NBC SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR MAY 16, 2021 : TOPIC – JEREMIAH: SUFFERING PREACHER OF DOOM
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IN PREPARATION FOR YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
NIGERIA BAPTIST CONVENTION
DATE: MAY 16, 2021
TOPIC: JEREMIAH: SUFFERING PREACHER OF DOOM
DEVOTIONAL READING: Jeremiah 38:7-13; 39:15-18
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 37, 38
LESSON SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 38:14-23
GOLDEN TEXT
Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.” Jeremiah 38:15
OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:
• Identify the dangers of consistent rejection of the Word of God;
• Analyse the fate of faithful Christians in a depraved world;
• Indicate their resolve to always be faithful to God’s Word.
INTRODUCTION
Nigeria has witnessed change in leadership since her Independence in 1960. History has shown that each regime is associated with some challenges till date. On Wednesday June 6, 2018, Nigerians were utterly surprised when President Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria publicly acknowledged that the late Chief Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election truly won. On behalf of the Federal Government, he admitted that the annulment of the election was a miscarriage of justice. He then apologised to the Abiola family, and everyone who was negatively affected and the nation at large. Thereafter, he declared June 12 Democracy Day and announced that the nation’s highest honour/award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) be conferred posthumously on the late Abiola. Although people gave political meanings to the declaration, but the point is that what President Buhari did is medicine after death. What a pity! The number of deaths, injuries, destruction of properties, collapsed businesses, and all the setbacks associated with the June 12 saga in Nigeria cannot be adequately recorded and compensated. The reason, of course, was because of some individuals who deliberately refused to accept the truth.
In the Scriptures, like our days, many people were persecuted and some killed for either speaking or standing for the truth. It is, however, unfortunate that some leaders who have been confronted with the truth ignored it and ended up in destruction. Such was the case of Zedekiah, the king of Judah. He had a secret meeting with Prophet Jeremiah to seek his counsel about the battle against the Babylonians. Jeremiah told him the truth about the mind of God, which was for him to surrender to the Babylonians but he failed to comply for fear of his countrymen, who eventually misled him. He resisted Nebuchadnezzar and this eventually led to the destruction of his family, kingdom and life (2 Kings 24:18-20).
THE LESSON EXPLAINED
A. ZEDEKIAH’S SECRET CONSULTATION
JEREMIAH 38:14-16
While Jeremiah was kept in the courtyard of the prison after his removal from the dungeon, King Zedekiah secretly invited him to a meeting. “I am going to ask you something” the king said to Jeremiah with a plea not to hide anything from him. According to verse 15, Jeremiah wondered if the king will not kill him if he reveals the truth to him. Obviously, Jeremiah’s fear was as a result of his previous experience of telling him the truth but rather than obey God’s message, he was thrown into the innermost part of the prison by his servants (38:4-6). However, Zedekiah swore an oath secretly to Jeremiah that he would not kill or conspire against him. He said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who are seeking your life” (v. 16) One may wonder why Zedekiah consulted Jeremiah secretly. Firstly, it was his usual habit (Jeremiah 37:17). Secondly, he was not willing to face the truth publicly and thirdly, he was indecisive and not ready to submit to the Babylonians.
It is apparent from the passage that King Zedekiah acknowledged Jeremiah as a true prophet of God thus he secretly consulted him, asking a word from the Lord. Unfortunate, he failed to obey the counsel because he was afraid of his people and also weak. Nevertheless, Jeremiah was ready again to tell the king what the LORD says because he knew the mind of God and the understanding of divine timing concerning Israel. However, before revealing the truth, Jeremiah was wise enough to secure an assurance of safety for his life from the king. Of course, it was an indication that Jeremiah did not trust the king of Judah for his safety, even though he had just rescued him from the dungeon of death. Today, some leaders are equally guilty of threatening to harm those who tell them the truth. They see those who tell them the truth as enemies and therefore, secretly plan to eliminate them at all cost. But God who sees the secret of every man’s heart will surely reward us according to our deeds, whether good or evil. Therefore, believers should not be afraid to tell the truth, even in the face of death.
DISCUSSION TIME
1. Why did King Zedekiah make his consultation secret?
2. Should a pastor give up on members who have been in the church for years, yet their lives are not bearing fruits of repentance?
B. JEREMIAH’S PREDICTION
JEREMIAH 38:17-18
The dialogue between Prophet Jeremiah and King Zedekiah from verse 14 is quite interesting. Having been guaranteed safety of life from those who want to kill him, Jeremiah then told Zedekiah what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, had said concerning him. He said, “If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. (v. 17) On the contrary, if he fails to surrender, the Babylonians will invade the entire city and it will be burnt down. Furthermore, himself and his whole family will not escape from the destruction. This implies that it was only by facing the reality that he could avoid the catastrophe of destruction and exile in the hands of the Babylonians.
It is worth mentioning that Jeremiah could still hear from God, even though he had just been released from prison. He could still forthrightly declare God’s counsel to the king of Israel with the certainty of “This is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel said…” This suggests that Christians should be bold and courageous enough to say and hold on to the truth in this corrupt world without minding the consequences, like Prophet Jeremiah in today’s passage. He was bold and courageous. He revealed the mind of God to the king without reservations. He urged King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians and be saved, otherwise they will fall into the hands of the Babylonians and become their slaves. The lesson is a reminder of the importance of obeying God and live rather than disobeying God and face the consequences. On several occasions when God’s people disobeyed Him, despite the several warnings of impending doom through His prophets, they faced the consequences. This reveals that refusal to obey God comes with punishment. Thus the only option King Zedekiah, his household and the entire city had to be spared was to surrender to the Babylonian officers. Just as God expected King Zedekiah to obey His warning, Christians should also obey God, no matter the situation because the Scripture says that obedience is better than make sacrifice.
DISCUSSION TIME
1. Why was it difficult for King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonian officers?
2. What does the life of Prophet Jeremiah teach us about hearing and speaking God’s mind, even in difficult times?
C. ZEDEKIAH’S FEAR AND APPEAL TO OBEY GOD
JEREMIAH 38:19-23
Zedekiah’s surrender to the Babylonian officers was the alternative for his life, family and the entire,
city to be spared as predicted by Prophet Jeremiah. He rejected the counsel because of the fear of the Jews who had gone to Babylon and the princes who were still in Judah (38:4-5). He was afraid of his countrymen at the expense of the safety of his life, family, and the city, despite Jeremiah’s assurance and appeal to him to obey the Lord’s message, as it had been revealed to him. He saw all the women that were left in Judah’s royal palace as they were being led to the king of Babylon’s officers saying “The King’s best friends misled him, they overruled him. And now that his feet have sunk in the mud, his friends have left him.” (v.22)
Apparently, Zedekiah lacked the fear of God, even though Jeremiah had assured him of safety, if only he would obey the Lord’s command of surrendering to the Babylonian officer. Rather, he was afraid of being tortured by his countrymen. In his attempt to further persuade him to surrender, Jeremiah revealed the vision of the women who chanted songs of mockery at his downfall and how they were carried to Babylon including himself who was taken captive. Prophet Jeremiah is often tagged a traitor or a prophet of doom, whereas he did not prophesy “doom”‘ but the truth, based on divine revelation. Unfortunately, King Zedekiah was not ready to accept the truth that would have saved him, his family and the entire city from destruction. The attitude of some Christian leaders is like that of King Zedekiah. They do not want to be told the truth either for fear of losing their position or being mocked. Such people do not mind the effects of their disobedience on their family members, the community they live in and the country at large. Every responsible leader should be accountable to some persons, especially those who are ready to tell them the truth (honest people) so that they will not fall into errors.
DISCUSSION TIME
1. Prophet Jeremiah spoke exactly what God revealed to him to King Zedekiah concerning his future. How can we distinguish between fake and true prophets today?
2. Can we say that Prophet Jeremiah is truly a prophet of doom? Support your answer with explanation.
FELLOWSHIP AND MINISTRY BUILDING ACTIVITY
• Ask class members to write at least five (5) things they know about a great leader they admire so much, which were not present in the life of King Zedekiah.
• Write five (5) qualities in the life of Prophet Jeremiah that are not found in some church leaders today and explain why.
TAKE HOME
• Believers should seek the face of God in everything.
• Christians should learn to speak the truth in love and be ready to accept the truth always.
• Believers should not reject God’s counsel.
• Christians should put their trust in God above any human being or material possession.
• Christians should not be afraid of persecution when standing for the truth.
• The choice to obey or disobey God’s counsel goes with equivalent consequences.