul was pierced through and through by the arrows of derision hurled
at him by those who despised his messages and made light of his burden for
their conversion. "I was a derision to all my people," he declared,
"and their song all the day." "I am in derision daily, everyone
mocketh me." "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." Lamentations 3:14; Jeremiah 20:7, 10. {PK 420.1}
But the faithful prophet was daily strengthened to endure.
"The Lord is with me as a mighty terrible One," he declared in faith;
"therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they
shall be really ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting
confusion shall never be forgotten." "Sing unto the Lord, praise ye
the Lord: for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of
evildoers." Jeremiah 20:11, 13. {PK 420.2}
The experiences through which Jeremiah passed in the days of
his youth and also in the later years of his ministry, taught him the lesson
that "the way of man is not in [421] himself: it is not
in man that walketh to direct his steps." He learned to pray, "O
Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to
nothing." Jeremiah 10:23, 24. {PK 420.3}
When called to drink of the cup of tribulation and sorrow,
and when tempted in his misery to say, "My strength and my hope is
perished from the Lord," he recalled the providences of God in his behalf
and triumphantly exclaimed, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not
consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great
is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I
hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that
seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the
salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:18, 22-26. {PK 421.1}
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"Approaching Doom"
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