Topical Bible: Jeremiah: The Prophet: Zeal of

◄ Jeremiah: The Prophet: Zeal of ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," is a prominent figure in the Old Testament, known for his unwavering zeal and dedication to God's message despite facing immense opposition and personal suffering. His prophetic ministry, which spanned over forty years during the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC, was marked by a fervent commitment to calling the people of Judah back to covenant faithfulness amidst rampant idolatry and moral decay.

Divine Calling and Commission

Jeremiah's zeal is evident from the very beginning of his ministry. In Jeremiah 1:4-10 , the Lord declares His sovereign choice of Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations, even before his birth. Despite Jeremiah's initial hesitance, citing his youth and inexperience, God's assurance and empowerment embolden him. The Lord touches Jeremiah's mouth, symbolizing the divine words he is to speak, and commands him to stand against the nations and kingdoms, to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.

Confrontation with Idolatry and Injustice

Jeremiah's zeal is further demonstrated in his relentless confrontation of Judah's idolatry and social injustices. He passionately denounces the people's unfaithfulness, likening their idolatry to spiritual adultery. In Jeremiah 2:13 , he conveys God's lament: "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Jeremiah's zeal for God's holiness and justice compels him to speak out against the false prophets and corrupt leaders who mislead the people, as seen in Jeremiah 23:1-2 .

Suffering and Perseverance

Jeremiah's zeal is not without personal cost. He endures significant suffering, including imprisonment, beatings, and public ridicule. Despite these hardships, his commitment to God's message remains steadfast. In Jeremiah 20:9 , he expresses the internal struggle of containing God's word: "But if I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,' His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail." This metaphor of a burning fire illustrates the intensity of Jeremiah's zeal and the compulsion to proclaim God's truth, regardless of the consequences.

Intercession and Compassion

Jeremiah's zeal is also characterized by deep compassion and intercession for his people. Despite their rebellion, he pleads with God on their behalf, demonstrating a profound love for his nation. In Jeremiah 14:7-9 , he intercedes, acknowledging the people's sins and appealing to God's covenant faithfulness: "Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You."

Hope and Restoration

While Jeremiah's message is predominantly one of judgment, his zeal also encompasses a vision of hope and restoration. He prophesies the coming of a new covenant, as recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34 , where God promises to write His law on the hearts of His people and forgive their iniquities. This promise of renewal underscores Jeremiah's zeal for God's ultimate plan of redemption and reconciliation.

Jeremiah's life and ministry exemplify a profound zeal for God's truth, justice, and mercy. His unwavering dedication to his prophetic calling, despite immense personal suffering, serves as a powerful testament to the transformative power of divine zeal in the life of a believer.

Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, O LORD God of hosts.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

St. Ambrose Teaches Out of the Prophet Isaiah what they must do ...
... forgive all, Who called you by the prophet and said ... Jeremiah knew that penitence
was a great remedy, which he ... ought to carry it out, with what zeal, with what ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter vi st ambrose teaches.htm

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
... of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he ... All
the scriptural notices of Ezra attest both his zeal and his ability as ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xv formation and history.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... having yielded to the spirit of unbelief, had lost their zeal for God's ... words of
Zechariah 11:13, but they are ascribed to "Jeremiah the prophet." Of this ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

Jeremiah and Deuteronomy. (Chs. vii, viii. 8, xi. )
... Isaiah as well as Hosea's tenderness and his zeal for education ... cannot have left
unmoved a young prophet of the conscience and heart of Jeremiah.(269) That ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/3 jeremiah and deuteronomy chs.htm

Daniel: a Pattern for Pleaders
... merely that I and others may be able to say, "See our zeal for the ... number of the
years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 61 1915/daniel a pattern for pleaders.htm

The History of the Prophetic Sermons, Epistles, and Apocalypses
... decline were Zephaniah (about 628 BC), Jeremiah (628-690 ... until 572 BC, and the great
prophet whose deathless ... sermons kept alive the flagging zeal of those who ...
/.../the origin and permanent value of the old testament/vii the history of the.htm

The Prophetic Theme. Rev. Gervase Smith.
... And we must be prepared to meet it with a zeal, "such as in the ... number of the years,
whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, the prophet, that he ...
/.../the wesleyan methodist pulpit in malvern/the prophetic theme rev gervase.htm

The Potter and the Clay
... go down to the potter's house" (the prophet knew where to ... O house of Israel." At
length, then, Jeremiah hath his ... it be." A great many show much zeal in talking ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the potter and the clay.htm

Isaiah.
... Jeremiah's ministry perhaps extended into the period of the captivity. ... The prophet
was then first of all a Jewish ... with the Holy Ghost and with zeal for Israel. ...
/.../gerberding/the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter xv isaiah.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... the historical circumstances at the time of the prophet. ... In Jeremiah and Ezekiel,
too, the prophecies, previous to ... Joshua, ie, the Lord is help.) Zeal for the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm