Jeremiah, Lamentations: Volume 12

By Dean O. Wenthe and Thomas C. Oden

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, prophesied for four decades under the last five kings of Judah—from 627 to 587 B.C. His mission: a call to repentance. Among the apostolic fathers, Jeremiah was rarely cited, but several later authors give prominent attention to him, including Origen, Theodoret of Cyr, and Jerome, who wrote individual commentaries on Jeremiah, and Cyril of Alexandria and Ephrem the Syrian, who compiled catenae. Justin and Irenaeus made use of Jeremiah to define Christians over against Jews. Athanasius made use of him in trinitarian debates. Cyril of Jerusalem, Irenaeus, Basil the Great, and Clement of Alexandria all drew on Jeremiah for ethical exhortation. Lamentations, as might be expected, quickly became associated with losses and death, notably in Gregory of Nyssa's Funeral Oration on Meletius. By extension the fathers saw Lamentations as a description of the challenges that face Christians in a fallen world. In this Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture volume, readers will find some ancient authors translated into English here for the first time. Throughout they will gain insight and encouragement in the life of faith as seen through ancient pastoral eyes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Release date: Feb 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9780830897377

Book preview

YOUNG JEREMIAH’S CALL TO THE NATIONS

JEREMIAH 1:6-10

OVERVIEW: Jeremiah attempted to humbly decline his position from God (EUSEBIUS, GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS), as Moses did, but modesty is no reason to decline the grace of a divine call (AMBROSE). Jeremiah was able to excuse himself from ministry because God does not force anyone to accept his call (CHRYSOSTOM). But before accepting, a minister should realize that the yoke of the Word of preaching is heavy, as Jeremiah said (AMBROSE). Jeremiah had a specific, special calling from God (ORIGEN). The Lord liberates one who suffers in order to overcome tribulations (JEROME).

Jeremiah received the word of God, which was shown to be hot and fiery (ORIGEN). He uttered the word put into his mouth by God (TERTULLIAN). Jeremiah and the prophets spoke by prophetic inspiration (CHRYSOSTOM). The grace bestowed on Jeremiah is in every age bestowed on the church to prevail over heresy (THEOPHILUS). We may pray for the word to be given to us as it was to Jeremiah (ORIGEN). The word given to him was a word of judgment, which must work much harder at destroying sin in the body by uprooting, pulling down, wasting and destroying than building and planting virtue (JOHN CASSIAN). That the Lord destroys in order to rebuild is figurative of his people (AUGUSTINE). Jeremiah proclaimed the judgment of the Lord against unbelief in order that the church of God may be planted and built for those who were destroyed, dragged down and lost (JEROME). Those chosen by God to proclaim his word were set apart by special revelation (GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS).

1:6 Only a Youth

JEREMIAH DID NOT ACT PRIDEFULLY. EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA: The Hebrew Scripture introduces Moses at first as declining the leadership of the people by what he said to God who conversed with him: I beg you, O Lord, appoint someone else who is able, whom you will send. ¹ Afterwards it portrays Saul as hiding himself to avoid assuming the kingdom and the prophet Jeremiah as humbly declining his mission. ² PREPARATION FOR THE GOSPEL 12.9. ³

JEREMIAH, LIKE MOSES, RESISTED THE CALL. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: I resort once again to history. When I consider the men of best repute in ancient days, who were ever preferred by grace to the office of ruler or prophet, I discover that some readily complied with the call while others deprecated the gift. I also learn that those who drew back were not blamed for their timidity, nor were those who came forward accused of being too eager. The former stood in awe of the greatness of the ministry; the latter trustfully obeyed him who called them. Aaron was eager, but Moses resisted; ⁴ Isaiah readily submitted, ⁵ but Jeremiah was afraid of his youth and did not venture to prophesy until he had received from God a promise and a power beyond his years. IN DEFENSE OF HIS FLIGHT TO PONTUS, ORATION 2.114. ⁶

MODEST ABOUT HIS CALL. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: It is a good thing even to hold back from God for a little while—as did the great Moses in ancient times, ⁷ and Jeremiah later on—and then to run readily to him when he calls. This is what Aaron ⁸ and Isaiah ⁹ did—as long as both are done with a respectful spirit. Do the former because you lack strength. Do the latter because of the power of God who calls you. ON EASTER AND HIS RELUCTANCE, ORATION 1.1. ¹⁰

MODESTY OR AVOIDANCE? AMBROSE: Both Moses and Jeremiah, chosen by the Lord to declare the words of God to the people, avoided through modesty that which through grace they could do. DUTIES OF THE CLERGY 1.17.66. ¹¹

THE PRIVILEGE AND FREEDOM OF OUR CALLING. CHRYSOSTOM: Prophets had power either to speak or to refrain from speaking. They were not bound by necessity but were honored with a privilege. For this reason Jonah fled, for this reason Ezekiel delayed and for this reason Jeremiah excused himself. And God drives them not only by compulsion but also by advising, exhorting, threatening. He does not darken their mind, because to cause distraction, madness and great darkness is the proper work of a demon. It is God’s work to illuminate and with consideration to teach what is necessary. HOMILIES ON 1 CORINTHIANS 29.2. ¹²

THE BURDEN OF THE GOSPEL. AMBROSE: But perhaps you may say, How does Jeremiah call the yoke heavy, when the Lord in the Gospel has said, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light? ¹³ Now, first understand that the Greek has yoke only, and has not added heavy. Notice this, also, that although it was so in Lamentations, in the Gospel he said easy yoke and light burden, not light yoke. For the yoke of the Word can be heavy, yet easy. Heavy to the youth, heavy to the young man whose age is in fuller flower, so that he is unwilling to offer the neck of his mind in subjection to the yoke of the Word. The yoke of the Word can seem heavy because of the burdens of discipline, the rigor of improvement, the weight of abstinence and the curbing of lust. Yet it is easy because of the fruitfulness of grace, the hope of eternal reward and the sweetness of a purer conscience. Still, he called the yoke of the Word easy and the burden of conscience light, because for him who has taken up the yoke of the Word with a patient neck the burden of discipline cannot be heavy. CONSOLATION ON THE DEATH OF EMPEROR VALENTINIAN 11. ¹⁴

1:7-8 Do Not Be Afraid to Be Sent

A SPECIAL CALL. ORIGEN: We do not find, therefore, that the expression to be sent from God is be used of anyone other than the saints. It occurs in the case of Isaiah . . . and in the case of Jeremiah, You shall go to all that I shall send you; and in the case of Ezekiel, I send you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels, who have rebelled against me. ¹⁵ COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 2.184. ¹⁶

FREED TO OVERCOME TRIBULATIONS. JEROME: You should not consider the matter of age, he said, for you have learned through another prophet’s words that a man’s gray hair is his wisdom. ¹⁷ May you only be willing to continue, for you will have me as a companion by whose assistance you will accomplish everything: Open your mouth, and I will fill it. ¹⁸ Neither should you consider the number of those against whom you are about to speak, but consider me only, who is with you to deliver you, says the Lord. The Lord delivers, however, not so that the prophet will be free of persecutions and difficulties, for we read that he was severely afflicted. Instead, the Lord liberates one who suffers everything to overcome these tribulations rather than yielding to them. SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 1.4.1-2. ¹⁹

1:9 The Touch of God’s Word

THE WORD OF GOD IS AS FIRE. ORIGEN: In sacred language God is called a fire. For instance, Scripture says, Our God is a consuming fire. ²⁰ It also speaks as follows concerning the substance of the angels when it says, He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a burning fire. ²¹ In another place, The angel of the Lord appeared in a flame of fire in the bush. ²² We have, moreover, received a commandment to be fervent in spirit, ²³ which undoubtedly means that the Word of God is hot and fiery. The prophet Jeremiah also hears from him who gave him his answer, Behold, I have put my words into your mouth like a fire. ²⁴ Since God, then, is a fire, and the angels a flame of fire and all the saints are fervent in spirit, so, on the contrary, those who have fallen away from the love of God are undoubtedly said to have cooled in their affection for him and to have become cold. For the Lord also says that because iniquity has grown, the love of many will grow cold. ²⁵ ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 2.8.3.