Faithful but Frustrated
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Summary: This chapter shows the struggle of the prophet, who faces persecution for the prophesies that God gives him to give to the people. It highlights the prophets feelings of isolation, despair, and the weight of his calling, all the while showing what it means to endure pain while yet remaining faithful to God.
Big Idea: Faithfulness in the midst of suffering can be a great witness of God’s character and presence in you. Just as Jeremiah’s life reveals the tension between call and conflict, leading to a deeper understanding of hope and resilience in Christ.
A simple Application
Application: Our passage speaks to anyone who ever feels overwhelmed by circumstances or feels oppressed by others. It encourages people to bring their cries to the Lord, reminding them that it is OK, to express your doubts and fears while seeking His strength to endure through the circumstances you are facing.
In our chapter we will see that Jeremiah will be publicly beaten and imprisoned by Pashhur the priest. Jeremiah will pour out his anguish, his frustration and even his despair before God.
This chapter reveals the cost of faithful ministry and the fire of divine calling.
The pain of rejection and persecution for speaking the truth
The inner compulsion of God’s word that cannot be silenced.
The tension between despair and trust in God’s justice.
One commentator said this in summing up this chapter
“God’s servants may face pain, persecution, and doubt, but faithfulness in the fire reveals true devotion”
Our Study Chapter
Our Study Chapter
1 When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, 2 Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord.
3 On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the Lord has called you, but rather Magor-missabib. 4 “For thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword.
5 ‘I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. 6 ‘And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.’ ”
7 O Lord, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me. 8 For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the Lord has resulted In reproach and derision all day long.
9 But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it. 10 For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him.”
11 But the Lord is with me like a dread champion; Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. 12 Yet, O Lord of hosts, You who test the righteous, Who see the mind and the heart; Let me see Your vengeance on them; For to You I have set forth my cause.
13 Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers. 14 Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!
15 Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy. 16 But let that man be like the cities Which the Lord overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon;
17 Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant. 18 Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?
Is there anything in particular that stood out to you in this passage, make note of it.
Persecuted for the Message
Persecuted for the Message
Jeremiah is beaten for his faith and the prophesies he is speaking; the prophesies of judgment (vv.1-2)
Jeremiah states the Lord gives another name to Pashhur, “magor-Missabib” which means “terror on every side” and foretells Babylonian captivity.
Key thought: Obedience to God’s word often invites persecution even from within religious circles.
Lament and Inner Conflict
Lament and Inner Conflict
In this section, in Jeremiah’s prayer you see raw honesty in his lament and inner conflict.
Despite pain, Jeremiah declares confidence in God’s vengeance and deliverance.
Jeremiah tries to stop speaking, but the word is a like a fire within him and he cannot stop shut up in his bones.
Jeremiah accuses God of deceiving him.
He feels mocked and isolated. Describes the unbearable pressure of the prophetic word.
Key thought: God’s call may weigh heavily, but His Word cannot be contained when it truly lives within us.
Affirmation of God’s Justice
Affirmation of God’s Justice
Even in the midst of the struggle Jeremiah encourages believers to find comfort in God’s presence.
Yet in the same breath, Jeremiah affirms the Lord (v.11)
His lament turns to praise, a beautiful shift from despair to trust (vv.12-13)
Key thought: Faith does not ignore fear— it declares God’s faithfulness louder than fear’s voice.
Wrestling with Despair
Wrestling with Despair
As you look at this section can you sense Jeremiah’s deep despair in his lament? He reveals the depth of his emotional pain caused by his prophetic ministry.
Now think for a moment of another time, another lament, one in a garden when Jesus embraced all He had endured and all he was about to endure for all humanity. This chapter points to us being able to come to God and wrestle with God in prayer when we are in despair too, and the transformative power of voicing our pain and trusting God amid turmoil.
Jeremiah curses the day of his birth, much like Job did (v.14)
He wishes he had never been born to face such sorrow (vv.15-18)
Even prophets can his deep emotional lows — and yet, these cries of the heart are still prayers God hears.
Key thought: God allows His servants to bring Him their honest pain — lame is not faithlessness; it’s part of faith.
Let’s look at some applications, then if time still remains maybe some questions.
Some Helpful Application
Some Helpful Application
(Each one below is a slide)
Faithfulness isn’t always easy: Like Jeremiah, we may face rejection for standing on truth, but God honors those who remain steadfast
Be honest with God: He welcomes your tears and your frustrations— real faith doesn’t hide emotion.
Remember God’s presence. Even when you feel alone, the Lord is our “dread champion.”
God’s word is powerful. When it fills your heart, it cannot be silenced — even in suffering.
Encourage one another. Jeremiah’s struggle reminds us to support those serving God in hard places.
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
Have you ever felt discouraged or weary doing what you know God called you to do? How did you respond?
Why do you think God allows His servants to experience sears of despair or doubt?
What keeps you going when serving God feels hard or unappreciated?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jeremiah chapter 20 is not a polished story, it is a raw story of victory; it’s a picture of a weary servant who refuses to give up. Of a servant who even curses his birth like Job did, but never abandons God. His lament turns to praise knowing it is God who fights for Him.
In our times of frustration or spiritual fatigue, may we echo Jeremiah’s truth:
“The Lord is with me like a dread Champion.” (Jer20:11).
“Faithfulness doesn’t mean you never struggle — it means you keep trusting when you do.
(Prayer) (Exit)
