Topical Bible: Persecution: Suffering of Jeremiah

◄ Persecution: Suffering of Jeremiah ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," is a profound example of suffering and persecution for the sake of God's message. His life and ministry, as recorded in the Book of Jeremiah, illustrate the trials faced by those who stand firm in their divine calling amidst opposition and hostility.

Calling and Commissioning

Jeremiah's prophetic ministry began during the reign of King Josiah and continued through the fall of Jerusalem. From the outset, God warned Jeremiah of the challenges he would face: "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD (Jeremiah 1:8). This divine assurance underscores the inevitable persecution Jeremiah would endure.

Rejection and Mockery

Jeremiah's messages of impending judgment and calls for repentance were met with widespread rejection. The people of Judah, including religious leaders and kings, often mocked and scorned him. In Jeremiah 20:7, he laments, "I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me" . This ridicule was not merely verbal but extended to social ostracism and isolation.

Imprisonment and Physical Abuse

Jeremiah's persecution escalated to physical abuse and imprisonment. Under King Zedekiah, he was accused of desertion and subsequently beaten and imprisoned in a dungeon (Jeremiah 37:15-16). Despite these harsh conditions, Jeremiah remained steadfast, continuing to deliver God's messages even from confinement.

Plots Against His Life

Throughout his ministry, Jeremiah faced numerous plots against his life. His own townspeople from Anathoth sought to kill him, prompting God to reveal their plans and assure Jeremiah of divine protection (Jeremiah 11:18-21). Such threats were a constant reality, reflecting the deep-seated animosity towards his prophetic declarations.

The Pit of Malchiah

One of the most harrowing episodes of Jeremiah's persecution was his imprisonment in the cistern of Malchiah. Thrown into the muddy pit by officials who opposed his prophecies, Jeremiah faced death by starvation. However, Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch, intervened, securing his release with the king's permission (Jeremiah 38:6-13). This act of deliverance highlights God's providential care amidst severe trials.

Endurance and Faithfulness

Despite relentless persecution, Jeremiah's unwavering commitment to his prophetic mission is evident. His lamentations and confessions reveal a deeply personal struggle with the burden of his calling, yet he consistently turned to God for strength and vindication. In Jeremiah 20:11, he declares, "But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior. Therefore my persecutors will stumble and will not prevail" .

Jeremiah's life serves as a testament to the cost of faithfulness in a world resistant to divine truth. His experiences of suffering and persecution underscore the reality faced by many who choose to stand for God's word, offering a poignant reminder of the enduring power of faith and obedience.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 32:2
For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Concerning Persecution
... Micaiah was in the prison; Jeremiah in the dungeon; Isaiah was sawn asunder. ... He that
refuses to suffer persecution shall never be free from suffering: ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/21 concerning persecution.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... early death, he was exposed to persecution from every ... the taking of the city delivered
Jeremiah from prison ... be; let us prepare for suffering and disappointment ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

Ci. Foretelling his Passion. Rebuking Ambition.
... 19; xviii.6; Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15). ... making the former refer to
inward spiritual suffering, and the latter to outer persecution and trial ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/ci foretelling his passion rebuking.htm

The Prophet --His Youth and his Call.
... of the prophets of the eighth century, by persecution, by the ... with the modest singer
of the genuine oracles of Jeremiah, "a hero only in suffering, not in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture iii the prophethis youth.htm

Charity and Conflict.
... They say with Jeremiah, and with the Jeremiahs of every age, "Woe ... God, and who have
endured all sorts of persecution, and trial, and suffering, and those ...
//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/chapter v charity and conflict.htm

Index of Subjects.
... accuse world of being the tares, [1994]577. complain falsely about persecution,
[1995]585. ... Jeremiah, [2210]442, [2211]590, [2212]612. Jezebel, [2213]577. ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /index of subjects 2.htm

An Appendix to the Beatitudes
... be pure in heart, to suffer persecution for righteousness ... That suffering is not grievous
which leads to a ... They weary themselves to commit iniquity' (Jeremiah 9:5 ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/an appendix to the beatitudes.htm

The Eighth Book
... Certain men think that this was not persecution because they were not ... Yet we wonder
that such Christians are now suffering at the hands of the ... [428] Jeremiah 20 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the eighth book.htm

Melito and the Circumstances which He Records.
... happened, [1299] the race of the pious is now suffering persecution, being driven ...
1312] Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job; of Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah; of the ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxvi melito and the circumstances.htm

A Clearing-Up Storm in the Realm
... Jeremiah speaks of it as the time of Jacob's trouble,[127] and the Man of ... of the
coming experience at the end, great persecution and suffering, then great ...
/.../vi a clearing-up storm in the.htm