 |
 |
Men of the Old Testament: Jeremiah – Jeremiah 1  Late in the nineteenth century two brothers were floundering. As a teenager the eldest of the two had been accidentally struck in the face by a hockey stick. The blow had cost the boy the loss of his front teeth, and after that accident the athletic youth became more reclusive and abandoned his plans to attend Yale. Rather than attending college the boy spent most of his time at home struggling with depression, worrying about his future, and caring for his mother who was terminally ill with tuberculosis. The younger brother left school after the conclusion of his junior year to found a printing business. Eventually the two brothers worked the printing presses together and despite both of their struggles with depression and illness things seemed to be looking up for them. Later they would leave the printing business and open a bicycle sales and repair shop. Finally they had found their calling: making, selling, and repairing bicycles. Together the two seemed to have a destiny for the first time in their lives. Their destiny, however, was not bicycles. No one today knows Orville and Wilbur Wright because of their expertise with a bicycle chain. We know them because they were two of the pioneers of flight. The path that they had chosen for themselves was not one that God ultimately had in mind for the two struggling but mechanically gifted men. The story of the Wright brothers is very similar to that of Jeremiah. Jeremiah never intended to be a prophet, and truthfully he did not really want the job. He was born into a priestly family in Anathoth, a village 2–3 miles north of Jerusalem. He probably desired to follow in his father’s footsteps as a priest, but God definitely had other plans. Jeremiah’s life suddenly and quickly changed direction. One minute he was going one direction, the next minute God led him to pursue an entirely different ambition. Jeremiah was more than a little resistant at first claiming that his age, his ability, and his experience would all preclude him from following God’s plan for his life. Yet, God’s plan for Jeremiah’s life were stronger than the objections of the critics, and even of the prophet himself. Questions for Discussion/Reflection 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of age when it comes to serving God? 2. Does God have any plans for you that you are resisting or doubting? 3. God took Jeremiah from comfort to conflict. Are there any comforts that God is asking you to leave? Are there any conflicts that God is leading you into? Further Study on Jeremiah Bible Dictionary Entries for Jeremiah Archaeology and Jeremiah Staff Writer: Aaron Sharp |
 |
email to a friend