Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 1:4
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
4. Now the word, etc.] This preface to the Book forms at once Jeremiah’s plea and his support, the credentials of his mission to which he might refer the people when hostile and himself in seasons of despondency. We have in this section the declaration of God’s purpose concerning him ( Jer 1:5); Jeremiah’s protest ( Jer 1:6); God’s reply ( Jer 1:7-8); the act of divine consecration ( Jer 1:9); the nature of the charge itself ( Jer 1:10).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
4 10. The Prophet’s call and its nature
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
4 19. Jeremiah’s call
The passage will fall into four sections.
(i) Jer 1:4-10. The prophet’s call and its nature. (ii) Jer 1:11-12. The symbol of the almond tree, shewing that Jehovah is wakeful to perform his word. (iii) Jer 1:13-16. That of the caldron, indicating a threatened invasion of Judah. (iv) Jer 1:17-19. Words of encouragement.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This history of Jeremiahs call to his office formed a part of his first address to the people. He claimed to act by an external authority, and to speak not his own words but those of Yahweh; and this even when resisting the divine call (see Jer 15:13; Jer 20:7, Jer 20:14-18).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 1:4-10
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.
Seven points in Jeremiahs life and call:–
1. God knowing him. I knew thee.
2. God sanctifying him. I sanctified thee.
3. God ordaining him. I ordained thee.
4. God sending him. I shall send.
5. God commanding him. I command.
6. God encouraging him. Be not afraid.
7. God speaking through him. I have put My words in thy mouth. (C. Inglis.)
Childhood prophetic
Of Charles Kingsley it is written: His poems and sermons date from four years old. His delight was to make a little pulpit in his nursery from which, after putting on a pinafore as a surplice, he would preach to an imaginary congregation. His mother unknown to him took down his sermons at the time, and showed them to the Bishop of Peterborough, who predicted that the boy would grow up to be no ordinary man.
I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Election and mediation
The two great blessings of election and mediation are here distinctly taught. God did not speak to the nations directly, but mediatorially He created a minister who should be His mouthpiece. Observation itself teaches us that men are called and chosen of God to do special work in all departments of life. The difficult lesson for some of us to learn is that we are called to obscurity, and yet this is as clearly a Divine appointment as is the choice of an Isaiah or a Jeremiah. If you look at life, you will see that the most of men are called to quietness, to honest industry, and to what is mistakenly called common place existence. What of it? Shall the plain murmur because it is not a mountain? Shall the green fields complain that Mont Blanc is higher than they? If they have not his majesty, neither have they his barrenness. To see our calling, to accept it, to honour it, that is the truly godly and noble life! Every man is born to realise some purpose. Find that purpose out, and fulfil it if you would lovingly serve God. We find no difficulty in persuading a man that he is a Jeremiah or a Daniel, at any rate that, under certain circumstances, he might easily have turned out a Hannibal or a Wellington. The difficulty, on the contrary, is to persuade a man that the lowliest lot, as well as the highest, is the appointment of God; that door keeping is a promotion in the Divine gift; and that to light a lamp may be as surely a call of God as to found an empire or to rule a world. (J. Parker, D. D.)
The prophets call and consecration
I. The call of jehovah. Not the product of a reflective musing, nor the result of an inward impulse, but a supernatural Divine revelation, an inspiration, a voice from without.
II. His Divine consecration. He felt the hand of the Lord touch him: a palpable pledge of His support. Touching his mouth meant endowment. Equipment and qualification for Gods work must be from God.
III. Signs which unveil his mission. These he saw in spirit, God interpreted them to him as confirmatory tokens of his Divine commission.
IV. Supernatural assurances of help. God will furnish strength, will make him valiant and impregnable. (C. F. Keil.)
Calling to service
Like as a sword being committed into the hands of a soldier, by the captain general, he is not to smite before he be commanded to fight, and before the trumpet be sounded to battle: even so, though a man have excellences given him, yet he is not to execute any function, especially publicly, before he receive a particular warrant and calling from God (Rev 16:1). As the ostrich hath wings and flieth not; so some men have a calling, but they answer it not; they have knowledge, but they practise it not; they have words, but they work not. (J. Spencer.)
The ways in which men are called to service
It is very remarkable that the ancient prophets always kept steadily before them the exact way by which they were led up to their office, and were always ready to vindicate themselves by a plain statement of facts. It is remarkable, too, that they could trace their heavenly election, as clearly as their earthly parentage; so much so, that, as a rule, they put on record both pedigrees, so to speak, side by side; first, that which was natural; afterwards, that which was spiritual; and the one was as much a living and indisputable fact as the other. Thus Jeremiah said, Hilkiah was my father, and the Word of the Lord came unto me, two things separated by an infinite distance, yet both matters of positive and unquestionable certainty. Jeremiah would have treated with equal indifference or contempt the suggestion that Hilkiah was not his father and that the Lord had never spoken to him. (J. Parker, D. D.)
I formed thee
Ask what thy work in the world is. That for which thou wast born, to which thou wast appointed, on account of which thou wast conceived in the creative thought of God. That there is a Divine purpose in thy being is indubitable. Seek that thou mayest be permitted to realise it. And never doubt that thou hast been endowed with all the special aptitudes which that purpose may demand. God has formed thee for it, storing thy mind with all that He knew to be requisite for thy life work.
I. The Divine purpose. I knew thee . . . I sanctified thee . . . I have appointed thee a prophet. In that degenerate age the great Lover of souls needed a spokesman; and the Divine decree determined the conditions of Jeremiahs birth and character and life. How this could be consistent with the exercise of personal volition and choice on the part of the youthful prophet we cannot say. We can only see the two piers of the mighty arch, but not the arch itself, since the mists of time veil it, and we are dim of sight. It is wise to ascertain, if possible, while life is yet young, the direction of the Divine purpose. There are four considerations that will help us. First, the indication of our natural aptitudes; for these, when touched by the Divine Spirit, become talents or gifts. Secondly, the inward impulse or energy of the Divine Spirit, working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Thirdly, the teaching of the Word of God. Fourthly, the evidence of the circumstances and demands of life. When these concur, and focus in one point, there need be no doubt as to the Divine purpose and plan. But in cases where the Divine purpose is not so clearly disclosed, in which life is necessarily lived piecemeal, and the bits of marble for the tesselated floor are heaped together with no apparent plan, we must dare to believe that God has an intention for each of us; and that if we are true to our noblest ideals we shall certainly work out the Divine pattern, and be permitted some day to see it in its unveiled symmetry and beauty. To run errands for God! To be like the angels that excel in strength, and do His commandment, hearkening to the voice of His Word! To resemble the boy messengers in some of our large cities, that wait in readiness to discharge any commission that may be entrusted to them!
II. Formative influences. It is very interesting to study the formative influences that were brought to bear on the character of Jeremiah. There were the character and disposition of his mother, and the priestly office of his father. There was the picturesque beauty of his birthplace, the village of Anathoth, lying on the high road three miles north of Jerusalem, encircled by the famous hills of Benjamin; and looking down the ravine on the blue waters of the Dead Sea, gleaming at the foot of the purple hills of Moab. There was the near proximity of the holy city, rendering it possible for the boy to be present at all the holy festivals, and to receive such instruction as the best seminaries could provide. There was the companionship and association of godly families, like those of Shaphan and Maaseiah, who themselves had passed away, but whose children preserved the religion of their forefathers, and treasured as sacred relies the literature, psalms, and history of purer and better days. His uncle, Shallum, was the husband of the illustrious and devoted prophetess, Huldah; and their son Hanameel shared with Baruch, the grandson of Maaseiah, the close friendship of the prophet, probably from the days that they were boys together. There were also the prophets Nahum and Zephaniah, who were burning as bright constellations in that dark sky, to be soon joined by himself. His mind was evidently very sensitive to all the influences of his early life. His speech is saturated with references to natural emblems and national customs, to the life of men, and the older literature of the Bible. Take, for instance, his earliest sermon in which he refers to the story of the Exodus, and the pleadings of Deuteronomy; to the roar of the young lion, and the habits of the wild ass; to the young camel traversing her ways, and the Arabian of the wilderness; to the murmur of the brook, and the hewing of the cistern. His quick and sensitive soul eagerly incorporated the influences of the varied life around him, and reproduced them. It is thus that God is ever at work, forming and moulding us. The purpose of God gives meaning to many of its strange experiences. Be brave, strong, and trustful!
III. There was also a special preparation for his life work–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. In a similar manner had the seraph touched the lips of Isaiah years before. And we are reminded that the Lord Jesus promised that the Spirit of the Father should put appropriate words into the lips of His disciples when summoned before the tribunals of their foes. Words are the special gift of God. God never asks us to go on His errands (Jer 1:7) without telling us what to say. If we are living in fellowship with Him, He will impress His messages on our minds and enrich our life with the appropriate utterances by which those messages shall be conveyed to our fellows. Two other assurances were also given. First, Thou shalt go to whomsoever I shall send thee. This gave a definiteness and directness to the prophets speech. Secondly, Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
IV. God vouchsafed a two-fold vision to his child. On the one hand, the swift-blossoming almond tree assured him that God would watch over him, and see to the swift performance of his predictions; on the other, the seething cauldron, turned towards the north, indicated the breaking out of evil. So the pendulum of life swings to and fro; now to light, and then to dark. But happy is the man whose heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. There was a period in Jeremiahs life when he seems to have swerved from the pathway of complete obedience (Jer 15:19), and to have gone back from following the God-given plan. Surrounded by contention and strife; cursed as though he were a usurer; reproached and threatened with death–he lost heart, and fainted in the precipitous path. Immediately he had good reason to fear that the Divine protection had been withdrawn. We are only safe when we are on Gods plan. But as he returned again to his allegiance, these precious promises were renewed, and again sounded in his ears: I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
A call to service
It was no vision that called me to the foreign field, said a missionary at Clifton Springs, last summer. I read with intense interest All power is given unto Me, go ye, therefore. This was the foundation stone of my call to be a missionary. Later, while I was in the seminary, a letter was read from Dr. Butler, asking for five new men for India, a chance to put your life to the best use for the Master. Though I had no outward vision, the illumination of the heart is the best vision one can have, and from that day I have never been sorry, and I have never doubted that God called me to this work. (Christian Age.)
I cannot speak: for I am a child.–
Fears and comforts in prospect of labour for God:–
I. The fear of Gods servant in prospect of labour.
1. He feels his weakness.
(1) Having no influence.
(2) Having no experience.
(3) Being unstable.
2. He feels his ignorance.
3. He feels his unworthiness.
4. He dreads the enmity of man.
II. The comforts of Gods servants in prospect of labour.
1. The assurance they are called to the work.
2. The knowledge of the purpose of God.
3. The promise of the presence of God.
4. The fact that the message was from God. (R. A. Griffin.)
A young preachers oppressive sense of responsibility
When I first became a pastor in London my success appalled me; and the thought of the career which it seemed to open up, so far from elating me, cast me into the lowest depths outer which I uttered my miserere, and found no room for a gloria in excelsis. Who was I that I should continue to lead so great a multitude? I would betake me to my village obscurity, or emigrate to America and find a solitary nest in the backwoods, where I might be sufficient for the things that would be demanded of me. It was just then that the curtain was rising upon my life work, and I dreaded what it might reveal. I hope I was not faithless, but I was timorous and filled with a sense of my own unworthiness. I dreaded the work which a gracious providence had prepared for me. I felt myself a mere child, and trembled as I heard the voice which said, Arise and thresh the mountains and make them as chaff. (C. H. Spurgeons Autobiography.)
A sense of helplessness as a preparation for ministry
How many of the greatest men have been broken under a sense of their insufficiency! That passage in the life of John Livingstone comes back to me as I write. He had spoken at the yearly communion at Kirk o Shotts on the Sabbath with marvellous power, and had been requested to preach on the following morning, which he promised to do on condition that his friends should spend the night in prayer. But, as he awoke in the morning, he was so overwhelmed with the sense of his incompetence, that he went three and a half miles out of the town, to be brought back, however, and to preach so marvellously that five hundred souls were converted. The writer, years ago, when in great anxiety to learn whether his was a true vocation to the Christian ministry, the Bible opened to this page, and he can bear witness that God has been faithful. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
God achieves His work by seemingly inadequate workmen that the glory may be His
In using such ill-adapted tools for the accomplishment of His designs, God shows His own transparent power. That famous well cover at Antwerp, just opposite the cathedral–one of the finest pieces of wrought-iron that was ever known–is said to have been made by Quintyn Matsys with nothing but a hammer and a file, his fellow workman having taken away his tools. If it be so, the more praise to him for his consummate skill. All Gods works redound to His glory; but when the tools He uses appear to be totally inadequate to the results He achieves our reverence is excited, while our reason is abashed, and we marvel at a power we cannot understand. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Reluctance overcome
Farel, alike humble and courageous, had often asked if another would not succeed better than he, and a sort of presentiment had bidden him wait in hope for such a man. Calvin was unwilling to undertake the work, he was not made, he said, for such an office Farel is urgent Calvin educes fresh reasons, and it seemed as though he wanted to deter Farel by exhibiting to him the defects of his future colleague. Once more he asked that he might be left in obscurity to busy himself in studies. Then Farel broke out, Thy studies are a pretext. I tell thee that if thou refuse to associate thyself with my works God will curse thee for having sought thyself and not Christ. Calvin was henceforth prompt and sincere in the work of the Lord. Say not, I am a child.–Jeremiahs mission:–
I. His objection not unreasonable.
1. Inexperience.
2. Insufficient knowledge.
3. Modest diffidence.
4. Yet his ago and defects time would remedy.
II. How God overrules His objection.
1. He refers to His preordination.
2. He refers to His commission.
3. He was to speak Gods words.
4. Divine presence pledged.
5. Supernatural communication.
Lessons:
1. God, not man, arranges the affairs of His moral kingdom.
2. God qualifies His instruments.
3. God often selects His agents, not as men would do.
4. God gives His own message to His messengers.
5. The ministry of Gods servants is mighty for good or evil.
(1) Listen when God speaks.
(2) Obey when He commands
(3) Trust when He promises. (Y. Burns, D. D.)
God teaching His prophet
I. What it is, in spiritual language, to be a child. This is one of the most comforting of Gospel names, when it unites us with God as our Father, and thus implies that there is the holy principle of a new birth unto righteousness within us.
1. A child in this sense, is one who has been translated out of his own unrighteous nature into the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ; and this translation takes him at once from under the dominion of the law, and brings him into the glorious liberty of the Gospel.
2. A child, in scriptural acceptation, because he feels himself to be a sinning child, will bear submissively, every trying dispensation that shall be laid upon him, and in a child-like spirit.
3. Every child of Gods adoption will study the will of God, and strive to make it his own.
II. What influences were operating upon the prophets, when he said, I cannot speak, for I am a child.
1. There was the influence of a fallen and diseased nature. It is a great blessing to be able to look into the drowning sea of our own evil hearts, and to know the things we ought to pray for, and the rocks and quicksands it is our interest to avoid. But it is perilous to linger too long in an enemys country, and to roll our meditations overmuch through the defiled places; because the very sight and knowledge of what we are, in our natural weakness and deformity, if they are steeped for too long a time in the bitterness of soul humiliation, will be apt to produce a feeling of darkness akin to despair.
2. There was a distrust of Gods providence. This is a common sin in very many, who are without a question, children of the covenant. They have a faith, but it is not equal to their emergencies; there is a light in it, but it does not warm them; it staggers and hesitates, when it ought to be going forwards and realising.
III. What it was that God intended His prophet to understand, when he replied, say not, I am a child, etc.
1. First He taught him that His simple word is the best rock for dependence: Thou shalt go and thou shalt speak. This is the way in which God most loves to teach His children, because it is the simplest, I do not say the easiest lesson, for their faith to embrace. It is a trial for their confidence to improve.
2. But Gods word to the prophet, Say not I am a child, implies more. Jeremiah was to work for God; but God was to work in Jeremiah, and to supply him with a strength fully equal to what he had to do. Here is another link that binds God in His omnipotence to a covenant child in his weakness. (F. G. Crossman.)
The Divine mission of children
If we judge by inference and analogy from these words, rather than from the circumstances and person to whom they belong, we reach a truth like this: that by a messenger, incompetent because of his weakness, some messages from God come more forcefully to the ears and heart of men. What the prophet was comparatively many are actually, and the same truth holds good throughout, and so we reach a point which may well occupy our thought: the Divine mission and office of children, what they have to say, what they have to do. Is it not wrong to think of children as incomplete growth, of youth as nothing more than incomplete maturity? Such treatment injures them, for it fosters the idea into strength that today is nothing, and tomorrow everything, that the present is valueless, and the future holds all hope. Such treatment injures us, for we only exist impatiently till this time shall have passed, and miss all the instruction we might gather from the earliest impulses of life. In the home, and in the Church which is the larger home, there is a place for them to occupy, a mission to fulfil. Take two or three points as hints.
1. First the meaning and the power of simple faith. It is a word that some of us perhaps for years have been trying to learn the meaning of. Faith, trust. Have you children of your own, or have you seen such, nestling fearless and trustful at their parents knee! Your child believes in you, in something more than the fact of your existence. It lives in your love. It trusts your care. Faith is a belief that leads to the committal of the whole being to the hands of One who is our Father, our Helper, our Saviour; and as we grow up into strength, the highest of all motive impulse, at first it may be fear or expectation of good that induces obedience, but no long time can pass, if the relation be truly sustained, before love is the impulse of every action; and because your child loves you it delights to do your will. As such is the truth which appears in the earliest years of children, can it be a mistake to suppose that God intended the truth to be learned from such illustration of His word?
2. Does there not come to us in this self-same way, too, a hint of the folly and wrong of distractive anxiety? What good could the child do by puzzling its little brain with such questions as belong necessarily to the chiefs of the family? What slight would be cast upon the parents love if the child should becloud its life and be sad because no way out of supposed difficulties presented itself! Would you not say or think, my child, I stand higher and see farther; what is an inscrutable problem to you is none to me; my strength removes the hindrance, my wisdom solves the riddle?
3. And this leads us to another thought: that those things which seem to us all-important, upon which our whole interest is often apt to centre, to which, indeed, we look as to the source of our happiness in life, may be the merest trifles after all. What a small matter changes the childs light to darkness! In what an instant, by what a trivial cause, is laughing changed to crying, or the reverse! You say the child will grow, that now it speaks, thinks, acts as a child, but when it becomes a man it will put away childish things. God expects the same thing of us, and we well may ask ourselves, Am I growing into a higher life, and is it manifest by my interest in things of superior moment? Spiritually, have we come to see what is the noblest aim that may be set before us? Having learned the principles of the Gospel of Christ, are we going on to perfection, coming closer up to our Father in likeness, reflecting proof of our sonship, ready to follow everywhere He leads, and to be quite sure that as we would give our child all that is good, and not willingly or needlessly cause one pang of pain, so in much intenser and tenderer love does our Heavenly Father deal with us?
4. The last thought is the influence of kindliness and refreshing which is shed from the life of children. Their presence in the home makes the life less artificial, more true; and such may be their influence in the Church. We hold out the hand of encouragement for them to confess the name of the Saviour whom they may love. Let first impulses toward Christ, instinctive they will be, be nurtured. See to it that none be repressed, none discouraged. (D. J. Hamer.)
Childlike, not childish
Jeremiah learnt to bear testimony without flinching before kings, ay, and, in the name of the Lord, against kings; to be willing to undergo stripes and imprisonment; and to be sawn asunder for his grand defence of the Faith of God. But it was terribly difficult to him, in the beginning of his prophetic ministry, to take even the first steps on that narrow and painful way. The Word of the Lord comes to him, and tells him that from his birth he has been divinely ordained a prophet unto the nations. Then said I (it is an autobiography), Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child, etc. Then the fear of men passed away from the prophet; and he girded up his loins, and arose, and spake unto them all that God commanded him. Now, what strikes us in this is, first, its thorough naturalness; and next, its awakening, encouraging call to each of us. It was so natural in Jeremiah to shrink from the awful ordeal of facing nations and kings. It came to him as such an absolutely new call. Well might he say, I am a mere child: I cannot attempt this. Poor human nature could scarcely have said otherwise. Only the grace of God would empower for such a duty: and that the grace of God was ready for him was proved, alike by the original call and by the rebuke and the encouragement which followed, by the zeal which he was enabled to show, in the face of the greatest possible difficulties, and by the accomplishment, both for good and for evil, of the predictions which God spake by him. And the call and the reproof and the reassuring words, are applicable also, in great measure, to each of us. Each one among us is bound to speak the truth among the brethren, boldly to rebuke vice, and, if necessary, patiently to stiffer for the truths sake. And yet, when we come to real, everyday life, how constantly we fail herein! How often the strong man excuses himself for being weak! how often the soldier, bravo to the death in meeting the enemy, has not courage enough to reprove or admonish a friend! how often the minister of Christ, holds his hand, instead of standing up for his Master! Surely, this backwardness in the Lords work, this miserable fear of men, this distrust of the Divine power committed to us, is found more or less in every class among us. And what is the real name for this? It is our childishness. How different is this from the child-like temper! The greatest and bravest and wisest of men have something of the child in them–the childs simplicity, and truthfulness, and implicit obedience, and regard for authority. Wellington had all this eminently; but he was never childish, he had no false fears, he never sold the truth to serve the hour. All who are really great share this character, this holy boldness this valour for the truth upon the earth, this which is described in the picture of the Christians armour as the preparedness of the Gospel–the readiness to go at once on the blessed messages of God.
1. Realise the needs of men around you. They are very great. They demand all your energies, all your courageous charity, all possible firmness and decision.
2. Think of the danger of delay, the immense value of present opportunities. Have you never noticed, that the occasion for speaking to a soul to which we feel peculiarly impelled is at times the very last? How bitter must be our regret, if we let such an occasion slip, and allow one for whom Christ died actually to perish!
3. If you hesitate, if the childishness of your nature still wrestles with the mighty angel of Gods grace, remember that which should constrain us the most to the fearless deeds of Christian faith–the contemplation of Christ crucified, and of the exceeding great love wherewith He loved us, enduring the contradiction of sinners and the shame and agony of death. Take the first step, the first brave, loving step along that way, and He will hold you by the hand, and go with you into the very midst of the battle, into the heat of the day; and you shall thank Him, ere the sun goes down, for enabling you, though you seemed to yourself but a child, to speak and to fight for Him. (G. E. Jeli, M. A.)
Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee.–
A portrait of the true servant of God
I. He is called to a great work. He is a Divine messenger.
1. To go forth on an errand from God.
2. To go only where God sends him.
3. To speak only what God communicates. Not to speak his own speculations, on the theology of others, but the Word of God.
II. He is conscious of self-insufficiency.
1. The characteristic of all true servants. Moses, Isaiah, Paul.
2. A qualification of all true servants. When I am weak, then am I strong.
III. He is strengthened by the Divine (verse 8). A man who has God within need never be afraid. (Homilist.)
Jeremiah a servant
I. Divine commission.
II. Divine authority.
III. Divine presence.
IV. Divine deliverance.
V. Divine power.
VI. Divine message.
VII. Divine result. (G. Inglis.)
The Gospel minister encouraged and instructed
1. An objection overruled.
2. Work and duty prescribed. To bear Gods message to men.
(1) To whom? To all to whom the Lord should send him. He was not to choose for himself. Must obey the call of God, and do his duty, though neglected, hated, and persecuted for his faithfulness.
(2) The matter of the message. Not to speak at random whatever came uppermost, or what might be most easy to himself or agreeable to his hearers but only what the Lord commanded.
3. How, or in what manner, Gods word was to be delivered.
(1) Faithfully and fully.
(2) Plainly and boldly.
I. The office of the ministry.
1. It is an ordinance of Divine appointment to be continued in all ages to the end of time. Accordingly, they who slight and undervalue it, or despise those who are employed in it, reject their message, and disregard their salutary admonitions, reproofs, and instructions, greatly dishonour God, and pour contempt upon His authority.
2. It hath pleased God to employ weak and sinful men to dispense His word, and bear His message to sinners and saints.
3. None must intrude themselves into the office of the ministry, or presume to exercise it without a lawful call. Those who run unsent, who take upon them the office of the ministry when they are not called to that sacred function, in such a manner as God hath prescribed in His word, have no reason to expect assistance and success in their work.
4. Those whom God calls to the exercise of the ministerial office, He doth in some measure qualify for discharging the several parts of it.
5. The work of the ministry is very important and difficult work. The honour of God, and the salvation of souls, are nearly concerned in it.
6. Those whom God calls to exercise the office of the ministry have ordinarily a humbling sense of their own weakness, and insufficiency for the work they are called to.
7. Ministers of the Gospel, in performing the duties of their function, do not act in their own name, but in the name, and by the authority of their Divine master the Lord Jesus Christ.
8. Whatever opposition, or difficulties, the servants of Christ may meet with in the exercise of their ministry, they have sufficient encouragement to persevere in it.
II. Some of the difficulties and discouragements which they who are called to exercise that sacred function may have to struggle with.
1. Their fears and discouragements are sometimes occasioned by a serious consideration of the nature of the work they are called to engage in.
2. By a sense of their own weakness and insufficiency for discharging the duties of the sacred function.
3. When they consider the opposition they are likely to meet with in the exercise of their office.
(1) From the world.
(2) From lukewarm professors.
4. The cold reception that is usually given to the messages which the servants of the Lord deliver in His name, is sometimes a cause of discouragement.
5. The low and afflicted state of the Church is apt to discourage those who are about to enter upon public work in her.
III. Their duty and the work they are called to.
1. They must not choose their own let. Have they a call in providence to deliver Gods message to those who are more likely to persecute them, than to submit to their instructions or pay any due regard to what they declare in the name of the Lord, they must not dispute, but readily obey the orders given them. Nor have they reason to fear any dangers they may be exposed to, through the power and malice of their enemies; for He in whose service they are employed is able to defend them, and frustrate all the designs of their enemies against them. His promise is their protection.
2. They must deliver nothing in His name but what He commands, or what is agreeable to His revealed will. In order to this, the teaching and renewed illumination of the Holy Spirit is necessary; but they need no additional, objective revelation.
3. The instructions given to the prophet, and every other minister of the Word, in the text imply, that those who are called to preach the Gospel should, as there may be opportunity, teach all truths revealed in the Word of God, and urge the performance of all duties required in it.
4. They should urge the diligent observance of all Divine ordinances, as a necessary duty. They must not think it is enough, if persons have the low of God in their hearts, and some experience of a work of grace in their souls, though they neglect the administration of the word and sacraments, or other outward ordinances, and treat with contempt any endeavours to maintain their purity; because, as some are pleased to speak, they are only outward things, and the observance of them hath not a necessary connection with vital piety, and the exercise of grace in the heart.
5. They must urge obedience to all the precepts of the moral law.
6. They should endeavour to accommodate their doctrine to the various conditions of their hearers.
Conclusion:
1. When those who are about to enter upon public work in the Church have a humbling sense of their own insufficiency, it is a presage of future usefulness.
2. The work of the ministry is not to be engaged in rashly. Count the cost.
3. Such as bear the character of office bearers in the Church, who take upon them to make laws for the members of the Church, contrary to those which the glorious Head of the Church hath enacted, or different from them; or who enjoin the observation of religious rites, devised by men without any warrant from the Word of God, not only transgress the limits of their commission, but are chargeable with great presumption. They teach what God never commanded, and exercise a power which no creature can claim, without invading the prerogative of the supreme Lawgiver.
4. Those who are called to bear Gods message to the children of men ought to be well acquainted with His written word contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.
5. Ministers of the word must have no partial respect to the persons of men.
6. In order to a suitable discharge of ministerial duties, much fortitude and resolution is necessary.
7. Those ministers of the Gospel who, sensible of their own weakness, are enabled humbly to depend upon the power and grace of God for protection, and support in their work, are most likely to discharge the duties of their office with acceptance and success.
8. They must take care that they do not run unsent, or thrust themselves into the office of the ministry without a lawful call, the call of God and the call of the Church.
9. They are to deliver their message authoritatively, as not acting in their own name, but in the name of God. If ministers, in preaching the Word, act as the messengers of the Lord of hosts, the people to whom they preach ought to receive their message with reverence and submission. If they reject it, or slight it, they put an affront upon Him who sent them. They despise not man but God. (D. Wilson.)
Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.–
A reason for bravery
Whenever fear comes in and makes us falter, we are in danger of falling into sin. Conceit is to be dreaded, but so is cowardice. Our great Captain should be served by brave soldiers. What a reason for bravery is here. God is with those who are with Him. God will never be away when the hour of struggle comes. Do they threaten you? Who are you that you should be afraid of a man that shall die? Can you not trust Him? Do they pour ridicule upon you? Will this break your bones or your heart? Bear it for Christs sake, and even rejoice because of it. God is with the true, the just, the holy, to deliver them; and He will deliver you. Remember how Daniel came out of the lions den, and the three holy children out of the furnace. Yours is not so desperate a case as theirs; but if it were, the Lord would bear you through, and make you more than a conqueror. Fear to fear. Be afraid to be afraid. Your worst enemy is within your own bosom. Get to your knees and cry for help, and then rise up saying, I will trust, and not be afraid. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Valiant manhood
Just as much as a man drives out fear, marches boldly on, says his say, does his act, by so much is he a valiant man. In the old Norse ballads it was indispensable to be brave. Odin cast out of his heaven, the Valhalla, all who were tainted with cowardice; and over a battlefield the priests taught, went the Valkyries, or choosers of the slain, heavenly messengers who took care only to admit the valiant. The kings when about to die, lay down in a ship with its sails set, drifted out into the ocean, charged with fire too in the hold, so that the king might blaze in his tomb and be delivered to the sky. The valiant is the really valuable man.
Courage is ministers
The truest way not to be afraid of the worst part of a man is to value and try to serve his better part. The patriot who really appreciates the valuable principles of his nations life is he who most intrepidly rebukes the nations faults. And Christ was all the more independent of mens whims because of His profound love for them and complete consecration to their needs. There come three stages in this matter: the first, a flippant superiority which despises the people and thinks of them as only made to take what the preacher chooses to give to them, and to minister to his support; the second, a servile sycophancy which watches all their fancies, and tries to blow whichever way their vane points; and the third, a deep respect which cares too earnestly for what the people are capable of being to let them anywhere fall short of it without a strong remonstrance. You have seen all three in the way in which parents treat their children. I could show you each of the three today in the relation of different preachers to their parishes. Believe me, the last is the only true independence, the only one that it is worth while to seek, or indeed that a man has any right to seek. An actor may encourage himself by despising or forgetting his audience, but a preacher must go elsewhere for courage. The more you prize the spiritual nature of your people, the more able you will be to oppose their whims. These must be the fountain of your independence. (Bp. Phillips Brooks.)
Danger regarded from the high ground of faith
Fire broke out on a prairie not far from the dwelling of a settler. His son, seeing flames advancing, cried out they would all be burned, but the father took his boy to some high ground, and showed him that all round their dwelling was a wide clearing, too broad for the flames to overleap, and so they were safe. How frequently we worry ourselves because of some threatening danger, whereas, if we took higher ground and looked with the eye of faith, we should see that God has arranged a defence, that it may not hurt us. (The Signal.)
See, I have this day set thee over the nations.–
Prophets commission
1. He is made a (paqid), a prefect or superintendent of the nations of the world. A Hebrew term corresponding to bishop of the Christian Church.
2. He has widest scope for the exercise of his powers: he is invested with authority over the destinies of all peoples. If it be asked in what sense it could be truly said that the ruin and renascence of nations was subject to the supervision of the prophets, the answer is obvious. The Word they were authorised to declare was the Word of God, that fulfils itself with all the necessity of a law of nature (Isa 55:10-11).
3. What strength, what staying power may the Christian preacher find in dwelling upon this fact, that Gods Word is fulfilling itself, though that Word may be disowned, and the efforts of the preacher may be thwarted. (C. J. Ball, M. A.)
Charge to pastors: their work defined
I. Inquire what are the evils against which you must contend and the methods you are to adopt in this opposition.
1. By your public ministry root out errors in doctrine.
2. By leading the Church, in the exercise of faithful discipline, root out evil-doers.
3. By rendering your pastoral visits subservient to the purposes of conviction and correction.
II. What is that good you are to encourage?
1. As a builder–
(1) Be sure you lay a right foundation.
(2) See that your materials be fitly framed together. Implying that–
(a) They be hewed and squared.
(b) They be formed by the same rule.
(c) Every one be put in the situation for which he is formed.
(3) So frame the whole as that it may be a fit habitation for God.
2. As a planter.
(1) Sow wholly a right seed.
(2) Give attention to the plants as you see them grow.
(3) Cultivate them by every means.
(4) Pray that they may be watered by the Holy Spirit. (Andrew Fuller.)
The work of Jeremiah, and that of St. Paul
I. Contrast. Jeremiah, the prophet of disaster and despondency, could look back to a holy and happy past–the son of the faithful priest Hilkiah, the friend of the godly king Josiah; he fell upon evil and apostate times. Saul had to turn his back upon his old life–count all things but loss that had been gain to him–thus he was ever looking forward, reaching onward–the apostle of faith and hope.
II. Parallel.
1. Each is elected by God, and therefore trained by his circumstances for his work. The call of Jeremiah, the conversion of Saul, was to each a revelation of a God that had formed him from the womb for his work (cp. Gal 1:15-16 with Jer 1:5).
2. The two-fold nature of that work–destructive and constructive. To root out, pull down, destroy; yet to plant and to build. We may almost say this is the work of all whom God has called to labour for Him. This was the type of Christs work. His coming laid an axe to the root of the tree (Mat 3:10, see also 15:13). Yet was He the Sower. It may be the teacher, like Jeremiah, does not live to see his work grow–yet who can doubt the effect of Jeremiah upon those who returned purified and repentant from Babylon? The two must go together. Root up error and plant truth. Pull down the strongholds of sin, and build up the temple of Christian holiness. (John Ellerton, M. A.)
To throw down, to build, and plant.—
Destruction and construction conjoined
To root up, and to pull down. What a mercy of God to the Church was it that the same day that Pelagius, that arch-heretic, was born in Britain, Augustine the Great, confuter of that heretic, should be born in Africa–providence so disposing that the poison and the antidote should come into the world together. (John Trapp.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. The word of the Lord came unto me] Then I first felt the inspiring influence of the Divine Spirit, not only revealing to me the subjects which he would have me to declare to the people, but also the words which I should use in these declarations.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then, i. e. when he was first called to his office; or, The Lord then began to speak unto me.
Me; a change of the person, a thing very usual with the prophets.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-10. Jeremiah’s call to theprophetical office.
unto meothermanuscripts read “to him”; but English Versionprobably represents the true Hebrew text; this inscription wasdoubtless made by Jeremiah himself.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Not in the days of Jehoiakim, but in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, Jer 1:2. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions read, “unto him”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Call and Consecration of Jeremiah to be a Prophet of the Lord. – The investiture of Jeremiah with the prophetic office follows in four acts: the call on the part of the Lord, Jer 1:4-8; Jeremiah’s consecration for his calling in Jer 1:9-10; and in two signs, by means of which the Lord assures him of certain success in his work and of powerful support in the exercise of his office (Jer 1:11-19). The call was given by a word of the Lord which came to him in this form: Jer 1:5. “ Before I formed thee in the womb I have known thee, and before thou wentest forth from the belly have I consecrated thee, to be prophet to the nations have I set thee. Jer 1:6. Then said I, Ah, Lord Jahveh! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am too young. Jer 1:7 . Then said Jahveh to me, Say not, I am too young; but to all to whom I send thee shalt thou go, and all that I command thee shalt thou speak. Jer 1:8. Fear not before them: for I am with thee, to save thee, saith Jahveh. This word came to Jeremiah by means of inspiration, and is neither the product of a reflective musing as to what his calling was to be, nor the outcome of an irresistible impulse, felt within him, to come forward as a prophet. It was a supernatural divine revelation vouchsafed to him, which raised his spiritual life to a state of ecstasy, so that he both recognised the voice of God and felt his lips touched by the hand of God (Jer 1:9). Further, he saw in spirit, one after another, two visions which God interpreted to him as confirmatory tokens of his divine commission (Jer 1:11-19). Jeremiah’s appointment to be a prophet for the nations follows upon a decree of God’s, fixed before he was conceived or born. God in His counsel has not only foreordained our life and being, but has predetermined before our birth what is to be our calling upon this earth; and He has accordingly so influenced our origin and our growth in the womb, as to prepare us for what we are to become, and for what we are to accomplish on behalf of His kingdom. This is true of all men, but very especially of those who have been chosen by God to be the extraordinary instruments of His grace, whom He has appointed to be instruments for the carrying out of the redemptive schemes of His kingdom; cf. Jer 44:2, Jer 44:24; Jer 49:5; Gal 1:15. Thus Samson was appointed to be a Nazarite from the womb, this having been revealed to his mother before he was conceived, Jdg 13:3. To other men of God such divine predestination was made known for the first time when they were called to that office to which God had chosen them. So was it with our prophet Jeremiah. In such a case a reminder by God of the divine counsel of grace, of old time ordained and provided with means for its accomplishment, should be accepted as an encouragement willingly to take upon one the allotted calling. For the man God has chosen before his birth to a special office in His kingdom He equips with the gifts and graces needed for the exercise of his functions. The three clauses of Jer 1:5 give the three moments whereof the choosing consists: God has chosen him, has consecrated him, and has installed him as prophet. The reference of the words “I have known thee,” Calvin limited to the office, quasi diceret, priusquam te formarem in utero, destinavi te in hunc usum, nempe ut subires docendi munus in populo meo . Divine knowing is at the same time a singling out; and of this, choosing is the immediate consequence. But the choosing takes place by means of , sanctifying, i.e., setting apart and consecrating for a special calling, and is completed by institution to the office. “To be prophet for the nations have I set thee” ( , ponere, not only appoint, but install). The sense has been briefly put by Calv. thus: (Jer.) fuisse hac lege creatum hominem, ut suo tempore manifestaretur propheta. , to the nations = for the nations; not for Judah alone, but for the heathen peoples too; cf. Jer 1:10, Jer 25:9, 46ff. The Chethibh should apparently be read , from , equivalent to ; the root-form , being warranted by Exo 32:4; 1Ki 7:15, and being often found in Aramaic. It is, however, possible that the Chet. may be only scriptio plena of , a radice , since the scriptio pl. is found elsewhere, e.g., Hos 8:12; Jer 44:17; Eze 21:28, etc.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Jeremiah’s Call to the Prophetic Office. | B. C. 629. |
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 camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am 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.
Here is, I. Jeremiah’s early designation to the work and office of a prophet, which God gives him notice of as a reason for his early application to that business (Jer 1:4; Jer 1:5): The word of the Lord came to him, with a satisfying assurance to himself that it was the word of the Lord and not a delusion; and God told him, 1. That he had ordained him a prophet to the nations, or against the nations, the nation of the Jews in the first place, who are now reckoned among the nations because they had learned their works and mingled with them in their idolatries, for otherwise they would not have been numbered with them, Num. xxiii. 9. Yet he was given to be a prophet, not to the Jews only, but to the neighbouring nations, to whom he was to send yokes (Jer 27:2; Jer 27:3) and whom he must make to drink of the cup of the Lord’s anger, ch. xxv. 17. He is still in his writings a prophet to the nations (to our nation among the rest), to tell them what the national judgments are which may be expected for national sins. It would be well for the nations would they take Jeremiah for their prophet and attend to the warnings he gives them. 2. That before he was born, even in his eternal counsel, he had designed him to be so. Let him know that he who gave him his commission is the same that gave him his being, that formed him in the belly and brought him forth out of the womb, that therefore he was his rightful owner and might employ him and make use of him as he pleased, and that this commission was given him in pursuance of the purpose God had purposed in himself concerning him, before he was born: “I knew thee, and I sanctified thee,” that is, “I determined that thou shouldst be a prophet and set thee apart for the office.” Thus St. Paul says of himself that God had separated him from his mother’s womb to be a Christian and an apostle, Gal. i. 15. Observe, (1.) The great Creator knows what use to make of every man before he makes him. He has made all for himself, and of the same lumps of clay designs a vessel of honour or dishonour, as he pleases, Rom. ix. 21. (2.) What God has designed men for he will call them to; for his purposes cannot be frustrated. Known unto God are all his own works beforehand, and his knowledge is infallible and his purpose unchangeable. (3.) There is a particular purpose and providence of God conversant about his prophets and ministers; they are by special counsel designed for their work, and what they are designed for they are fitted for: I that knew thee, sanctified thee. God destines them to it, and forms them for it, when he first forms the spirit of man within him. Propheta nascitur, non fit–Original endowment, not education, makes a prophet.
II. His modestly declining this honourable employment, v. 6. Though God had predestinated him to it, yet it was news to him, and a mighty surprise, to hear that he should be a prophet to the nations. We know not what God intends us for, but he knows. One would have thought he would catch at it as a piece of preferment, for so it was; but he objects against it, as a work for which he is unqualified: “Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak to great men and multitudes, as prophets must; I cannot speak finely nor fluently, cannot word things well, as a message from God should be worded; I cannot speak with any authority, nor can expect to be heeded, for I am a child and my youth will be despised.” Note, It becomes us, when we have any service to do for God, to be afraid lest we mismanage it, and lest it suffer through our weakness and unfitness for it; it becomes us likewise to have low thoughts of ourselves and to be diffident of our own sufficiency. Those that are young should consider that they are so, should be afraid, as Elihu was, and not venture beyond their length.
III. The assurance God graciously gave him that he would stand by him and carry him on in his work.
1. Let him not object that he is a child; he shall be a prophet for all that (v. 7): “Say no any more, I am a child. It is true thou art; but,” (1.) “Thou hast God’s precept, and let not thy being young hinder thee from obeying it. Go to all to whom I shall send thee and speak whatsoever I command thee.” Note, Though a sense of our own weakness and insufficiency should make us go humbly about our work, yet it should not make us draw back from it when God calls us to it. God was angry with Moses even for his modest excuses, Exod. iv. 14. (2.) “Thou hast God’s presence, and let not thy being young discourage thee from depending upon it. Though thou art a child, thou shalt be enabled to go to all to whom I shall send thee, though they are ever so great and ever so many. And whatsoever I command thee thou shalt have judgment, memory, and language, wherewith to speak it as it should be spoken.” Samuel delivered a message from God to Eli, when he was a little child. Note, God can, when he pleases, make children prophets, and ordain strength out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.
2. Let him not object that he shall meet with many enemies and much opposition; God will be his protector (v. 8): “Be not afraid of their races; though they look big, and so think to outface thee and put thee out of countenance, yet be not afraid to speak to them; no, not to speak that to them which is most unpleasing. Thou speakest in the name of the King of kings, and by authority from him, and with that thou mayest face them down. Though they look angry, be not afraid of their displeasure nor disturbed with apprehensions of the consequences of it.” Those that have messages to deliver from God must not be afraid of the face of man, Ezek. iii. 9. “And thou hast cause both to be bold and easy; for I am with thee, not only to assist thee in thy work, but to deliver thee out of the hands of the persecutors; and, if God be for thee, who can be against thee?” If God do not deliver his ministers from trouble, it is to the same effect if he support them under their trouble. Mr. Gataker well observes here, That earthly princes are not wont to go along with their ambassadors; but God goes along with those whom he sends, and is, by his powerful protection, at all times and in all places present with them; and with this they ought to animate themselves, Acts xviii. 10.
3. Let him not object that he cannot speak as becomes him–God will enable him to speak.
(1.) To speak intelligently, and as one that had acquaintance with God, v. 9. He having now a vision of the divine glory, the Lord put forth his hand, and by a sensible sign conferred upon him so much of the gift of the tongue as was necessary for him: He touched his mouth, and with that touch opened his lips, that his mouth should show forth God’s praise, with that touch sweetly conveyed his words into his mouth, to be ready to him upon all occasions, so that he could never want words who was thus furnished by him that made man’s mouth. God not only put knowledge into his head, but words into his mouth; for there are words which the Holy Ghost teaches, 1 Cor. ii. 13. It is fit God’s message should be delivered in his own words, that it may be delivered accurately. Ezek. iii. 4, Speak with my words. And those that faithfully do so shall not want instructions as the case requires; God will give them a mouth and wisdom in that same hour, Matt. x. 19.
(2.) To speak powerfully, and as one that had authority from God, v. 10. It is a strange commission that is here given him: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms. This sounds very great, and yet Jeremiah is a poor despicable priest still; he is not set over the kingdoms as a prince to rule them by the sword, but as a prophet by the power of the word of God. Those that would hence prove the pope’s supremacy over kings, and his authority to depose them and dispose of their kingdoms at his pleasure, must prove that he has the same extraordinary spirit of prophecy that Jeremiah had, else how can be have the power that Jeremiah had by virtue of that spirit? And yet the power that Jeremiah had (who, notwithstanding his power, lived in meanness and contempt, and under oppression) would not content these proud men. Jeremiah was set over the nations, the Jewish nation in the first place, and other nations, some great ones besides, against whom he prophesied; he was set over them, not to demand tribute from them nor to enrich himself with their spoils, but to root out, and pull down, and destroy, and yet withal to build and plant. [1.] He must attempt to reform the nations, to root out, and pull down, and destroy idolatry and other wickednesses among them, to extirpate those vicious habits and customs which had long taken root, to throw down the kingdom of sin, that religion and virtue might be planted and built among them. And, to the introducing and establishing of that which is good, it is necessary that that which is evil be removed. [2.] He must tell them that it would be well or ill with them according as they were, or were not, reformed. He must set before them life and death, good and evil, according to God’s declaration of the method he takes with kingdoms and nations, ch. xviii. 9-10. He must assure those who persisted in their wickedness that they should be rooted out and destroyed, and those who repented that they should be built and planted. He was authorized to read the doom of nations, and God would ratify it and fulfil it (Isa. xliv. 26), would do it according to his word, and therefore is said to do it by his word. It is thus expressed partly to show how sure the word of prophecy is–it will as certainly be accomplished as if it were done already, and partly to put an honour upon the prophetic office and make it look truly great, that others may not despise the prophets nor they disparage themselves. And yet more honourable does the gospel ministry look, in that declarative power Christ gave his apostles to remit and retain sin (John xx. 23), to bind and loose, Matt. xviii. 18.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Vs. 4-10 THE PROPHETIC CALL AND COMMISSION OF JEREMIAH
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, Exodus 3-4; Samuel, 1 Samuel 3; Elisha, 1Ki 19:19-21; Amos, Amo 7:14-15; Isaiah, Isaiah 6; and Ezekiel, Ezekiel 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; Isa 49:5; Gal 1:15).
a. He was “known of God” before his divinely-arranged conception – “formed,” as a potter shapes his clay, (Jer 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, (Exo 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 clear-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; Dan 10:12; Luk 1:30; Act 27:24); the Lord is with him, to deliver him, (Exo 3:12; Deu 31:6; Jos 1:5; Act 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, (Eze 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. Mar 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. Ecc 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; Jer 24:6; Jer 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, (2Co 10:3-5).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
II. THE CALL EXTENDED Jer. 1:4-10
TRANSLATION
(4) Then the word of the LORD came unto me saying, (5) Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart; a prophet to the nations I have appointed you. (6) Then I said, Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth. (7) But the LORD said to me, Do not say, I am only a youth; but unto whomever I send you, go! and all which I have commanded you, speak! (8) Do not be afraid of them; for I am with you to deliver you (oracle of the LORD). (9) Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have placed My words in your mouth. (10) See, I have made you an overseer this day over the nations and kingdoms to uproot, tear down, destroy, and raze; to build and to plant.
COMMENTS
The call of Jeremiah is disappointing to those who love the spectacular and melodramatic. The account of how Jeremiah became a prophet of God is marked by stark simplicity. He was not privileged to see the grandeur of the heavenly throne room and hear the majestic praises of celestial beings as was Isaiah. Nor was he granted a vision of the throne-chariot of God with its flashing and intriguing wheels within wheels as was Ezekiel. The call of Jeremiah seems to have occurred on an ordinary day and in an ordinary place.
Jeremiahs call is presented in the form of a dialogue between the Lord and his prospective prophet. First comes the divine summons (Jer. 1:4-5) and then, as is Usual in such call narratives, the hesitant human response (Jer. 1:6). This in turn is followed by divine assurance to the reluctant prophet (Jer. 1:7-10).
A. The Divine Summons Jer. 1:4-5
The change from the third person used in the preface to the first person in verse four is striking and indicates that the following verses are autobiographical. The preface was probably prefixed to the book by Baruch the faithful secretary of Jeremiah. But the account Of the prophetic call was either written by or dictated by the prophet himself. TWO matters are of interest in considering the divine summons: (1) the time and manner of it (Jer. 1:4) and (2) the content of it (Jer. 1:5).
1. The time and manner of it (Jer. 1:4)
Jer. 1:4 indicates that, from the human standpoint, the call and appointment of Jeremiah occurred in 627 B.C., then referring back to Jer. 1:2, the thirteenth year of Josiah. Looking on the call of Jeremiah from the divine standpoint, Jer. 1:5 indicates that his appointment long antedated the birth of the prophet. Scholars differ as to whether or not Jeremiah is here describing a visionary experience. The prophet does not say that he saw the Lord; rather he simply says the word of the Lord came unto me. Did he hear the word of God with his mind or with his ears? The question can never be answered.
It must be emphasized that this was a genuine experience on the part of Jeremiah and not an imaginary one as claimed by some critics. It is God and not Jeremiah who took the initiative in this passage. The tasks to which God calls men are often unpleasant and arduous. Men are not eager to assume the responsibilities. Jeremiah claimed that God had spoken to him and amid the tumult and clamor of four decades he never wavered in that claim. One may open the book at random and find the same theme note repeated time and again with only slight variation: The word of the Lord came unto me; Thus said the Lord to me;[97] The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Jeremiah was called upon again and again to suffer for that claim. No one in his right mind would endure what this man endured unless he knew that God had spoken.
[97] Of the 359 occurrences of this phrase in the Old Testament, 157 are in the Book of Jeremiah. See J. G. S. Thomson, The Word of the Lord in Jeremiah (London: Tyndale, 1969), p. 6.
2. The content of it (Jer. 1:5)
The divine summons contained two essential elements: (1) an affirmation concerning the past; and (2) an intimation concerning the future.
a) An affirmation concerning the past. In the first part of Jeremiahs call experience the divine purpose for his life was revealed to him. God informs the prophet that before he was born he had been selected for the task to which he is now called. A similar concept appears in one of the grand Servant poems of Isaiah. The Servant, none other than the Messiah himself, declares to the nations: The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he has mentioned my name (Isa. 49:1 b). The Psalmist David declared much the same thing when he wrote: My unformed substance your eyes saw; in your book all of them were written, even the days that were ordained when as yet there was none of them (Psa. 139:16). Samson was to be a Nazarite from the womb (Jdg. 13:5); John the Baptist was to be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mothers womb (Luk. 1:15); Paul declared that God had separated him from his mothers womb (Gal. 1:15).
At first glance, verse five seems to involve an almost mechanical notion of predestination. But this cannot be what is meant, otherwise the whole dialogue between God and the prophet would have no point. Jeremiah is being told that God has had His eye upon him for a long timeeven before he was bornwhen he was still just a thought in the mind of God.[98] Jeremiahs ordination had taken place in the mind of God before the prophet was born.
[98] Walter Harrelson, Jeremiah: Prophet to the Nations (Philadelphia: Judson, 1959), p. 17.
The distinction must be drawn between personal predestination and professional predestination.[99] It is the latter that is involved in this passage. The predestination here has nothing to do with eternal salvation. Professional predestination is illustrated by the case of Samson in the Book of Judges. Prior to Samsons birth specific instructions were given as to how this lad should be reared and definite predictions were made as to what this lad would accomplish (Jdg. 13:2-5). This was professional predestination. Samson was the right man, at the right time and the right place in the plan of God. So also with Jeremiah, Even before his birth God had been directing affairs in such a way as to make this man uniquely qualified to perform the work to which he was now being called.
[99] The concept of professional predestination also appears in literature outside Israel. Assurbanipal in the opening of his annals declares that the gods made him to rule Assyria while he was still in the body of his mother.
Jeremiah needed to know at the outset the identity of the One who was commissioning him. In the four verbs of Jer. 1:5formed, knew, set-apart, appointedGod identified Himself as the rightful sovereign of Jeremiahs life. Each of these verbs is rich in theological overtones. Here in turn are the concepts of creation, election, consecration and installation.[100]
[100] Hall, op. cit., p. 185.
(1) Creation: I formed you. The birth of Jeremiah was no accident. God takes credit for forming him in the belly of his mother, This verb formed is used here as in Gen. 2:7 where God formed man from the dust of the earth. Gods creative activity is like that of a potter whose handiwork reveals his design (see Jer. 18:1-4). The fact that God formed Jeremiah in the womb of his mother does not mean that his birth was supernatural like that of Jesus. Rather the thought is that God needed a prophet and so providentially planned that one should be born who could fulfill such a ministry. The implication is that God gave the child the character, the temperament, the gifts, and the talents which would qualify him for the office of a prophet.
(2) Election: I knew you. The verb to know involves intellectual knowledge. In the case of Jeremiah this would be foreknowledge. Since the future is always the present to the Omniscient One, God knew the fact that Jeremiah would be born. But the Hebrew word is not limited to mere intellectual knowledge; it embraces also intimate knowledge. This is the word which is used of the most intimate of all human experiences, the relationship between husband and wife. Thus God did not merely know about Jeremiah; He knewintimately knewJeremiah himself. God knew his strong points and his weak: nesses, his abilities, his deficiencies and his potentialities. It was as though God had met him and fellowshiped with him for long years before he was ever born. But the Hebrew verb to know involves still more. It involves selective knowledge. Through Amos the prophet God said to Israel, you only have I known of all the families of the earth (Amo. 3:2). The verb to know is part of the terminology of election.[101] When the Lord said I knew you it was virtually equivalent to His having said I selected you. Finally, the verb to know implies commendatory knowledge. In Nah. 1:7 God knows those that trust Him. In Psa. 1:6 God knows the way of the godly. In both passages the implication is that God knows and approves of the godly ways of the righteous. Thus God knew Jeremiah intellectually, intimately and selectively and approved of his life before he was ever born.
[101] Kenneth L. Barker, Jeremiahs Ministry and Ours, Bibliotheca Sacra CXXVII (July 1970), 226.
(3)Consecration: I set you apart. God had separated, sanctified or set apart Jeremiah for holy service before he was born. Here is the only use of this term in connection with a prophet in the Old Testament. While the word here primarily involves vocational sanctification, the idea of ethical sanctification is not altogether absent. God alone is holy. When the Old Testament speaks of a man being made holy or sanctified it means that a person is to be exclusively devoted to God for His purposes and in His service. It is interesting that Jesus speaks of Himself as sanctified and sent into the world by the Father (Joh. 10:36).
(4) Installation: I have appointed you. The word translated appointed literally means to give, to put or place. Implied in the meaning is an appointment that carries with it the impartation of spiritual gifts which would enable one to perform the tasks for which he was appointed.[102] Did the Lord appoint Jeremiah to his prophetic office prior to his birth or at the very time this statement was made? This is the only verb in Jer. 1:5 which is not positively antecedent to the birth of Jeremiah, Nevertheless, in the light of the implications of the preceding three verbs it seems highly likely that the appointment also took place in the mind of God before the prophets birth.
[102] Barker, op. cit., p. 226.
From the time of his call there is planted in the heart of this young man the conviction that a combination of things happened even before his birth that were to be determining factors in his becoming a prophet. The endowments, and all the influences of heredity and education have shaped, molded and prepared his life for his prophetic career. Jeremiah came to realize that everything that he had received or that had happened to him worked together under the hand of God to prepare him for the work to which he was being called. The consciousness that he had been planned of God before his birth must have stirred the sensitive young man from Anathoth to the depths of his being. In the opinion of Freedman, This consciousness must have sustained him and enabled him to triumph over the moods of despondency to which he was subject.[103] It is useless to speculate as to whether Jeremiah could have refused the call of God. As a matter of fact he did not; and God in his infinite knowledge knew that Jeremiah would not spurn the summons to service. However the principle which is affirmed by Biblical revelation in general may be confidently affirmed viz., prescience on the part of God does not demand compulsion on the part of man.
[103] Harry Freedman, Jeremiah (Soncino Books of the Bible; London: Soncino Press, 1949)., p, 2.
b) An intimation concerning the future. A great deal is said later in the chapter concerning the future ministry of the prophet. Yet even here in the divine summons there is an intimation of the role that Jeremiah is to play in the divine scheme of things. Jeremiah is called to be a prophet. The Hebrew word translated prophet occurs some three hundred times in the Old Testament. The precise etymology of the word is uncertain. As the term is used in the Old Testament it means one who is qualified, called, and commissioned to speak Gods truth to men.[104] A prophet was a mouthpiece, a spokesman. He was one who stood in the divine inner council of God and then went forth to speak of what he had seen and heard.[105] A prophet was a man who spoke to men on behalf of God and to God on behalf of men.
[104] K. M. Yates, Preaching from the Prophets (Nashville: Broadman, 1942), p. 2.
[105] Gray, Op. cit., p. 321.
By virtue of its position in the Hebrew sentence the phrase a prophet to the nations receives emphasis. Here is something unique about Jeremiah for he is the only prophet to be designated as a prophet to the nations. His ministry was to embrace in a special way nations other than Judah. But since Jeremiah only left his native land on one occasion how can he be said to have performed an international ministry? The verse need not mean that Jeremiah is to go to the nations to proclaim his message. It may only mean that he is to include the nations within the scope of his prophecies.[106] He was to be the exponent of Gods world plan in that age of convulsion and upheaval. It is completely unnecessary, then, to follow those critics who dismiss the phrase prophet to the nations as not being originally part of the text, or who emend the text in any way. Jeremiah was to become a prophet to the nations and this intimation of his future work is a genuine part of his call experience.
[106] W. Vischer, The Vocation of the Prophet to the Nations, Interpretation, IX (1955), 31017.
Several observations with regard to the title prophet to the nations need to be made:
1. Prophetic concern with foreign nations can be traced back through Isaiah and Amos to Elijah and Elisha and even to Samuel himself. Samuel commissioned Saul to destroy the Amalekite nation (1 Samuel 15). Elijah was commissioned by God to anoint Hazael as king of Damascus (1Ki. 19:15) and this task was discharged by his successor Elisha (2Ki. 8:7-15). Jonah was sent on a mission to Nineveh to proclaim the doom of that city. Amos and Isaiah uttered numerous oracles against foreign nations. Both of these eighth century prophets developed the theme that mighty Assyria was but a tool in the hands of God. Jeremiah himself described his prophetic predecessors as men who had prophesied against many lands and great kingdoms (Jer. 28:8).
2. The issues with which Jeremiah was to deal would of necessity involve the nations of his day. In the late seventh and early sixth centuries before Christ it was no longer possible to treat Judah as though that nation existed in a political vacuum. A judgment upon Judah would involve an international upheaval in which some powers would go down and others be built up.[107] These were the political realities of that day.
[107] Skinner, op. cit., p. 30.
3. A large portion of the Book of Jeremiah is devoted to oracles of doom against the nations. These oracles have been collected in chapters 4651. In Jer. 25:15-29 Jeremiah addresses the small states of Syria-Palestine warning them that they must submit to the authority of Nebuchadnezzar or be destroyed.
4. Jeremiah foretold blessings which would come upon the nations through the advent of the Messiah (e.g., Jer. 23:5; Jer. 33:15). Those commentators who limit unto the nations to pronouncements of judgment on the heathen are proved to be wrong by the fact that positive as well as negative terms are used in Jer. 1:10 to describe Jeremiahs ministry to the nations.
5. Jeremiah did on one occasion address foreign nations directly in the person of their ambassadors in Jerusalem (Jer. 27:1 ff.). On another occasion he sent a scroll to be read in Babylon and then sunk in the river Euphrates as a symbolic portrayal of the fall of that empire (Jer. 51:59-64).
6. Hebrew prophecy was universalistic in its scope. Gods message is to all people and for all times.[108] Again and again Jeremiah emphasized that the sovereignty of the Lord extends to the ends of the earth. Jeremiah has lessons, then, for the present nations of the world.
[108] Freedman, op. cit., p. 2.
B. The Human Response Jer. 1:6
In Jer. 1:6 the hesitation of Jeremiah is placed over against the decisiveness of God in the previous verses. Those called to special service by God were always humbly hesitant to accept their commission. Jeremiah was no exception. His response to the divine call was both emotional and logical.
1. The emotional response
Staggered by the responsibility of his call Jeremiah, relates that he heaved a deep sigh to God, Ah!. It is the same desperate sigh uttered by Joshua after the disaster at Ai (Jos. 7:7) and by king Jehoram when he saw his army fainting for lack of water in the wilderness (2Ki. 3:10). Ah! is not an entreaty that God should change the circumstances but is a lament that circumstances are what they are. It is a cry of alarm and pain. It is hesitation, not rebellion. Jeremiah was fond of the word and used it in three other passages (Jer. 4:10; Jer. 14:13; Jer. 32:17). The weeping prophet was acquainted with the vocabulary of lamentation.
2. The logical response
Jeremiahs response to the divine summons is not purely on the emotional level. In the latter part of Jer. 1:6 he disclaims any adequate preparedness for the task to which God is calling him. To Jeremiah the call seemed impractical for two reasons: (1) his age, and (2) his lack of natural gifts.
a) His age. In the Hebrew word order the emphasis is on the youth of the prophet. The Hebrew word translated youth or child has a wide range of usage in the Old Testament. It is used of an infant (e.g., Exo. 2:6), a small boy (e.g., Gen. 21:12) or a young man of marriageable age (e.g., Gen. 34:19). The same word is used of Joshua at age forty-five (Exo. 33:11) and of Solomon when he succeeded his father as king (1Ki. 3:7). The Jewish Rabbis defined the word as referring to a youth of his fourteenth year. Estimates on the age of Jeremiah at the time of his call range from 17 to 25. Jeremiah is not rejecting the heavenly call in this verse but is, in effect, pleading for delay. It is as if he had said, May I not wait till I can speak with the wisdom and authority that comes with years?[109] He was not saying I will not, but I cannot; not now at any rate.
[109] Skinner, op. cit., p. 34.
Jeremiah may have mentioned his youth because he had not yet reached the age when he, as a priest, would be permitted to serve the Lord. During the wilderness wandering the years of service for the Levites were fixed from the twenty-fifth to the fiftieth year (Num. 8:23-25). Later this age restriction was changed by David from twenty to fifty (1Ch. 23:24-32). One family of Levites, the Kohathites, could only serve from ages 30 to 50 (Num. 4:3; Num. 4:23; Num. 4:30-35; Num. 4:47). Could it be that Jeremiah was still a youth in the sense that he had not yet reached the age of priestly service? Still this was not a legitimate excuse as far as the prophetic ministry was concerned. The office of prophet was not limited to any definite number of years. God called men when He pleased and retained them as long as He desired.
b) The lack of natural abilities. Because of his youth Jeremiah felt a keen sense of inadequacy. Literally he says, I do not know to speak (i.e., I do not know how to speak). The word know in Hebrew frequently means to be skilled or experienced in doing anything. Like Moses he felt he did not have the powers of oratory which would win the attention of vast throngs. He did not have the persuasive abilities necessary to sway the conduct of hostile multitudes. A youth in antiquity was expected to be seen and not heard. Who would listen to him if he presumed to preach the word of God?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(4) The word of the Lord came unto me.The words imply obviously a revelation, the introduction of a new element into the human consciousness. In many cases such a revelation implied also the spiritual tension of an ecstatic or trance-like state, a dream, or an open vision. It almost presupposed a previous training, outward or inward, a mind vexed by hot thoughts and mourning over the sins of the people. Here there is no mention of dream or vision, and we must assume, therefore, a distinct consciousness that the voice which he heard in his inmost soul was from Jehovah. For the thought of pre-natal calling, see Isa. 49:1.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
JEREMIAH’S INVESTITURE WITH THE PROPHETIC OFFICE, Jer 1:4-19.
4. The word of the Lord came It was an objective revelation, as is plainly intimated in most cases of prophetic inspiration. It was not, probably, by a voice that addressed the prophet’s physical senses; rather was it spiritually communicated, but was perfectly recognised as from God. It was not the elevation of the prophet’s own religious consciousness by motions from within, but a bringing into this consciousness of something from without.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jeremiah Learns That He Was Chosen From Birth To Be A Prophet To The Nations ( Jer 1:4-5 ).
When the ‘word of YHWH’ first came to Jeremiah God informed him that he had been chosen even before he was born in order that he might be appointed as a ‘prophet to the nations’. From the very beginning he was called on to recognise that he was not only a local seer, but was called on to affect the destiny of nations, re-emphasising the fact that YHWH was lord over the whole world.
Jer 1:4
‘Now the word of YHWH came to me, saying,’
When God first spoke to him Jeremiah knew that it was ‘the word of YHWH’, and it made clear to him his privileged status. He was to be God’s direct spokesman. We are never told quite how the word of YHWH came to the prophets, but it was clearly with clarity and certainty. They knew the difference between the word of YHWH and their own ideas. See for one known method Num 12:6, but we are given no real grounds, in contrast with Ezekiel, for seeing Jeremiah as having dreams and visions. YHWH’s word probably came to him when in an enhanced spiritual state, but not at his beck and call. He sometimes had to wait for YHWH’s revelation (Jer 42:7).
Jer 1:5
“Before I formed you in the belly I knew you,
And before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you,
I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
He learned at that point that YHWH had already ‘entered into a relationship with’ him (for ‘known’ compare Deu 34:10; Amo 3:2; Gen 18:19; Psa 1:6) even before He had formed him in his mother’s belly, and had set him apart to Himself as His holy ‘separated one’, that is, even before he had come forth from the womb. His purpose in doing so was so that he might be YHWH’s appointed representative to the nations. This choosing was a reminder that YHWH’s purposes were not subject to man’s interference or propensities. He shared such a privilege of being chosen from birth both with Moses (something which can be assumed from what happened to him right from birth) who was called to be a prophet to Israel, with Samson (Jdg 13:3-5), and with the Apostle Paul (Gal 1:15), who was called to be a prophet to the Gentile world. But he also shared it with all of those of Israel/Judah who were God’s chosen ones (Isa 44:2), something which would result in their reception of the Spirit of God and the transformation of their lives (Isa 44:3-5). It is quite clear that these words of Isaiah were not spoken to the whole of Israel, for the large part of them rejected Him. Thus it must have been to the chosen within Israel, the ‘true believers’. It was this conception of the chosen line within Israel, who were the true Israel, that Paul would draw attention to in Romans 9 (see Jer 1:6), a true Israel which would then welcome in Gentiles who would become a part of that true Israel (Rom 11:17 ff.). They too are God’s chosen ones from before they were born (Eph 1:4). But not all are called on to bear what Jeremiah would have to bear.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jeremiah’s Initial Call ( Jer 1:4-10 ).
YHWH’s initial call assures Jeremiah that he had been chosen even before he was born, that he need not be afraid that he was still young and immature (around twenty), that He would be with him to deliver him, and that his mouth was ‘anointed’ for his task of preaching to nations and kingdoms over which he has been set.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Call Of Jeremiah ( Jer 1:4 to Jer 2:3 ).
Where we have previously learned of the call of a prophet the account has been placed in the midst of the prophecy when the foundations had already been laid (e.g. Isaiah 6; Amo 7:14-16), but in the case of Jeremiah we are given the information from the commencement. This emphasises how important Jeremiah saw that calling to be. Like Paul after him, it was on that that he based his authority, and it was that (and the hand of YHWH) that sustained him through the years (compare Gal 1:15-17). It may also underline the fact that it was Jeremiah who originally and personally brought his prophecies together.
Like Moses before him (Exo 4:10) Jeremiah pleaded that he was not eloquent (Jer 1:6), but YHWH firmly pushed his fears aside assuring him that He would be with him in what he was being asked to do (Jer 1:7-8), and while He did not give him an Aaron, He gave him instead a special anointing on his lips (Jer 1:9-10) together with faithful helper in Barak, who was probably his amanuensis as well as his friend. But YHWH did not hide from Jeremiah the importance of the task lying ahead of him, pointing out that he was to have a decisive impact on peoples and nations (Jer 1:10), something which brought out that while the great nations might appear to be in control, it was really YHWH Who directed affairs. To Jeremiah, a man of great sensitivity and comparatively young, it was a great weight to have to bear.
In consequence of this YHWH gave him two symbolic visions. The first vision was by the use of word play, indicating by means of the branch of an almond bush (shoqed) that YHWH ‘would watch over (shaqed) His word and perform it’ (Jer 1:11-12). Every time that he saw an almond bush (and they were everywhere, and developed early) it would be a reminder to him that all that he was saying in prophecy was guaranteed of fulfilment by YHWH. The second was by means of a boiling cauldron pointing towards the north which vividly indicated that it was from the north that judgment would come on Judah for its sins (Jer 1:13-16). And this was because Judah had forsaken Him, rejecting the covenant, and had gone after idols (Jer 1:16).
Then He basically told him to ‘get his sleeves rolled up’ and prepare himself (‘gird up your loins’), and to get stuck into his job (Jer 1:17), assuring him that He Himself would make him like a strong fortress in the face of all opposition (Jer 1:18-19). For his purpose in what was happening was to be to call Israel/Judah back to their first-love that they had initially enjoyed in the wilderness on their deliverance from Egypt (Jer 2:1-3).
Note that in this first passage Jer 1:4 to Jer 2:3) the words ‘the word of YHWH came to me saying’ occur four times, in Jer 1:4; Jer 1:11; Jer 1:13; Jer 2:1 breaking up the passage into four as now described:
His initial call (Jer 1:4-10).
The vision of the almond tree guaranteeing YHWH’s watch over His word (Jer 1:11-12).
The vision of the boiling cauldron with its implications of coming judgment, a message which will result in persecution from his people, a persecution which YHWH will make him strong to endure (Jer 1:13-19).
And finally YHWH’s call to him to seek to bring the people back to their wilderness first-love (Jer 2:1-3).
As will be seen it is significant that God’s main purpose in what follows, at least initially, was, through His warnings, to bring His people back within the sphere of His covenant love and to restore them to their covenant love. It was only when it was clear that they were obdurate that judgment became a certainty and a necessity, and even then Jeremiah always knew that one day, once they had learned their lesson, YHWH would restore the remnant to the covenant (e.g. Jer 3:14-19; Jer 12:15-16; Jer 31:28-34).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jeremiah’s Divine Commission In Jer 1:1-19 we have the account of the prophet’s calling into the ministry through a divine visitation from the Lord. This may well have been his first supernatural encounter with the Lord. Each of the Major Prophets received a divine visitation in which the Lord calls them and gives them a specific ministry and message to bring to the children of Israel. For Jeremiah, it was to prophesy over the nations to bring about God’s plan of redemption for Israel and the nations.
We often find a divine commission at the beginning of the story of God’ servants in the Scriptures. We see in the book of Genesis that Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each received their commissions at the beginning of their genealogies, which divide the book of Genesis into major divisions. We also see how Moses received his divine commission near the beginning of his story found within Exodus to Deuteronomy. Joshua received his commission in the first few verses of the book of Joshua. In addition, we see that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel each received a divine commission at the beginning of their ministries. The book of Ezra opens with a divine call to rebuild the Temple and the book of Nehemiah begins with a call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which callings Ezra and Nehemiah answered. In the New Testament, we find Paul the apostle receiving his divine commission in Act 9:1-22 at the beginning of the lengthy section on Paul’s life and ministry.
Each of these divine callings can be found within God’s original commission to Adam in the story of Creation to be fruitful and multiply. For these men were called to bring the about the multiplication of godly seeds. The patriarchs were called to multiply and produce a nation of righteousness. Moses was called to bring Israel out of bondage, but missed his calling to bring them into the Promised Land. Joshua was called to bring them in to the land. Esther was called to preserve the seed of Israel as was Noah, while Ezra and Nehemiah were called to bring them back into the Promised Land. All of the judges, the kings and the prophets were called to call the children of Israel out of sin and bondage and into obedience and prosperity. They were all called to bring God’s children out of bondage and destruction and into God’s blessings and multiplication. The stories in the Old Testament show us that some of these men fulfilled their divine commission while others either fell short through disobedience or were too wicked to hear their calling from God.
Isaiah’s vision and commission is recorded in Isa 6:1-13. This commission reflects the atoning work of Christ in that the prophet’s call to pronounce Israel’s sins is rejected by his people in the same way Jesus’ atonement will be rejected by the Jews centuries later. In contrast, Jeremiah’s commission reflects the office and ministry of God the Father’s divine plan of redemption in that the prophet is set over nations to “root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, build and plant.”
Jer 1:4-19 Jeremiah’s Divine Commission (Divine Foreknowledge: Predestination and Calling) The first acts of God’s redemption in each of our lives in His divine foreknowledge of all things is our predestination and calling. Jer 1:4-19 reveals these aspects of God’s redemptive work in the life of the prophet Jeremiah. God revealed His divine predestination to Jeremiah in Jer 1:4-8. We see God’s predestined plan for him in the words, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations,” (Jer 1:5), and “for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak,” (Jer 1:8). God then called him in Jer 1:9-19.
Jer 1:4-8 God’s Predestined Plan for Jeremiah In Jer 1:4-8 the Lord reveals the plan that He has predestined for the prophet from eternity past. This is the first step in God’s redemptive work in every man’s life.
Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5 Jer 1:5
Rom 8:29-30, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
Two of these phases, predestination and calling, are being emphasized in Jer 1:5 for God knew him before Jeremiah was born, and ordained him to be a prophet unto the nations.
Jer 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Jer 1:6
Why would God choose a youth to speak to a nation of elders? In looking for an answer to this question, it has been my observation that young people who have been properly schooled look for a purpose in life and often want to change the things that are wrong in their society. These young people have the zeal and energy, though they often lack the wisdom and influence. In contract, the elders and leaders of many societies have been too corrupted to be of any benefit to help others. These older people have allowed society to corrupt them, rather than them changing their society. Therefore, God mostly likely choose a young man like Jeremiah who had the zeal, and was willing to trust the Lord for the anointing and divine protection and be obedient to speak the words of the Lord.
Jer 1:7 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.
Jer 1:8 Jer 1:9-19
Jer 1:9 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.
Jer 1:9
Jer 1:10 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.
Jer 1:10
Jer 29:10, “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.”
In contrast to Jeremiah’s ministry, the Lord gives Isaiah the calling to preach to a people who would reject his message and be judged by the Lord. A remnant would be preserved by God and later used to restore the nation of Israel as an appointed time. Isaiah’s calling is figurative of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ at His First Coming, when the Jews rejected Him and crucified Him. Thus, Jesus told His disciples how His earthly ministry was a fulfillment of the Lord’s words in Isa 6:9-10. The restoration of Israel will take place at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the book of Isaiah emphasizes the office and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in His role of redemption for the nation of Israel.
Mat 13:13-14, “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:”
When we compare the third major prophet Ezekiel to the other two prophets, we see how he places emphasis upon the role of the Holy Spirit in restoring the children of Israel. In fact, a popular passage quoted from the book of Ezekiel is Eze 36:25-28, which tells us that God will put a new spirit within them.
Eze 36:25-28, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
Jer 1:10 Comments The Authority of Speaking God’s Word – God used Jeremiah to put in motion God’s Word against Israel by speaking them into existence (Jas 3:6).
Jas 3:6, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature ; and it is set on fire of hell.”
Jeremiah received spiritual authority ordained of God (2Co 10:4-6, Rev 11:3-6).
2Co 10:4-6 ( For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Rev 11:3-6, “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.”
Jer 1:10 Comments The High Calling of the Ministry – I was praying about the divine calling of God on a man’s life. I prayed and asked the Lord to show me this high calling. Jer 1:10 quickly came to my remembrance. As I read it, I saw that the calling of God is above those who lead nations and rule over Kingdoms. (December 19, 1992)
The office of a divine ministry is the highest calling in a society. For example, President Lyndon B. Johnson once asked Billy Graham to considering running for President of the U.S. He said that he would never run for President, and if elected he would not serve. [10] Billy Graham believed that the calling of God into the ministry was a higher calling than the office of the President.
[10] Billy Graham, Just as I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), 410-411.
Jer 1:10 Scripture Reference Note a similar passage of Scripture:
Jer 31:28, “And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.”
Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Jer 1:11
Jer 1:11 Word Study on “an almond” Strong says the Hebrew word “almond” “shaqed” ( ) (H8247) means “almond, almond tree,” and is derived from the verb “sahqad” ( ) (H8245), which means, “to be alert, watch for, hasten.” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 4 times in the Old Testament Scriptures, being translated in the KJV as “almond 2, almond tree 2.”
Jer 1:12 Comments – From the context of the vision of the almond branch, it appears that Jeremiah saw the budding branch of an almond tree, which was a well-known tree in the land of Palestine ( ISBE). [11] However, some scholars suggest that this was a dry rod, and thus, a rod used for discipline and correction. However, if it was a dried rod, Jeremiah would not so easily have identified the type of tree.
[11] E. W. G. Masterman, “Almond,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., c1915, 1939), in The Sword Project, v. 1.5.11 [CD-ROM] (Temple, AZ: CrossWire Bible Society, 1990-2008).
Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Jer 1:12
Jer 1:11-12 Comments – The Vision of the Almond Branch The first vision that the Lord gave to Jeremiah was of an almond branch. In this brief vision, the Lord shows Jeremiah the branch, or budding, of an almond tree, then tells him that God would watch over His words so that they would be sure to come to pass. The significance of the almond branch is that it was one of the earliest trees to bud in the spring season of the year, announcing that winter was ending. Thus, the people of Palestine watched for the budding of the almond tree as a sure proclamation that one season was past and a new season was beginning. In the same way, the Lord will watch over the prophetic words that Jeremiah proclaims to make sure their season of fulfillment comes to pass.
It is important to note that this passage of Scripture uses a word play to emphasize key statements. The Hebrew noun “shaqed” ( ) (H8247) “almond,” and verb “sahqad” ( ) “to be alert, hasten,” are literally the same word in the original Hebrew language, with the vowel marks being added centuries later by the Massorites. Thus, God is using a play on words in this vision and its interpretation.
Jer 1:13-16 The Vision of the Boiling Pot The second vision that the Lord gave to Jeremiah was of a boiling pot. Boiling water was a part of everyday life in these cultures. We know from Ezekiel’s prophecy (Eze 24:1-14) that the boiling pot represented the armies of Babylon coming upon the land of Judah.
Jer 1:13 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.
Jer 1:13
[12] Adam Clarke, Jeremiah, in Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Electronic Database (Seattle, WA: Hendrickson Publishers Inc., 1996), in P.C. Study Bible, v. 3.1 [CD-ROM] (Seattle, WA: Biblesoft Inc., 1993-2000), notes on Jeremiah 1:13.
ASV, “And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling caldron; and the face thereof is from the north .”
NIV, “The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north ,” I answered.
RSV, “The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north .”
YLT, “And there is a word of Jehovah unto me a second time, saying, `What art thou seeing?’ And I say, `A blown pot I am seeing, and its face is from the north .”
However, the ancient LXX follows the idea of the pot facing towards the north.
Brenton, “the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A caldron on the fire; and the face of it is toward the north.”
Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
Jer 1:15 Jer 1:15
Jer 1:16 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.
Jer 1:16
Jer 1:17 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.
Jer 1:17
Jer 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Jer 1:18
Jer 1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
Jer 1:19
Psa 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Call and Commission of the Prophet
v. 4. Then, v. 5. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee, v. 6. Then said I, v. 7. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child, v. 8. Be not afraid of their faces, v. 9. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, v. 10. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, v. 11. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? v. 12. Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I will hasten My word to perform it, v. 13. And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? v. 14. Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth, v. 15. For, lo, I will call all the families, v. 16. And I will utter My judgments against them, v. 17. Thou, therefore, gird up thy loins, v. 18. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, v. 19. And they shall fight against thee,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
I have often read this Chapter with particular pleasure, and marked with much emphasis what is contained in these verses: for in them we find the most decisive testimony, to that distinguishing attribute and perfection of Jehovah, his foreknowledge and ordination. Who that reads these verses, can, for a moment question, the purpose, counsel, and will of the Lord? Known unto God are all his works from the beginning. And to suppose otherwise, would be to deny God’s sovereignty and eternal wisdom. Hence our Lord, in his Father’s with-holding discernment from the wise and prudent, and revealing himself to babes, refers all into this one cause, as an unanswerable conclusion; Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight, Mat 11:25-26 . I beg the Reader to pause over the subject, and as he ponders the vast thought, let him ask his own heart, whether the same sovereign power that ordained Jeremiah for a Prophet, and Paul for an Apostle from the womb, hath sanctified and revealed his Son in the Reader’s soul, to the purpose of salvation, through the faith that is in Christ Jesus? Gal 1:15-16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
IV
THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF JEREMIAH
Jer 1:4-19
Our study in this chapter is the life and character of Jeremiah. In our last chapter we gave a bird’s-eye view of the book, which purports to be the substance of his prophecy, and the main events of his life. In this chapter we shall study something about the prophet himself. I want, as far as possible, to lead you into his inner life and soul and see, as best we can, the relationship of his life to his book.
Jeremiah’s call and commission are found in Jer 1:4-19 . He was predestined to be a prophet. He learned this when he became of age, and at the time of his call. He puts it thus: “The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before the time thou wast born, I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.” We see there also a great truth which has been exemplified many times since, that when God calls a man to be his prophet, or preacher, he sometimes begins with him before his birth. Sometimes he begins two or three generations before he is born.
Dr. Carter Helm Jones was being prepared to preach for at least two generations. J. Hudson Taylor was consecrated by his mother to God to be a missionary before his birth. Many another man received the divine impress to be God’s preacher before he was born. It takes a great deal to make a fine type of preacher. He needs all the forces of a good heredity to his makeup and on his side. We never will have great preachers till we have first, great mothers and even great grandmothers.
Jeremiah received his call and consecration when he was a young man. That was no little thing in relation to his future greatness as a prophet. We have some very interesting facts about that call which we find recorded in Jer 1:6-10 . Jeremiah felt his weakness and inability. He says, “Ah, Lord Jehovah! why hast thou called me to be a prophet? I do not know how to speak. I am but a child. I am only a boy. How can I be a preacher to the nations? I am too young for that.” How many preachers feel like that when God lays his hand on them? God have mercy on the preacher who does not feel himself weak! When he realizes that God has called him, that is the way he ought to feel. Now look at God’s answer to all the prophet’s belittling of himself: God said, “Say not I am a child.” It does not matter if you are but a boy. I am going to tell you what to say. You can talk if I tell you how; being a boy does not have anything to do with it. I know what I am doing in calling you. “To whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of them; for I am with thee, saith the Lord.” That seems to have convinced Jeremiah. He appears to have been satisfied and begins his work.
Then the Lord gave unto him two visions, to assure and encourage him, Jer 1:11-16 . “The word of the Lord spake unto me saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see an almond-tree.” The almond tree was the first to put forth its blooms. It blooms about January. The blossoms are beautiful and fragrant. This tree is called the watcher, “the opener” of spring. By that God showed this man that he was a watcher. This gave Jeremiah assurance that God was watching over him and would keep his word. With that vision in his heart he was prepared to give God’s message to the world. That kind of thing establishes a man so that he can never be shaken. The second vision gave the prophet some idea of his message. The Lord said, “Tell me what thou seest. And I said I see a boiling, seething caldron and its face is from the north,” ready to pour out its contents toward the south. Now that was clearly an indication that the enemies of the Lord were coming from the north. The horde of warriors like a seething caldron were to come and fulfil the prophecies of Jeremiah. So then, it appears from this latter vision that Jeremiah’s mission was to warn the people of the impending invasion.
Then he received a specific commission (Jer 1:17-19 ). That commission is, “Gird up thy loins, rise and speak unto them all that I command thee. Be not dismayed at them lest I dismay thee before them.” Do not be afraid of them: don’t run, for I will be with thee. Don’t be afraid of them or I will make you to be afraid before them. Don’t be afraid of God’s message. The cowardly preacher is the most contemptible of all men. Now look at the strong promises here. “I have made thee a fenced city, an iron pillar and brazen walls. I have made thee as brazen walls against the priests and princes.” This assured him that God was with him, and that he was to go not in his own name, but in the fear and strength of God. Such in brief is the commission of Jeremiah to the great work of being a prophet to the nations.
We have seen that as soon as the call came to him he felt his weakness and inability. He said, “I am only a boy.” He had a deep consciousness of his inability. As we come to study the inner suffering of this man we find in him one of the most pathetic figures in history. Jeremiah was a patriot. He loved his city, his country, and his people as few men ever loved them. He was also God’s prophet and was commanded as such to speak God’s message, and that message was the doom of the nation, ruin to the people that he loved. To be faithful to his people he felt that he must stay with them. Thus he was between two fires. He was driven from pillar to post and wavered between desire and duty, till he was forced to take refuge in God alone and let his people perish, for they would not heed his message.
Now let us look at his suffering in view of the impending doom as he sees how surely his nation is to be destroyed (Jer 4:19-22 ). Hear him as he breaks forth in bitter wailing, “O my vitals, my vitals, my heart is disquieted within me.” He beholds the doom of the people and it breaks his heart because he loves the people, and he loves God and therefore must denounce the people for their sins. Destruction is coming (Jer 8:18-19 ). After describing the inevitable doom of the people he breaks forth thus: “Oh that I could comfort myself against sorrow I my heart is faint within me. . . . Is not the Lord King in Zion?”
The question is, If the Lord be in the city then how can it be destroyed? But he says, “The Lord is far from Zion.” Then he breaks forth in that very familiar passage, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” He identifies himself with the people. He feels most deeply their doom. He then turns his thoughts to the causes of their sickness and bursts forth, “Is there no balm in Gilead,” is there no medicine for this disease? Is there no help for this awful state of the people? “Is there no physician there?” Why then is there no health? “Why is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Then we have another touching expression of his grief, Jer 9:1-2 : “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for my people.” Such an expression is to be found nowhere else in literature. For a man to wish that his eyes were a fountain of tears, that he might shed enough tears to wash away the sins of the people; that he might thus suffer to help his people! Where is there a parallel to this passage? We don’t know much about suffering for people and with people, when we place ourselves in the light of this passage. We have never gone down into the depths of anguish like that. It is like Jesus Christ. In this passage we are reminded of Jesus as he weeps over Jerusalem. He breaks forth again: “Oh that I had a hiding-place, that I might hide myself from their sight.” He wanted to go away that he might get away from their wickedness. But if he had, he would have come back to weep for the people and warn them against their sins.
His inner or spiritual conflict is described in Jer 12:1-6 . No sufferer ever endured the mental and spiritual agony of this prophet, save Jesus himself. He discovered that a plot had been made against him by the men of Anathoth, his native city. They had decided to stop his preaching because he was discouraging the people and talking like a traitor. Jeremiah heard about it. We see how the problem arose. Here was God’s prophet delivering God’s message, and he was suffering agony of heart and sore trial, while those enemies of his were living in plenty and comfort. Why did not God punish them? Why did he have to suffer instead of these wicked men? It is the old, old problem. It is the same problem in the book of Job, and in Psa 73 . This problem has troubled many people since. Why is it that the wicked suffer not and the righteous are so often troubled, and the rich who are so wicked prosper and are happy?
Then Jehovah said, “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?” If you are discouraged now, if you run now, what will you do when the real test comes? That was like a flash of common sense to help this man out of the difficulty. He saw that his contest with these men of Anathoth was a little thing; that it was but an introduction to what was in store for him. The time was coming when he would have to contend with men worse than these men of Anathoth. If you are going to get discouraged in this land of plenty, what will you do when the swelling of the Jordan comes? The swelling of the Jordan, or the pride of Jordan, is taken by some to refer to the rich verdure and brush which grows upon its banks; by others, the animals which infest these woods; by others, the floods of spring which drive out the animals to the hills to commit their depredations. Such shall be the onslaught of the enemy, as wild beasts ravaging the land. How will you stand that, Jeremiah? What will you do when the real test comes, if you are ready to give up now? That is a fine lesson for us to learn today. If we cannot stand little difficulties what will we do when great difficulties come?
He makes another complaint, Jer 15:10-11 : “Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention.” Then God gives him encouragement in that he will be with him: “Cheer up, Jeremiah, for I am going to make you triumph over all.” He comes to another difficulty, Jer 15:15 , Jer 15:18-19 : “O Lord, remember me and avenge my sufferings. . . . Why is my pain perpetual and my wounds refuse to be healed? . . . If thou return, then will I bring thee again.” Jeremiah, come back to your early life and then I will help you before men. If thou wilt take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth.” Now here is a great text. What a great thing it is to learn to separate the precious from the vile. If he will come close to God, God will stand by him. “Quit talking about yourself, and then you will not have such difficulties.”
Now we come to another great conflict in the prophet’s mind (Jer 20:7-18 ). Take first Jer 20:14-18 . He was cast down. He was in terrible agony, Jer 20:14 : “Cursed be the day in which I was born.” That is like Job 3 . God has commanded me to preach this awful message and then he lets these men persecute me. Oh that I had never been born! O God, what dost thou mean by getting me into this trouble? Thus he complains. He had thought to quit preaching. He was discouraged: “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name.” But then he said, I cannot quit; I must preach. Now that is a true prophet. He makes up his mind that he will not preach, but he cannot help it. He is God’s man. And as God’s man he must preach. “Then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I cannot contain.” He rises to higher ground, Jer 20:11 : “O Lord, thou art a mighty one and my persecutors shall not prevail.”
There are certain steps by which this prophet rises to the high plane which God wants him to attain. He blames God for bringing him into the opposition of these wicked men. Then God assures him that he will save him from his persecutors and leads him to see that the persecution was a blessing to him. He ends with words of praise (Jer 15:13 ).
We have something of his domestic and social life in Jer 16:1-9 . The substance of this is that he is forbidden to marry and to have a family, because of the evil times coming upon the land. He is forbidden to build a house, to go to the house of mourning or to the house of mirth. He is forbidden to go to the house of pleasure, because he is a man whose mission is to warn of punishment. He is to be himself a message of warning to the people. He is to warn by his very life that the nation is about to be destroyed. He is not to go to the house of pleasure because destruction is coming on the people.
Jeremiah’s conflict with the false prophets is described in Jer 23:9-40 . Their character is evil. Jeremiah speaks as if some of those prophets in Jerusalem were living private lives of corruption. He is deeply shocked at it. “My heart is like a drunken man. In my house I have found wickedness.” These prophets were living corrupt lives. They were hypocrites. They pretended to be pious like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, but inwardly they were as dead men’s bones. Jeremiah was grieved. A corrupt life indicates at once a false prophet.
Jeremiah charged that their message was their own and not God’s (Jer 23:16 ): “They teach you vanity, they speak a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord.” They also preach for popularity. That is another characteristic of the false prophet. He preaches for money. He is a man who preaches to please the people. He speaks out of his own heart and not of the Lord. Here is a fine lesson for us. The true preacher preaches the vision which the Lord gives and not his own visions and dreams.
His charge respecting their attitude toward sin was that these false prophets made light of sin and its consequences (Jer 23:17-18 ). No wonder they lived corrupt lives themselves, for their conception of sin was low. They made sin a little matter. They said that it would not bring such terrible consequences; that it was really necessary to the development of character; that it was a stage in the progress upward.
His charge concerning the counsel of God was that they stood not in God’s counsel (Jer 23:21-24 ): “If they had stood in my counsel they had not caused my people to err.” This statement implies that these prophets had made no honest effort to look at the question from God’s standpoint; they were not on God’s side; they had no real knowledge of God; had no experience of his power. Such men have no true insight into the word of God.
His charge concerning their dreams and visions was that they had dreamed their own dreams (Jer 23:25-29 ): “They tell their dreams for the word of the Lord.” “What is the chaff to the wheat?” asks the prophet. They feed the people chaff. It is a fine accomplishment to be able to distinguish between wheat and chaff in religious matters.
His charge respecting their sermons was that they stole their sermons (Jer 23:30-32 , especially, Jer 23:30 ). There were true prophets in Jerusalem and the false prophets stole their prophecies and palmed them off for their own. This is a characteristic of a false prophet. It may be better for the people if a preacher steals another preacher’s thunder, than to feed the people chaff, but it is not better for the preacher himself. Thus we observe that one of Jeremiah’s bitterest conflicts was with the false prophets. They were a thorn in his side, a continual source of annoyance, and a powerful factor in the downfall of the nation.
He charges that they were users of cant-phrases (Jer 23:33-40 ). An experience common to the prophet was, “The burden of the Lord.” The false prophets made use of this phrase to give authority to their utterances, to such an extent that it became a mere “cant-phrase,” meaningless and empty. The prophet declared that this phrase should be no longer used Jer 23:36 : “Every man’s own word shall be his burden.” People shall no longer ask, “What is the burden of the Lord,” but, “What hath Jehovah answered thee?” Or, “What hath Jehovah spoken?” Those that use this phrase, “The burden of the Lord,” shall be cast off, and an everlasting reproach and perpetual shame shall be brought upon them (Jer 23:40 ).
QUESTIONS
1. What is the theme of this study, and what, in general, does it embrace?
2. What of Jeremiah’s call and commission (Jer 1:4-19 ) and what the application, to modern preachers?
3. How did Jeremiah receive this call and commission, and how did the Lord deal with him?
4. How did the Lord assure him and what the visions and their interpretation?
5. What is his specific commission and what assurance did the Lord give him here?
6. What, in general, is his inner sufferings and what is the cause?
7. How does the prophet express his inner sufferings for his people?
8. What the spiritual conflict in Jeremiah and what is the problem arising in connection with it?
9. What is his further complaint and what is the Lord’s reply?
10. What is the depressing effect of the inner conflict upon the prophet and what is his final conclusion?
11. Show the process by which the prophet attained the right attitude.
12. Describe his domestic and social life (Jer 16:1-9 ).
13. In his conflict with the false prophets what his charge as to their character (Jer 23:9-40 )?
14. What is his charge respecting their message?
15. What is his charge respecting their attitude toward sin?
16. What is his charge concerning the counsel of God and what does it imply?
17. What is his charge concerning their dreams and visions?
18. What is his charge respecting their sermons?
19. What is the charge respecting cant-phrases?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ver. 4. Then the word of the Lord came unto me. ] The Lord is said to come to Baalam, Abimelech, Laban, &c.; but he never concredited his word to any but to his holy prophets, of whom it is said, as here, “The word of the Lord came to them.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 1:4-10
4Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
5Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.
6Then I said, Alas, Lord GOD!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because I am a youth.
7But the LORD said to me,
Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.
9Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow,
To build and to plant.
Jer 1:4 Jer 1:4 through 10 are the divine call of Jeremiah to prophetic ministry.
SPECIAL TOPIC: OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Jer 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you This speaks of God’s sovereign power over the lives of His human creation (cf. Jer 43:7; Jer 44:2; Jer 44:24; Jer 49:5). The term formed (Qal IMPERFECT, BDB 427, KB 428) is the exact term used in Gen 2:7-8. God has a plan and a purpose for every human person (cf. Psa 139:13-16; Isa 43:7; Isa 49:5; Gal 1:15).
God had a plan and purpose for this person even before he was born. I wonder how many prophets and servants of God America has killed in the name of expediency and the individual freedom of their selfish parents. Personal convenience and expedience give a social license to choices that depreciate human worth and dignity!
For a good brief discussion of the Bible texts on the unborn see Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed., pp. 570-572.
God selects four VERBS to describe His personal activity in Jeremiah’s life.
1. I formed – Qal IMPERFECT, BDB 427, KB 428
2. I knew – Qal PERFECT, BDB 393, KB 390 (see Special Topic below)
3. I consecrated – Hiphil PERFECT, BDB 872, KB 1073
4. I appointed – Qal PERFECT, BDB 678, KB 733
SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW (USING MOSTLY DEUTERONOMY AS A PARADIGM)
to the nations Jeremiah was not just called to Judah, but was to proclaim God’s sovereignty over all nations (cf. Jer 1:10 a; Jer 25:15-29, Jeremiah 46-51). This is the theological implication of monotheism. See special topics below.
SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM
SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH’s ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN
Jer 1:6 Alas In this first chapter there are several INTERJECTIONS.
1. alas – , BDB 13, KB 18, cf. Jdg 11:35; 2Ki 3:10; 2Ki 6:5; 2Ki 6:15; Joe 1:15; Jer 1:6; Jer 4:10; Jer 14:13; Jer 32:17. It is translated ah in Jeremiah and denotes alarm.
2. behold – , BDB 243, KB 252, cf. Jer 1:6; Jer 1:9; Jer 1:18; Jer 49:2; Isa 6:7. This is a way to call attention to a statement.
3. behold – , BDB 243, Jer 1:15; Jer 31:8. The UBS Handbook calls it an emphatic transitional marker (p. 38).
4. see – in Jer 1:10 (Qal IMPERATIVE), also functions as an INTERJECTION
Lord GOD The Hebrew titles are Adonai and YHWH. Since both of these terms are translated Lord in English, most English translations use the title Lord God (cf. Jer 4:10; Jer 32:17; Jos 7:7; Jdg 6:22). See Special Topic: NAMES FOR DEITY .
I do not know how to speak This was the same excuse that Moses used in Exo 4:10, however, the term used here means to speak publicly. Moses was claiming to be a stutterer (BDB 546), but Jeremiah was claiming not to be a public speaker (BDB 180).
because I am a youth His exact age is uncertain, because in Exo 33:11 Joshua is called a youth and he was 45 years old. Young people in Hebrew culture did not have the status that they do in modern American culture. Jeremiah was afraid that because of his age and because he was unmarried he would not have a strong social or religious platform from which to speak to Judeans.
God regularly uses young people. Here is just a sample.
1. the spies of Jericho, Jos 6:23
2. Samuel
3. David and Jonathan
4. Daniel and his three friends
5. Josiah
6. Joe 2:28
It is not the age but the heart that is crucial!
Jer 1:7 Notice how YHWH answered Jeremiah’s reluctance.
1. do not say, I am a youth (Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense)
2. everywhere I send you, you shall go
3. all that I command you, you shall speak
because everywhere I send you, you will go God never sends anyone out alone. His greatest provision is His personal presence (cf. Jer 1:8 b,19). He goes along to help (i.e., Mat 28:20) and to equip for the task assigned (i.e., Eph 4:12).
Jer 1:8 Do not be afraid of them This is a Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense. Jeremiah had a hard word to speak to his own people (i.e., exile is coming). They would attack Jeremiah both verbally and physically, but YHWH says Fear not! This was a frequent message to YHWH’s servants.
1. Abraham, Gen 15:1
2. Isaac, Gen 26:24
3. Moses, Num 21:34; Deu 3:2; Deu 3:22
4. Joshua, Jos 1:5-9; Jos 8:1; Jos 10:8
5. Gideon, Jdg 6:8-10
6. Solomon, 1Ch 28:20
7. Isaiah, Isa 8:12-15
8. national Israel, Isa 41:10; Isa 41:13-14; Isa 43:1; Isa 43:5; Isa 44:2; Isa 54:4
9. Daniel, Dan 10:12; Dan 10:19
10. Mary, Luk 1:30
11. Simon, Luk 5:16
12. Paul, Act 27:24
13. John, Rev 1:17
Jer 1:9 the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth Jeremiah becomes YHWH’s mouthpiece (cf. Jer 15:19; Deu 18:18). Apparently Jeremiah had a vision of God similar to Isaiah’s (cf. Isa 6:6-7). The vision is not elaborated in Jeremiah’s call as it is in Isaiah’s call (cf. Isaiah 6) or Ezekiel’s call (cf. Ezekiel 1).
This is a very anthropomorphic phrase. God is described in human terms.
SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS A HUMAN (anthropomorphic language)
SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND (ILLUSTRATED FROM EZEKIEL)
Behold I put my words in your mouth It must be remembered that this was not Jeremiah’s message or thoughts, but God’s (cf. Jer 1:2; Deu 18:18).
Jer 1:10 There is a series of six INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTS.
1. to pluck up – Qal, BDB 684, KB 737, cf. Jer 31:28
2. to break down – Qal, BDB 683, KB 736, cf. Jer 31:28
3. to destroy – Hiphil, BDB 1, KB 2, cf. Jer 31:28
4. to overthrow – Qal, BDB 248, KB 256
5. to build – Qal, BDB 124, KB 139, cf. Jer 24:6; Jer 31:4; Jer 31:28; Jer 33:7; Jer 42:10
6. to plant – Qal, BDB 642, KB 694, cf. Jer 24:6; Jer 31:28; Jer 32:41; Jer 42:10
The first four speak of judgment, but the last two of renewal and restoration (cf. Jer 18:7-10; Jer 31:40). It is interesting that Jeremiah repeats this phrasing in Jer 31:28, where he switches to an emphasis on restoration and deliverance. This phrase then becomes a literary marker for the two opposite prophecies Jeremiah is to speak to the nations, because YHWH is the true King of all nations (cf. 1Sa 8:4-9).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Then: i.e. in the thirteenth year of Josiah.
word. Singular, because referring to this special prophecy.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 1:4-7
Jer 1:4-7
“Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child. But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.”
The foreknowledge of God is clearly stated here, revealing that, long before Jeremiah was born, God knew him and selected him as the great prophet who would announce the final judgment upon Judah and condemn all of the wicked nations on earth.
“I know not how to speak, for I am a child …” (Jer 1:6).
This reluctance on Jeremiah’s part is similar to that of Moses when he was called to deliver Israel from Egypt. God overruled his objection, “On the grounds that authority resides not in the person of the messenger, but in the Divine commission!” Jeremiah’s plea that he was only a child was overruled by God who commanded him not to say that. As a matter of fact, scholars place his age at the time given here as being about twenty years of age. “The very same words were applied to Solomon after he was anointed king about the age of 20!
We should not believe that Jeremiah’s timidity and hesitation in the acceptance of so formidable a task were a sign of inability upon his part. They were due to a recognition of the nearly impossible difficulty of the assignment.
The call of Jeremiah is disappointing to those who love the spectacular and melodramatic. The account of how Jeremiah became a prophet of God is marked by stark simplicity. He was not privileged to see the grandeur of the heavenly throne room and hear the majestic praises of celestial beings as was Isaiah. Nor was he granted a vision of the throne-chariot of God with its flashing and intriguing wheels within wheels as was Ezekiel. The call of Jeremiah seems to have occurred on an ordinary day and in an ordinary place.
Jeremiahs call is presented in the form of a dialogue between the Lord and his prospective prophet. First comes the divine summons (Jer 1:4-5) and then, as is Usual in such call narratives, the hesitant human response (Jer 1:6). This in turn is followed by divine assurance to the reluctant prophet (Jer 1:7-10).
The Divine Summons Jer 1:4-5
The change from the third person used in the preface to the first person in verse four is striking and indicates that the following verses are autobiographical. The preface was probably prefixed to the book by Baruch the faithful secretary of Jeremiah. But the account Of the prophetic call was either written by or dictated by the prophet himself. TWO matters are of interest in considering the divine summons: (1) the time and manner of it (Jer 1:4) and (2) the content of it (Jer 1:5).
1. The time and manner of it (Jer 1:4)
Jer 1:4 indicates that, from the human standpoint, the call and appointment of Jeremiah occurred in 627 B.C., then referring back to Jer 1:2, the thirteenth year of Josiah. Looking on the call of Jeremiah from the divine standpoint, Jer 1:5 indicates that his appointment long antedated the birth of the prophet. Scholars differ as to whether or not Jeremiah is here describing a visionary experience. The prophet does not say that he saw the Lord; rather he simply says the word of the Lord came unto me. Did he hear the word of God with his mind or with his ears? The question can never be answered.
It must be emphasized that this was a genuine experience on the part of Jeremiah and not an imaginary one as claimed by some critics. It is God and not Jeremiah who took the initiative in this passage. The tasks to which God calls men are often unpleasant and arduous. Men are not eager to assume the responsibilities. Jeremiah claimed that God had spoken to him and amid the tumult and clamor of four decades he never wavered in that claim. One may open the book at random and find the same theme note repeated time and again with only slight variation: The word of the Lord came unto me; Thus said the Lord to me;[97] The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Jeremiah was called upon again and again to suffer for that claim. No one in his right mind would endure what this man endured unless he knew that God had spoken.
2. The content of it (Jer 1:5)
The divine summons contained two essential elements: (1) an affirmation concerning the past; and (2) an intimation concerning the future.
a) An affirmation concerning the past. In the first part of Jeremiahs call experience the divine purpose for his life was revealed to him. God informs the prophet that before he was born he had been selected for the task to which he is now called. A similar concept appears in one of the grand Servant poems of Isaiah. The Servant, none other than the Messiah himself, declares to the nations: The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he has mentioned my name (Isa 49:1 b). The Psalmist David declared much the same thing when he wrote: My unformed substance your eyes saw; in your book all of them were written, even the days that were ordained when as yet there was none of them (Psa 139:16). Samson was to be a Nazarite from the womb (Jdg 13:5); John the Baptist was to be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mothers womb (Luk 1:15); Paul declared that God had separated him from his mothers womb (Gal 1:15).
At first glance, verse five seems to involve an almost mechanical notion of predestination. But this cannot be what is meant, otherwise the whole dialogue between God and the prophet would have no point. Jeremiah is being told that God has had His eye upon him for a long time-even before he was born-when he was still just a thought in the mind of God. Jeremiahs ordination had taken place in the mind of God before the prophet was born.
The distinction must be drawn between personal predestination and professional predestination. It is the latter that is involved in this passage. The predestination here has nothing to do with eternal salvation. Professional predestination is illustrated by the case of Samson in the Book of Judges. Prior to Samsons birth specific instructions were given as to how this lad should be reared and definite predictions were made as to what this lad would accomplish (Jdg 13:2-5). This was professional predestination. Samson was the right man, at the right time and the right place in the plan of God. So also with Jeremiah, Even before his birth God had been directing affairs in such a way as to make this man uniquely qualified to perform the work to which he was now being called. Note: The concept of professional predestination also appears in literature outside Israel. Assurbanipal in the opening of his annals declares that the gods made him to rule Assyria while he was still in the body of his mother.
Jeremiah needed to know at the outset the identity of the One who was commissioning him. In the four verbs of Jer 1:5-formed, knew, set-apart, appointed-God identified Himself as the rightful sovereign of Jeremiahs life. Each of these verbs is rich in theological overtones. Here in turn are the concepts of creation, election, consecration and installation.
(1) Creation: I formed you. The birth of Jeremiah was no accident. God takes credit for forming him in the belly of his mother, This verb formed is used here as in Gen 2:7 where God formed man from the dust of the earth. Gods creative activity is like that of a potter whose handiwork reveals his design (see Jer 18:1-4). The fact that God formed Jeremiah in the womb of his mother does not mean that his birth was supernatural like that of Jesus. Rather the thought is that God needed a prophet and so providentially planned that one should be born who could fulfill such a ministry. The implication is that God gave the child the character, the temperament, the gifts, and the talents which would qualify him for the office of a prophet.
(2) Election: I knew you. The verb to know involves intellectual knowledge. In the case of Jeremiah this would be foreknowledge. Since the future is always the present to the Omniscient One, God knew the fact that Jeremiah would be born. But the Hebrew word is not limited to mere intellectual knowledge; it embraces also intimate knowledge. This is the word which is used of the most intimate of all human experiences, the relationship between husband and wife. Thus God did not merely know about Jeremiah; He knew-intimately knew-Jeremiah himself. God knew his strong points and his weak: nesses, his abilities, his deficiencies and his potentialities. It was as though God had met him and fellowshiped with him for long years before he was ever born. But the Hebrew verb to know involves still more. It involves selective knowledge. Through Amos the prophet God said to Israel, you only have I known of all the families of the earth (Amo 3:2). The verb to know is part of the terminology of election. When the Lord said I knew you it was virtually equivalent to His having said I selected you. Finally, the verb to know implies commendatory knowledge. In Nah 1:7 God knows those that trust Him. In Psa 1:6 God knows the way of the godly. In both passages the implication is that God knows and approves of the godly ways of the righteous. Thus God knew Jeremiah intellectually, intimately and selectively and approved of his life before he was ever born.
(3)Consecration: I set you apart. God had separated, sanctified or set apart Jeremiah for holy service before he was born. Here is the only use of this term in connection with a prophet in the Old Testament. While the word here primarily involves vocational sanctification, the idea of ethical sanctification is not altogether absent. God alone is holy. When the Old Testament speaks of a man being made holy or sanctified it means that a person is to be exclusively devoted to God for His purposes and in His service. It is interesting that Jesus speaks of Himself as sanctified and sent into the world by the Father (Joh 10:36).
(4) Installation: I have appointed you. The word translated appointed literally means to give, to put or place. Implied in the meaning is an appointment that carries with it the impartation of spiritual gifts which would enable one to perform the tasks for which he was appointed. Did the Lord appoint Jeremiah to his prophetic office prior to his birth or at the very time this statement was made? This is the only verb in Jer 1:5 which is not positively antecedent to the birth of Jeremiah, Nevertheless, in the light of the implications of the preceding three verbs it seems highly likely that the appointment also took place in the mind of God before the prophets birth.
From the time of his call there is planted in the heart of this young man the conviction that a combination of things happened even before his birth that were to be determining factors in his becoming a prophet. The endowments, and all the influences of heredity and education have shaped, molded and prepared his life for his prophetic career. Jeremiah came to realize that everything that he had received or that had happened to him worked together under the hand of God to prepare him for the work to which he was being called. The consciousness that he had been planned of God before his birth must have stirred the sensitive young man from Anathoth to the depths of his being. In the opinion of Freedman, This consciousness must have sustained him and enabled him to triumph over the moods of despondency to which he was subject.” It is useless to speculate as to whether Jeremiah could have refused the call of God. As a matter of fact he did not; and God in his infinite knowledge knew that Jeremiah would not spurn the summons to service. However the principle which is affirmed by Biblical revelation in general may be confidently affirmed viz., prescience on the part of God does not demand compulsion on the part of man.
b) An intimation concerning the future. A great deal is said later in the chapter concerning the future ministry of the prophet. Yet even here in the divine summons there is an intimation of the role that Jeremiah is to play in the divine scheme of things. Jeremiah is called to be a prophet. The Hebrew word translated prophet occurs some three hundred times in the Old Testament. The precise etymology of the word is uncertain. As the term is used in the Old Testament it means one who is qualified, called, and commissioned to speak Gods truth to men.” A prophet was a mouthpiece, a spokesman. He was one who stood in the divine inner council of God and then went forth to speak of what he had seen and heard. A prophet was a man who spoke to men on behalf of God and to God on behalf of men..
By virtue of its position in the Hebrew sentence the phrase a prophet to the nations receives emphasis. Here is something unique about Jeremiah for he is the only prophet to be designated as a prophet to the nations. His ministry was to embrace in a special way nations other than Judah. But since Jeremiah only left his native land on one occasion how can he be said to have performed an international ministry? The verse need not mean that Jeremiah is to go to the nations to proclaim his message. It may only mean that he is to include the nations within the scope of his prophecies. He was to be the exponent of Gods world plan in that age of convulsion and upheaval. It is completely unnecessary, then, to follow those critics who dismiss the phrase prophet to the nations as not being originally part of the text, or who emend the text in any way. Jeremiah was to become a prophet to the nations and this intimation of his future work is a genuine part of his call experience.
Several observations with regard to the title prophet to the nations need to be made:
1. Prophetic concern with foreign nations can be traced back through Isaiah and Amos to Elijah and Elisha and even to Samuel himself. Samuel commissioned Saul to destroy the Amalekite nation (1 Samuel 15). Elijah was commissioned by God to anoint Hazael as king of Damascus (1Ki 19:15) and this task was discharged by his successor Elisha (2Ki 8:7-15). Jonah was sent on a mission to Nineveh to proclaim the doom of that city. Amos and Isaiah uttered numerous oracles against foreign nations. Both of these eighth century prophets developed the theme that mighty Assyria was but a tool in the hands of God. Jeremiah himself described his prophetic predecessors as men who had prophesied against many lands and great kingdoms (Jer 28:8).
2. The issues with which Jeremiah was to deal would of necessity involve the nations of his day. In the late seventh and early sixth centuries before Christ it was no longer possible to treat Judah as though that nation existed in a political vacuum. A judgment upon Judah would involve an international upheaval in which some powers would go down and others be built up. These were the political realities of that day.
3. A large portion of the Book of Jeremiah is devoted to oracles of doom against the nations. These oracles have been collected in chapters 46-51. In Jer 25:15-29 Jeremiah addresses the small states of Syria-Palestine warning them that they must submit to the authority of Nebuchadnezzar or be destroyed.
The Human Response Jer 1:6
In Jer 1:6 the hesitation of Jeremiah is placed over against the decisiveness of God in the previous verses. Those called to special service by God were always humbly hesitant to accept their commission. Jeremiah was no exception. His response to the divine call was both emotional and logical.
1. The emotional response
Staggered by the responsibility of his call Jeremiah, relates that he heaved a deep sigh to God, Ah!. It is the same desperate sigh uttered by Joshua after the disaster at Ai (Jos 7:7) and by king Jehoram when he saw his army fainting for lack of water in the wilderness (2Ki 3:10). Ah! is not an entreaty that God should change the circumstances but is a lament that circumstances are what they are. It is a cry of alarm and pain. It is hesitation, not rebellion. Jeremiah was fond of the word and used it in three other passages (Jer 4:10; Jer 14:13; Jer 32:17). The weeping prophet was acquainted with the vocabulary of lamentation.
2. The logical response
Jeremiahs response to the divine summons is not purely on the emotional level. In the latter part of Jer 1:6 he disclaims any adequate preparedness for the task to which God is calling him. To Jeremiah the call seemed impractical for two reasons: (1) his age, and (2) his lack of natural gifts.
a) His age. In the Hebrew word order the emphasis is on the youth of the prophet. The Hebrew word translated youth or child has a wide range of usage in the Old Testament. It is used of an infant (e.g., Exo 2:6), a small boy (e.g., Gen 21:12) or a young man of marriageable age (e.g., Gen 34:19). The same word is used of Joshua at age forty-five (Exo 33:11) and of Solomon when he succeeded his father as king (1Ki 3:7). The Jewish Rabbis defined the word as referring to a youth of his fourteenth year. Estimates on the age of Jeremiah at the time of his call range from 17 to 25. Jeremiah is not rejecting the heavenly call in this verse but is, in effect, pleading for delay. It is as if he had said, May I not wait till I can speak with the wisdom and authority that comes with years? He was not saying I will not, but I cannot; not now at any rate.
Jeremiah may have mentioned his youth because he had not yet reached the age when he, as a priest, would be permitted to serve the Lord. During the wilderness wandering the years of service for the Levites were fixed from the twenty-fifth to the fiftieth year (Num 8:23-25). Later this age restriction was changed by David from twenty to fifty (1Ch 23:24-32). One family of Levites, the Kohathites, could only serve from ages 30 to 50 (Num 4:3; Num 4:23; Num 4:30-35; Num 4:47). Could it be that Jeremiah was still a youth in the sense that he had not yet reached the age of priestly service? Still this was not a legitimate excuse as far as the prophetic ministry was concerned. The office of prophet was not limited to any definite number of years. God called men when He pleased and retained them as long as He desired.
b) The lack of natural abilities. Because of his youth Jeremiah felt a keen sense of inadequacy. Literally he says, I do not know to speak (i.e., I do not know how to speak). The word know in Hebrew frequently means to be skilled or experienced in doing anything. Like Moses he felt he did not have the powers of oratory which would win the attention of vast throngs. He did not have the persuasive abilities necessary to sway the conduct of hostile multitudes. A youth in antiquity was expected to be seen and not heard. Who would listen to him if he presumed to preach the word of God?
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the word: Jer 1:2, Eze 1:3, Eze 3:16
Reciprocal: Jer 16:1 – The word Jer 17:16 – I have Hos 1:1 – word
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 1:4. Having given the important dates of the book of the prophet, this verse comes to some of the particulars regarding his call to the work of a writing prophet. Not all of the prophets in the Bible were writing prophets but many of them did their work orally only, while others both wrote and spoke in the name of the Lord, hence the distinction writing prophet just stated. In the beginning of this verse the pronoun me is used which, when connected with the statement in the first verse, shows definitely that Jeremiah is the author of the book. It is significant that Jeremiah began to write after the word of the Lord came to him which settles the question of his inspiration. It also agrees with the statement made in General remarks where the endorsement of the New Testament is cited.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 1:4-5. Then the word of the Lord came unto me With a satisfying assurance to himself, that it was the word of the Lord, and not a delusion. Before I formed thee in the belly That is, the womb. Having spoken before on the time of his call, he now speaks of the manner of it. I knew thee That is, I had thee in my view, or approved thee as a fit minister for this work, in the same sense as it is said, Act 15:18, Known unto God are all his works from the foundation of the world; he contemplated the plan of them, and approved it in his mind, before he created and brought them into being. I sanctified thee I set thee apart in my counsel for executing the office of a prophet. We have examples of a similar designation with that mentioned here, in John the Baptist and St. Paul, as the reader will see if he consult the texts referred to in the margin. And ordained thee a prophet unto the nations He speaks thus to Jeremiah, not to the other prophets, because he stood in need of greater encouragement than they, both in respect to the tenderness of his years, and the difficulties which he was to encounter. And ordained thee a prophet to the nations To other nations besides the Jews.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 1:4-10. The Prophets Call.The account of this should be compared with similar accounts of the calls of other prophets (see Isaiah 6, Eze 1:1 to Eze 3:3, Amo 7:12 ff.) and the characteristic differences should be noted. Probably all such experiences, whilst ultimately due to moral and religious conviction, involved abnormal psychical elements; e.g. Jeremiah believed that he heard an external voice, and felt an outward touch. On the general nature of the prophetic consciousness, see H. W. Robinson, Religious Ideas of the OT, pp. 113ff, and the article on Old Testament Prophecy in the present work. Jeremiah is told that Yahweh predestined him for a particular life-work before he existed; he was a thought of God (Duhm) before the Divine hands shaped his limbs, according to this pattern, in the mystery of the embryo (Psa 139:13; Psa 139:15 f.; Job 10 f.; cf. Isa 49:1), and he was consecrated to the Divine purpose before he appeared in the world. This purpose is the utterance of Yahwehs message to the nations of the world. Jeremiah shrinks from such a task on the ground of his youthfulness (i.e. he cannot claim from others the respect due to age and experience; cf. Job 32:6). Yahweh, however, bids him think of the Divine authority and strength supporting him; let him but obey, and God is with him. Then the Divine touch appropriates his mouth as the instrument of Yahwehs address to men; Jeremiah is to be an overseer of nations, and, according to his prophetic word (because it is really Yahwehs), they will rise and fall.
Jer 1:5. sanctified means set apart as Gods property; there is no moral reference here.unto the nations: Judah was a politically insignificant people, but its fortunes were to be decided in the great drama of general history, over which Yahweh was supreme. A prophet for Judahs needs was necessarily in such days a prophet unto the nations.
Jer 1:6. Child: the Hebrew word should here be rendered young man as in Gen 14:24.
Jer 1:9. The act is not merely symbolic; according to Hebrew ideas of physiology and psychology it would actually affect the organ of speech. This Divine appropriation of Jeremiahs mouth is, however, different from the cleansing of Isaiahs lips by the burning coal (Isa 6:7*), though the narrative of the latter may have had a psychological influence on the experience of Jeremiah.
Jer 1:10. set thee: lit. made thee overseer.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
B. The call of Jeremiah 1:4-19
This account of Jeremiah’s call prepares the reader for the prophet’s ministry that unfolds beginning in chapter 2. The events recorded here prepared Jeremiah for that ministry, a ministry that frequently discouraged him and made him wish that God had never called him.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
1. The promise of divine enablement 1:4-10
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The prophet now began speaking to his readers and telling them what the Lord had said to him. Throughout this book, an indication that the Lord had told Jeremiah something is often the sign of a new pericope, as here (cf. Jer 1:11; Jer 1:13; Jer 2:1; Jer 2:4; Jer 3:6; Jer 3:11; Jer 4:3; Jer 4:27; et al.). These references are not the only indicators of a new section of text, but they usually indicate the beginning or ending of a section when they appear.