Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-13

Emerson says that God once in q
hundred years or so creates great
man and then breaks that mold for
ever" jeremiah was one Of Gods great
men. When Jehovah started to create
the poet, priest, patriot and prophet,
whose personality we are to consider
this week, He selected a prieStly family
whose home was in village close TO
Jerusalem. When he was called by the
Lord to enter His work and speak as
His prophet the timid youth was in
formed that Jehovah had chosen and
conSecrated jeremiah to be His prophet
unto the nations before he was born.
The elements in Jeremiahs person
atty that fitted him to enter upon the
divine mission made the young man
conscious of the sin of his people and
the perils that he would be called upon
to face. 1t IS no wonder that he hesi-
tated to undertake such a task until
God assured him that he should not
consider that he was inexperienced,
because he would speak the message
that God would give him and to the
persons to whom he was sent. He
had no reason to fear, because there
was given unto the newly appointed
prophet the promise Of the Lords pres
ences and protection. This gave him
power to endure the misunderstanding
and opposition, when he sought to pro-
claim the message Of Jehovah, which
was of such a character that It was
destined Ito pluck up and to break down
and to destroy and to overthrow, TO build
and to plant" jeremiah knew that 1t
was the word Of the Lord with its world
wide application that gave his message
as an Ambassador Of Jehovah the
power to destroy and create. It was
the message, born Of God-given truths,
that gave him courage when he en-
tered upon his ministry.
Individual Religion.
jeremiah towers like o lofty noun
tain height above the plains. His mes
Sages made him unpopular IN his day.
His own kin rejected him. He was
considered and charged with being q
traitor to his nation, because he did
not try to arouse a spirit of national
ism. when he saw it was in danger.
His words were destructive of their
morale. His messages were faithful,
fearless, but friendly when he prophe-
sled against their worship, criticized
their conduct and warned King Zede-
kiah Of his approaching peril. He was
considered a peSsimist, when he was
not. It Is true that he was o man of
sorrowS-just as Jesus was-because he
knew the sins of the people and I'M
derstood the approaching Judgment Of
Jehovah. It Is not an easy task to
grasp the whole message of the prophet,
but when we study it we see that It
contains not only searching of the
hearts Of the people, but, filed with
patriotic loyalty and love, he rebuked
them and called them to repentance,
but pointed out the cause Of the COM
ing Judgment and made the promise
to repentant individuals of q pardon.
1t will stimulate our study of the
words OF jeremiah If we recall that he
was the author Of the first Psalm. Jesus
found in the prophets words q source
book, for when He drove the money
changers out of the temple, and when
and when He told the Pharisees that
the thing that really matters is the
thing which comes from the heart, and
when He told the people that no man
can rightly worship God until he Is
right with his fellow man'--our Lord
was quoting from the words Of Jere-
miah.
The prophet saw the approaching
destruction of Jerusalem, the temple
and the captivity of the people, but
in that dark hour there was born in
bAAC RAOP44Cbo bIiOuBut LIl6 message OF
individual religious life It is this
truth that has given the prophet his
position. Previous to his day a mans
faith was a national affair, but ever
since the prophet preached religion has
become supremely and intensely per-
sonal relation between a man, his fell
low man and his God. Just as the
prophet realized, when ne was called
and responded to enter his divinely
given mission, that he was being d.
rected by a Personality greater than
his own, 50 he tried to make all see
that in changing conditions that they
faced due to the nations sin, their one
hope as individuals was q thorough re-
pentance and faith In the pardoning
love Of God.
Devastating Drought.
We can read Jeremiah's description
Of the devastating drought that filed
the land with great sorrow and see in
the conditions something similar to that
experienced in parts Of our country at
this very moment. We see the picture
Of dried-up streams and note how
where the water once rushed over their
beds one sees only stones. People who
Mrthnhtat Ertarnral
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES