GOD CALLS JEREMIAH

Passage: Jeremiah 1:1-19

Key verse: 5

NIV

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth(A) in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came(B) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah(C) son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah(E) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.(F)

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb(G) I knew[a](H) you,
    before you were born(I) I set you apart;(J)
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.(K)”

6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak;(L) I am too young.”(M)

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid(N) of them, for I am with you(O) and will rescue(P) you,” declares the Lord.(Q)

9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched(R) my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.(S) 10 See, today I appoint you over nations(T) and kingdoms to uproot(U) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”(V)

11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”(W)

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching[b](X) to see that my word is fulfilled.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”(Y)

“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”

14 The Lord said to me, “From the north(Z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
    in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
    and against all the towns of Judah.(AA)
16 I will pronounce my judgments(AB) on my people
    because of their wickedness(AC) in forsaking me,(AD)
in burning incense to other gods(AE)
    and in worshiping(AF) what their hands have made.(AG)

17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say(AH) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified(AI) by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you(AJ) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome(AK) you, for I am with you(AL) and will rescue(AM) you,” declares the Lord.

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Footnotes
  1. Jeremiah 1:5 Or chose
  2. Jeremiah 1:12 The Hebrew for watching sounds like the Hebrew for almond tree.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one (A)of the priests who were in (B)Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of (C)Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in (D)the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of (E)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and (F)until the end of the eleventh year of (G)Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, (H)until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

The Call of Jeremiah

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 (I)“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born (J)I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet (K)to the nations.”

6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, (L)I do not know how to speak, (M)for I am only a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and (N)whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 (O)Do not be afraid of them,
(P)for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”

9 (Q)Then the Lord put out his hand and (R)touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put (S)my words in your mouth.
10 See, I have set you this day (T)over nations and over kingdoms,
(U)to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (V)“Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond[a] branch.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

13 The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see (W)a boiling pot, facing away (X)from the north.” 14 Then the Lord said to me, (Y)“Out of the north disaster[b] shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, (Z)I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, (AA)and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And (AB)I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil (AC)in forsaking me. (AD)They have made offerings to other gods and (AE)worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, (AF)dress yourself for work;[c] arise, and (AG)say to them everything that I command you. (AH)Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day (AI)a fortified city, (AJ)an iron pillar, and (AK)bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 (AL)They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for (AM)I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

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Footnotes
  1. Jeremiah 1:11 Almond sounds like the Hebrew for watching (compare verse 12)
  2. Jeremiah 1:14 The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context; so throughout Jeremiah
  3. Jeremiah 1:17 Hebrew gird up your loins
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH

Jeremiah served Jerusalem and Judah as a prophet for 4

years before, during, and after the fall of the nation. His message was directed mainly toward the people of Judah, the remaining southern kingdom, after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Jeremiah was born into a family of priests and called to deliver the words of God to his people at a young age. He was a contemporary of Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Daniel, and Ezekiel. His prophetic ministry consisted of three phases: (1) pre-exile while Judah was under the threat of Assyria and Egypt, (2) Babylonian threat, siege, and destruction of Jerusalem, (3) staying in Jerusalem with survivors and then exile to Egypt. The book of Jeremiah consists of his prophecies on the judgment of Judah, the judgment of the Gentiles, and supplemental narratives of history not written by Jeremiah at the end.

Facing the judgment of God, Jeremiah encouraged his people to repent and remain faithful. His message was unpopular in his time, and he was hated and persecuted throughout his ministry. However, he delivered the message of the LORD with courage and boldness. He is known as the ‘weeping prophet’ not because he cried for his own pain but because he deeply cared about the people of Judah and shared the shepherd’s heart of God. He deeply understood the weight of his prophecy and wept for the people and God. Even though his desperate appeal to his people was rejected and ignored, he continued guiding the people with the truth.

Jeremiah was born in a Levite family of priests. While he was still young (6), God called him to deliver his words to his people. The young man was reluctant to receive the calling. He felt inadequate.

However, God knew him before his birth, and he would guide him to say the right words. The message he was to bring to God’s people was of punishment and destruction, yet with the hope of a future in the Lord. It was a difficult task for Jeremiah since the people had been proud and stubborn in disobeying God’s will for generations. Nevertheless, God assures him not to be terrified. As God made him like a fortified city, no man will overcome him with their strength, for God will stand with him and rescue him from any men’s fight (19).

Are you reluctant to answer God’s calling? Do you feel weak in this world which seems too strong and stubborn? Knowing all your weaknesses, our God is calling you to participate in his work. Accept his calling and receive his vision. He will guide you where to go and what to do.

Prayer: Father, I am weak and sinful. Yet I find comfort in realizing that you know me. You know how I can be useful to you as you have formed me. Help me to have the courage to accept your calling and let you guide my life for your glory.

One Word: The Lord’s calling