"Why are Thy
valiant men swept away. . . ?"
As we are nearing the completion of the book of
Jeremiah, let us reflect on the prophet himself. What do
we think of when Jeremiah’s name comes to mind. We think
of a man who was called of God. He did not necessarily
want to be a prophet. It was thrust upon him by the LORD
God. What would his life have been if he had refused
"the call"? He could have been like all the other Jews
who were rejecting the true God for idols and imagery of
their own minds. His eyes would have been full of
adultery, always looking for something better. Instead,
Jeremiah had a fire in his bones that he could not put
out. He had a message that was like a hammer that broke
rocks in pieces.
Often he found himself in prison and/or in
chains-–hungry and rejected. Some of his scorners would
come to him secretly to hear what the LORD was saying;
yet they believed not the prophet. Once, a scornful king
burned up Jeremiah’s writings. Others listened to his
voice. It appears that he never married or had children.
His life was a solitary one, befriended by few, but
chosen of God, and favored by certain kings.
In today’s reading we see the times when "THE WORD OF
THE LORD CAME TO JEREMIAH THE PROPHET . . ."
Against the Gentiles (Jeremiah 46:1)
Against Egypt (Jeremiah 46:2)
Against the Philistines and Gaza (Jeremiah 47:1)
Against Moab (Jeremiah 48:1)
Against the Ammonites (Jeremiah 49:1)
Against Edom (Jeremiah 49:7)
Against Damascus (Jeremiah 49:23)
Against Kedar (Jeremiah 49:28)
Against Elam [Persia] (Jeremiah 49:34)
Against Babylon and the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 50 &
51)
One Bible verses come to mind FOR TODAY. It is
Jeremiah 46: 15-a: "WHY ARE THY VALIANT MEN SWEPT
AWAY? In our day, many "valiant" men were brave and on
fire for God. WHERE ARE THEY? They have fallen by the
wayside. Some were snared by the devil into traps of
lust and levity. Others were drawn to gold instead of
the precious things of God. Others have died young, not
knowing what course to take--thus spared from the sin
and the humiliation of disobedience.
WHERE ARE THE VALIANT MEN FOR GOD? (ysw)
