Jeremiah 21 “A Life Outside the Mainstream”

Jeremiah 21 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:                                                             

• Even When It Hurts – Hillsong UNITED
• Here Again – Elevation Worship
• Way Maker – Leeland

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• You Can Trust God | Blinky’s Bible Adventures | LifeKids – Lesson for Kids
• I Have Decided | Cave Quest VBS Music Video | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Let’s Trust In Jesus | True North VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• I’m Trusting You | Roar VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

Zedekiah, the last king of Judah (reigned 597–586 BCE), sends Pashhur (a different Pashhur than the one mentioned in 20:1) and the priest Zephaniah (not the prophet Zephaniah) to Jeremiah, asking him to pray to the Lord so that Judah might be protected from Babylon’s attack (vv. 1–2). But instead of offering intercessory prayer, Jeremiah delivers the word of the Lord: God will use King Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Judah, and those who survive the war will be taken away as captives (vv. 3–7).

The Lord tells Jeremiah to proclaim to the people of Judah that God has already decided to hand them over to Babylon. Therefore, those who want to live must surrender to the Babylonians (vv. 8–10).

However, King Zedekiah does not listen to Jeremiah. He seeks help from Egypt instead, and as a result, brings devastating disaster upon the people of Judah. The Lord calls upon the royal household of Judah to deliver righteous judgments and rescue those who are suffering. Since the reign of King Josiah, the kings of Judah had turned away from God’s will and devoted themselves only to preserving their own power and privilege. Because of their evil actions, the people of Judah fell into ruin, and therefore judgment became unavoidable (vv. 11–14).

Meditation:

One of the reasons Jeremiah became hated by the people was because he prophesied that they should surrender to Babylon. When a nation is collapsing, anyone with patriotism believes they must risk their life and fight the enemy. They believe that it is more righteous to die with their country than to simply preserve their own life when the nation has lost its sovereignty. And they believe that someone who belongs to God should be even more committed to this. They think that no matter how dark the situation is, a servant of God should encourage the people not to let go of hope until the very end.

However, Jeremiah declared that God’s judgment was already set, and resistance would be useless. He said that if they wanted to live, they must surrender to Babylon. If there was to be hope, it would only come after they had endured all the disasters that were to come. Because of this, the people of Judah hated and rejected him.

To discern the will of God and entrust ourselves to His providence sometimes requires choosing a life outside the mainstream, like Jeremiah. It means not agreeing with what the majority believes is right. It means not walking on the path that most people consider to be safe. It means that we see something different and follow a different will.

As the Apostle Paul says, “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). But a life outside the mainstream is difficult, lonely, and full of misunderstandings, insults, and hatred. Yet we endure because we believe. True hope lies on that path.

Prayer:

Lord, You told us, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate,” “for the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). This is because the path of following You is not the same path the world walks. Often, it means going against the flow of the world. Yet we confess that we lack the determination and courage to live this way. So, we place our trust in You. Help us not to stop walking this path of denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following after You. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Following God sometimes means going in a different direction than most people. It can feel lonely or misunderstood, but true hope and life are found in trusting God and walking with Him—even when it is the harder path.

• For Preschool-Elementary:
  • Have you ever felt different from others because of something you believed or did?
  • What helps you remember that God is with you, even when others don’t agree with you?
  • How can we trust God when the path feels hard?
    
• Youth:
  
  • Why is it difficult to follow God when His way goes against the majority?
  • Describe a time when faithfulness required giving up comfort or acceptance. What did you learn from it?
  • How can our community (church, small group, friends) help us walk the “narrow path” without feeling alone?