THE CONFESSIONS OF JEREMIAH IN CHAPTER 20:7-18 VIS-À-VIS PROPHETIC VOICES IN NIGERIA RELIGIO-POLITICAL SPACE
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Date
2021-01
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Department of Christian Religious Studies, Kaduna State State University, Kaduna
Abstract
Prophets occupied central position in the social, religious and political space of ancient Israel just as it is experienced in contemporary Nigeria. As mouth pieces of God for the regulation of the activities of the people particularly the aristocrats, their messages attracts intense criticism and persecution. The inner burden of a prophet was clearly exemplified in the confessions of Jeremiah as recorded in chapters 11:18-23; 12:1-6; 15:10-21; 17:12-18; 18:18-23 and 20:7-18. Were the confessions of Jeremiah literary device from the editorial pen to give credence to the prophet’s oracles or the true experience of the burden the prophet bore as peril of ministry? How do the confessions resonate with prophetic voices in the Religio-political context in Nigeria? Therefore, this paper examines Jeremiah 20:7-18 with the intention of addressing the theological as well as interpretation problems imbedded in the text and draw lessons for Prophetic ministry in Nigeria. Historical-critical method of exegesis and content analysis of relevant literature were used to achieve the objectives of the paper. Findings show that the confessions of Jeremiah were his personal inner conflicts arising from the ridicule and persecution he experienced because of his stern opposition to the corrupt political and religious establishment of his day. Prophetic voices in Nigeria have a lot to model from Jeremiah in terms of dauntless attitude in the face of stern persecution consequent upon speaking the truth to political leadership for the betterment of the Nigerian society.
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Fawenu, Bamidele Olusegun. “The Confessions of Jeremiah in Chapter 20:7-18 Vis-À-Vis Prophetic Voices in Nigeria Religio-Political Space.” Journal of Christian Religious Studies (JOCRES) 3 no. 3 (2021):242-255.