Jeremiah the Nepo Baby

Scripture: Jeremiah 26:20 – “There was another man prophesying in the name of the Lord, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words exactly like those of Jeremiah.” (NRSVUE)

Did you know that the prophet Jeremiah was a nepo baby? In the beginning of the Book of Jeremiah, when young Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5, NRSVUE). We normally read this as part of a divine destiny for a man whose entire life is defined by his commitment to be a prophet to the Lord during a time of unprecedented turmoil and destruction in Jerusalem. But I think we can also look at it as a sign of how Jeremiah’s family set him up for success and allowed us to hear his words of challenge and comfort thousands of years later while other prophetic voices of the time have been lost.

Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, a priest who served King Josiah of Judah. Hilkiah and his colleague Ahikam discovered a lost book in the Temple, which some scholars believe to be the Book of Deuteronomy. This discovery led Josiah to make major religious reforms. But when Josiah was killed in battle, his sons fell into decadence. Jeremiah followed in his father’s footsteps as a voice for faith in God, and it was to these kings that Jeremiah shared his harsh words. If they did not cease their wickedness, God would destroy them, their city, and their temple.

Jeremiah suffered for his political stances, being ignored, abused, and arrested. But Jeremiah was not the only prophet speaking out for justice. There was a prophet named Uriah who said similar things. When King Jehoiakim came to the throne, he cracked down on prophetic opposition. Jeremiah was arrested and tried for treason, but Uriah fled to Egypt. The king sent troops to extradite Uriah. He was brought back to the king and executed. But Jeremiah was released. And a big part of this was because his father’s friend, Ahikam, used his influence to allow Jeremiah to go free.

Jeremiah would go on preach for another twenty-five years, during which time he spoke the majority of the words that still move us thousands of years later. But what about Uriah? We don’t have a single word from him. Perhaps he would have been more eloquent or faithful, but we’ll never know.

Nepotism in the arts, business, and politics is a topic of debate these days, with many criticizing how some people only got their start in life because of their family connections instead of their own merits. And while this can be an unjust system, in Jeremiah’s case, it was one that God used for our advantage.

I believe that God does not cause our misery and much of our suffering comes because of our free will and the destructive systems we have created for ourselves. But God does try to turn the bad things we do into good things. God is about the silver lining. Jeremiah survived where Uriah did not, but God used the gifts and privilege that Jeremiah received to change the history of faith forever.

There may be things in your life that are unfair. While we should not just accept the injustices of the world, we can twist them, when possible, to bring about good. If we have an advantage someone else does not, like wealth or education, it is our call to use that to love and serve others, not just for our own advantage or that of our family. We have all been called from the womb for a special purpose. What will yours be?

Prayer: Lord God, use me to bring love and peace to places of injustice and suffering. Amen.