Jeremiah 15:19 - We Often Need To Repent For God To Empower Us For His Service.

Jer.15:19; We Often Need To Repent For God To Empower Us For His 
Service. 

CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word 
Study:  

Jeremiah 15:19 (KJV)  Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou 
return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: 
and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as 
my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 
 

Jeremiah 15:19 (NIV)  Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If 
you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter 
worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people 
turn to you, but you must not turn to them. 

Jeremiah 15:19 (NLT)  The LORD replied, "If you return to me, I 
will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak words 
that are worthy, you will be my spokesman. You are to influence them; 
do not let them influence you!  

Jeremiah 15:19 (AMP)  Therefore thus says the Lord [to 
Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and 
despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, 
and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from 
the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted 
suspicions concerning God's faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. [But 
do not yield to them.] Let them return to you -- not you to [the 
people].  

Jeremiah 15:19 (CWR)  The Lord answered, "If you stop your 
complaining, I will restore your courage.  If you say things worth saying 
instead of feeling sorry for yourself, then you'll continue to be my 
messenger and speak for me.  The people need to change and turn to you.  
Don't feel so sorry for them that you change and end up being like 
them. 

Jeremiah 15:19 (MSG)  This is how God answered me: "Take back 
those words, and I'll take you back. Then you'll stand tall before me. 
Use words truly and well. Don't stoop to cheap whining. Then, but 
only then, you'll speak for me. Let your words change them. Don't 
change your words to suit them.  

Jeremiah 15:19 (TLB)  The Lord replied: "Stop this foolishness 
and talk some sense! Only if you return to trusting me will I let 
you continue as my spokesman. You are to influence them, not let 
them influence you! 

Repent . . . restore . . . turn . . . turn. The Hebrew root is 
the same for all four words [NIV SB] 

If thou return. The Lord assures Jeremiah that if he resumes his 
right attitude, "then will I bring thee again." The prophet would be 
permitted to "stand before" the Lord in the full meaning of that term. He 
would be directed to continue his office as God's spokesman [SDA 
Commentary] 

If thou take forth. As God's spokesman, Jeremiah must know how 
to distinguish between "the precious" and "the vile," between the 
gold and the dross, not only in the people to whom he ministers, but 
also in himself. [SDA Commentary] 

Let them return. While some of the people would hearken to 
Jeremiah, and so "return unto" him by obeying his instruction and 
ascending to his plane of spiritual experience, the prophet must not allow 
any godless opposition or any thought of failure to tempt him to 
"return" to the people by compromising his mission in order to secure 
their favor. [SDA Commentary] 

The Lord commands Jeremiah to repent, then encourages him and 
renews his call. [NIV SB] 

CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:

Overview
Jeremiah announced Judah's punishment for breaking her covenant 
with God (11:1-17). Jeremiah's life was threatened, and God responded 
to the angry prophet's appeal (v. 18-12:17). Jeremiah delivered 
five symbolic warnings (13:1-27) to a people who "greatly love to 
wander" (14:1-15), and then graphically portrayed the coming disaster 
(v. 16-15:9). But the prophet, who bore God's name, would be kept 
safe (vv. 10-21). [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary] 

SECTION HEADINGS

Jeremiah's Prayer and God's Answer
Jeremiah's Second Complaint
The call of Jeremiah renewed  (15:10-21)

CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.

Exodus 4:12 (KJV)  Now therefore go, and I will be with thy 
mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.  

Leviticus 10:10 (KJV)  And that ye may put difference between 
holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;  

Ezekiel 44:23 (KJV)  And they shall teach my people the 
difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between 
the unclean and the clean.  

Luke 10:16 (KJV)  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that 
despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that 
sent me.  

Luke 12:12 (KJV)  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same 
hour what ye ought to say.  

Luke 21:15 (KJV)  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which 
all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.  

Luke 21:36 (KJV)  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye 
may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come 
to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.  

Galatians 1:10 (KJV)  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I 
seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the 
servant of Christ.  

Jude 1:24 (KJV)  Now unto him that is able to keep you from 
falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory 
with exceeding joy,  

1 Pet 2:9 (KJV)  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal 
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the 
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous 
light: 

COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?

The Hebrew term translated "return" can be rendered "to repent." 
Therefore, the challenge implies more than a mere return to a former 
position; it indicates instead a new moral and spiritual direction of 
life. Jeremiah is faced with the options of either repentance for his 
doubting God's love and wisdom, or dismissal from his prophetic office. 
The Lord teaches Jeremiah two important lessons about repentance: 
(1) it is necessary and volitional; and (2) God must work this 
repentance ("I will bring you back"). Only then will Jeremiah be restored 
to his prophetic task. [Believer's SB] 

The Lord responded to Jeremiah's impassioned inquiry (vv. 15-18) 
with a message of repentance and reassurance of Jeremiah's call. 
return: Jeremiah is admonished to "repent" (3:1, 7, 12), after which God 
would restore him to his prophetic position as God's spokesman. Stand 
before means "to serve"; repentance and divine appointment are 
necessary for genuine prophetic service. [Nelson SB] 

Jeremiah accused God of not helping him when he really needed 
it. Jeremiah had taken his eyes off God's purposes and was feeling 
sorry for himself. He was angry, hurt, and afraid. In response, God 
didn't get angry at Jeremiah; he answered by rearranging Jeremiah's 
priorities. As God's mouthpiece, he was to influence the people, not let 
them influence him. There are three important lessons in this 
passage: (1) in prayer we can reveal our deepest thoughts to God; (2) God 
expects us to trust him, no matter what; (3) we are here to influence 
others for God. [Life Application SB] 

Suffering may make even Christians question why we were born. 
Suffering can cause life to lose its sense of meaning. Our obedience to 
God seems vain and stupid. We may even ask God if He has tricked us. 
God's answer may be more shocking than our questions. He demanded that 
Jeremiah repent. Suffering, no matter how severe, must not cause us to 
adopt the world's attitudes and lose our trust in God. God's promise 
to save His people remains true even as we walk through the darkest 
night. Suffering may be God's road for us. See note on 11:18-12:6. 
[Disciple SB] 

We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 
Acts 14:22b (KJV)   

Do Not Turn to Them (Jer. 15)
It hurts to be out there, visible--and alone. It always has. I 
understand that pressure I mentioned in yesterday's devotional; pressure 
that's reflected in our nine-year-old's compulsion to be in style and 
just like the other kids in her class. Adults feel the same pressure. 
And Christian adults perhaps especially. Many Christians make a real 
effort to fit in, and not make too much of their Christian faith or 
convictions. Taking any stand, particularly if you seem to be the only one 
holding an unpopular position, is a painful proposition. 
Jeremiah felt the pain. He took a stand, and announced God's 
message of judgment on his society. As a result he was isolated; "a man 
with whom the whole land strives and contends" and "everyone curses." 
And it hurt. He "sat alone," and as a result felt "unending pain." I 
don't suppose that any of us would choose to be in Jeremiah's place, 
despite the fact that later generations have honored him. 
This chapter tells us, however, what motivated Jeremiah--and what 
sustained him. The motivation is explained in verse 16. "When your words 
came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear 
Your name." The prophet took God's words into his heart. They became 
part of his very being. As he digested their meaning, he was filled 
with joy and delight. And the more he feasted on the words of God, 
the more he realized what it means to bear God's name. 
This is our primary source of motivation as well. We are to 
feast on God's words: to "eat" them, digesting and applying their 
meaning. As we do we realize how wonderful it is to bear God's name, and 
we are moved to honor Him in all we do and say. Because we do bear 
God's name, we will often be moved to represent Him publicly by our 
words as well as by our way of life. And the more we "eat" and delight 
in God's words, the more clearly we will see those issues on which 
we must speak out. 
But what sustains us if, as may happen, speaking out brings 
ridicule or social isolation? God promised Jeremiah, "I will make you a 
wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze" (v. 20). No one and 
nothing could penetrate the wall of protection that God erected around 
His servant. But with that promise of protection came a warning. 
"Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them" (v. 19). 
Those who oppose us may very well find their way inside the wall, for 
God's Word is an open door inviting them to enter. But you and I must 
never step outside the wall, by abandoning our complete commitment to 
Scripture, in order to adopt the values, beliefs, or ways of a lost world. 
Yes, often it does hurt if we take a stand for our faith and 
feel ourselves isolated from others. We all want to be popular and to 
fit in. Often we can, and without compromise. Yet when a conflict 
does come, let's remember that we bear God's name. Let's be guided by 
His words. And, as we seek to represent our Lord, let's be sustained 
by His words to Jeremiah: "I am with you to rescue and save you" 
(v. 20). [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary] 

Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: 

Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)  Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy 
thoughts shall be established.