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"But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter"

Text: Jeremiah 11:19

THE NAIVETE OF JEREMIAH

The LORD watches over the life of His servants. Sometimes, a younger prophet like Jeremiah can be very naive. The Lord had to give a word of warning to Jeremiah concerning the threats of his enemies.

“Now the LORD gave me knowledge of it, and I know it;
for You showed me their doings.
But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter;
and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying,
‘Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
and let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name may be remembered no more.'”
Jeremiah 11:18-19

1. “Now the LORD gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for You showed me their doings”

a) “The LORD gave me knowledge of it”

God had to give Jeremiah knowledge of the plots of his enemies.

i) Prior to this, Jeremiah did not know that he had enemies.

ii) He was young then (Jeremiah 1:6).

b) “And I know it”

i) Jeremiah began to comprehend.

ii) This knowledge was no longer superficial.

c) “You showed me their doings”

i) This is a special work of revelation from God.

ii) God showed Jeremiah what his enemies were plotting.

2. “But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter”

a) This was how Jeremiah described himself.

b) He was like a docile lamb.

i) He was innocent.

ii) He was not feisty.

c) But he was being brought to the slaughter house.

His enemies were planning to kill him!

3. “And I did not know that they had devised schemes against me”

a) Jeremiah was ignorant of the plans of the enemies.

b) That they had devised schemes against him.

4. “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name may be remembered no more.”

a) God allowed Jeremiah to learn what they had said among themselves.

b) These were terrible words!

i) They were speaking of destroying him as they would a tree.

ii) They were going to end his life.

iii) They were going all out to exterminate him so that no one would even remember his name.