Waiting on the World to Change… Seeking Peace in a Suffering World Jeremiah 14: 1-22 December 4th, 2016
I. WATCHING as the NATION falls…(v.1-16)
A. A DESCRIPTION of the DEVASTATION. (v.1-6)
B. A CRY for HELP. (v.7-9)
C. God’s RESPONSE. (v.10-12)
D. Looking for SOMEONE to BLAME.. (v.13; 6:13-15)
E. More BAD NEWS. (v.14-16)
Jeremiah watches as the southern kingdom of Israel breathes it’s last gasp. It’s hard to
watch, because he loves his people and his country, and because he is suffering right
along with them. God has called him to speak into these last stages of their history in
Jerusalem. There’s a reason they call him the “weeping prophet.”
1. The first 9 verses of the text describe a very difficult time. In what ways can you
identify with these words? In what ways do they seem distant from where you are
right now?
2. Have you ever felt like God was only a “traveler” passing through your life? (v.8)
What was that like?
3. Is God forsaking His people? (v.9) How do you respond to the way He responds to
them in v.10-12 and v.16?
II. Jeremiah PRAYS with/for his PEOPLE. (v.17-22)
A. “…We had HOPED for PEACE…” (v.19)
B. “…Our HOPE is in YOU…” (v.22)
At the end of this chapter God gives Jeremiah words to speak to the people. They are
words spoken from his perspective, and give insight to how he identifies with the people
in their distress. He, like them, like all of us, had hoped for peace. But that is not to
be…at least not yet.
4. When have your hopes for something died? How did you feel at that moment? How
did you respond?
5. Jeremiah, although a prophet of God, also strongly identifies with the people. He is
one of them. How much do you “identify” with others who are suffering and
struggling? Is that easy for you or a challenge?
6. What does it mean to “hope in God”? How does that look (specifically) in your life
right now?
III. A WORLD thirsty for PEACE… (v.19-22)
A. Be WILLING to FEEL the drought. (v.1-9,18-19; Heb 4:14-15)
B. Acknowledge our SIN and our NEED. (v.20; Lam. 3:40-42)
C. REMEMBER the CHARACTER of God. (v.21-22; Lam. 3:22)
D. God’s answer THEN and NOW. (15:1; 33:6-9; Is. 9:6; Mic. 5:5)
Our situation, at least in Canada, may not appear as drastic, but we, like Jeremiah, live
in a world full of people who are thirsty for peace, and yet nothing seems to give them
what they seek. And we, like Jeremiah, are called to share God’s word with the world
around us, even as we share in responsibility for the problem. But the good news is
that while God was not bringing peace to Jerusalem at that point, Advent reminds us
that peace did come, to Jerusalem, and beyond.
7. What does it mean to be “willing to feel the drought” in the world today? What does
that look like? How can we do that?
8. Rosaria Butterfield says, “Before we come to Christ, we must come to ourselves.”
How does that relate to Jeremiah and the people in this text? To us?
9. What are the attributes of God that most draw you to Him and why?
10.In what ways can you bring the peace of Jesus into the world this week. Think of
some specifics…