JEREMIAH PROPHETS ETHICS

Jeremiah Prophets Ethics

Jeremiah Prophets Ethics

Introduction

It is true that Christians today are not called to be prophets in the sense of Old Testament prophets. It is imperative that God's people understand this. Failure to understand that God does not call individuals to be prophets as he did during the Old Testament leads to cults. It is essential for Christians to recognize that God does not give His Word afresh. The writer of the Hebrew letter expresses this truth by writing: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). Disciples of Christ believe that the word is incarnate in Jesus Christ. There are no new revelations. There are no inspired prophecies today. There are no inspired prophets today. At Mt. Sinai, God made a covenant with His people: He would be their only God, their only leader and the only one on whom the Israelites would put their trust in. Success and unity was a guarantee to their faithfulness to this covenant. He led them, crossing the Red Sea and accompanying them all along through the desert. Faithfulness to God is an assurance of success in life since He will never abandon the ones He loves(Coggins, 1994).

Jeremiah's Call Versus The Believer's Call

Just as God called Jeremiah to fulfill a mission to Israel, so He calls every believer to fulfill a mission. In spite of this call from God, Jeremiah was reluctant to accept this summons because of his age: “Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth” (1:6). As one reflects upon Jeremiah's reason for not wanting to accept this call from God, one cannot help but wonder, what is your excuse for not fulfilling your calling of God? On the one hand, you say that Jeremiah should not have objected; but, on the other hand, you, too, are not responding to God's call. Jeremiah was called upon to declare judgment and salvation. He was called upon “to uproot and tear down” and “to build and to plant” (1:10).

Jeremiah wants the children of Israel to behave in a manner worthy of their special call by God. He wants then to live godly lives. Just as God calls Jeremiah to proclaim judgment and salvation, so, too, every Christian is urged to make known judgment and salvation. Christians are to uphold Jesus as God's way of salvation and escape from God's wrath. But as one contemplates his/her summons, one must remember that God commands a change in one's behavior. It is in this vein that Paul encourages the Christians at Ephesus to walk worthy of his/her call from God. Paul says, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Ephesians 4:1).

Every Believer Called To Serve

As stated above, even though Christians are not called to be prophets as God called Jeremiah into His service; nevertheless, ...