Even before he was conceived, Jeremiah was specifically appointed by God as a prophet (Jeremiah 1:5). We may not be called to do the work of a prophet today (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10), but we can still learn from the instructions which were given to Jeremiah. We are obligated to teach and defend the truth (1 Timothy 3:15; Philippians 1:16-17). Studying Jeremiah’s commission helps us to learn how to do this.
“Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant’” (Jeremiah 1:9-10).
There were six things that Jeremiah would do in his prophesying – (1) pluck up, (2) break down, (3) destroy, (4) overthrow, (5) build, and (6) plant. These are the same six things we must do in our teaching today.
Before we consider these six things, it is important to note that all of this would be accomplished with the words of God (Jeremiah 1:9). In the same way, we will accomplish these six things by speaking “as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11, NKJV). We must not look to human wisdom, commandments, traditions, or opinions to accomplish our goals in teaching. Instead, we must look exclusively to the word of God.
So let us notice the six things we must do as we teach God’s word.
Pluck Up
To “pluck up” means to uproot. We are not to merely treat the symptoms of sin and error. We must get down to the roots and pluck them up, otherwise they will keep growing back. For example, suppose a man commits adultery against his wife and one is able to convince him that adultery is wrong (Hebrews 13:4) so he gives up that sin. But after giving up the sin of adultery, he then starts using pornography. The sin of adultery was dealt with, but not the root – lust (Matthew 5:27-30). Pulling this up from the roots will help deal not only with adultery, but also pornography and other related sins. Whatever is at the heart of sin and error must be eliminated or else one will keep moving from one sin to another.
Break Down
To “break down” means to dismantle. We must call upon people to surrender and dismantle whatever they have built that is contrary to the will of God. When King Josiah enacted his reforms, he “broke down” and “demolished” the altars that had been built to honor certain false gods (2 Kings 23:15). When Paul obeyed the gospel and became a follower of Christ, he had to dismantle the entire course of his life. He told the church in Philippi, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7). Moses was willing to surrender his place in Pharaoh’s household for the “greater riches” that are promised to those who will follow the Lord. People must be taught to break down and remove those things from their lives which are obstacles and hindrances to their service to God.
Destroy
To “destroy” is to wipe out. Part of our spiritual warfare is to destroy opposing doctrines (2 Corinthians 10:5). This also includes the battle against sin. Paul wrote, “We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience” (2 Corinthians 10:5-6). Sin is not to be put in a box and allowed to remain in a compartment of one’s life. Instead, as Christians we must continually work to put away sin from our lives (1 John 2:1). Error is also not to be tolerated (2 John 10-11). It must be opposed (Galatians 2:4-5) and not fellowshipped (Ephesians 5:11).
Overthrow
To “overthrow” is to depose from power. Anything that would be a master over us in a way that is opposed to God, we must refuse to allow it to have power over us. Sin must be overthrown in that we “do not let sin reign” in our bodies “for sin shall not be master over you” (Romans 6:12-14). Our own desires must be overthrown, just as Paul said, “I discipline my body and make it my slave” (1 Corinthians 9:27). We must also not allow human religion to hold power over us that we “submit…to decrees… [of] self-made religion… [that] are of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:20-23). We must also overthrow the place of ungodly rulers from our hearts, so that we “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). “Every thought” of ours must be taken “captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and not allowed to remain under the control of other ungodly masters.
Build
To “build” means to rebuild, not establish something new. In Jeremiah’s prophesying, he was trying to rebuild what God established in the first place when He gave the Law to the nation of Israel. So Jeremiah relayed God’s message to the people: “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it” (Jeremiah 6:16). We are not trying to build anything new today. We would be “accursed” if we attempted to do so (Galatians 1:8-9). Instead, we are to build upon “the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). In our building, we must do so “according to the pattern” (Hebrews 8:5) which we find in the New Testament (2 Timothy 1:13).
Plant
To “plant” is to sow the seed. In His explanation of the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). We plant by teaching the gospel, hoping to find “honest and good” hearts (Luke 8:15). A seed that is planted in such a heart will grow and bear fruit through this person’s own teaching, encouragement, and example to others.
Conclusion
We may not have the same specific commission as Jeremiah, but there are certainly parallels to our responsibilities before God today. We must try to lead people to the truth and away from error just as Jeremiah did. Remembering the six things he was charged to do in his commission will help us to be most effective in our efforts today.
