Teens in the Bible - Jeremiah

Chapter 17 teen Jeremiah

Jeremiah wrote the Bible books of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Ancient tradition also credits him as the author of 1st and 2nd Kings. He was just coming out of his teen years when the Lord called him into service as a prophet. God said to him, “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.” For teens who are reading this now I want you to consider how Jeremiah must have felt. How would you feel if God told you that he knew you before you were conceived; that He had set you apart and had a plan for you? I suppose this might answer your question about when life begins, but it would also make you proud. Wouldn't you feel important? Special? Wouldn't this give you a lot of confidence? Maybe you would even feel arrogant, conceited, or self-important.

Did Jeremiah exhibit any of those things in his response? Not at all. He answered, “Ah Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” Within his simple self-effacing response we see humility, modesty, and an unassuming nature. What a teen!

Jeremiah was called to give the prophecy unto Israel of a coming destruction. Israel had forsaken the God Jehovah and turned to idols. The unspeakable had happened: they had built towers to Baal and were sacrificing their children there! I can’t imagine it and yet people are still sacrificing children today, born and unborn, children whom God knew before they were in the womb.

Scholars call Jeremiah the weeping prophet because of his sorrowful account in Lamentations of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was persecuted repeatedly, beaten, and thrown down a cistern to starve to death. He was rescued and never lost his faith in God.

(next Saturday teen Daniel)

Tweetable: When does life begin? Jeremiah knows.