Fire in my Bones — Jeremiah 20:1–18

The recording, chapter markers and searchable transcript appear here once the Sunday video is available.

In this message

God alone defines a person’s destiny, not their title or self-image.
A true prophet’s words must come true; claims that fail are false prophecy.
God never promised to keep His servants from trials, but He promises to be with them in them.
God’s Word can become like fire in the bones, making silence impossible even under pressure.
Faithfulness means staying in the place God has put you, trusting Him with the details and results.

The passage

The verses Lee stops on. Read Jeremiah 20 in full.

Jeremiah 20:1–2

1When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the official in charge of the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, 2he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the Lord’s temple.

When Pashur, Chief governor of the temple, heard Jeremiah’s dire prophecy, he struck Jeremiah and then ordered him to be put in stocks, where he remained all night. While there, Jeremiah received a prophetic word.

Jeremiah 20:9

9But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

After you’ve told God how you feel, what do you do next? Jeremiah resolved to quit being a prophet! He decided to keep his mouth shut and not even mention the Lord to anybody. But that didn’t work, because the message of God was like a burning in his heart and a fire in his bones. Luke 24:32 - “They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”. Jeremiah didn’t preach because he had to say something, but because he had something to say, and not saying it would have destroyed him. Paul had the same attitude. 1 Corinthians 9:16 - “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”.

Titles, circumstances, or the reactions of others do not define us — only the Lord does.

What we have seen

this is a vivid illustration that God alone defines a person’s destiny, not their title or self-image.
the definition of a prophet is that everything they say will happen, must happen.
Ray Comfort – Persecution almost persuaded Jeremiah not to speak in God’s name, but God’s word burned so within Jeremiah that he could not keep it to himself.
this sermon today is for me. As we have gotten closer and closer to the Bold event, I have gone in and out of Joy, then despair.

What is the point of Jeremiah being put in the stocks in Jeremiah 20?

Jeremiah’s time in the stocks shows how people can respond to God’s truth by trying to silence it instead of submitting to it. Pashur chose beating and imprisonment rather than taking Jeremiah’s message to heart. The passage exposes cowardice hiding behind authority and title. The way someone reacts to the truth reveals what they are made of.

Why does God change Pashur’s name in Jeremiah 20?

God changing Pashur’s name shows that God alone defines a person’s destiny, not their title or self-image. Pashur’s name meant “security on all sides,” but the Lord renamed him to mean “fear/terror on every side,” matching what was really coming. Pashur had promised peace while the nation partied toward destruction. The renamed identity exposed the reality God had declared.

How can you tell a true prophet from a false prophet?

A true prophet is defined by this: everything they say will happen, must happen. Deuteronomy 18:21–22 is given as the test—if what is proclaimed does not take place, that message was not from the Lord. The teaching also listed further tests: doctrinal soundness, fruit, and being Christ-centred, but the basic marker highlighted was accuracy. Calling yourself a prophet while your predictions fail marks you as a false prophet.

Why did Jeremiah name Babylon as the invader in Jeremiah 20?

Jeremiah naming Babylon identified the specific tool of God’s discipline. Earlier he had spoken of an invasion “from the north,” but here the invading nation is named. The prophecy of destruction was said to come true in three waves of Babylonian invasion. The point was that what God gave Jeremiah to prophesy came true.

Does following God mean life should get easier?

God never promised to keep His people from trials. Jon Courson’s point was that the Lord warned His people not to be surprised when difficulties come, and what He promises is to be with them in them. Jeremiah’s experience of persecution and sorrow fits that reality. The struggle is not proof God has failed; it is the context where His presence must be trusted.

What does “fire in my bones” mean in Jeremiah 20?

“Fire in my bones” describes the inner compulsion of God’s message that makes silence unbearable. Jeremiah resolved to quit speaking, but the word of God burned within him until he could not hold it back. The same “burning” language is tied to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and to Paul’s sense of compulsion to preach. The point is that Jeremiah spoke not because he needed to say something, but because he had something to say.

Why does Jeremiah accuse God of deceiving him in Jeremiah 20?

Jeremiah’s accusation is presented as the cry of a discouraged servant who thought God’s earlier promise meant he would have no problems. Warren Wiersbe noted that the word translated “deceived” carries the sense of being enticed or seduced, even though God does not lie (Titus 1:2). Jeremiah felt overpowered and taken advantage of in his calling. The counsel given was to talk to the Lord about it and tell Him the truth, as Jeremiah did privately to God.

How can someone worship when they feel confined or attacked?

Victory in confining circumstances comes by keeping the Word before you and worship flowing from you. Jeremiah worshipped while stiff and sore from the stocks, and Paul and Silas worshipped while suffering in prison. Worship is shown as an act of faith in the faithful One, not in personal strength. The passage presents worship as possible even when pain and pressure are real.

What should you do when you swing between joy and despair in ministry?

Faithfulness means staying where God has put you, trusting Him with the details. The teaching applied Jeremiah’s honesty to real swings of emotion—joy and excitement followed by despair and fear about what could go wrong. The counsel given was to be faithful to the place, knowledge, and people God has provided, and to be confident in God’s ability to accomplish what He has given. Remembering whose you are helps resist “woe is me” moments.

Why would God still use someone who sounds as discouraged as Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20?

God did not shelf Jeremiah, and He won’t shelf His servants because they are human. Jeremiah could praise and then curse the day he was born because he was a man “just like us,” and discouragement can return quickly. The point made was that God would still use Jeremiah in spite of—or more likely because of—his humanness. The call is to look beyond feelings and circumstances and see the greatness and wisdom of God, remembering, “It’s always too soon to quit.”

Where else scripture speaks

Every passage Lee reaches for. The ones he teaches from open here; the rest link out.

1 Samuel 17:7 Galatians 1:10Deuteronomy 18:21–22 1 Peter 4:12 Psalm 39:31 Corinthians 9:16 Acts 16:25

Passages picked up elsewhere in the series:

Galatians 1:10 — Called Before You Were Born, Prophets in 2025?, How to Spot a False Prophet
2 Kings 25:1–3 — Jerusalem Under Siege
Deuteronomy 18:21–22 — Prophets in 2025?, How to Spot a False Prophet
Luke 24:32 — The Justice of God’s Judgment, Jerusalem Under Siege

Take this with you

Jeremiah cried out in despair mixed with praise, unburdening his heart to God.