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Jeremiah 1:1 – The Past is Not the Present
Jeremiah supported Josiah’s reforms despite his family’s objections (Jer.11:26; 12:6). This might seem obvious and unimportant considering Jeremiah was a prophet. And yet…. Let’s look at Jeremiah’s religious and political heritage. His father was Hilkiah. It is frequently suggested his father’s family had been deprived of the right to practice their profession by Josiah’s sweeping reforms, which abolished shrines outside of Jerusalem. Maybe. It has also been suggested Jeremiah’s family was descended from Abiathar, the priest banished to Anathoth by Solomon for his part in Adonijah’s play for the throne (1 Kings 2:26). Again, maybe. But when it came to truth, when it came to serving faithfully, did Jeremiah let his family history supplant his loyalty to God and God’s people? No. Jeremiah is a faithful example for many reasons. Maybe underestimated is his unwillingness to let his family’s past interfere in his present relationship with God. The past, whether our family was treated unfairly or deservedly, has nothing to do with our present. Serve the God of your future, not the hurts of your past.
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