Bible Reading Plan/ The Book of Jeremiah 20/ Theme: Jeremiah’s Arrest and Public Humiliation.

Jeremiah 20 (NKJV) — 1 Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. 2 Then Pashhur struck 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. 3 And it happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-Missabib. 4 For thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and your eyes shall see it. I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword. 5 Moreover I will deliver all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its precious things; all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, seize them, and carry them to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. You shall go to Babylon, and there you shall die, and be buried there, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied lies.” 7 O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. 8 For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. 9 Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. 10 For I heard many mocking: “Fear on every side!” “Report,” they say, “and we will report it!” All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, “Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him.” 11 But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten. 12 But, O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous, And see the mind and heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them; For I have pleaded my cause before You. 13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor from the hand of evildoers. 14 Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me! 15 Let the man be cursed Who brought news to my father, saying, “A male child has been born to you!” Making him very glad. 16 And let that man be like the cities Which the Lord—overthrew, and did not relent; Let him hear the cry in the morning And the shouting at noon, 17 Because he did not kill me from the womb, That my mother might have been my grave, And her womb always enlarged with me. 18 Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame?

JEREMIAH 20: TEACHING OUTLINE.

Summary of Main Points:

1. Jeremiah’s Imprisonment (1–2).
2. Jeremiah’s Indictment (3–6).
3. Jeremiah’s Complaints to Yahweh (7-14).
4. Jeremiah’s Constraint (9).
5. The Divine Consolation (11).

Key Word: Persecution, v. 11.

Key Text: “But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 20:11, NKJV)

Striking Facts: Jeremiah 20:7-8. Jeremiah was persecuted by priests. Thus our Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross, was reviled by priests and the people, not for anything he Had done, but for His faithful witness to God’s Word. All Christians, like Jeremiah, shall suffer persecutions. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12, NKJV)

Key Thought: Why Pashhur hated Jeremiah so much? Priests were at the center of the opposition to Jeremiah (Jer. 11:21) partly because they were one of the targets of his sharpest criticism (Jer. 1:18). They were part of the central power structures in Jerusalem that Jeremiah declared was about to come to an end (Jer. 18:18).

JEREMIAH 20: OPENING REMARKS.

God’s prophets have always been the focal point of the anger of sinful people. But the record shines with the stories of faithfulness under extreme hardship, persecution and even death as God’s chosen spokesmen (or women) fulfill their destiny. The voice of God cannot be silenced even when sinful people refuse to hear His words. Truth will prevail!

In the midst of crisis, everyone has their moments, even Jeremiah. I can only imagine the intensity of what he was going through. He reminds God that being a prophet was not his choice and he determines to shut his mouth. But the voice of God cannot be silenced even by the prophet. The Words of God held back by Jeremiah became as a burning fire in his bones and came spilling out. And notice that mingled with the pain and frustration from the prophet’s lips came praises to God! Though it gets so bad that he curses the day he was born, he remains faithful.

“These examples of human steadfastness . . . testify to the power of faith to withstand the powers of the world. It is the work of faith to rest in God in the darkest hour . . .” AA 575.

Source: [Dan Houghton/ Hart Research Center/ California].