B. The burden of the persecuted prophet.
1. (
Jer 20:7-8) Jeremiah speaks to God of his own faithfulness.
O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded;
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
I am in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
For when I spoke, I cried out;
I shouted, "Violence and plunder!"
Because the word of the Lord was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
a.
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed: Jeremiah explained to God that he was
compelled to his prophetic work. He had not desired it or pursued it, yet God
prevailed upon him to take on this prophetic work.
i.
You induced me: “The verb
seduce (
pata) occurs in
Exodus 22:16(cf.
Judges 16:5) in a law regarding sexual seduction. Jeremiah seems to be saying that he had understood his relationship to Yahweh to be something like a marriage bond but it was now claimed that he had been deceived, enticed by Yahweh, who had used him and tossed him aside.” (Thompson)
b.
I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me: Perhaps Jeremiah spoke in light of his recent experience of being set in the public stocks (
Jeremiah 20:1-2). Stuck in the stocks, he was the object of mockery and derision, even as Jesus would later endure similar humiliation.
c.
The word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily: As a faithful messenger of the Lord, it was difficult for Jeremiah to endure the
reproach and
derision that came to the one who prophesied coming judgment and catastrophe for Judah.
i. “Because Jeremiah’s words remained unfulfilled for so long, people just ridiculed him whenever he spoke about the future.” (Harrison)