Jeremiah 45: 1 – 5
The Assistant
1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 ‘You said, “Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.”’ 4 “Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the LORD. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.”’
Here is a message for Senior Pastors, ‘You can’t make it on your own, and that’s not a putdown. It’s reality. And the bigger the Lord wants to use you for His Glory, the more help you’re going to need.
In many churches a person hired to be the Senior Pastor is guided by a board of Elders. In many cases he may inherit ‘Assistants’. It isn’t very gracious of a newly appointed Pastor to clear house of people who are already on staff. It takes time to slowly replace these people with the ones you feel compliment your ministry.
In my denomination the Senior Pastor was a man who opened his home for people to come to and the Lord kept adding people to this fellowship. With the Lord’s work the numbers become so large that the group reaches out for another building to hold their services.
Our Lord gave directions on the importance of not trying to do everything by yourself. Remember Moses’ father-in-law Jethro. We read in the book of Exodus chapter 18 this, “1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”) 4 and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); 5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God. 13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So, it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.” 24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.”
So following Jethro’s wisdom a Pastor in a short time, must pick a trustworthy brother to shepherd the lambs while he focuses on feeding the adult sheep. Then as the church grows other ‘Assistants’ are added to be able to minister the expanded areas.
So, if this might apply to you then here are a few pointers on what makes a great assistant? If you’re a leader, you’d better know the answer to that question.
An assistant is an extension of the man he works for. Assistants help coordinate all the needs and demands of the head person’s life so there are very few—if any—collisions between the personal and professional.
. They’re so good their reputation proceeds them.
. They have a servant’s heart. Every good assistant wants to serve. Whether the task is big or little, he achieves his goals by helping you achieve yours.
. They have personalized expertise. A good assistant is like a second brain. He knows what you like and don’t like. He knows where you are and where you need to go.
. A good assistant anticipates needs and plans accordingly.
. They are willing to push back. Everyone loves to receive applause. Yet the problem is that you will bring on board ‘yes’ men who tell you everything is super when in fact there are a lot of things to be concerned about. A good assistant will tell you the truth. Beware of anyone who is always flattering you.
. They are loyal to you. Part of the problem in hiring ‘yes’ men is that they are not really interested in you. They are interested in what they can get out of their position.
. They have great communication skills. And by this I don’t just mean he can carry on a conversation. A good assistant will help facilitate communication in your organization.
I’ve worked with people whose assistants were more liability than asset. If you’re a leader, you can’t afford to get this wrong. Why? They’re hindering your goals and everyone around you knows it—even if you don’t.
Our Holy Father Yahweh sent an excellent Assistant to serve with Jeremiah by the name of Baruch. In just 5 verses our Great and Mighty Creator explains His thoughts on the prophet’s assistant.
This section of Jeremiah’s work, which commenced at 26.1, now closes with a reference to YHWH’s watch over the faithful Baruch. We can compare the earlier reference to His watch over Ebed-melech (39.16-18). This prophecy occurred in the days of Jehoiakim and is thus ‘out of place’ chronologically. But Jeremiah’s prophecy is not wholly chronological, and it may well have been intended as a postscript bringing out what happened to those who faithfully served under Jeremiah, in contrast to the awful end of Judah as a whole. It emphasized that in all His judgments YHWH did not overlook those who faithfully served Him.
In this regard it will be noted that it refers to the plucking up of Judah (45.4) and was thus given in the light of Judah’s end, and that its purport was to assure Baruch that whatever the future held, YHWH would preserve him to the end. In that sense it does tie in chronologically, for it is Judah’s end that had just been dealt with.
Baruch was Jeremiah’s helper and Scribe. He came from an important family. He was the grandson of Mahseiah (32.12) who had been governor of Jerusalem during the reign of Josiah (2 Chronicles 34.8). Baruch’s brother Seraiah was an officer at Zedekiah’s court (51.59). But Baruch had bravely publicly identified himself with Jeremiah at great risk to himself, had written down his prophecies, and had bravely read some of them publicly in the Temple at Jeremiah’s request (36.4-10).
1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:
This short chapter gives us words spoken by Jeremiah to Baruch in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim (and thus four years after the death of Josiah), which Baruch wrote down at his request. It prophesies the plucking up of Judah from the land, and the preservation of Baruch throughout all that would occur. Whilst therefore, from the point of view of when the prophecy was given, it is not in order chronologically, it will be apparent that it is very much in order chronologically in its thought for it is a guarantee of preservation to the end.
The prophecy is stated to be a personal word from YHWH to Baruch, and an indication therefore of YHWH’s personal interest in and concern for Baruch. It is a reminder that God does not overlook the needs of his second-string servants.
3 ‘You said, “Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.”’
YHWH here indicates that Baruch had gone at this time through similar soul searching to his master. It is a reminder that it was no easier being a faithful prophet’s assistant and supporter, than it was being a faithful prophet. These could easily have been words of Jeremiah for at times he complained against his lot in a similar way. Master and assistant suffered together. Baruch’s complaint may indeed have occurred as a result of what followed his reading of the scroll in the Temple (36.4-10). It may well be that he had expected that there would be a remarkable response to his reading of Jeremiah’s words. And in a sense, there was. But it had not been what he had expected, and he had subsequently had to go into hiding along with Jeremiah. What he had hoped would be a triumph had turned out to be a disaster. We can understand his discouragement and disillusionment. He felt that YHWH had added to his already deep anguish further sorrow and pain. It is an experience endured by many of God’s servants as God brings us to an end of ourselves. And he had grown weary of his need to groan, and of the fact that he did not seem able to find rest. He had almost reached the end of his tether. But as with Baruch it is at such times that God speaks to us.
4 “Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the LORD. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.”’
At that time Baruch had been confident that through the words of Jeremiah Jerusalem would be restored, with the result that he himself would receive accreditation as Jeremiah’s scribe, and be held in honor. He was sure that eventually he would be a great man (‘do you seek great things for yourself?’), the scribe of a successful prophet.
But YHWH here informs him that that is not to be. For the truth is that Jerusalem will not repent at the words of Jeremiah, with the result that what He, YHWH, has built up, He will break down, and what He has planted He will pluck up, and this not only in Jerusalem but also throughout the land. And now this has come about with the result that the words of the prophecy become directly relevant.
But YHWH assures Baruch that, while this may be so, amid the disaster he, like Jeremiah, need not be afraid, for he can be assured that he will be preserved by YHWH until his time comes. YHWH’s promise is that he will not be caught up in the final disaster coming on the people of Judah, for whilst evil will be brought on all Judah, Baruch himself will be preserved through it, and will be one of the remnants who escape. The section thus ends with a message of hope during the gloom. It is a reminder that God never forgets His people, even amid disaster, and provides the assurance that whenever things might appear to be at their darkest, those who are His can be confident that He is there with them in the midst of it all. It is the guarantee that His people will survive, and that His purposes will finally come to fruition. It is a fitting climax to the section.
‘And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.’ There are no words that better express what is to be the attitude of the true people of God. They are words that should be written on the hearts of all who would seek to serve God. It is doubtful whether they are to be seen as a rebuke levelled at Baruch’s general attitude, but rather as a warning in a moment of temporary exultation. YHWH gently warns His servant that it is not outward success that must be sought, but the will of God, and that that does not necessarily come to fruition within one person’s lifetime. Let him therefore be content with this, the assurance that YHWH will be with him whatever the future may hold.
Indeed, as He points out, for Jeremiah and Baruch there is no short-term solution. Judah’s sin is such that they can only be broken down and uprooted, something that had now happened. But that is not to be a matter of despair, for Baruch will himself be an evidence of the fact that God preserves His remnant ready for another day. In the face of this they must persevere during hardship, and must not become discouraged, for God’s Day will finally dawn.
The words are a reminder to us that our thoughts also should not be set on what we can achieve, or have achieved, but should be fixed on a desire for the fulfilling of the will of God. They are words that should be inscribed on every preacher’s rostrum. And they remind us that whether we live at times of success, or of outward failure, our confidence should be in the fact that God watches over His people and will see His purposes through in the end, and this whether the way be rough, or the way be smooth. For with God there can be no failure, with the result that we may be sure that what may seem to us sometimes to signal the end of hope, will only turn out to be a part of His plan, and a stepping stone in the carrying forward of His will.
