The Lord said to me, “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” I answered, “Oh, Lord God, I really do not know how to speak well enough for that, for I am too young.” The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you, for I will be with you to protect you,” says the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me. Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.” [Jeremiah 1:4-10 NET]
So God called Jeremiah to serve him and this call came with divine authority. He was called to be a prophet to the nations. His message would be directed particularly at the small nation of Judah but it was also a message to the surrounding nations.
Jeremiah was overwhelmed by this message from God. He did not consider himself up to this great task. He saw two impediments to his service. First, he was not a gifted speaker. Secondly, he was too young. His words were, "I am merely a youth." The Hebrew word does not give us a precise indication of his age at this time but it would suggest that he is still dependent on his parents to some extent. It can be used of a boy or girl from infancy to adolescence. So maybe God called Jeremiah before he had left his home and taken his own course in life. Notice that God did not accept Jeremiah's excuses. God did not change his mind and call someone else who was a better speaker or a bit more mature. I have often heard it quoted, "God does not call the equipped, but he equips the called." The important element is to be certain that we are called by God. If we have heard God calling us to service, He will give us the gifts we need in order to serve him. There are two dangers for Christians with regard to this subject of being called by God. Firstly, we need to be sure that God has called us and that it is not our egos which are the driving force in us wanting to serve God. Sadly, some believers have thought that God had called them but it was really their own voice they were hearing. They liked the status associated with service and they were not really called by God to serve Him. This is the danger of the inflated ego. Secondly, there is a danger that we ignore the call of God and make up any excuse to avoid obeying God's call. This is the danger of false humility or reticence. It would appear, however, that God saw that Jeremiah was genuinely hesitant and it was not an unwillingness to serve. Jeremiah was convinced that he did not have the right qualities to be a prophet. And so God spoke gently to him to assure him that he would be given the words to say and that he would speak with God-given authority. Compare Exodus 4: 14 when God becomes angry with Moses because he has made so many excuses for not serving Him. God discerns that Jeremiah's concerns are legitimate - he is not a good speaker and he is merely a youth.
Jeremiah was already a priest - he had been born into a priestly family. His father was a priest by the name of Hilkiah [See Jeremiah 1:1]. But Jeremiah did not become a prophet because of his family connections. He had to respond to the divine call. I am not saying that God will never choose the son of a prophet (or a Bible teacher or an evangelist or whatever) but we should be careful that we do not artificially create dynasties in God's service. Because a person's father was a Bible teacher, that does not qualify a person to be a Bible teacher.
God gives Jeremiah an awesome responsibility in chapter 1 of his prophecy but the point is that he is God's messenger speaking with God's authority.
Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” [Jeremiah 1: 9-10]
God literally touched Jeremiah's mouth to convey to him the all-important message that from then on he would speak God's message. This is a huge responsibility on anyone who takes on the role of a pastor, evangelist or Bible teacher. S/he must only speak what God wants them to say. There is always the temptation to embellish the message of God and add something from ourselves to fulfill the need to promote ourselves. What did it mean when God told this young man that he was appointed over nations and that he would either be destructive - uproot and tear down, destroy or overthrow? God was not asking him to be a general in the army. But it signifies that God's prophecies through Jeremiah would in fact happen. So when Jeremiah prophesied judgement against the surrounding nations as well as his own people, (Judah) that judgement was certain and inevitable. So in chapter 46 there is a prophecy against Egypt, for example and this prophecy of judgement and defeat at the hands of the Babylonians would come to pass. (see Jeremiah 46:25-26) But the prophecy of Jeremiah was not all doom and gloom. There were prophecies of restoration and hope (read Jeremiah 33:6-9). That is what God is meaning when he speaks of 'to build up and to plant.'
God gives Jeremiah assurance of his presence with him and the implication of the divine presence.
Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18Today I have made you 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. 19They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:17-18 NIV]
God recognises the trepidation and anxiety on the part of this prophet. So he tells his not to be terrified by them (kings, officials, priests and people). He instructs Jeremiah to say whatever God commands him to say - even if it is unpopular and provokes a reaction on the hearers. God uses a series of images to convey to Jeremiah the assurance of the divine presence and the security that brings - a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall. These are three images of stability and permanence. A fortified city could withstand an armed and sustained attack by the enemy. An iron pillar and a bronze wall were the most stable man-made structures of the day. God is saying to Jeremiah - you are impregnable and invincible because you have my presence and my power.
This is a great assurance to us today if we are engaged in conveying God's message. As long as we are speaking God's words, we do not need to fear a negative reaction from our audience. They may react violently to the message we proclaim, but they will not destroy us because we are messengers from the Lord of Hosts, the God Almighty. Here are words of assurance to us this morning (or whenever you are reading this blog) - "I am with you." Even if we suffer persecution, as Jeremiah undoubtedly did, we can hear the assuring words from God - "I will rescue you."
Even though Jeremiah would undoubtedly have a difficult time in his service for God and he would encounter intense opposition he had this assurance from Yahweh.
They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. [Jeremiah 1:19 NIV]
[Picture by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash]
I like the reassuring tone that God uses when he speaks to Jeremiah and says ... "I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me". We should all draw comfort and assurance, that when God challanges us to do something on his behalf that He will indeed equip and support us in doing it.
You may be right about his youth, younger than I thought in his 20s and in fact his teens. Although his family were priests I do not think Jer was. In his whole book he makes little mention of temple and sacrificial system, unlike Ezekiel and Zechariah, the other 2 OT priests. It is more likely his calling to be a prophet meant he did not take up this call.
Sorry the blog is a bit long this morning. Hope it is worth the time and effort!