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Time was running out for Israel. God’s hourglass was down to its last few trickling grains of sand, announcing its imminent demise. Nebuchadnezzar was mustering and mobilizing his troops for a military offensive that would elevate Babylon to the top of the ancient world. Israel was a crossroads nation between the two seats of civilization in Egypt and the Fertile Crescent. It wasn’t much of a factor these days. The Golden Age under David and Solomon was long gone. Israel was little more than a buffer state. Her demise really was in direct proportion to her departure from the Lord, whom she left in favor of heathen idols.
Yes, Israel was ripe for the picking, but God, in His never-failing love, never turned His back on His people. He had His prophets working frantically among them, calling the people to repent and to return to the true God, to that old-time religion.
Today, we look at one of those men whom God called as His spokesman at a time when it wasn’t fashionable to speak up for God. Jeremiah was God’s Man of the Moment. We might call him the Prophet of the Eleventh Hour. He embodied God’s last-ditch effort to turn His people away from terrible tragedy. No braver or more tragic figure ever trod the stage of Israel’s history than Jeremiah. He was a hero of faith, a compassionate man of many moods.
He was a strong man. Like a brick wall, he stood firm against frenzied prophets, fanatic priests, frantic people, and furious kings.
He was a brave man. Calmly, he faced the pack of snarling wolves poised to tear him limb from limb, those people who didn’t exactly like his message. Neither defamation, nor persecution, nor imprisonment, nor threats of death kept him from speaking whatever God commanded him.
He was a tough man. He had a tough job. He carried a tough message to a tough people. Unflinchingly, he pronounced God’s judgments upon the impenitent without respect of persons.
He was a tender man. With the same zeal he used to preach Law, he also preached the Gospel; he was always a messenger of the Lord’s mercy. He was always calling to repentance the nation he loved with a love as tender as that of a mother and as sincere as that of a faithful friend.
He was a compassionate man. While always a man’s man and a tower of strength before his people, when he was alone with himself and his God, he gave vent to his feelings and his fears, his frustrations and his tears. He wasn’t blind to the ever-increasing wickedness and the stubborn self-hardening of his people, and he realized that the horrible judgments of a just God were drawing closer.
Jeremiah must have dreamed some pretty big dreams. He must have had some pretty high aspirations. He must have laid some pretty detailed plans to have achieved such an important position, to be the Lord’s spokesman. Not at all! Jeremiah was more or less just an ordinary guy. No doubt he had pretty ordinary plans for his life. Since the men in his family were all priests, chances are he may have planned to become a priest also. He probably had many of the same plans that you and I have or had: to have a lovely home, to marry a loving spouse, to raise lovable children, to serve the Lord, and to enjoy life.
Jeremiah had his plans. But so did God. God had a plan for Jeremiah. God has a plan for you, too. Let’s ask the question both for us and for Jeremiah:
I. What’s His Plan?
God had big plans for Jeremiah. He called Jeremiah to be His prophet. The Lord of the Universe called on ordinary Jeremiah to carry His extraordinary Word to the world. He was to preach the law in all its severity. He was to speak its message of judgment, wrath, and terror. He was to mince no words, to spare no feelings. Our text says: “I appoint you over nations to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow.” He was to convict and condemn Israel because of her idolatry. He was to uproot by calling out: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man and depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
But that’s not all. His was not just a hopeless message. He was also to speak the glorious Gospel. Our text also says: “I appoint you to build and to plant.” He was to plant by proclaiming: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” He was to speak hope, comfort, and forgiveness to people who repented.
That was a pretty tall order for a young fellow, especially for one who hadn’t planned on going into the prophet business, which, for the most part, was a pretty thankless profession. Besides, he had other plans. No matter. God had plans for him. Long before he was even born, God had plans for him. Our text says: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
God had a plan for Jeremiah, and yes, God has a plan for you, too. Although He may not have called you to be a prophet like Jeremiah, the Lord has called you to be a witness for Him. Peter reminds us: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
That is God’s plan for us -- for each one of us. Bearing witness to our Savior is not only the plan for pastors, teachers, and evangelists. It is God’s plan for all of His people. God’s plan includes us because He has done something extraordinary for us.
It’s no secret what that is. We know that God has given us His only Son. We know that Jesus lived the life of a perfect servant – the kind of life we are supposed to live but never do. We know that He took our place in the death march that led to Calvary. We know that He died there, and we know why He died there -- to purchase the forgiveness of our sins and a place in heaven for us. We also know about Easter. Whether we are 6 or 16 or 36 or 66, we know that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ means eternal life for all who believe in Him.
We know all this, and now God has a Plan for us. He is asking us to share it by our words and deeds, by our lips and lives -- the things we say and don’t say, the things we do and don’t do. He wants us to shine the Epiphany light in our hearts on a world benighted by sin and unbelief, on a world much like Jeremiah’s world marching hell-bent on self-destruction. Can you see God’s Plan for You? Listen to Jesus: “You are the light of the world...Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
II. What’s Our Response
How do we respond? Probably initially, much like Jeremiah, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak. I am only a child.” ‘You’ve got to be kidding, God. You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t have the qualifications for public speaking, especially speaking such an important message. I have no experience from which to draw. No, if you really knew me, God, if you knew all my faults and weaknesses, if you knew how often I sin and stumble and fall short, you’d never have chosen me. No, I’m not the one.’
I think we all feel that way. We could probably come up with a couple dozen excuses why we are the wrong people for the job. But remember, God Has A Plan For Us. He knows us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knew us before we were even born. He gave up His Son to die for us. He forgives us day in and day out for the sake of Jesus. He hears our prayers and understands even when we don’t know what to say. He knows us, and He knows what He is doing when He calls us to be His witnesses. He knows how young we are, how old we are, how nervous we are, how imperfect we are. He knows we won’t be perfect witnesses, but He’s willing to use us anyway. God Has A Plan for Us. But don’t worry. The answer to the next question will calm our fears:
III. What’s His Promise?
The Lord speaks to us as He spoke to Jeremiah: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.” Wherever we are -- at home, in school, on the job -- God is giving us an opportunity to witness. That can be frightening or intimidating. It is easier to clam up than to speak up. A lot easier.
But isn’t it nice to know that we are not alone? The same God who sought us out at Holy Baptism and gave us a new heart and a place in His family; the same God who has been with us every minute of our lives guiding and directing us, that same God will also guide and direct our witnessing. He will give us the words to say just as He gave Jeremiah the words to say: “Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me: ‘Now I have put my words into your mouth.” He has given us that promise in the New Testament, too, that when we speak for Him, He will help us out: “At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
God Has A Plan. He Has A Plan For You. He called you to faith. Now, He’s calling you to share your faith. What a privilege! What an opportunity! What a responsibility! God Has A Plan For You! How will you respond? Amen.
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