Sunday School: Gospel Doctrine
Lesson 41: ‘I Have Made Thee This Day … an Iron Pillar’


“Lesson 41: ‘I Have Made Thee This Day … an Iron Pillar’” Old Testament Class Member Study Guide (2001), 26

“Lesson 41,” Old Testament Class Member Study Guide, 26

Lesson 41

“I Have Made Thee This Day … an Iron Pillar”

Jeremiah 1–2; 15; 20; 26; 36–38

Study Jeremiah 1–2; 15; 20; 26; 36–38.

Jeremiah ministered from 626 to 586 B.C., during the reigns of five kings (from Josiah to Zedekiah). With Josiah, he tried to turn the people from idolatry and immorality. Jeremiah’s life was full of sorrow, but his response to trials can inspire us. He was beaten and imprisoned for prophesying against the kingdom of Judah. His life was constantly threatened. However, through all the adversity and opposition, he was like an “iron pillar” (Jeremiah 1:18). The book of Jeremiah provides a personal, faith-promoting record of this prophet’s response to his life’s sorrow and frustration.

  • What does Jeremiah’s call teach us about the doctrine of foreordination? (See Jeremiah 1:5.)

  • What opposition did Jeremiah face as he fulfilled the mission given to him by the Lord? (See Jeremiah 20:1–6; 26:7–15; 36:1–6, 20–24, 27–32; 37:12–16; 38:4–13.)

  • What can we learn from Jeremiah to help us when we experience adversity?

  • In Jeremiah 20:9, how did Jeremiah describe the word of the Lord inside him? What do you think it means to have the word of the Lord be a burning fire in your bones?