Call of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:1-19

  • 1:1 “in Anathoth” - a priestly town in Benjamin 3 miles from Jerusalem set apart as in Joshua 21:18.
  • 1:2 “days of Josiah” - Josiah was a godly king, destroying the high places where he found them. 2 Chronicles 34
    Nebuchadnezzar found no idols to take captive back to Babylon thanks to Josiah, and took temple silver and gold items instead. However, this created a black market for demon worship, and archaeologists have found hidden high places from this time. We saw this when the Spirit took Ezekiel on a fly-in-the-wall tour of underground chambers in the temple where priests and elders practiced their Satanic worship.
  • 1:3 altogether, Jeremiah’s ministry covers over 40 years.

God calls Jeremiah and bestows the gift of prophecy

  • 1:5 “before you were born” - Jeremiah is explicity predestined to this ministry.
  • 1:6 “I am a youth” - like Moses before, and indeed Josiah, the objection is true, but irrelevant.
  • 1:7 “do not say, I am a youth” - David was called as a youth. So was Timothy. 1 Timothy 4:12 “you shall go” - says the Lord, and that is the end of it.
  • 1:8 “do not be afraid of them” - not only was he a youth, but despite godly king Josiah, the followers of Baal were tolerant of anything but the truth.
  • 1:9 “reached out His hand” - a figurative hand, or an actual Theophany? “put My words in your mouth” - Jeremiah has received the gift, but must learn to use it.
  • 1:10 “to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant” - Jeremiah will over and over pronounce awful destruction and judgement, but followed by promises of future mercies.

God Himself provides first lesson

Many prophets of God were trained. Samuel received his first lesson from Eli. Elisha became an apprentice of Elijah and oversaw a community of prophets. But Jeremiah is taught by the Lord himself! In the last days, all the sons of Israel will taught by the Lord. Isaiah 54:13 And Jesus applies that promise to His disciples. John 6:45

  • 1:11-12 Our God is a punny God. Think of “read” vs “read” or “lead” vs “lead” in English. In Hebrew, שקד means “almond tree”, and שקד “watch over” (be wakeful over). “I am ready to perform My word” - as prophesied by Huldah.

  • 1:13 “boiling pot” - a vivid image of the churching conflict between the armies of Assyria and the rebel coalition organized by Nabopolasser of Chaldea. Josiah will see the battle of Carchemish, where the remnant of the Assyrian forces are defeated after the fall of Ninevah.

An unpopular message

  • 1:17 “or I will terrify you” - Jeremiah must endure condemnation by his countrymen for disinformation, or face the wrath of God instead.
  • 1:19 “they will fight against you” - in the events that follow, Jeremiah is repeatedly cancelled and punished for not affirming the narrative of the main stream prophets. Even under Josiah, his life is threatened.