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Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth". Unless the Lord puts the
words into the mouth of the speaker, the most eloquent discourse is in vain.
Frequently we feel that when a man is called of God, his ministry will be all success
and glory, but as with Isaiah, so it was with Jeremiah: he was warned of difficulties and
opposition, and given a ministry of condemnation:
"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."
His ministry was not to be totally negative, there would be the positive aspect also.
Seldom is the one God called left totally without encouragement, though it may be only
small, for no God commissioned mission is ever really fruitless.
Jeremiah had other experiences common to those God calls. He experienced
opposition from those who ought to have been giving him encouragement and support:
"Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying,
Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hand" (Jer. 11: 21).
From the very first verse of the book we learn that there were priests at Anathoth, and
it would seem that Jeremiah was opposed by relatives and friends, who were also those
whose prime concern should have been with the Word of God and with His Law. This is
confirmed in chapter 12: 6:
"For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously
with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they
speak fair words unto thee."
Those who should have been his support dealt `treacherously' with him; they spoke
`fair words' to him: "I agree entirely with what you say, but . . . . .", "your ministry is
faithful, but . . . . .". The result of this opposition was that there were times when his
ministry seemed too much for him as he makes clear in chapter 15: 10-18. In verse 10
he complains that his ministry is causing strife and discord. He refers in verse 16 to the
finding of the book of the law:
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and
rejoicing of mine heart" (Jer. 15: 16).
He had avidly read the Word of the Lord, and it had been the source of supreme joy to
him; in consequence:
"I sat not in the assembly of the mockers (merry-makers), nor rejoiced; I sat alone
because of Thy hand: for Thou hast filled me with indignation" (15: 17).
He could not rejoice with the `merry-makers', for he was full of indignation at their
rejection of that which had filled his heart with the joy of the Lord, and in verse 18 he
goes on to say that his despondency is perpetually like an incurable and painful wound,
for it seemed as though Jehovah was deceiving him.