Run With the Horses

1. Run the Race: A Quest for Life at Its Best

So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses?

Challenge mediocrity. Many people live inanely, not wickedly, settling for trivial lives devoid of true adventure or righteousness. Our culture often celebrates celebrities over saints, amusing bored insomniacs and acting out aggressions for timid conformists. This leads to a "bleak business" where individuals seek significance through evil acts, like assassins or hijackers, because goodness and righteousness rarely make headlines.

Thirst for wholeness. Despite the cultural landscape, an unquenchable thirst for wholeness and hunger for righteousness persists. Scripture, however, doesn't offer flawless heroes but rather flawed individuals like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David, demonstrating that significant figures of faith are made from the same clay as us. This prevents hero worship and encourages each person to discover their own unique, original adventure with Christ.

Live to the hilt. Jeremiah embodies this quest for excellence, living life to the hilt not through comfort or worldly success, but through radical faith in God. His goodness was not "being nice" but a prowess forged in crushing hostility and bitter doubt, stretching every muscle and thought to its limits. He challenges us to move beyond dull moral habits and petty busywork, to live courageously and pursue righteousness, choosing to "run with the horses" of excellence rather than shuffle with the crowd.

2. Your Identity is God-Given, Not Self-Made

The name is the right address of a person under which he or she will respond.

Beyond labels. The book of Jeremiah opens with a cluster of personal names, emphasizing the personal and unique spirit over stereotyped roles or blurred crowds. Being named at birth signifies recognition as a person, not a classified animal or an economic unit. This act of naming focuses our essential, irreplaceable humanity, contrasting with a society that often reduces us to social security numbers or job titles.

God's intention. Jeremiah's impressive stature and vitality stemmed from taking his name, and the names of others, with centered seriousness. His name, compounded with "the LORD," anticipated God's action in his life—either "the LORD exalts" or "the LORD hurls." Naming is a way of hoping, a lever against the future, announcing the kind of life into which we can grow, where God intends to do something glorious and great in each creature.

Resist reduction. We are constantly encouraged to move from personal names to abstract labels, diminishing our connection to reality. Jeremiah's refusal to accept available roles and his insistence on living out his name's identity exposed the shallow complacencies of his contemporaries. To retain our humanity, we must resist being defined by external roles or statistics, asserting the primacy of our unique, God-given name.

3. God Equips the Inadequate for His Grand Purpose

Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’ I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there. I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it.

Pleading inadequacy. When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, he initially refused, pleading inadequacy: "I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!" This common human tendency to use excuses like youth, lack of training, or confidence to avoid God's call is disallowed. God's call to be a prophet, or simply a person, is grand, far exceeding our trivial ideas of what we can do.

Divine equipping. God doesn't send us into the dangerous life of faith because we are qualified, but chooses us to qualify us. He equipped Jeremiah through two visions:

• A Rod of Almond: Symbolizing God's word as a promise that will surely come true, like the early blossoming almond tree. This trained Jeremiah in hope and conviction that God performs what He announces.
• A Boiling Pot: Representing imminent invasion and judgment, but also showing that evil has limits and is controlled by God. This vision trained Jeremiah to face danger without being catastrophically intimidated, understanding that evil serves God's good purposes.

Invincible resilience. These visions transformed Jeremiah from an insecure youth into an "impregnable as a castle, immovable as a steel post, solid as a concrete block wall." His strength was not a lack of sensitivity, but a thorough integration of firmness and feeling, allowing him to remain utterly impervious to assault while experiencing an astonishing range of emotions. This divine equipping enabled him to live out his calling despite constant opposition.

4. Beware of Superficial Religion; Seek Authentic Faith

Don’t for a minute believe the lies being spoken here—“This is GOD’s Temple, GOD’s Temple, GOD’s Temple!”

Reform's limits. King Josiah's reform, which Jeremiah supported, successfully cleaned up the temple and made God's worship popular again after decades of corruption. However, Jeremiah quickly realized that outward changes were not enough; the reform was only "skin-deep." People thronged the temple, repeating religious clichés, but their lives remained unchanged, using religion as a respectable front for corrupt selves.

Beyond appearances. Jeremiah challenged the people's self-deception, likening the temple to a "cave full of criminals" where they hid between forays of exploitation. He insisted that religion is not about places or words, but about life and love, mercy and obedience, a passion of faith. He used the example of Shiloh, a once-magnificent holy place now in ruins, to show that even sacred sites are destroyed when true worship and faithful living are abandoned.

Lifelong commitment. Jeremiah's concern was for a "marriage" with God, not just a "wedding" ceremony. It's easier to attend church and say the right words than to live a life of justice and love daily. Authentic faith requires inward transformation and outward action, not just outward performance. Jeremiah's persistent witness exposed the danger of valuing image over substance, and beginnings without continuation.

5. Truth-Telling Demands Courage and Honest Prayer

But why, why this chronic pain, this ever worsening wound and no healing in sight? You’re nothing, GOD, but a mirage, a lovely oasis in the distance—and then nothing!

The prophet's burden. Jeremiah's task was to challenge lies and speak truth, often leading to persecution. Pashur, the popular chief overseer of the temple, represented the superficial religion that promised "peace, peace, peace" while ignoring deep-seated sin. When Jeremiah exposed this, Pashur had him whipped and put in stocks, where Jeremiah, undeterred, renamed him "Danger-Everywhere" for his destructive influence.

Intimacy of prayer. Jeremiah's inner life, revealed in his "confessions," was a life of intense, unguarded prayer. He didn't just talk about God or study God; he talked to God, approaching Him as a living person. In these intimate exchanges, Jeremiah expressed raw emotions:

• Fear: "Take my side against my detractors."
• Loneliness: Having gone off by himself, filled with indignation, he found no one with him.
• Hurt: The people's sin and indifference were a "chronic pain, this ever worsening wound."
• Anger: He accused God of being a "mirage," even saying, "You seduced me, Yahweh, and I let you; You seized and overcame me."

Restoration and resolve. God's response to Jeremiah's honest, even audacious, prayer was not indulgence but restoration. God called him to "take back those words" of self-pity and re-establish priorities, reminding him of his original call to be a "steel wall." Prayer, for Jeremiah, was the place where priorities were re-established and commitment renewed, not where he learned something new, but where God confirmed anew the faith to which he was committed.

6. Cultivate Persistent Faithfulness, Like the Sunrise

From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah right up to the present day—twenty-three years it’s been!—GOD’s Word has come to me, and from early each morning to late every night I’ve passed it on to you. And you haven’t listened to a word of it!

The power of "hashkem." At the midpoint of his prophetic career, Jeremiah uses the word hashkem, meaning "persistently" or "early each morning." For twenty-three years, he rose before dawn to listen to God's word and then spoke it to the people, who often remained sluggish and indolent. This word embodies his unwavering commitment, not as bored drudgery, but with the lightness and anticipation of a new day.

Beyond mere persistence. Unlike those who spend a lifetime in a rut, Jeremiah's persistence was rooted in purpose, not just repetition. His imagination remained alive, and his spirit resilient, because each day was a new episode in his prophetic adventure. He didn't dread the long road but greeted each moment with obedient delight, echoing Psalm 108: "I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe."

God's creative constancy. Jeremiah learned persistence from God, whose "loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!" God's persistence is not dull duty but has the surprise and creativity of a new day. Our erratic lives and unfaithfulness stem from not rising early to listen to God, failing to find daily solitude to prepare for life's journey.

7. God's Word: An Ice-Axe for Frozen Hearts

If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skull, why then do we read it?

Two "ice-axe" books. Jeremiah's life was shaped by two "ice-axe" books:

• Deuteronomy: This book, discovered during temple repairs, gave Jeremiah memory, theology, and responsibility. It integrated past experiences, presented God in a comprehensive, loving relationship, and called people to live beyond their present understanding through commands that create freedom.
• Jeremiah's own scroll: Dictated to Baruch, this scroll was God's word written on everyday material, a "vortex of swiftly moving energies" designed to make people "get it," "turn," and be "forgiven."

Truth in crisis. During a national crisis, Baruch read Jeremiah's scroll to the throngs in the temple. A young man, Micaiah, heard God's word and acted swiftly, leading to the scroll being read to government officials. These responsible men, recognizing the truth, advised Jeremiah and Baruch to hide, knowing the king's violent nature.

The burning of the scroll. King Jehoiakim, in a charade of nonchalance, contemptuously cut and burned the scroll, column by column, in his winter room. This act, a parody of those who try to control or reduce Scripture, was met with Jeremiah's condemnation. Though the physical scroll was destroyed, God's word cannot be suppressed; Jeremiah and Baruch simply rewrote it, with "generous additions." God's word, like a boat-building guide, is practical, constructing a way of salvation for shipwrecked lives.

8. Embrace Exile: Find God in Unwanted Places

Build houses and make yourselves at home. Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country. Marry and have children. . . . Work for the country’s welfare. Pray for Babylon’s well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you.

Trauma of dislocation. Exile, whether physical or metaphorical, is traumatic, stripping away our sense of home and identity. The Israelites, uprooted from their promised land and forced into Babylon, experienced extreme dislocation, feeling worthless and meaningless. This mirrors our own experiences of being "strangers in a strange land" due to societal, personal, or emotional changes.

False hopes. In exile, false prophets nurtured self-pity and offered destructive dreams of a quick return to Jerusalem. These lies prevented the exiles from engaging in committed work, responsible relationships, or developing a rich life where they were. They lived hand-to-mouth, parasites on society, waiting for a miraculous intervention that never came.

Jeremiah's radical counsel. Jeremiah's letter to the exiles was a profound rebuke and challenge:

• Build and plant: Make yourselves at home, engage in productive work, become part of the economy.
• Marry and have children: Engage in intimate, responsible relationships with the people around you, recognizing them as God's people.
• Seek shalom: Work and pray for Babylon's welfare, understanding that your well-being is tied to theirs.
  This was a call to live fully and faithfully in the present circumstances, transforming a place of unwantedness into a crucible of faith, leading to the most creative period in Hebrew history.

9. Live Fully Human in All Your Relationships

What do I want to make of myself, and what do I have to work with?

Humanity in depth. Jeremiah's significance lies not just in his historical impact but in his profound personal development, becoming "human in depth and thoroughness." His life demonstrates that greatness can be found in everyday interactions, not just in public roles. He dealt with individuals, not just abstract ideas or movements, showing how faith is lived out in concrete relationships.

Three representative encounters:

• Irijah the Guard: A bureaucrat who arrested Jeremiah on false charges of defection, hiding behind rules to destroy people. Jeremiah met this "banality of evil" with implacable endurance, asserting his innocence and persisting in his vocation without bluster or compromise.
• Zedekiah the King: A weak, vacillating puppet king who respected Jeremiah but lacked the character to act on his counsel. Zedekiah's formlessness highlights that good intentions are worthless without disciplined character development. Jeremiah maintained his witness despite the king's fickleness.
• Ebed-melek the Official: A foreign, black eunuch who risked his life to rescue Jeremiah from a muddy cistern. Ebed-melek's decisive, practical friendship—getting ropes and rags, enlisting help—demonstrates that true friendship transcends social status and personal risk.

Capacity for friendship. Jeremiah's ability to receive friendship, to be accessible to mercy, is evidence of his wholeness. No one who is truly whole is self-sufficient; a complete life cannot be lived with haughty independence. Jeremiah's life shows that theological ideas and righteous causes are worked out with named persons, not abstract categories, making his book rich with personal names.

10. Hope is a Practical Act in Hopeless Times

It is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength at all.

Practicality redefined. While society often equates practicality with efficiency and immediate results, biblical faith defines it as living in alignment with God's reality. Jeremiah was profoundly practical, believing that God's creation was meant to work well and that living without God was impractical, leading to wasted, underdimensioned lives.

The field at Anathoth. In the darkest hour, with Babylonian armies besieging Jerusalem and Jeremiah imprisoned, he performed an act deemed utterly impractical: he bought a field for seventeen dollars. This field, likely occupied by the enemy and never to be seen by Jeremiah, was an investment in God's future promises for Israel's salvation. It was an act of hope, defying history, reason, and public opinion.

Hope in action. Jeremiah's purchase was a deliberate act of hope, connecting with God's promises even when visible reality opposed it. Biblical hope is not mere wishing but an action, a reliance on grace in the face of death, a constant, patient, expectant, resilient, joyous living in the efficacy of God's word. It means buying into what we believe, refusing to despair, and actively participating in the future God is bringing into being.

11. God's Love Extends to All Nations

The God who chose Israel out of the nations and gave it a distinctive history remained also and always the God of the nations too.

Prophet to the nations. Jeremiah was designated "prophet to the nations" (goyim), a deliberate rejection of any faith confined to a single nation or culture. This global dimension is original to biblical faith, rooted in God's nature and Abraham's promise that "all the families of the Earth will be blessed through you." Jeremiah battled small-minded religion, showing that faith involves a worldwide community.

Global traveler. Though Jeremiah never left Jerusalem (until forced to Egypt), he was mentally and spiritually a world traveler, composing oracles for ten diverse nations: Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam, and Babylon. These messages, prepared with the same seriousness and poetic craft as those for his own people, demonstrated his meticulous knowledge of their geography, history, and politics.

Universal salvation. The content of these messages was consistent: warning and judgment anticipating salvation. Even for nations like Egypt, Moab, and Elam, the judgment was followed by a promise of future restoration. This shows that judgment serves salvation for all nations, not just Israel, and that God's mercy extends to the far corners of the earth. Jeremiah's concern for the Elamites, for example, highlights that a full human life requires embracing God's universal love and transcending ethnocentricity.

12. Choose Faith Over the Illusion of Security

If you have determined to go to Egypt and make that your home, then the very wars you fear will catch up with you in Egypt and the starvation you dread will track you down in Egypt. You’ll die there!

The Egyptian alternative. When tired of living by faith, the Israelites repeatedly sought the false clarity and security of Egypt, a place Jeremiah abhorred. Egypt offered predictable geography, precise architecture (pyramids), clear theology (idols), and defined social hierarchy—a world where all uncertainty was seemingly banished, but at the cost of true human and spiritual depth.

Jeremiah's final choice. After Jerusalem's fall, Jeremiah, offered an easy retirement in Babylon or a hard life with the remnant in ruined Jerusalem, unhesitatingly chose the latter. He embraced the rubble, the outcasts, and the poor, believing God would build a new creation out of emptiness. This choice, made in defiance of popular opinion and self-aggrandizing flatteries, vindicated his life and preaching, proving his commitment to God's covenant.

No easy endings. Despite this moment of clarity, Jeremiah's life ends inconclusively. The remnant, fearing Babylonian reprisal, rejected God's counsel (delivered through Jeremiah) to stay in Jerusalem and fled to Egypt, seeking peace and plenty. There, Jeremiah continued to preach God's word to a contemptuous people, facing the very doom he warned against. His life, lived in Egypt, the place he didn't want to be, with people who treated him badly, remains a towering example of determined faithfulness, magnificent courage, and heartless rejection.