EGW WritingsJeremiah 1

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)

Ms 16a, 1885

4LtMs, Ms 16a, 1885, par. 39

It is a beautiful morning. We have no seasickness as yet. Last evening we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. The broad ocean was all that we could see surrounding us, and the sun went out of sight in the broad waters. We went into the dining room to attend services. Under the Episcopalian services, prayers were read, and chapters in the Old and New Testaments that were very appropriate for the occasion. The hymns sung were excellent in sentiment. The chapter read first was in Jeremiah. The second was in the New Testament in regard to the shipwreck of Paul. I wrote eight pages and prepared a reported article for the press. We were on deck most of the time.

Ye Shall Receive Power

Jeremiah, September 15

YRP 267.1

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:4, 5.

From Splendor to Shadow

Why Submission Was So Important

SS 230.2

God desired them to submit and make their servitude as pleasant as possible. His counsel was: “Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens ... . Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” Verses 5-7.

SS 230.5

Jeremiah had followed a consistent course in counseling submission to the Babylonians. Ambassadors from Edom, Moab, Tyre, and other nations visited Zedekiah to learn whether he would join them in a united revolt against Babylon. While these ambassadors were awaiting a response, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Make yourself thongs and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. Send word to the [neighboring kings] ... by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem.” Jeremiah 27:2, 3, RSV. God had given them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, and they were to “serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come.” Verse 7.

SS 231.1

The ambassadors were further instructed that if they refused to serve the Babylonian king, they should be punished “with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence.” “Do not listen to your prophets,” the Lord declared, “your diviners, your dreamers ... . For it is a lie which they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land ... . But any nation which will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to till it and dwell there, says the Lord.” Verses 8-11, RSV. The lightest punishment a merciful God could inflict on so rebellious a people was submission to the rule of Babylon, but if they warred against this they were to feel the full rigor of His chastisement. The amazement of the assembled council of nations knew no bounds when Jeremiah made known the will of God.

Prophets and Kings

Chapter 34—Jeremiah

PK 407.1

Among those who had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival as the result of the reformation under Josiah was Jeremiah, called of God to the prophetic office while still a youth, in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign. A member of the Levitical priesthood, Jeremiah had been trained from childhood for holy service. In those happy years of preparation he little realized that he had been ordained from birth to be “a prophet unto the nations;” and when the divine call came, he was overwhelmed with a sense of his unworthiness. “Ah, Lord God!” he exclaimed, “behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” Jeremiah 1:5, 6.

PK 407.2

In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and who would stand for the right against great opposition. In childhood he had proved faithful; and now he was to endure hardness, as a good soldier of the cross. “Say not, I am a child,” the Lord bade His chosen messenger; “for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.” “Gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.” Verses 7, 8, 17-19.

PK 409.1

Of his call to the prophetic mission, Jeremiah himself wrote: “The Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. 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.” Jeremiah 1:9, 10.

PK 409.2

Thank God for the words, “to build, and to plant.” By these words Jeremiah was assured of the Lord’s purpose to restore and to heal. Stern were the messages to be borne in the years that were to follow. Prophecies of swift-coming judgments were to be fearlessly delivered. From the plains of Shinar “an evil” was to “break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.” “I will utter My judgments against them,” the Lord declared, “touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me.” Verses 14, 16. Yet the prophet was to accompany these messages with assurances of forgiveness to all who should turn from their evil-doing.

From Splendor to Shadow

Chapter 34—Jeremiah, the Man Who Felt God’s Anguish

SS 212.1

Jeremiah had hoped for a permanent reformation under Josiah. Called of God to the prophetic office while still a youth, a member of the priesthood, Jeremiah had been trained from childhood for holy service. In those happy years he little realized that he had been ordained from birth to be “a prophet unto the nations.” When the divine call came, he was overwhelmed. “Ah, Lord God!” he exclaimed, “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” Jeremiah 1:5, 6, RSV.

SS 212.2

In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and stand for the right against great opposition. In childhood he had proved faithful, and now he was to endure hardness as a soldier of the cross. “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth.’ ... Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.” “Say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land ... . They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.” Verses 7, 8, 17-19, RSV.

SS 213.1

Yet Jeremiah was often permitted to look beyond the distressing scenes of the present to the glorious future, when God’s people should be planted again in Zion. “Their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.” Jeremiah 31:12. Jeremiah wrote: “The Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. 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.” Jeremiah 1:9, 10.

From Splendor to Shadow

An Ethiopian Saves Jeremiah’s Life

SS 238.4

The cowardly king knew that the charges were false, but to propitiate those high and influential in the nation, he gave Jeremiah into their hands to do as they pleased. The prophet was cast “into the dungeon of Malchiah ... : and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: and Jeremiah sunk in the mire.” But God raised up friends for him, who besought the king and had him again removed to the court of the prison. Verse 6.

SS 238.5

Once more the king sent privately for Jeremiah and bade him relate the purpose of God toward Jerusalem. Jeremiah inquired, “If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?” The king entered into a secret compact with the prophet. “As the Lord liveth, ... I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.” Verses 15, 16.

SS 238.6

There was still opportunity for the king to heed the warnings, and thus to temper with mercy the judgments falling on city and nation. “If you will surrender to the princes of the king of Babylon,” was the message given the king, “then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. But if you do not surrender ..., then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.” Verses 17, 18, RSV.

SS 239.1

“I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans,” the king replied, “lest I be handed over to them and they abuse me.” But the prophet promised, “You shall not be given to them.” And he added the earnest entreaty, “Obey now the voice of the Lord in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared.” Verses 19, 20, RSV.

With God at Dawn

Go Without Fear, October 26

WGD 301.1

But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Jeremiah 1:7.

From Splendor to Shadow

The Faithful Youth Were Encouraged

SS 222.2

Those who should choose to live holy lives amid apostasy would be enabled to witness for Him. The days were coming, the Lord declared, when people would no longer say, “The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out ... from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.” Verses 7, 8. Such were the prophecies uttered by Jeremiah when the Babylonians were bringing their besieging armies against the walls of Zion.

From Trials to Triumph

How We Help the Building

TT 312.4

As Christ sent forth His disciples, so today He sends the members of His church. If they will make God their strength, they shall not labor in vain. God said to Jeremiah, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you you shall go.” Then the Lord touched His servant’s mouth, saying, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:7, 9, RSV. And He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch on our lips. There is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and His character.

Maranatha

Heaven Is Waiting for You, April 30

Mar 128.2

Of the apostles it is written, “They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” Mark 16:20. As Christ sent forth His disciples, so today He sends forth the members of His church. The same power that the apostles had is for them. If they will make God their strength, He will work with them, and they shall not labor in vain. Let them realize that the work in which they are engaged is one upon which the Lord has placed His signet. God said to Jeremiah, “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.” Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched His servant’s mouth, saying, “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” Jeremiah 1:7-9. And He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch upon our lips.

Reflecting Christ

The Church Will Triumph Over Every Obstacle, July 30

RC 225.3

God said to Jeremiah, “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee” (Jeremiah 1:7, 8). Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched His servant’s mouth, saying, “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth” (verse 9). And He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch upon our lips.

The Acts of the Apostles

Chapter 58—The Church Triumphant

AA 599.2

Of the apostles it is written, “They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” Mark 16:20. As Christ sent forth His disciples, so today He sends forth the members of His church. The same power that the apostles had is for them. If they will make God their strength, He will work with them, and they shall not labor in vain. Let them realize that the work in which they are engaged is one upon which the Lord has placed His signet. God said to Jeremiah, “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.” Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched His servant’s mouth, saying, “Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.” Jeremiah 1:7-9. And He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch upon our lips.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)

Ms 24, 1903

18LtMs, Ms 24, 1903, par. 12

In giving His commission to the disciples, Christ said: “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” [John 20:21.] “In My name I send you forth, and by My Spirit I will qualify you for service.” And as He sent His disciples forth, so today He sends forth His ministers. They are His shepherds! It is their work to feed the flock of God with meat in due season. They may feel weak, inefficient, powerless; but if they make God their strength, He will work with them, and they will not labor in vain. They should feel that it is not a deceptive, unreal work in which they are engaged. It is not a work in which they will never know whether or not they have gained success. God said to Jeremiah: “Say not, I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces; for I am with thee to deliver thee.” Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched His servant’s mouth, and said to him, “Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.” [Jeremiah 1:7-9.] Let us thank God for such encouragement.

From Splendor to Shadow

God’s Marvelous Loving-Kindness

SS 217.1

Jeremiah’s message aroused the antagonism of many. They cried out, “Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.” Verse 9. Priests, false prophets, and people turned on him who would not speak smooth things or prophesy deceit. God’s servant was threatened with death.

From Splendor to Shadow

Jeremiah Opposed by Arrogant False Prophets

SS 231.3

Jeremiah cited the prophecies of Hosea, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, whose messages had been similar to his own. He referred to events which had taken place in exact fulfillment of God’s purpose as revealed through His messengers. “The prophet which prophesieth of peace,” Jeremiah proposed in conclusion, “when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.” Verse 9.

SS 232.1

The words of Jeremiah aroused Hananiah to a daring challenge. Taking the symbolic yoke from Jeremiah’s neck, Hananiah broke it, saying, “Thus saith the Lord; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within the space of two full years.” Verse 11.

SS 232.2

Apparently Jeremiah could do nothing more than to retire from the scene of conflict. But he was given another message: “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but I will make in their place bars of iron ... . I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke of servitude to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him ... .’” “And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.’ Therefore thus says the Lord: ... ‘This very year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord’. In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.” Verses 13-17, RSV. The false prophet had wickedly declared himself the Lord’s messenger, and suffered death in consequence.

From Splendor to Shadow

Jeremiah’s Courage Saves His Life

SS 217.2

Tidings of the words of Jeremiah were carried to the princes, and they hastened from the palace to learn for themselves the truth of the matter. “Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.” Verse 11. But Jeremiah boldly declared: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now ... obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent Him of the evil that He hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you.” Verses 12-15.

From Splendor to Shadow

Chapter 45—Cyrus Sets the Exiles Free

SS 286.1

Daniel had gone over these and similar prophecies. Now, as events betokened the hand of God at work, Daniel gave special thought to the promises made to Israel. The Lord had declared, “Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” Verses 12, 13.

From Splendor to Shadow

The Perversity of King Jehoiakim

SS 223.3

The prophet was inspired to pronounce judgment on the faithless ruler: “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbor’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work.” “Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him ... . He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” Verses 13, 18, 19.

SS 224.1

The Lord likened the fate of the nation to the draining of a cup filled with the wine of divine wrath. Among the first to drink of this cup was to be “Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof.” Verse 18. Others were to partake of the same cup—Egypt and many other nations. See Jeremiah 25.

From Splendor to Shadow

Chapter 43—Belshazzar’s Feast: Babylon’s Last Night

SS 275.5

More than a century before, Inspiration had foretold that “the night of ... pleasure” (Isaiah 21:4), during which king and counselors would blaspheme God, would suddenly be changed into a season of fear and destruction. And now, while still in the festal hall, the king is informed that “his city is taken” by the enemy. Jeremiah 51:31. Even while he and his nobles were drinking from the sacred vessels and praising their gods of silver and gold, the Medes and Persians, having turned the Euphrates out of its channel, were marching into the heart of the unguarded city. The army of Cyrus now stood under the walls of the palace. The city was filled with the soldiers of the enemy, “as many as locusts” (Verse 14, RSV), and their triumphant shouts could be heard above the despairing cries of the astonished revelers.

From Splendor to Shadow

Chapter 37—Zedekiah Fails His Last Chance

SS 237.1

Now, as the fated city was about to pass into the hands of the heathen, Jeremiah considered his work done and attempted to leave, but was prevented by one who reported that he was about to join the Babylonians. The prophet denied the lying charge, but “the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison.” Verse 15.

From Splendor to Shadow

Chapter 35—Judah’s Amazing Stubbornness

SS 221.1

The Lord declared, “I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land which I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to Me.” “Therefore, ... I am bringing on Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them.” Verses 15, 17, RSV.

SS 221.3

Upon the Rechabites was pronounced a continued blessing: “Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, ... Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before Me forever.” Verses 18, 19. The lesson is for us. If the requirements of a wise father, who took the most effectual means to secure his posterity against the evils of intemperance, were worthy of strict obedience, surely God’s authority should be held in much greater reverence! By His servants He predicts the dangers of disobedience; He sounds the warning and reproves sin. His people are kept in prosperity only by His mercy, through the vigilant watchcare of chosen instrumentalities. He cannot uphold a people who reject His counsel.

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2

Chapter 1—Sketch of Experience

2T 17.2

I shall still cherish the tenderest feelings of regard for this family, and shall be happy to help them when I can. It is true that such treatment from those for whom I give my life casts a shade of sadness over me; but my course has been so plainly marked out for me that I cannot let such things keep me from the path of duty. As I returned from the post office with the above note, feeling rather depressed in spirit, I took the Bible, and opened it with the prayer that I might find comfort and support therein, and my eye rested directly upon the following words of the prophet: “Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.” Jeremiah 1:17-19.

Testimony for the Church — No. 15

Sketch of Experience

T15 8.4

I shall still cherish the tenderest feelings of regard for this family, and shall be happy to help them when l can. It is true that such things in those for whom I give my life, cast a shade of sadness over me; but my course has been too plainly marked out for me to let such things keep me from the path of duty. As I returned from the post office with the above note on the 15th day of April, 1868, feeling rather depressed in spirit, I took the Bible in my hand, and opened it with the prayer that therein I might find comfort and support, and my eye rested directly upon the following words of the prophet: “Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee; be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.” Jeremiah 1:17-19.