Called by God’s Name: The Joy of Jeremiah and the Fall of Eve

In the midst of drought, judgment, and personal anguish, the prophet Jeremiah cries out to God. His lament is raw. He says, “Woe is me… everyone curses me” (Jer 15:10). He pleads for God to remember him. He confesses that he stayed away from the company of mockers. He asks why his pain never ends (Jer 15:15–18). Yet in the heart of this suffering, Jeremiah makes a stunning confession. He declares, “Your words were found, and I devoured them; your words were to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts” (Jer 15:16).

This single verse reveals the secret of spiritual joy even in the darkest moments. Let us walk through it word by word.

The Word Found and Eaten

It is said, “Your words were found.”
The words came to Jeremiah in a passive way. He did not invent or force the message. God’s word came to him. It was like a treasure that he discovered. This is divine revelation. It is not human effort.

Jeremiah continues, “And I devoured them.”
The verb means to eat physically. But here it is a vivid metaphor. Just as Ezekiel swallowed the scroll (Ezek 3:1–3), Jeremiah internalized God’s word. It became part of him. It was sustenance for his soul.

From Devouring to Delight

Jeremiah adds, “Your words were to me a joy and the delight of my heart.”
He uses two powerful words. One means exuberant celebration. The other means deep gladness. Jeremiah lived a life of rejection and sorrow. How could he rejoice? The answer follows immediately.

The Reason: “I Am Called by Your Name”

Jeremiah explains, “For I am called by your name.”
This is not a casual label. In ancient culture, a king’s name was called over a servant. That meant ownership, protection, and authority. Jeremiah declares that he belongs to YHWH. His identity is no longer “persecuted prophet.” His identity is “man marked by God.”

The phrase “name upon” appears elsewhere in Scripture.

Israel is blessed because “the LORD’s name is called upon you” (Deut 28:10).
The temple is sacred because “my name shall be there” (1 Kgs 8:43).

Jeremiah bears God’s name like a seal. He is God’s vassal (Hebrew: ʿebed, servant under covenant). He is God’s messenger. He is God’s property. This truth sustains him.
He remembered the truth: I already bear the image of God. I am called by His name. His word is my true delight.

The Contrast: Eve and the Tree

Now consider the first tragedy in Scripture. In the garden, God had already named Adam and Eve. He said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness” (Gen 1:26). They were called by God’s name. They reflected His glory. They ruled as His representatives.

God gave them full freedom: “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden” (Gen 2:16), including the tree of life and all trees pleasant to the sight (Gen 2:9). But Eve forgot her identity. She was created in the image and likeness of God. Yet she fell into the trap of Satan. The serpent told her, “When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Gen 3:5). She forgot that she was already like God. She forgot that she already bore His image.

Eve thought: It is good for me to become like God. Therefore, even if I disobey by eating the forbidden fruit, it is okay.
So she reached for a lesser pleasure. She saw that the forbidden tree was “a delight to the eyes” (Gen 3:6). The word for “delight” here means a craving (taʾăwâ). It is a desire that pulls the heart away.

Eve ate the wrong fruit—the one tree she was told not to eat (Gen 2:17), while she was allowed to eat from all the trees that were pleasant to the sight, including the tree of life. The result was exile, pain, and a heart now hungry for what could never satisfy.

The True Logical Sequence: Finding the Word Awakens Identity

Jeremiah shows the true order that leads to joy. It begins with God’s word.

The word is found – God speaks and reveals Himself.
The word is devoured – we take it in, letting it nourish our soul.
Identity is recognized – we remember who we truly are: called by God’s name (dēmōphōn in Greek, meaning “bearing the name of the people”), belonging to Him, made in His image.
Joy results – the word becomes delight because it confirms our original belonging.

This is not a new name received. It is a recognition of our original identity. We were always meant to belong to God. When we devour His word, we wake up to that truth again.

Eve reversed this order.

She forgot her identity – she no longer felt she belonged to God.
She rejected God’s word – she ignored His command.
She sought false delight – she ate the wrong fruit.
She lost joy – she gained sorrow.

Theological Meaning of “I Am Called by Your Name”

Identity & Belonging
Jeremiah’s core identity is not “persecuted prophet.” His core identity is “man of YHWH.” Even in suffering, this belonging gives him joy. This is because it ties him to God’s purpose.
Authority & Mission
Bearing God’s name equals speaking with divine authority. This explains Jeremiah’s boldness. He preaches judgment because YHWH’s name is on him.
Joy Amid Suffering
The word is found and devoured. This leads to joy. But only because it awakens the truth of the name.
Sequence:
The word is found. → 2. The word is devoured. → 3. We recognize we belong to God. → 4. Joy results.
→ Suffering does not negate calling. The recognition of belonging sustains joy.

When We Lose Joy: Turn to the Word

Whenever we lose our joy, whenever we find life is too burdensome, we know exactly what to do. We must turn to the word of God. We must devour the word of God. As we take it in, we come to understand our true identity. Then joy becomes a natural consequence. We can have true joy only when we come to the full realization that we belong to the Lord and that the Lord is in control of everything that happens in our life.

When We Forget, We Chase Shadows

Today, we repeat Eve’s mistake when we forget whose we are.

We seek delight in approval, success, or pleasure.
We treat God’s word as optional, not essential.
We wonder why joy slips away.

But when we remember our identity in Christ—when we consciously recall that we are called by His name and made in His image—everything changes.

We need to constantly remind ourselves, “I am called by your name, O Lord” (Jer 15:16).
And , “I am created in your image” (Gen 1:27).

Then His word becomes food. It becomes fire. It becomes joy. We devour it not out of duty. We devour it because it reminds us we belong.

What It Means for us

Your name is on God’s heart (Isa 43:1). This leads to His name on your life (Jer 15:16).
Jeremiah was going through deep suffering, yet he became aware that he was named by God and that he belongs to the Lord. Therefore, he was able to experience true joy.
When we are in suffering, when we forget our identity, we as a result fall into sadness or depression.
Internalizing Scripture awakens our true identity. It reshapes identity and joy.
Live worthy of the name. Scripture says, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim 2:19).

Living Under the Name

Jeremiah suffered greatly. Yet his heart rejoiced. Why? Because God’s name was upon him—and he remembered it through the word.
So it is with us. In Christ, we are named (Acts 11:26). We are sealed (Eph 1:13). We are marked (Rev 7:3).

Let us pray with Jeremiah: