The Sunday School Lesson Cost of Being God's Messenger by David McGee
May 08, 2016
Cost of Being God's Messenger (32:39)
Referenced Scriptures: Jeremiah 20:1-18; Lamentations 3:1-24
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At some time, everyone experiences rejection in one form or another. It may be emotional, psychological, or even physical. At times, rejection may even take the form of actual opposition or persecution. Regardless of the form rejection takes, no one wants to experience it. When we do, it can be a struggle to overcome that rejection. This is especially true when we are attempting to be faithful to God's calling upon our lives.
When God called Jeremiah to be His prophet, He never promised that Jeremiah's life would be easy. He never promised Jeremiah he would be free from opposition and persecution. Today's study shows us what happened when Jeremiah first experienced opposition and persecution. It shows us his internal struggles, and it shows us how he faced them.
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Jeremiah 20:1-18
1) Now Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the house of Yahweh, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.
2) Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Yahweh.
3) It happened on the next day, that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah to him, Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but Magor-missabib.
4) For thus says Yahweh, 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; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall kill them with the sword.
5) Moreover I will give all the riches of this city, and all the gains of it, and all the precious things of it, yes, all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies; and they shall make them a prey, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.
6) You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house shall go into captivity; and you shall come to Babylon, and there you shall die, and there shall you be buried, you, and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.
7) Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded; you are stronger than I, and have prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocks me.
8) For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, Violence and destruction! because the word of Yahweh is made a reproach to me, and a derision, all the day.
9) If I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can‘t [contain].
10) For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, [say] all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall; peradventure he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
11) But Yahweh is with me as an awesome mighty one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly put to shame, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten.
12) But, Yahweh of Hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance on them; for to you have I revealed my cause.
13) Sing to Yahweh, praise you Yahweh; for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evil-doers.
14) Cursed be the day in which I was born: don‘t let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.
15) Cursed be the man who brought news to my father, saying, A man-child is born to you; making him very glad.
16) Let that man be as the cities which Yahweh overthrew, and didn‘t repent: and let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime;
17) because he didn‘t kill me from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great.
18) Why came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
Lamentations 3:1-24
1) I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2) He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3) Surely against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.
4) My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
5) He has built against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6) He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7) He has walled me about, that I can‘t go forth; he has made my chain heavy.
8) Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9) He has walled up my ways with hewn stone; he has made my paths crooked.
10) He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11) He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he has made me desolate.
12) He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13) He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14) I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15) He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.
16) He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he has covered me with ashes.
17) You have removed my soul far off from peace; I forgot prosperity.
18) I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Yahweh.
19) Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20) My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
21) This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22) [It is of] Yahweh‘s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn‘t fail.
23) They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24) Yahweh is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The WEB Bible is provided by Public Domain.