August 4, 2025 • 19 mins
In this Bible Story, we learn about the calling of Jeremiah. He is chosen as a prophet to bring the people of Judah back to God. Much of his words fall on angry ears, and Jeremiah is forced to feel the blunt force of people’s clubs and fists. This story is inspired by Jeremiah 1, 18-20, 2 Chronicles 36:1-5 & 2 Kings 23:28-37. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Jeremiah 18:4 from the King James Version.
Episode 155: After the death of Josiah, Judah was left without a righteous king. This led Jeremiah to speak the Word of God with increased urgency. He urged the people to repent before it was too late, but the people refused to listen and instead beat him and made a fool of him. Knowing that this message was both for now and for the generation to come, he called for Baruch to write down the message God had been giving him. But when the word of God came to the house of the King, he burned it piece by piece.
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Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. And the vessel that he made of
clay was marred in the hand of the potter, so
he made it again in another vessel, as seemed good
to the potter to make it. Jeremiah eighteen four. As
the words of to day's reading echoed deep in my ears,
(00:22):
may the truths be etched on my heart like tattoos,
For to day is the day that I accept my
call to be set apart and consecrated to do great
works for your name, Emily Father. When doubts begin to
arise in my mind, like Jeremiah, I thank you that
(00:45):
your word will rise up within me like a flame
and burn all limiting beliefs that seek to hold me back.
Your word in Jeremiah one five says that before I
was in my mother's womb, you had already called me.
So I thank you that no name, no words, no
(01:10):
harmful lies that were ever spoken over my life can
bear any weight, because before they spoke them, you already
spoke blessing of purpose over me. Whether I had people
who believed in me or people who doubted me, it
doesn't take away from my calling and my destiny. Therefore,
(01:34):
like Jeremiah, I will stand tall and speak what you
tell me to speak. I will build what you called
me to build, knowing that nothing can stop the momentum
of my life because the potter of my life has
me on his wheel of destiny and in his hands
(01:57):
I am molded and created for great and I thank
you Lord that through you it shall be done. In Jesus' name. Amen,
thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
(02:18):
To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story,
brought to you by Bible in a year dot.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Com The Broken pot In our last story, Josiah continued
his reform over the nation of Judah. He cut down
all the remnants of old idols and reinstated the passover
(02:46):
to remember the freedom in God. However, the people continued
to long after their corrupt ways. The Lord gave Josiah
a gentle warning judgment was coming upon Judah for all
its pass sins. There would be a reckoning for all
the innocent souls that were led astray by past kings.
(03:07):
Now we peer into the life and calling of Jeremiah,
who was a prophet during the reign of Josiah. We
learn of Jeremiah's first call from God and the images
that were shown to him. Inspired by the Book of Jeremiah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Hello and welcome once again to the Bible and of
Year podcast. This is Jack Graham, And in our last
reading we heard how Josiah brought the people back to God,
reading the Book of the Law the Covenant to them
and calling them to renew their faith in God, the
covenant that God had made with Israel in the days
of Moses. He then went through the land and destroyed
(03:46):
altars and shrines to honor God and protect people from
falling back into idolatry and spiritual bondage. Josiah had already
received word from God that his people would be judged
for their unfaithfulness to We'll see the beginning of this
time with the initial call of the prophet who would
have great significance in the story of God's people. That
(04:08):
prophet is Jeremiah. So let's listen to God's word today.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
In the days of King Josiah, the Righteous, Jeremiah was
walking in the temple courtyards. It was dusk and the
sky was a shimmering amber. Jeremiah watched the sun slide
behind the horizon. The west wind whistled gently and the
trees beside the temple swayed to the evening lullaby. Jeremiah
(04:35):
sat down as the daylight left the land. He was
a very young man. Often he sought the Lord in
the coolness of nightfall. As Jeremiah closed his eyes, he
could hear a quiet voice in the wind, along with
it a gentle warmth and presence. The Lord spoke to
Jeremiah as he sat beside the temple. Before I formed
(04:56):
you in your mother's womb, I knew you, Jeremiah. His
voice was firm and strong, but refreshing to the soul.
Jeremiah was equally mesmerized and afraid. Before you were born,
I set you apart for the nations. I have chosen
you as a prophet to them. You shall be the
(05:18):
declarer of my wisdom and judgment. The Lord spoke past
Jeremiah's mind and straight to his heart. Jeremiah quivered at
the Lord's call. He knew that the position of prophet
was a great responsibility. With it came trials, judgment, and persecution.
(05:40):
My God, Jeremiah stuttered, I do not know how to
speak your truth. I am only a boy. How could
I do such things? Do not say to me, I
am too young. The Lord replied, wherever I call you,
you will go. What I tell you you speak, fear
is for those who do not have my presence. A
(06:01):
bright light then burst through his mind's eye, and Jeremiah
was swept into the presence of God. He felt a
hand stretch out to him and touch his mouth. Behold,
I have placed my words in your mouth. You are
to be set apart to watch over all the nations
and kingdoms. You shall witness the building and breaking of
all things before you. Jeremiah turned his mind's eyes forward.
(06:26):
He saw a budding almond branch slowly growing before him,
and budding beautiful little flowers. He heard the Lord behind him,
asking Jeremiah, what do you see. I see an almond branch.
Jeremiah whispered, yes, you see. Well, it, like everything else,
grows according to my word. The Lord replied, now, what
(06:51):
do you see. Jeremiah felt the whistling wind pick up
as he was shown the image of a pot facing north.
The pot was over a fire and the water was
simmering into a boil. Jeremiah watched as the boiling water
grew heavier, eventually spilling over onto the fire. Below, I
see a boiling pot, Jeremiah answered, God, it is facing
(07:15):
away from the north. The Lord continued, this time his
tone was intense and filled with warning. Out of the north,
disaster is boiling. Soon the kingdoms of the North will
boil over onto the land of Judah. They shall come,
and it will be with my permission, for I am
allowing them to come into the land as judgment for
(07:36):
Judah's past sins. They will burn and break, but they
shall not destroy, for I am still a merciful God.
Jeremiah still struggled to completely understand the will of God.
Although he was meant to be a messenger of the Lord,
that did not mean he was particularly equipped to give it.
The Lord was gracious to Jeremiah and showed him several
(07:58):
images of his plan to help explain, arise and go
down to the Potter's house in Jerusalem. There I will
show you my will. So Jeremiah packed his things and
made his way to the potter's house. It was dawned
by the time Jeremiah made it, and the potter was
already hard at work. The rooms smelled like clay in
(08:18):
camp fire. Jeremiah watched as the potter worked at his wheel.
The clay spun fast on the wheel, tamed by the
potter's guiding hands. Jeremiah watched as the potter gracefully worked
his hands up and down the clay, molding it into
a tall and thin shape. The vessel continued to spin
on the wheel, However, it began to wobble and lose
(08:40):
its thin frame. The top began to sag, and its
edges became sloppy. Jeremiah became worried that the pot was
ruined and expected the potter to throw away the clay
and start over. Instead, the potter pressed his fist down
on the top of the clay. It continued to spin
and form into a round and wide bowl. Jeremiah's eyes
(09:01):
widened as he saw the potter form a pot far
more beautiful than the one before. The potter meticulously designed
the handles and spun the pot into a marvelous work
of art. Jeremiah did not realize it, but he was
crying watching the potter work. The Lord then spoke to
Jeremiah's heart. Can I not do the same thing that
(09:23):
the potter has done? God said softly. The clay in
the potter's hand was unruly and unbalanced. It had to
be broken down to make something more marvelous. Jeremiah watched
the potter as he listened to the Lord. I am
shaping disaster so that something more splendid may be made.
(09:43):
Jeremiah was filled with purpose. After this, he left the
potter's house and began to call out the declarations of
God and the temple court yards in the city streets.
Amen your ways, Jeremiah declared, turn from your evil ways
and embrace your safe Much of Jeremiah's words fell on
deaf ears. People passed and paid no attention. In fact,
(10:07):
many of them began to grumble at his words. Yet
Jeremiah continued to speak. We have turned our backs on God,
he says to us, My people have forgotten me. Like
a bride running away from his groom. As Jeremiah spoke
the words given to him by God, his heart began
to break. He could feel the hurt in the Lord's words.
(10:30):
He loved his people, and year after years since freeing
them from slavery, they had found new ways to turn
away from him. Sorrow filled his heart, so he continued
to proclaim the warnings of God unashamed. This caused some
elders to conspire against Jeremiah and sent him threats. He
did not cease preaching. He leaned on God for courage
(10:53):
and pressed on. It was midday and Jeremiah was outside
the temple gates proclaiming the word of the Lord. He
spoke with the love and intensity of God, warning people
to repent and turned back to their first love. Pashur,
the chief officer and priest, watched Jeremiah from afar. He
could not stand the man, speaking as though he was
(11:15):
the only mouthpiece of God. Jealousy dug its roots down
deep into his heart. Eventually, hatred boiled over in him.
He picked up a club that was often used to
protect the priests in case of a robbery, and stormed
towards Jeremiah. The prophet could barely see the shadow of
Pashur before the club struck him over the side of
(11:36):
his face. Jeremiah fell onto the floor and smacked his
head on the cobblestone floor. Disoriented, Jeremiah stumbled to his knees,
only to be kicked in the jar. Blood dripped from
his mouth. He finally glanced up to see Pashur looming
over him. Before Jeremiah could say a word, he received
a swift kick in of it. He could feel them
(11:58):
crack on impact. Rithing in pain, Jeremiah managed to open
his eyes only to see the club descending down once again,
knocking him unconscious. Jeremiah woke up the next day. The
sun was beating down on the back of his neck.
He tried to move his hands to rub it, but
could not. Regaining consciousness, Jeremiah discovered that his head and
(12:20):
hands were bound in the stocks outside the temple gates.
People passed by him, giving him grim looks of disapproval
or hatred. Jeremiah hung there all day, receiving the spitting
and ridicule of passerbyers. He did not stop praying the
entire time. Although many of his prayers were asking God
(12:40):
to release him, he maintained his mission to preach repentance.
The day was drawing to a close and Jeremiah could
hear the footsteps of Pascheur behind him. Without a word,
Pasher released him from the stocks and began to walk away.
Jeremiah cleared his throat. His head was throbbing due to
dehydration and the beating from the day before. He stood
(13:02):
to his feet and stuttered out a few words. The
Lord no longer calls you Pascheur, Jeremiah said. The officer
turned his head in curiosity. Jeremiah looked him deeply in
the eyes. You are no longer called Passheur, but terror
on every side. Passur reached for his club to give
(13:23):
Jeremiah another beating, but Jeremiah continued, this time with the
full intensity of God behind his words. Thus says the Lord,
I will make you a terror to yourself and to
all who love you. Passur froze, listening to Jeremiah intently.
They shall all fall by the sword of Babylon. All
(13:44):
of Judah will be given into the hand of the
great Northern Kingdom. Your friends shall be carried away as captives,
and all the wealth of the city shall be taken.
And you, Pashur, will be carried away as a captive.
You shall die as a captive.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Like many.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Fled from the prophet, and Jeremiah fell to his knees
and wept. He lamented that he was given the role
of warning Judah. He wanted to stop, He wanted to
cease preaching the word of the Lord. However, as Jeremiah
prayed to the Lord, he knew that he must continue.
If I did not preach your truth, there would be
a fire in my bones to speak. I cannot help
(14:22):
but proclaim your name. I would be weary if I
held it in. Jeremiah felt the heart of God. He
would preach to people who would not listen. He would
love people that would hate him in return. This was
the burden and calling of a shepherd.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Today's reading begins with a calling. God's voice goes out
to a young man in the courtyard of God's temple, Jeremiah.
That man wasn't expecting this, but God had planned things
for him since before he was conceived, even in his
mother's womb. If there was ever any doubt how God
views the unborn, the words he speaks to Jeremiah leaves
(15:05):
us no doubt. There was a prophet in the womb
of this woman, his mother. God knew him and had
a purpose for him before his life begin, and that
life began when he was conceived. A calling from God
is a privilege, and it should not be taken lightly.
Jeremiah seemed to understand the depth and gravity of this call.
(15:27):
This would be costly and often uncomfortable. People would even
hate him and want to take his life, and his
first reaction is to object. I'm too young to speak
for you, was his reply. But God was not interested
in Jeremiah's objection or excuses. Still, he encouraged the young man,
saying in Jeremiah one eighth, do not be afraid of them,
(15:50):
for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.
God was reminding Jeremiah what we also need to hear,
that He who called us is greater than any obstacle
that we face. That if God before us, who can
be against us, we shall always listen to the still
small voice, to the word of God that calls us
(16:12):
to his service. The Lord then gave Jeremiah a vision
a pot filled with water over a fire. The pot
was pointing north, and the fire brought the water to
a boil. God then gave Jeremiah understanding of what it meant.
God's judgment was coming from the north to punish Judah
for its past sins. This would only happen with God's permission.
(16:36):
A reminder of the Lord's total sovereignty and supremacy. God
would use a foreign enemy for his purposes to correct
and cleanse his own people. And though the enemy would
invade burn and break Judah. They would not destroy the people.
Jeremiah was beginning to understand, but he still needed more.
The Lord showed him many things that were going to happen,
(16:58):
and yet he struggled to grabp masp God's plan. We
then heard how God sent him to the house of
a potter it was time for an object lesson. He
watched as the potter worked the wheels, spinning the clay
and shaping it into a pot. But the clay lost
its shape and all seemed lost. But rather than toss
out the clay, the potter began to work it again.
(17:21):
God used this to explain how he can use brokenness
in our own lives to shape his people. Jeremiah was
filled with confidence and went about speaking God's words and
warnings to all who would listen. Unfortunately, not many did.
They turned away from God and his word, and just
like the prophets who had come before him, Jeremiah faced opposition, hatred,
(17:46):
and even physical harm. We heard the story of Pastor,
the chief of priest, who was so angry he beat
Jeremiah and placed him in stocks to be ridiculed by
those who passed by. But just as God had promised,
In the end, those like Pastor did not prevail against Jeremiah,
and he continued working for God's purposes. Speaking God's truth
(18:09):
is not always easy, but we should surely always speak
God's words, whether in ancient Judah or in our culture today.
When we speak God's truth, it can be costly, it
can be tiring, it can be frightening. But as Jeremiah testified,
he had no choice but to cry out with God's word.
(18:31):
Holding it in was not an option. And even when
we speak to people who do not listen, it is
our calling as Christians to be witnesses of the good news,
the Gospel of Christ, and to reach as many people
as we can with God's truth. This was what God
was doing through Jeremiah and what God wants to do
through you. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word.
(18:56):
We pray that you would give us strength and courage
to always stand for you and truth, even when people
don't listen or are even hostile. Give us the resolve
and the resilience, the courage and the bravery to speak
your words with clarity and conviction. In Jesus' name, Amen,
thank you for listening to today's Bible in a year podcast.
(19:19):
I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download
the Prey dot com app and make Bible study and
prayer the priority of your life. If you enjoyed this podcast,
please share it with someone you love because the Word
of God will make a tremendous difference in people's lives.
And if you want to know more as to how
you can grow in your Christian life and faith, how
(19:42):
you can develop as a follower of Jesus into a strong,
dynamic witness, then be sure and visit Jack Graham dot org.
We have multiple resources there available for you. Again, that's
Jack Graham dot org. God bless you and good day.
Let us pray. And the vessel that he made of
clay was marred in the hand of the potter, so
he made it again in another vessel, as seemed good
to the potter to make it. Jeremiah eighteen four. As
the words of to day's reading echoed deep in my ears,
(00:22):
may the truths be etched on my heart like tattoos,
For to day is the day that I accept my
call to be set apart and consecrated to do great
works for your name, Emily Father. When doubts begin to
arise in my mind, like Jeremiah, I thank you that
(00:45):
your word will rise up within me like a flame
and burn all limiting beliefs that seek to hold me back.
Your word in Jeremiah one five says that before I
was in my mother's womb, you had already called me.
So I thank you that no name, no words, no
(01:10):
harmful lies that were ever spoken over my life can
bear any weight, because before they spoke them, you already
spoke blessing of purpose over me. Whether I had people
who believed in me or people who doubted me, it
doesn't take away from my calling and my destiny. Therefore,
(01:34):
like Jeremiah, I will stand tall and speak what you
tell me to speak. I will build what you called
me to build, knowing that nothing can stop the momentum
of my life because the potter of my life has
me on his wheel of destiny and in his hands
(01:57):
I am molded and created for great and I thank
you Lord that through you it shall be done. In Jesus' name. Amen,
thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
(02:18):
To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story,
brought to you by Bible in a year dot.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Com The Broken pot In our last story, Josiah continued
his reform over the nation of Judah. He cut down
all the remnants of old idols and reinstated the passover
(02:46):
to remember the freedom in God. However, the people continued
to long after their corrupt ways. The Lord gave Josiah
a gentle warning judgment was coming upon Judah for all
its pass sins. There would be a reckoning for all
the innocent souls that were led astray by past kings.
(03:07):
Now we peer into the life and calling of Jeremiah,
who was a prophet during the reign of Josiah. We
learn of Jeremiah's first call from God and the images
that were shown to him. Inspired by the Book of Jeremiah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Hello and welcome once again to the Bible and of
Year podcast. This is Jack Graham, And in our last
reading we heard how Josiah brought the people back to God,
reading the Book of the Law the Covenant to them
and calling them to renew their faith in God, the
covenant that God had made with Israel in the days
of Moses. He then went through the land and destroyed
(03:46):
altars and shrines to honor God and protect people from
falling back into idolatry and spiritual bondage. Josiah had already
received word from God that his people would be judged
for their unfaithfulness to We'll see the beginning of this
time with the initial call of the prophet who would
have great significance in the story of God's people. That
(04:08):
prophet is Jeremiah. So let's listen to God's word today.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
In the days of King Josiah, the Righteous, Jeremiah was
walking in the temple courtyards. It was dusk and the
sky was a shimmering amber. Jeremiah watched the sun slide
behind the horizon. The west wind whistled gently and the
trees beside the temple swayed to the evening lullaby. Jeremiah
(04:35):
sat down as the daylight left the land. He was
a very young man. Often he sought the Lord in
the coolness of nightfall. As Jeremiah closed his eyes, he
could hear a quiet voice in the wind, along with
it a gentle warmth and presence. The Lord spoke to
Jeremiah as he sat beside the temple. Before I formed
(04:56):
you in your mother's womb, I knew you, Jeremiah. His
voice was firm and strong, but refreshing to the soul.
Jeremiah was equally mesmerized and afraid. Before you were born,
I set you apart for the nations. I have chosen
you as a prophet to them. You shall be the
(05:18):
declarer of my wisdom and judgment. The Lord spoke past
Jeremiah's mind and straight to his heart. Jeremiah quivered at
the Lord's call. He knew that the position of prophet
was a great responsibility. With it came trials, judgment, and persecution.
(05:40):
My God, Jeremiah stuttered, I do not know how to
speak your truth. I am only a boy. How could
I do such things? Do not say to me, I
am too young. The Lord replied, wherever I call you,
you will go. What I tell you you speak, fear
is for those who do not have my presence. A
(06:01):
bright light then burst through his mind's eye, and Jeremiah
was swept into the presence of God. He felt a
hand stretch out to him and touch his mouth. Behold,
I have placed my words in your mouth. You are
to be set apart to watch over all the nations
and kingdoms. You shall witness the building and breaking of
all things before you. Jeremiah turned his mind's eyes forward.
(06:26):
He saw a budding almond branch slowly growing before him,
and budding beautiful little flowers. He heard the Lord behind him,
asking Jeremiah, what do you see. I see an almond branch.
Jeremiah whispered, yes, you see. Well, it, like everything else,
grows according to my word. The Lord replied, now, what
(06:51):
do you see. Jeremiah felt the whistling wind pick up
as he was shown the image of a pot facing north.
The pot was over a fire and the water was
simmering into a boil. Jeremiah watched as the boiling water
grew heavier, eventually spilling over onto the fire. Below, I
see a boiling pot, Jeremiah answered, God, it is facing
(07:15):
away from the north. The Lord continued, this time his
tone was intense and filled with warning. Out of the north,
disaster is boiling. Soon the kingdoms of the North will
boil over onto the land of Judah. They shall come,
and it will be with my permission, for I am
allowing them to come into the land as judgment for
(07:36):
Judah's past sins. They will burn and break, but they
shall not destroy, for I am still a merciful God.
Jeremiah still struggled to completely understand the will of God.
Although he was meant to be a messenger of the Lord,
that did not mean he was particularly equipped to give it.
The Lord was gracious to Jeremiah and showed him several
(07:58):
images of his plan to help explain, arise and go
down to the Potter's house in Jerusalem. There I will
show you my will. So Jeremiah packed his things and
made his way to the potter's house. It was dawned
by the time Jeremiah made it, and the potter was
already hard at work. The rooms smelled like clay in
(08:18):
camp fire. Jeremiah watched as the potter worked at his wheel.
The clay spun fast on the wheel, tamed by the
potter's guiding hands. Jeremiah watched as the potter gracefully worked
his hands up and down the clay, molding it into
a tall and thin shape. The vessel continued to spin
on the wheel, However, it began to wobble and lose
(08:40):
its thin frame. The top began to sag, and its
edges became sloppy. Jeremiah became worried that the pot was
ruined and expected the potter to throw away the clay
and start over. Instead, the potter pressed his fist down
on the top of the clay. It continued to spin
and form into a round and wide bowl. Jeremiah's eyes
(09:01):
widened as he saw the potter form a pot far
more beautiful than the one before. The potter meticulously designed
the handles and spun the pot into a marvelous work
of art. Jeremiah did not realize it, but he was
crying watching the potter work. The Lord then spoke to
Jeremiah's heart. Can I not do the same thing that
(09:23):
the potter has done? God said softly. The clay in
the potter's hand was unruly and unbalanced. It had to
be broken down to make something more marvelous. Jeremiah watched
the potter as he listened to the Lord. I am
shaping disaster so that something more splendid may be made.
(09:43):
Jeremiah was filled with purpose. After this, he left the
potter's house and began to call out the declarations of
God and the temple court yards in the city streets.
Amen your ways, Jeremiah declared, turn from your evil ways
and embrace your safe Much of Jeremiah's words fell on
deaf ears. People passed and paid no attention. In fact,
(10:07):
many of them began to grumble at his words. Yet
Jeremiah continued to speak. We have turned our backs on God,
he says to us, My people have forgotten me. Like
a bride running away from his groom. As Jeremiah spoke
the words given to him by God, his heart began
to break. He could feel the hurt in the Lord's words.
(10:30):
He loved his people, and year after years since freeing
them from slavery, they had found new ways to turn
away from him. Sorrow filled his heart, so he continued
to proclaim the warnings of God unashamed. This caused some
elders to conspire against Jeremiah and sent him threats. He
did not cease preaching. He leaned on God for courage
(10:53):
and pressed on. It was midday and Jeremiah was outside
the temple gates proclaiming the word of the Lord. He
spoke with the love and intensity of God, warning people
to repent and turned back to their first love. Pashur,
the chief officer and priest, watched Jeremiah from afar. He
could not stand the man, speaking as though he was
(11:15):
the only mouthpiece of God. Jealousy dug its roots down
deep into his heart. Eventually, hatred boiled over in him.
He picked up a club that was often used to
protect the priests in case of a robbery, and stormed
towards Jeremiah. The prophet could barely see the shadow of
Pashur before the club struck him over the side of
(11:36):
his face. Jeremiah fell onto the floor and smacked his
head on the cobblestone floor. Disoriented, Jeremiah stumbled to his knees,
only to be kicked in the jar. Blood dripped from
his mouth. He finally glanced up to see Pashur looming
over him. Before Jeremiah could say a word, he received
a swift kick in of it. He could feel them
(11:58):
crack on impact. Rithing in pain, Jeremiah managed to open
his eyes only to see the club descending down once again,
knocking him unconscious. Jeremiah woke up the next day. The
sun was beating down on the back of his neck.
He tried to move his hands to rub it, but
could not. Regaining consciousness, Jeremiah discovered that his head and
(12:20):
hands were bound in the stocks outside the temple gates.
People passed by him, giving him grim looks of disapproval
or hatred. Jeremiah hung there all day, receiving the spitting
and ridicule of passerbyers. He did not stop praying the
entire time. Although many of his prayers were asking God
(12:40):
to release him, he maintained his mission to preach repentance.
The day was drawing to a close and Jeremiah could
hear the footsteps of Pascheur behind him. Without a word,
Pasher released him from the stocks and began to walk away.
Jeremiah cleared his throat. His head was throbbing due to
dehydration and the beating from the day before. He stood
(13:02):
to his feet and stuttered out a few words. The
Lord no longer calls you Pascheur, Jeremiah said. The officer
turned his head in curiosity. Jeremiah looked him deeply in
the eyes. You are no longer called Passheur, but terror
on every side. Passur reached for his club to give
(13:23):
Jeremiah another beating, but Jeremiah continued, this time with the
full intensity of God behind his words. Thus says the Lord,
I will make you a terror to yourself and to
all who love you. Passur froze, listening to Jeremiah intently.
They shall all fall by the sword of Babylon. All
(13:44):
of Judah will be given into the hand of the
great Northern Kingdom. Your friends shall be carried away as captives,
and all the wealth of the city shall be taken.
And you, Pashur, will be carried away as a captive.
You shall die as a captive.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Like many.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Fled from the prophet, and Jeremiah fell to his knees
and wept. He lamented that he was given the role
of warning Judah. He wanted to stop, He wanted to
cease preaching the word of the Lord. However, as Jeremiah
prayed to the Lord, he knew that he must continue.
If I did not preach your truth, there would be
a fire in my bones to speak. I cannot help
(14:22):
but proclaim your name. I would be weary if I
held it in. Jeremiah felt the heart of God. He
would preach to people who would not listen. He would
love people that would hate him in return. This was
the burden and calling of a shepherd.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Today's reading begins with a calling. God's voice goes out
to a young man in the courtyard of God's temple, Jeremiah.
That man wasn't expecting this, but God had planned things
for him since before he was conceived, even in his
mother's womb. If there was ever any doubt how God
views the unborn, the words he speaks to Jeremiah leaves
(15:05):
us no doubt. There was a prophet in the womb
of this woman, his mother. God knew him and had
a purpose for him before his life begin, and that
life began when he was conceived. A calling from God
is a privilege, and it should not be taken lightly.
Jeremiah seemed to understand the depth and gravity of this call.
(15:27):
This would be costly and often uncomfortable. People would even
hate him and want to take his life, and his
first reaction is to object. I'm too young to speak
for you, was his reply. But God was not interested
in Jeremiah's objection or excuses. Still, he encouraged the young man,
saying in Jeremiah one eighth, do not be afraid of them,
(15:50):
for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.
God was reminding Jeremiah what we also need to hear,
that He who called us is greater than any obstacle
that we face. That if God before us, who can
be against us, we shall always listen to the still
small voice, to the word of God that calls us
(16:12):
to his service. The Lord then gave Jeremiah a vision
a pot filled with water over a fire. The pot
was pointing north, and the fire brought the water to
a boil. God then gave Jeremiah understanding of what it meant.
God's judgment was coming from the north to punish Judah
for its past sins. This would only happen with God's permission.
(16:36):
A reminder of the Lord's total sovereignty and supremacy. God
would use a foreign enemy for his purposes to correct
and cleanse his own people. And though the enemy would
invade burn and break Judah. They would not destroy the people.
Jeremiah was beginning to understand, but he still needed more.
The Lord showed him many things that were going to happen,
(16:58):
and yet he struggled to grabp masp God's plan. We
then heard how God sent him to the house of
a potter it was time for an object lesson. He
watched as the potter worked the wheels, spinning the clay
and shaping it into a pot. But the clay lost
its shape and all seemed lost. But rather than toss
out the clay, the potter began to work it again.
(17:21):
God used this to explain how he can use brokenness
in our own lives to shape his people. Jeremiah was
filled with confidence and went about speaking God's words and
warnings to all who would listen. Unfortunately, not many did.
They turned away from God and his word, and just
like the prophets who had come before him, Jeremiah faced opposition, hatred,
(17:46):
and even physical harm. We heard the story of Pastor,
the chief of priest, who was so angry he beat
Jeremiah and placed him in stocks to be ridiculed by
those who passed by. But just as God had promised,
In the end, those like Pastor did not prevail against Jeremiah,
and he continued working for God's purposes. Speaking God's truth
(18:09):
is not always easy, but we should surely always speak
God's words, whether in ancient Judah or in our culture today.
When we speak God's truth, it can be costly, it
can be tiring, it can be frightening. But as Jeremiah testified,
he had no choice but to cry out with God's word.
(18:31):
Holding it in was not an option. And even when
we speak to people who do not listen, it is
our calling as Christians to be witnesses of the good news,
the Gospel of Christ, and to reach as many people
as we can with God's truth. This was what God
was doing through Jeremiah and what God wants to do
through you. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word.
(18:56):
We pray that you would give us strength and courage
to always stand for you and truth, even when people
don't listen or are even hostile. Give us the resolve
and the resilience, the courage and the bravery to speak
your words with clarity and conviction. In Jesus' name, Amen,
thank you for listening to today's Bible in a year podcast.
(19:19):
I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download
the Prey dot com app and make Bible study and
prayer the priority of your life. If you enjoyed this podcast,
please share it with someone you love because the Word
of God will make a tremendous difference in people's lives.
And if you want to know more as to how
you can grow in your Christian life and faith, how
(19:42):
you can develop as a follower of Jesus into a strong,
dynamic witness, then be sure and visit Jack Graham dot org.
We have multiple resources there available for you. Again, that's
Jack Graham dot org. God bless you and good day.
Host
Jack Graham
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