Armorbearer Training For Reigning In Christ
PROPHET JEREMIAH’S ASSISTANT, Baruch
2“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3You have said, ‘Woe is me because the LORD has added sorrow to my pain! I am worn out with groaning and have found no rest.’ ” Jeremiah 45:2
God had given Prophet Jeremiah a great assistant, scribe to write down for him and personal friend. Biblical history tells us he was an influential man in his own right. Prophet Jeremiah was an awesome prophet, also known as the weeping prophet. It was a difficult season. The nation was under judgement. To say the least Baruch certainly had legitimate reasons to complain. But God is against complaining. His leader could have complained too. Remember, the Israelites complained the wilderness and resisted God ten times. Until he said that’s enough, back out in the desert for you. He swore they would not enter in and they didn’t. After forty years and that generation had died out , their children went into possess the land. So during the difficult times, God was gracious to Baruch and sent him a special message of encouragement, which ended up in the Bible.
THE ASSISTANT’S COMPLAINT & GOD’S GRACIOUS RESPONSE
Scriptural Account:
In Jeremiah 45:1-3 , the text states: “This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch son of Neriah when he wrote these words in a scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You have said, ‘Woe is me, for the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am worn out with groaning and have found no rest.’”
Baruch’s lament reveals his deep distress and weariness. As Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch was tasked with recording and delivering messages of judgment against Judah, a role that undoubtedly brought him into conflict with the people and authorities of his time. His complaint reflects the emotional and physical toll of his prophetic ministry.
Divine Response:
In response to Baruch’s complaint, God provides a message of both challenge and comfort. Jeremiah 45:4-5 continues: “Thus you are to say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: I will demolish what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the whole land! But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For behold, I will bring disaster on all flesh, declares the LORD, but I will grant you your life like a spoil of war, wherever you go.’”
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM BARUCH’S COMPLAINT AND GOD’S RESPONSE:
- Stay FAITHFUL. Faithfulness is a sought after element in life. We need it in our marriages, businesses and most certainly churches. I said once it seemed to be a dying art. Since, I’ve learned a little bit more about the power of my words. I don’t say that anymore. Taking the focus off myself. I now say a lot. God is a faithful God. I taught on the immutability of his word last year.
How he wanted to sware but he could find nothing higher than himself to sware by. So he swore by himself about the certainty of his promises. Years ago, the Holy Spirit said look at him and say, “God, calls you faithful. A few weeks later God began a promotion in his life. What does that have to do with Armorbearing?
Remember biblical David, the shepherd boy who was secretly anointed as king. When God told Prophet Samuel to go anoint him a new king from the house of Jesse. Yes the same Jesse whose grandfather was Boaz. Prophet Samuel said, God, King Saul will have me killed when he hears about it. God said, “Say you’re there to offer a sacrifice with the household of Jesse.” He went with that. As story goes, after lining up all the sons…
- STAY CONGRUENT WITH GOD’S CALL. The Apostle Peter instructs us how to make our calling and election (God’s Choice) sure. Remember firstly, we are a chosen generation–yes that’s you, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.
When we are born-again and a disciple of Christ, we have been given everything we need pertaining to godliness and life. We are a new creation and partake of God’s divine nature. Add these things to your faith in an increasing way: add goodness and to your goodness add knowledge and to your knowledge add temperance and to your temperance add brotherly kindness, and to your brotherly kindness add love. - STAY ALIGNED WITH YOUR LEADER’S VISION AND MESSAGE. Deliver the heart of the message. Seek to rise to the character your leader walks in. Remember you are not them and they are not you. Be respectful of who they are, in other words know those who labor among you. Apply the GREATER MEASURE principle. Esteem your brother-your sister, better than you. I know it sounds really odd, right? But it’s true. I’ve given these examples many times. Remember John the Baptist and Jesus, King David and Jonathan. When I first gave this example, I esteemed the Apostles whose church I was preaching at that day better than me.
- STAY GRATEFUL. All kinds of people know this principle. Not just Christians. It is good to give thanks to the Lord and praise to the most high God. It shews forth His lovingkindness all through the morning and shew forth his faithfulness every night. Ps. 18:1
When Jesus saw the ten lepers and wanted to heal them. He simply spoke the word to them and sent them to go show themselves to the priest. Scripture says they all went to the priest and on the way they were all healed. Only one came back to say thank you. It is believed he got something the others did not get. - STAY WALKING IN FORGIVENESS. Forgiveness is always a choice. But Christians it is a command. God commands us to forgive. He is a forgiver. He first of all draws us to himself with lovingkindness (goodness) unto repentance. The Psalmist explains, “When we repent, he blots out our transgressions and removes them from as far as the east is from the west. The west never meets the east. Then furthermore, He remembers them no more. Even so, I must add, forgiveness is not always easy. It takes God’s help sometimes.
In summary, we are encouraged to stay faithful, Congruent to God’s call, stay aligned with your leaders vision, voice and message, stay grateful and stay walking in forgiveness.
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Pastor Earma, 24 Book Christian Author & Co-Founder of Grace Covenant House. What did you think of today’s blog? Pastor Brown loves to hear from you. Do you have a comment? Please post your thoughts, comments or questions below in the comment box. For more of her teaching, click here to sign up for the Graced Life blog.