Jeremiah
Chapter 1

1. The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. It is not for nothing that the start of Jeremiah’s work as a prophet in God’s church is stated. It began when the people were in a very corrupt state, with all their religion vitiated, because the book of the law had been lost. Nowhere else can we find the correct way to worship God. At this time, when impiety had long been the prevailing custom among the Jews, Jeremiah suddenly appeared.

The heaviest of burdens was placed on Jeremiah’s shoulders. Most people were trampling underfoot the pure doctrine of the law, and he was trying to bring them back to it; but many people opposed him.

Son of Hilkiah. Jeremiah does not say that Hilkiah was the high priest. On the contrary, he adds, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. We know that Anathoth was an insignificant village, not far from Jerusalem. And Jeremiah says that it was in the territory of Benjamin. Its closeness to Jerusalem may be gathered from the words of Isaiah who says that poor Anathoth was terrified (see Isaiah 10:30ff.).

Jeremiah also says that Hilkiah was one of the priests. Hence Jeremiah was more suited to the prophetic office than many of the other prophets, such as Amos and Isaiah. God took Isaiah from the court (he was a member of the royal family) and made him a prophet. Amos had a different background: he was a shepherd.

2. The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah. Jeremiah explains in this second verse that he brought nothing to the people that he had not received from God; he faithfully declared what God had commanded him. The word of the Lord was given to him.

3. And through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile. In my introduction I have shown why Jeremiah says that he had been chosen as a prophet in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign and that he continued until the eleventh year of Zedekiah.

4. The word of the LORD came to me, saying . . . Jeremiah introduces God as the speaker in order to lend more weight to what he says.

5. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” God declares that he knew Jeremiah before he formed him in the womb. This is not said especially of the prophet, as if other people are unknown to God; it refers to the prophetic office. It is like saying, “Before I formed you in the womb, I destined you for this work, so that you may undertake the burden of being a teacher among these people. I formed you in the womb and at the same time appointed you for a special work. And it was not your power that qualified you for this office, for I created not only a man, but a prophet.”

It may seem strange that Jeremiah should be called a prophet to the nations. God designated him to be the minister of his church. He did not go to the Ninevites, as Jonah did (see Jonah 3:3), nor did he travel into other countries but spent all his time working among the tribe of Judah. So why was he called a prophet to the nations? The answer is that although God appointed him especially for his church, his teaching belonged to other nations as well.

6-7. “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” Here God not only predicts what the prophet was going to do but also declares what he appointed him to do, as if he had said, “It is your duty to obey because I have the right to command. You must, therefore, go wherever I send you, and you must proclaim whatever I tell you.” Through these words God reminds Jeremiah that he was his servant and that there was no reason why a sense of his own weakness should make him afraid. It should have been enough for him to simply obey God’s command.

It is very important that we know this teaching, for we should not do anything without thinking in whose strength we will accomplish the task. So when God asks us to do anything, we should immediately obey his Word, as it were, with closed eyes. When God calls we should not say, “I am only a child.” It is as if God has said, “Although you think you have no talents at all and are fully conscious of your weakness, you should still go wherever I send you.” God requires people to obey his commands, even if they think they lack the necessary qualifications.

8. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. From this verse we learn that Jeremiah was greatly upset when he saw the hard conflicts that faced him. He saw that he had to deal with a people who had almost completely wandered away from God’s law. They had shaken off this yoke for many years, and now it was difficult to bring them back into the paths of obedience. It seems that Jeremiah was so overcome by the difficulty of the work that he did not want to undertake the office of prophet. But God provided a suitable remedy for his fear. What does he say? “Do not be afraid of them.” God, who penetrates into the hearts of people and knows their hidden feelings and motives, heals Jeremiah’s timidity by saying, “Do not be afraid of them.”

The reason God gives for saying that Jeremiah should be bold should also be noted: “For I am with you and will rescue you.” God reminds the prophet through these words that his divine power would be enough to protect him, so that he did not need to dread the anger of his own nation. It was at first a formidable undertaking when Jeremiah saw that he had to fight not against a few people, but against all of the people. But God sets himself against everybody and says, “Do not be afraid of them.”

9-10. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, 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 speaks again about his calling. He does not want his teaching to be despised, as if it came from a private individual. Therefore he witnesses again that he does not come on his own accord but was sent from above and was invested with the authority of a prophet. This is why he says that God put his words in his mouth.

This passage should be carefully noted, for Jeremiah describes how a true call can be ascertained when one undertakes the office of a teacher in the church. It is discovered in this way: Nothing of one’s own is brought (see 1 Peter 4:11).

A visible symbol was added in order to confirm Jeremiah’s call. But there is no reason to make this a general rule, as if it were necessary that the tongues of all teachers should be touched by God’s hand. There are two things to note here. First, there is the thing itself. All of God’s servants are told they should not bring their own ideas but simply deliver, as from one hand to the next hand, what they have received from God. Second, there was something special for Jeremiah: God, by stretching out his hand, touched his mouth. This was to show in a visible way that his mouth was consecrated to God.

“See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms.” God shows that he wants his Word to be received reverently, even when it is conveyed by frail mortals. We should note the authority that God ascribes to his own Word. God here sets his prophet above the whole world, even above kings. So whoever claims this power must bring forth God’s Word and really prove that he is a prophet.

“To uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Here Jeremiah puts ruin and destruction before building and planting. This seems to be inconsistent, but we must always bear in mind the condition of this people. Impiety, perverseness, and hardened sin had prevailed for so long that it was necessary to begin with ruin and eradication. Jeremiah could not have planted or have built God’s temple unless he first destroyed, pulled down, and laid waste.

God says that he gave authority to his servant, not just over Judea, but over the whole world. It was like saying, “You are but a small part of mankind. So do not lift up your horns against my servant, for you will not be able to do this. He will exercise power not only over Judea but also over all nations, and even over kings, for the teaching I have deposited with him is so powerful that it will stand above all mortals and over much more than a single nation.”

11-12. The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I...