Summary of the chapter:

A priest named Pashur hears Jeremiah making these dire prophecies. So he has Jeremiah flogged and puts him in the stocks.
The next morning Pashur lets him go, but Jeremiah says that God has changed Pashur's name to "Terror All Around," because his wickedness will cause terror to him and all his friends.
The people of Judah will all be captured by the Babylonians, and their cities will be plundered. Pashur and his friends will be taken captive as well, and they'll die in Babylon.
Jeremiah says that God has overpowered him. He's now a laughingstock, since the word of God keeps making him prophesy about violence and destruction.
If he tries to avoid prophesying, his bones feel like they're on fire—he can't stop it and he can't hold it in.
Everyone's plotting against him at this point, even his friends.
But God defends Jeremiah and makes sure that his foes are shamed, defeated, and eternally dishonored.
Suddenly, Jeremiah goes from praising God for saving him to lamenting having even been born in the first place.
He curses the day he was born, and says that the man who told his father that he was born should be cursed.
He wishes he'd died in the womb and that his mother would've been his grave.
Why was he born only to see sorrow and devastation, and have to go around telling people things they don't want to hear?

Answering questions:

Question:
3) What future did Jeremiah foretell for Pashur and all of Judah in these verses? (Jeremiah 20:3-6)

Answer:
God would send terror on Pashur and all of his friends. Pashur would watch as they were slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. God would hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon, and they would become captives there. Their enemies would plunder Jerusalem. All of the jewels, gold, and silver would be carried off to Babylon. Pashur would also become a captive in Babylon, and he would die and be buried there.

Question:
7) What did Jeremiah hear the people saying about him in verse ten of this book? (Jeremiah 20:10)

Answer:
The people were watching Jeremiah closely, and if he said anything they would report it. Even his friends were watching and waiting for a fatal slip, and when it came, then they would take revenge on him.

Question:
11) How had Jeremiah come to feel about life and his presumably joyful entry into it, according to these verses? (Jeremiah 20:14-18)

Answer:
He cursed the day he was born, and he cursed the messenger that told his father the "good news" about his birth. He wished he had been killed at birth or that he had died in his mother's womb. He questioned why he was ever born, because his life was filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame.

Don't we do the same? Get discouraged and depressed when we have an unpleasant job to do that brings us scorn? I do. I've been to the point countless times of wishing I'd never been born. We're human as was Jeremiah. God helped him as he's helped me and will continue to help his children.

(((Hello!)))

I have the questions on hand. I am off to feed my dumplings (sons). I will return before bedtime with answers. Thanks for the good time today. I have enjoyed this adventure, tremendously!

So glad you've enjoyed worshipping and learning with us. God bless.

Okay loved ones :-) I only answered the ones that dear friend health' did not answer, which I really am impressed by her keen eye to Bible scripture :-)



1) How did the chief officer respond to Jeremiah’s prophecy in the temple, according to these two verses? (Jeremiah 20:1-2)

Note: (* answer)

* Pashur was not a happy camper, and he desired to torture Jeremiah.


2) What unlikely person had Jeremiah beaten and why in these first two verses of this book? (Jeremiah 20:1-2)

* Pashur smote Jeremiah. This means that he hit the prophet or strongly afflicted him. And this was a great personal cost in which many faithful saints were oppressed, by severe beatings and acts of cruel punishment, some to the point of murder. Sadly. Most likely this chief overseer of the temple, Pashur, desired to hush Jeremiah.


4) What was Jeremiah’s complaint to the Lord in verses seven and eight of this book? (Jeremiah 20:7-8)

* Jeremiah conceded to the power of God in comparison to his own mortal weakness. He then speaks of derision, or being scorned/mocked as many who lived in that they always opposed the prophets or God's chosen ones.


5) Why was Jeremiah upset with God, according to these verses of this book? (Jeremiah 20:7-10)

* Jeremiah seems to criticize himself, as if he'd done something wrong; he expresses failure or shame brought on by the great stress of his calling as a prophet, his aching of heart was due to the poor behavior of a very wicked generation of unbelievers.


6) What would happen if Jeremiah tried to stop speaking the word of the Lord in verse nine? (Jeremiah 20:9)

* Jeremiah describes in his heart a "burning fire." The figurative symbolism of fire is as a deep sense of the unlimited power of God, and it signifies holiness and unlimited might. Jeremiah could not deny the feeling of great diligence and obedience, as he was guided by the Holy Spirit; the light of God, even if he attempted to stop preaching, the Holy Spirit was still amazingly strong, and a comforting host to his faithful heart.


8) Where did Jeremiah derive consolation for his disappointments from in these verses? (Jeremiah 20:11-13)

* Consolation is of God, the Lord of hosts. Consolation is always found deep inside the hearts of the faithful righteous.


9) What did Jeremiah believe about God’s ability to set things straight in verses eleven through thirteen? (Jeremiah 20:11-13)

* By gaining light and knowledge from heaven, Jeremiah enjoyed peace and continued revelation from God. And it is by the power of the Comforter (Holy Ghost) that inspires God's disciples to keep pressing forward.


10) What was the basis for Jeremiah’s song of praise to God in verse thirteen? (Jeremiah 20:13)

* What is stated in these verses is that Jeremiah was grateful to be delivered from the wicked and immoral practices he suffered; the harsh treatment was certainly unbearable and a great sacrifice of his health, mentally/spiritually and emotionally. He praises God for His mercy to deliver. I admire that.


Don't we do the same? Get discouraged and depressed when we have an unpleasant job to do that brings us scorn? I do. I've been to the point countless times of wishing I'd never been born. We're human as was Jeremiah. God helped him as he's helped me and will continue to help his children.

* To answer your question above: Yes. We all get discouraged and depressed when we have an unpleasant job to do. That feeling of hopelessness is common. And as said, we each are human. Yet many have managed to continue with progress through the times of futility. I am a cheerful one with lots of hope myself. However, it helps to know that God has great sympathy for those suffering from the painful sting of conscience, or intense mental suffering of guilt or shame. Yet a man is his own tormentor and his own condemner. One need only to breed less worldly thoughts and continue in faithful devotion to God; to be healed is merciful. To pray is divine.


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I have personally enjoyed visiting the awesome group. And it shall come to pass ...;-) (wink)...that I will most likely visit again. Thanks for the good-hearted welcome! Be blessed...have a great Wednesday...enjoy your families...love all...stay a comfort in the service of the Lord...and we pray for the grace of God to cover our homelands, and especially that we hold our peace as a world.

Walk in faith, dears Sisters in Christ. I love you all! Soulful (((hugs))) all around!

Great job on the questions Ladies.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of Pashur in chapter 21 and whether or not Jeremiah recovers from his depression. If so, how he does it.

A few key points from the chapter:
-Pashur, priest and governor in the temple, puts Jeremiah in stocks.
- Jeremiah gives prophecy about Pashur in v. 4.
V9 Because the message was breaking Jeremiah heart, and it had earned for him the persecutu
Ion of religious rulers, he attempts to resign. He cannot because God's word is in the fiber of his being.
- vv14-18 Jeremiah indulges in sorrowful self pity as had Elijah and Job

Wow! I am impressed with all of the work you put into that Remiah, and I loved your answers. That had to take up a lot of your time. You had very good insights.

Yes, Robin, we today fall into the same pit of self pity. It's comforting to know that we are not alone in feeling that way. It's also good to look to other examples like Paul writing the book of Philippians from a prison cell about joy, rejoicing in the Lord always (Phil. 4:4), being content in every circumstance (Phil 4:11), and focusing on positive things (Phil. 4:8).

And to see that God understands and takes care of us if we stay close to him. Thank you Lord

Remiah and Healthseeker you both did an outstanding job with your answers .
The Bible is my guidebook to life and I could not make it a day in this world without the treasures I find in it .
There’s something about a person’s own words put to paper that has the power to reach deep into our hearts. It doesn’t have to be poetic, eloquent, or pretty, just truthful and sincere. The Bible is God’s letter to us. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, it was written down by people handpicked by God for that specific purpose. Through the Bible, God chose to reveal himself to us in written form so that we would be able to read it again and again, gaining an ever deeper understanding of who he is and his love for us. He wrote to us so that we would know his heart and his love for us.

Maybe it takes a little more effort, and it’s not always easy to understand, but those are his words for us. In the same way a card is no replacement for the words that come from your heart; remember that just reading what someone else has to say about the Bible can never have the same impact as studying God’s word for yourself.

(Remiah)You and Healthseeker have blessed me with your presence .Thank You both my dear Sisters in Christ Jesus :)

Shadowlady ,I agree with Remiah in regard to this group .I'm elated that you have not given up on it .
All Glory and honor be to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords ,the only one true living GOD.

Glad you joined us Smile. Yes, Remiah and Healthseeker are contributing greatly to this study. Thank you "Girls." You too, Star and those reading along but not responding. As Star said, God's Word is what gets her through. It's the exact same for me. Thank you for your Word, Lord, and these precious ladies.

Hi Sisters in Christ! Much love to you. Thank you for the kind expressions :-) God is good, and it is a pleasure to share in the gospel of Christ our Savior. There is great integrity in the spoken holy word. Much love to each of you! Great-sized hugs to you!