Approaching studies within Jeremiah, instead of trying to follow chronologically, which is difficult with this book, for roughly the first half of the book, the first 29 chapters, we will instead only produce studies within their appropriate chapters, theming them as follows:

• Jeremiah’s Calling                     Ch.1
• Jeremiah’s Main Message        Ch.2,3,5,7,21,22
• Jeremiah’s Action Parables      Ch.13,18,19,27
• Jeremiah’s Opposition              Ch.11,12, 14,18,20,26,28
• Jeremiah’s Message of Hope   Ch.3,23,24,25,29

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, and the particular theme, as with studies elsewhere, each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read on the main Bible page.

Jeremiah’s Opposition: 1. Plot Against Jeremiah

Jer 11:18-22

¹⁸ Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. ¹⁹ I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,

“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
    let us cut him off from the land of the living,
    that his name be remembered no more.”
²⁰ But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously
    and test the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
    for to you I have committed my cause.

²¹ Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands”— ²² therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. ²³ Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”

A. Find Out :

1. How did Jeremiah find out about the plot? v.18
2. How did he see himself? v.19
3. What had they been planning? v.19
4. What did Jeremiah ask of the Lord? v.20
5. What had they been saying? v.21
6. What did the Lord say of them? v.22,23

B. Think:

1. Why were they opposing Jeremiah?
2. What place had he come to as he prayed?
3. What does this passage show about the Lord and His servants?

C. Comment:

We now come to the first of a number of such incidents, where Jeremiah is being opposed for what he is saying.  2 Timothy 3:12 tells us that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” which of course applies to us.  Never the less it also applied to all God’s prophets as well and Jeremiah was no exception.

When a man is “godly”, he knows God and shares God’s heart.  Those who do not share God’s heart are often upset when they are confronted with it, and they direct their feelings at the human messenger. Jeremiah is told “Stop prophesying or be killed” but that is not enough to stop a man of God, and weak though he feels, that is what Jeremiah is. As Jeremiah cries out to the Lord he asks Him to deal with these men who oppose God’s word for he says, “to you I have committed my cause”.  That’s lovely!  Lord I put my trust in you, so please look after me!

The Lord doesn’t say anything about Jeremiah himself but in reply He does say He will deal with these men. It is implied that Jeremiah will be preserved, but that wasn’t true of all of God’s messengers (Hebrews 11:36,37)

D. Application?

1. Can you say, “to you I have committed my cause” AND rest in that?
2. Will we be more concerned with what men say rather than about God’s glory?