Jeremiah was a Bullfrog

Sorry, this isn't about the Three Dog Night song. And I really don't think Jeremiah was really a bullfrog, no matter how good a friend he was. But he did have some good wine.

Apparently, the original lyric was "Jeremiah was a prophet." But apparently that made too much sense for hippies.

There's a common, recurring theme running through the book of Jeremiah that intrigues me. He really looks like his day's version of the crazy guy on the street corner. God keeps telling him to go somewhere specific and give a specific message to the specific people there. In chapter 26, God sends him to speak in the couryard of the Lord's house and speak to everyone who has come to worship. God gives a message and says to Jeremiah in verse 2:

"Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word."

The word God gives to Jeremiah is basically a curse. In the church.

And Jeremiah gives that word, without omiting any of it. The people of Israel, being the people of Israel, react much the same way the people of Israel react throughout the Bible when given contradictory news: they want to kill the messenger. But then there's someone reasonable to talk them out of it, but this isn't the only time Jeremiah gets in trouble with the establishement. In fact, that's what he seems to do best.

Jump back to Jeremiah's first call in chapter 1: J-man responds with the normal "But I don't know what I'm doing" excuse that Moses and some of the Judges gave. God responds,

"You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them for I am with you and will rescue you."

My first reaction is, "Wait, rescue from what, exactly?" But more importantly is that God protects those who give His word fully and undilluted--even if it contains things people don't like.

Be the Bullfrog.