Jeremiah's Divine Call and Commission

Let's look at Jeremiah chapter 1. We'll read through it and get a summary of the call to repentance.

Jeremiah 1:1: "The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign." The number 13 means rebellion in biblical numerology, not for King Josiah, but for the people. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. The number 11 means disorganization. These are not good numbers biblically. Thirteen means rebellion. Ishmael was 13 when circumcised and rebellious. Eleven means disorganization. Even through the numbers, you can see Judah's state.

Jeremiah 1:4-10: "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Jeremiah. Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.' Then I said, 'Oh, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.' But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say, "I am a youth," for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,' says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, 'Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out, to pull down, to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant.'"

A quick note: Look at what he did. He was anointed by God, like Isaiah when the coal touched his lips in Isaiah 6. Jeremiah had the same thing. The Lord put forth His hand and touched his mouth, saying, "Behold, Jeremiah, I have put My words in your mouth." Every word we read in Jeremiah comes from God. When he talks this hardcore language, know that it's one of His attributes. When He's had enough, this kind of language comes out of the Most High because Jeremiah was speaking for the Lord, "Thus says the Lord." Everything out of Jeremiah's mouth, except his plea to God during bad situations, was from God. When he told the people they were acting like harlots, that's what God told him to say. When they were whoring after Egypt's weapons, that's what he told them to say. We must not be offended by this. We must get our hearts circumcised to understand that God is serious about the land, His people, Jew and Gentile, and wants them to observe, especially when in the promised land.

Jeremiah 1:11-19: "Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I said, 'I see a branch of an almond tree.' Then the Lord said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.' Then the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, 'What do you see?' And I said, 'I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.' Then the Lord said to me, 'Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,' says the Lord. 'They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah. I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me; they have burned incense to other gods and worshiped the work of their own hands. Therefore, prepare yourself; arise and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall against the entire land—against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you,' says the Lord, 'to deliver you.'"

That is very powerful. Jeremiah chapter 1. We are all familiar with it because of what it says about the womb. He was known before the womb. But look at what he says. Jeremiah was a young man, not 50 years old, maybe 18-20. What he said was very hardcore. "Speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, or I will dismay you before them." Think about that. Everyone wants to be a prophet, right? Read what Jeremiah had to do. "For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, a bronze wall against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, not for them, against them, against his princes, against them, against his priests, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you, Jeremiah, but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you to deliver you." We will find that deliverance in chapter 39, which is beautiful.

Jeremiah begins during the 13th year of King Josiah's reign, meaning rebellion, not for King Josiah, but for the people. His calling came while Judah still had an opportunity to repent before Nebuchadnezzar became God's instrument of judgment. The nation outwardly still possessed the temple, priesthood, sacrifices, and the Davidic throne, yet inwardly was out of alignment with the God of Israel.

Jeremiah's Divine Calling: Perhaps the most famous verses are, "Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you." God reveals four actions: I knew you, I sanctified you, I ordained you, and I sent you. Paul says something similar in Romans 8 about being predestined, called, chosen, etc. This teaches that Jeremiah's ministry was established before his birth by Yahweh alone.

Jeremiah's Objection: Jeremiah answers, "Oh Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child." Like Moses, Gideon, and others, Jeremiah felt inadequate for God's anointing and calling. God never argues with Jeremiah's weakness; instead, He promises His own presence: "Be not afraid, for I am with you to deliver you." God touches Jeremiah's mouth, paralleling Moses, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. The prophet does not merely speak about God; Yahweh puts His own words into Jeremiah's mouth. This becomes a defining theme throughout the book.

The Six-Fold Commission: Jeremiah 1:10 summarizes the entire prophecy with six verbs: to root out, to pull down, to destroy, to throw down, to build, and to plant. The first four involve judgment; the last two involve restoration. This reflects the pattern of the book of Jeremiah.

The Vision of the Almond Rod: The Hebrew word for almond is "shaqed," which sounds like the word meaning "watching." God is saying, "I am watching over My word to perform it." The almond tree blossoms first each year, so it's amazing Jeremiah saw it first. God's word is the first thing moving history toward its prophetic fulfillment.

The Vision of the Boiling Pot: The boiling pot tilts from the north. Judgment is coming. Although Babylon was geographically east of Judah, invading armies approached from the north through the Fertile Crescent. This vision introduces the Babylonian Empire before it's explicitly named later in the book.

If you are familiar with the Middle East, this is the biblical world of Genesis 10, from Turkey to Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Arabia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan. Babylon, modern-day Iraq, was about 45 miles south of Baghdad. Babylon was to the east of Israel. But they would come through the Euphrates. Remember Revelation, the Euphrates is dried up. So all these people—Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria—will get together and go along the river, then down through Syria, from the north. It always comes down from the north. That's what will happen at the end of the age. Read Daniel 8; the little horn comes down from the north to Jerusalem. That's why he's called the king of the north. We must put this together prophetically, not just historically. Babylon was to the east, but invading armies approach from the north through the Fertile Crescent and the Euphrates River.

Jeremiah's Encouragement: God promises Jeremiah opposition from kings, princes, priests, and the people. Yet God also promises, "They shall fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you." This promise sustained Jeremiah through decades of rejection and persecution.

Key Verses from Jeremiah 1:

* God's foreknowledge and calling: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."

* "Be not afraid, for I am with you."

* "I have put My words in your mouth."

* Jeremiah 1:10: The six-fold commission.

* Jeremiah 1:12: "I will hasten My word to perform it."

* "Prevail against Jeremiah." You will see this in Jeremiah chapter 39.

Major Takeaways from Jeremiah 1:

* God prepares His servants before they know Him.

* Divine calling is greater than human ability.

* God's word (Torah), not Jeremiah's personality, is the source of prophetic authority.

* Judgment is never God's final purpose; restoration follows repentance.

* God's promises sustain His servants even when nearly everyone opposes the prophets.