LIKE FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES

PROCLAMATION

“But if I say, ‘I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name,’ His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.  I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”  Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  In chapter nineteen of The Bible Book of Jeremiah The Lord God told him to go and buy a jar of clay from the potter and to take some of the elders along with him. (Jeremiah 19:1-2)  There he again told them that The Lord was going to destroy them because they had forsaken Him and turned to idol worship. (Jeremiah 19:3-9)  Then The Lord God told Jeremiah to break the jar while the elders were watching and tell them that He will smash their nation as the potter’s jar was smashed. (Jeremiah 19:10-12)  When the high priest Pashhur heard of Jeremiah’s prophecy, he had him publicly beaten and put in the stocks. (Jeremiah 20:1-2)  When he was released the following day, he told Pashhur that he would witness the slaughter of his people at the hands of their enemies.  He said that the king of Babylon would take him into captivity, along with those who survive the massacre, because of his lies and false prophecies. (Jeremiah 20:3-6)  Afterwards, Jeremiah privately complained to The Lord God because of the treatment which he had received from the people after delivering His messages. (Jeremiah 20:7-8)  He even threatened to keep quiet and not speak in His name, but he recognized that he couldn’t do that because God’s words within him were like fire shut up in his bones.  Jeremiah was so conflicted that he even cursed the day that he was born. (Jeremiah 20:14-18)

APPLICATION

Standing up and speaking up for The Lord God is not easy.  All too often the people do not want to hear “what thus saith The Lord.”  Verbal attacks occur quite frequently, and in some places even physical attacks occur.  Sometimes our old friends will stand by and not come to our aid or defense.  There is also the personal internal struggle with our human nature in the face of temptation, with our moral nature in the face of injustice to our fellow man, and with our spiritual nature as we watch the wicked prosper and obtain positions in high places.  We speak up because there is something inside of us that says speak.  This could be The Holy Spirit of God within us.  Jeremiah described it as “a fire shut up in my bones.” (Jeremiah 20:9)  So, let us tell others about Christ, and salvation.  Let us obey the great commission and share The Word of God with everybody. (Matthew 28:19-20)  Let us also publicly praise Him.  For if we keep quiet, then the rocks will cry out in our place. (Luke 19:40)