Fire in My Bones
Jeremiah's hard calling
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What does it say?
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The whole message, in shortThe main points of the whole message, in a few sentences.
Jeremiah's own people plotted against him, and he told God how lonely and hurt he was: "Why is my pain unending?" God promised to make him a wall of bronze. Jeremiah said that the one who trusts in the LORD is like a tree planted by the water. Mocked all day long, he decided to stop speaking for God, but God's word was "a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones." He warned against false prophets like Hananiah, who broke Jeremiah's wooden yoke and promised peace that would not come.
Where it is in the Bible: Jeremiah 11 to 28
All the sections at a glanceA map of the message, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Message
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Like a Lamb | 11:18-20 | Jeremiah's own people plot against him |
| 2. Hope of Israel | 14:7-10, 14:19-22 | The people confess and plead for help |
| 3. Your Words Were My Joy | 15:15-21 | God promises to make him a wall of bronze |
| 4. A Tree by the Water | 17:5-10 | Trust in the LORD, not in people |
| 5. Fire in My Bones | 20:7-13 | Jeremiah wants to quit, but can't |
| 6. Like a Hammer | 23:23-29 | God's word is like fire |
| 7. A Yoke of Wood, a Yoke of Iron | 28:1-17 | A false prophet promises peace |
Before You Read
Who he was. Jeremiah was a prophet in Jerusalem for about forty years, from around 627 BC until the city fell to Babylon in 587 BC. God called him when he was young (1:6-7).
What was happening. God's people had turned to other gods and ignored the poor. Jeremiah warned that Babylon would conquer them. Almost no one listened. People mocked him, plotted against him, and threw him in prison.
What this passage is. Several of Jeremiah's honest prayers and messages from chapters 11 to 28. Jeremiah argues with God, complains, and even says he wants to quit. And God keeps holding on to him.
How to read it. Notice how honest Jeremiah's prayers are. The Bible lets him say hard things to God.
Section by Section
Section 1 of 7Like a Lamb
God showed Jeremiah that people from his own hometown were plotting to kill him.
"For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter" (11:19).
Jeremiah leaves his cause with God, who judges fairly.
Section 2 of 7Hope of Israel
During a terrible drought, Jeremiah prays for his people.
"Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name" (14:7).
Iniquities means sins.
Jeremiah calls God "O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress" (14:8). Then he asks why God seems like a stranger just passing through.
"Yet You are among us, O LORD, and we are called by Your name. Do not forsake us!" (14:9).
The people admit their sin and remind God of his promise.
"So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things" (14:22).
Section 3 of 7Your Words Were My Joy
Jeremiah is lonely and hurting.
"Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart's delight" (15:16).
But he sat alone, because God's message set him apart.
"Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?" (15:18).
He even says God has been like a mirage, water that isn't there.
God answers: "If you return, I will restore you" (15:19).
"They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver you" (15:20).
Section 4 of 7A Tree by the Water
"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind" (17:5). He's like a dry bush in the desert.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him" (17:7).
"He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream" (17:8).
When heat and drought come, it isn't afraid. Its leaves stay green and it keeps bearing fruit.
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (17:9).
Only God searches the heart.
Section 5 of 7Fire in My Bones
Jeremiah has been beaten and put in stocks (20:2). Now he lets it all out.
"I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me" (20:7).
He decides to stop speaking for God. But he can't.
God's message "becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail" (20:9).
Even his friends are waiting for him to fall.
"But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior" (20:11).
"Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers" (20:13).
Section 6 of 7Like a Hammer
God asks, "Am I only a God nearby" (23:23), "and not a God far away?" (23:23).
No one can hide from God. He fills heaven and earth.
False prophets were telling made-up dreams and saying they came from God.
Their dreams are like straw. God's word is like grain.
God asks, "Is not My word like fire" (23:29), "and like a hammer that smashes a rock?" (23:29).
Section 7 of 7A Yoke of Wood, a Yoke of Iron
God had told Jeremiah to wear a wooden yoke, like an ox, as a sign: Babylon would rule over them (27:2).
A prophet named Hananiah said God would break Babylon's yoke in two years.
Jeremiah said, "Amen!" and "May the LORD do so!" (28:6). He wished it were true.
But a prophet who promises peace is proven true only when it happens.
Hananiah broke Jeremiah's wooden yoke.
God's answer: Hananiah had broken a yoke of wood, but a yoke of iron would replace it.
"The LORD did not send you, but you have persuaded this people to trust in a lie" (28:15).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Like a gentle lamb led to slaughter" (11:19) | Jeremiah suffered without knowing the danger. |
| "O Hope of Israel" (14:8) | Even in disaster, God is the one to trust. |
| "Your words became my joy" (15:16) | God's word fed Jeremiah's soul. |
| "A tree planted by the waters" (17:8) | People who trust God stay strong in hard times. |
| "The heart is deceitful above all things" (17:9) | We can't fully trust our own hearts. |
| "A fire burning in my heart" (20:9) | God's word wouldn't let Jeremiah be quiet. |
| "Like a hammer that smashes a rock" (23:29) | God's word is powerful. |
Back Then
Jeremiah is called "the weeping prophet." He cried over his people (9:1), and he may have also written the book of Lamentations.
A yoke was a wooden bar fitted on the necks of oxen so they could pull a plow. It was a picture of being ruled by someone.
Babylon conquered Jerusalem in 587 BC, just as Jeremiah warned, and took many people into exile.
Literal Reader Alert
Can I really talk to God like Jeremiah did? Yes. Jeremiah complained, argued, and even accused God. God didn't reject him. Honest prayer is still prayer.
Did God really "deceive" Jeremiah? That's how Jeremiah felt. He expected his job to go differently. His words show how hurt he was, and God answered him with a promise.
How can I tell a true message from a false one? Jeremiah says God's word is like grain, not straw. Check what people say against God's word.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah | Betrayed | His own people plotted against him (11:19) |
| Jeremiah | Lonely | He sat alone (15:17) |
| Jeremiah | Mocked | Everyone laughed at him (20:7) |
| Jeremiah | Joyful | God rescues the needy (20:13) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What part of Jeremiah's story feels like yours? Tap one.
I want to give up
Jeremiah did too. God's word kept burning in him.
Nobody understands me
Jeremiah sat alone. God promised, "I am with you."
I'm in a dry season
Trust the LORD. Be like a tree planted by water.
I'm angry at God
Tell him. Jeremiah did, and God answered.
You Might Have Heard
"If you're really faithful, you'll always feel happy and close to God."
What's true: God gives joy in his word.
What the passage is mainly about: Jeremiah was faithful, and he was lonely, mocked, and hurting. He even felt like God had tricked him. Yet God held on to him: "I am with you to save and deliver you" (15:20).
Where Jesus is: Jeremiah, "like a gentle lamb led to slaughter," points to Jesus, who was rejected by his own people and suffered to save them.
Good News
You don't have to be strong to be God's.
"But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior" (20:11).
Jeremiah was weak, lonely, and ready to quit. God made him a wall of bronze. He promises to be with you too.
Jeremiah was mocked, lonely, and ready to quit, and he told God so. God held on to him, and his word kept burning like fire in his bones.
Big Idea
Jeremiah was honest with God about his pain. God's word burned in him like fire, and God promised, "I am with you to save and deliver you." Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD.
If this message brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther knew times of deep struggle, which he called Anfechtung. He said these struggles teach us to cling to God's word, because feelings come and go, but God's promises stand.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads these parts of Jeremiah in the summer: Jeremiah 20:7-13 and 28:5-9 in Year A (Lectionary 12 and 13), 15:15-21 in Year A (Lectionary 22), 17:5-10 on the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany in Year C, and 23:23-29 in Year C (Lectionary 20).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany Year CFirst reading, Jeremiah 17:5-10
- Lectionary 12 Year AFirst reading, Jeremiah 20:7-13
- Lectionary 13 Year AFirst reading, Jeremiah 28:5-9
- Lectionary 20 Year CFirst reading, Jeremiah 23:23-29
- Lectionary 22 Year AFirst reading, Jeremiah 15:15-21
- Lectionary 25 Year BFirst reading, Wisdom of Solomon 1:16—2:1, 12-22 or Jeremiah 11:18-20
- Lectionary 30 Year CFirst reading, Sirach 35:12-17 or Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Fire in My Bones, explained in plain words. Jeremiah is mocked, lonely, and ready to quit. He tells God so, and God holds on to him. About 11 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/fire-in-my-bones/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church