By Eugene Garner

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 1

JEREMIAH'S CALL & INDUCTION INTO THE PROPHETIC OFFICE

    It is remarkable that, after Judah's repeated disobedience to the words of His former prophets, God should raise up another one to plead for their repentance and the reformation of their national life. But He cared for the people whom He had called into covenant fellowship with Himself - and would not give them up easily. Nor could He have found a more faithful, zealous and courageous message-bearer than what He found in the tender-hearted Jeremiah of Anathoth.

    THE words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

    1. The words here written are those of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, (vs.1).
      a. His descent was from a line of priests in Anathoth (four miles NW of Jerusalem), in the land of Benjamin - a people who certainly were not loyal to the prophet that God raised up among them. (11:2).
      b. It is quite likely that Jeremiah was a descendant of Abiathar, whom Solomon banished to Anathoth because of his complicity with Adonijah - the brother of Solomon, who attempted to seize the throne of David in an effort to frustrate the purpose of David to have Solomon succeed him on the throne, (I Kings 226).
    2. The prophecies of Jeremiah cover a period of more than 40 years - during the reigns of Judah's last five kings: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah.
      a. The word of the Lord first came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign (approximately 627 B.C.).
      b. He continued as God's spokesman to Judah - calling upon her to repent and turn to the Lord her God - until the carrying away of the captives to Jerusalem during the eleventh year and fifth month of Zedekiah's reign, (or until approximately 587 B.C.).

    4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou came forth out of the womb I sanctified this, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I me a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

    1. Though he questioned a great many things, for which he received no adequate answers, Jeremiah's faith in God, and the genuineness of his call to the prophetic office were never in doubt; "The word of the LORD" came, spoke and moved him in the way of God's appointment, (vs. 4).
      a. A Comparison of the calls of the various prophets will reveal that no two calls were identical, (Moses, Ex. 3-4; Samuel, I Sam. 3; Elisha, I Kings 19:19-21; Amos, Am. 7:14-15; Isaiah, Isa. 6; and Ezekiel, Ezek. 1).
      b. Every call was at God's instigation, and compelled the man to ACCEPT or REJECT it - giving new direction to the life of the one who readily yielded to the divine call.
    2. There is a sense in which Jeremiah, as every man of God, was a divine creation - supernaturally designed and prepared for his divinely-appointed role in life, (vs. 5; comp. Isa. 49:1,5; Gal. 1:15).
      a. He was "known of God" before his divinely-arranged conception - "formed," as a potter shapes his clay, (18:4; Psa. 139:15-16).
      b. He was divinely "sanctified" (set apart for holy service) while still in his mother's womb. (The abortionists might well consider this!)
      c. In fact, before his birth ever occurred, God had ordained (designated and given) him as a prophet to the nations!
    3. Overwhelmed by a sense of personal inexperience and inadequacy for such a task, Jeremiah answered: "Ah, Lord GOD!" ("Sovereign, Lord, JEHOVAH!) "Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child," (vs. 6). Morgan was surely right when he said that this was the "the response of willingness, expressing itself in an almost agonized cry of weakness."
      a. In a similar way Moses had considered himself ill-equipped to give adequate expression to the message of Jehovah, (Ex. 4:10).
      b. Isaiah considered himself too unclean to bear a holy message, (Isa. 6:5).
      c. So, Jeremiah views himself as unfit for the prophetic task - being young, immature, unenlightened and totally inadequate to bear such weighty responsibility!
    4. Instead of rebuking the child, whose heart is smitten with awe in the presence of the Almighty, the gracious Lord assures him of His own presence, direction and sufficient endowment for every appointed task, (vs. 7-8).
      a. The Lord's direction will be dear - telling him when to go and when to speak.
      b. Nor is he to be afraid of those who oppose him, (comp. Gen. 15:1; Num. 12:24; Dan. 10:12; Lk. 1:30; Acts 27:24); the Lord is with him, to deliver him, (Ex. 3:12; Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:5; Acts 26:17; Heb. 13:6).
    5. As the lips of Isaiah were touched and cleansed by a live coal from off the altar, (Isa. 6:6-7); and, as Ezekiel was given a scroll to eat - signifying his identification with the words of the Almighty, (Ezek. 2:8-3:3); so, the Lord Himself touched the lips of Jeremiah as a symbol of divine endowment whereby he would be an effective spokesman for His cause, (vs. 9; comp. Mk. 7:33-35).
    6. Thus was Jeremiah "Set over the nations and over the kingdoms" with a commission for both destruction and construction, judgment and renewal - and in that order, (vs. 10; comp. Eccl. 3:1-3).
      a. There could be no renewal, building and fruitfulness in Israel until there had first been such judgment as led to the removal of idolatry, and a multitude of other sins, which hindered the nation from enjoying the fellowship of her covenant-God, (Isa. 59:1-3; Jer. 18:7-10; 24:6, 31:28).
      b. Nor would the prophet accomplish this tremendous task by any cleverness or natural ability of his own; at the root of his dynamic ministry would be the never-failing word of God, (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

    11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I a rod of an almond tree. 12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. 13 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. 14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shaft break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will utter my Judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

    1. Though it is not certain as to just when he saw them, Jeremiah's call was reinforced by two visions which, as all biblical visions, were accompanied by a spoken word.
    2. To understand the vision of the almond branch, one must recognize the play on words that is used in the Hebrew of verses 11-12.
      a. The Lord asks Jeremiah what he sees, (comp. 24:3; Amos 7:8).
      b. Jeremiah does not use the regular word for "almond tree," but the symbolic "shaqed," meaning "to be awake, or watchful" - thus designating the tree whose blossoms appear first in the early Spring (even before any leaves appear), while other trees are still dormant.
      c. The Lord then declared that He was watching ("shoqed"s over His word to perform it, (vs. 12 ASV; comp. 31:27-28; Dan. 9:14).
      d. When, in the Winter of Judah's spiritual darkness and declension, it may seem to Jeremiah that the word of God has lost its power, he must remember that God is watching over His word; it is still THE WORD OF AUTHORITY! and WILL BE FULFILLED! (I Kings 8:56; Isa. 55:11; Ezek. 12:25; Matt. 5:18; Luke 21:33).
    3. In a second vision, Jeremiah recognizes a boiling pot in the North, but so tipped that its hot, seething, blasting contents are about to be emptied toward the South, (vs. 13-16; comp. Ezek. 11:3, 7-12).
      a. That war was raging in the North was surely no surprise to the prophet.
      b. Nor was a vision necessary for him to understand the potential danger to Judah.
      c. The word from the Lord, specifically designed to hearten Jeremiah, is that ALL THIS TUMULT, strife and conflict IS UNDER DIV1NE CONTROL!
      d. God is bringing judgment upon Judah because of her sin in forsaking Him, (2:13, 17, 19);
        1) burning Incense to other gods, (7:8-10; 19:4-9; 44:15-19);
        2) and worshipping the works of their own hands, (10:3-5: Isa. 2:8; 37:15-20).

    17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an Iron pillar, and brazen wells against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

    1. In essence, Jeremiah is now commanded to ROLL UP HIS SLEEVES, (comp. I Kings 18:46; Job 38:3); he must arise and speak whatever the Lord commands (vs. 17).
      a. It is no easy task to which he is called; nor will his message be heard without strong opposition.
      b. But he must not be terrified by the hard faces of his countrymen (comp. Ezek. 2:6; 3:16-18), Lest it be necessary for God to humble him before them.
    2. God has made him as secure as a fortified city with iron pillars and bronze walls (6:26; 15:20-21; comp. Isa. 50:7; Micah 3:7-8) - able to resist any attack made upon him, (vs. 18-19).
      a. He must understand from the beginning that kings, princes (21:4-14; 26:12-15), priests and people will fight against him, (11:19; 15:10); but, they will NOT prevail!
      b. The Lord's presence with His servant assures his deliverance from the hands of his enemies, (vs. 8; 15:20-21; comp. Matt. 28:18-20).
    3. Thus, the young prophet is encouraged to go forth with a consciousness of divine authority and with unwavering confidence in God's faithfulness to direct, sustain and protect His obedient servant.