A Prophet Commanded Not to Marry

      By Fern Horst

"The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place." (Jeremiah 16:1-2)

God had a special job for Jeremiah to do at a specific time in history. He raised Jeremiah up to give a message that was very unwelcome to his fellow citizens. Long before, God had promised blessing to the Israelites if they kept His commandments and followed Him, and certain curses if they didn't.

The time of reaping had come. They had long ignored God's commands; they had forsaken Him and were worshipping other gods. Jeremiah's job was to warn the people that the time for the curses had come. As you can imagine, people didn't receive this message very kindly. They reacted as many do today towards Christians who warn others about sin. Other so-called prophets said that God said just the opposite, and the people chose to listen to them instead. Jeremiah and his message from God were very unpopular to a people who were living in pleasure and expected it to last forever.

It was in the midst of this that God told Jeremiah not to marry nor to have children. He also gave Jeremiah a reason for this command:

"For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land; They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth." (Jeremiah 16:3-4)

As we read how the events unfolded, it's easy for us to see the wisdom of God's command to Jeremiah: he was free to do God's specific job for him at a specific time in history, and innocent children were spared untimely and awful deaths.

We don't always know why God places certain unwelcome circumstances in our lives, and holds other desirable ones from us. It's not very often that He tells us why, as He did Jeremiah. If He determines we need to know, He will tell us. Otherwise it's our job to trust that He has His reasons and they involve His purposes for us at a specific time in history. He knows what we need at each moment in time to fulfill that purpose. Will we rest in His all-sufficiency for us, and focus on the purpose He has created us to accomplish? It doesn't come naturally, just as it didn't for Jeremiah. But God's reassurance to him is ours also:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.... Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 1:5,7)

© 2001 Fern Horst

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