Deeper Commentary
Jeremiah 1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin- Anathoth was a village near Jerusalem. It was a priestly city (Josh. 21:18) on the great north road through which invaders would have approached Jerusalem (Is. 10:30). "The words of Jeremiah" contrasts with him using the first person in :4, so this introduction may have been added under Divine inspiration by an editor of the prophecy, perhaps Ezra. Hilkiah may refer to Hilkiah the High Priest, who was contemporary with Josiah. Jeremiah as son of the High Priest would therefore have known the priesthood well- and it was they who would conspire to kill him and make his life a misery. They would've been men he had grown up with in the Jerusalem area. Anathoth is the plural of Anath, the goddess sister of Baal. This was the "Queen of Heaven" Jeremiah had to condemn (Jer. 7:18; 44:17-19,25). Settlements were often named after the god they worshipped, and Jeremiah was from a village that did this; and it was a priestly village! But he was later to denounce this: "For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah" (Jer. 2:28). So immediately we see the situation, as discussed on :17; the priesthood were worshipping idols. And Jeremiah was born into that situation, to condemn it and vainly seek to reform it. No wonder his family (Jer. 12:6) and the men of Anathoth would seek to kill him (Jer. 11:21).
Jeremiah is clearly not chronological. Chapter 1 starts with
Jeremiah's call in around 627 BC, the 13th year of Josiah. What happened
in Jer. 21:1-10 was in 588-586 B.C.; Jer 22:24-23:8 is spoken to
Jehoiachin, who reigned from 598 to 597 B.C.; Jer. 24 is set in 597 B.C.
But then Jeremiah 25 reverts to events in 605 B.C. I suggest we look at
the book as an anthology of Jeremiah's prophesies. Hence :1 begins
literally: "Sayings of Jeremiah". It was probably edited and released,
under Divine inspiration, for the exiles in Babylon; to help them see why
they were there, and the hope they had for restoration.
Jeremiah 1:2 To whom the word of Yahweh came in the days of Josiah son of
Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign- Mentioned in
Jer. 25:3 as the start of his 23 year ministry.
This was one year after Josiah began reforming
(2 Chron. 34:3).
Jeremiah 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of
Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of
Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month-
The implication is that God ceased to speak through Jeremiah once Judah
were taken captive. His silence was part of their punishment; although we
note that Ezekiel continued prophesying to the exiles after this point.
As discussed on Lam. 1:1, this makes the book of Lamentations
inspired, but not Divine revelation. Which explains why God never speaks
in it, and much of what Jeremiah says is in rebellion against his own
earlier prophecies. Thus the prayer of Lamentations 5 with which he
concludes is met with stone silence from God.
Jeremiah 1:4 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying- Perhaps in a
vision, which is how "the word of Yahweh came..." in Gen. 15:1 (s.w.).
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you-
"Formed" translates the same word Jeremiah will later use of how God as the potter or former has formed Israel in order to do His work (Jer. 18:2-6,11; 19:1,11; 33:2). The connection shows that all God's people are likewise formed as vessels for use and then called to actually be used; Jeremiah was no special case. On one hand, Protestantism speaks, rightly, of the priesthood of all believers. But then draws a difference between the rank and file, and those called to ministry. The New Testament clearly teaches that all believers are called to ministry, each are given talents to trade, every baptized believer is an active, functioning part in the Lord's body. So the 'forming' is not simply a reference to literal creation, but of being formed in order to fulfil a specific purpose. This involves the formation of our unique personality even before birth; the spirit of man is "formed" within us (Zech. 12:1 s.w.). Our genetic history and formation was likewise in order to be and do specific things intended in God's plan (Eph. 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God beforehand prepared that we should walk in them"). Man is never better than when living up to these expectations. This is often misread as meaning that God had a relationship with Jeremiah whilst he was a fetus. But the text says He knew him before that. Paul interprets it in Gal. 1:14,15 as meaning known before creation.
Before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations- "Sanctification" is not therefore merely forgiveness, but a calling to action. The idea of forgiveness and moral cleansing is indeed in view, but that is not to be received in a vacuum. We are sanctified so that we might be separated unto active service in response to it, with an appropriate humility. Paul clearly alludes to Jeremiah's experience (Gal. 1:15,16), and the NT applies these ideas to us all. Paul interprets being a prophet to the nations as preaching to them. This is how we who are not inspired as the prophets were can still continue their ministry.
At times, the prophets are paralleled with Israel- Jeremiah was
a “prophet to the nations”, and yet this was Israel’s role (Is. 49:2).
Both the prophets and Israel are described as “the servant of the Lord”.
But God and Israel were in the process of divorce, as they knew. The
prophets were both on God’s side, and Israel’s. They were torn men. Just
as God Himself was. He appeared “like a man confused” (Jer. 14:9).
Jeremiah 1:6 Then I said, Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I don’t know how to
speak; for I am a child-
All the call narratives feature resistance and a sense of inadequacy or
unworthiness. There is
a Divine encounter,
a word from God,
the commission,
resistance / objection
and finally reassurance, often in the form of an "I am..." statement. In Jeremiah's case, "I am with you" (:8).
Gideon felt too insignificant and not spiritually developed enough. Isaiah was aware of his unclean lips and they were cleansed (Is. 6). Ezekiel too was told not to fear the people. We note the clear similarities with Moses' initial refusal of God's call, complaining that his stutter or cleft lip left him unable to "speak" (Ex. 3:10-4:12). The similarities are so strong that we wonder why Jeremiah didn't think through the context a bit... Moses had felt likewise (Ex. 3:10, “Who am I?”), but was all the same used by God. Whilst the word "called" isn't specifically used here, we clearly have a call narrative here. To what extent can we feel called? The New Testament is clear that we are "called"- but to what? I suggest we each have good works which were foreordained for us to do, from the foundation of the world. And that surely is behind the 'calling' we so often read of: "called to be his holy people" (1 Cor. 1:2); "the one who was free when called is Christ's slave" (1 Cor. 7:22- a calling to be a slave is a calling to work and do specific, defined duties). We are the servants who were "called" (s.w.), given money and told "occupy till I come" (Lk. 19:13). Clearly the calling is understood as a specific moment: "you were called to one hope when you were called" (Eph. 4:4); "each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them" (1 Cor. 7:20); "He calls His own sheep by name" (Jn. 10:3); "those whom he predestined he also called" (Rom. 8:30). Our response is to call upon the Lord's Name in baptism (Rom. 10:13), and "live a life worthy of the calling you have received" (Eph. 4:1), to "make your calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10), accepting that the Lord came to "call sinners to repentance" (Lk. 5:32 s.w.). So the call narratives are not irrelevant to any of us. We note how Paul writes of how "He called me by His grace" in the same context as saying that all the Galatians had been "called [you] into the grace of Christ" (Gal. 1:6,15). We are "called" as much as Paul was on the Damascus road. The call is in the Gospel- "He called you by our [preaching of the] Gospel" (2 Thess. 2:14), just as Abraham's call was in the promises to him which are the basis of the Christian Gospel: "Abraham, when he was called..." (Heb. 11:8). The Greek word for "call", kaleo, is the word also used for a person or place being named or surnamed. When we heard the call, our name was called. But the calling was not only to salvation by grace, but to service.
"I am a child" reflects how Jeremiah had failed to be inspired by Josiah, who began ruling for God at 8 and whose reforms were backed up by Jeremiah [see on :2]. Jeremiah's ministry lasted between 40 and 47 years, so quite possibly he was at this point indeed a "child". It is typical of God to work through those who feel the least qualified. And yet Jeremiah's objection to his calling was wrong, given that God had prepared him genetically from the beginning to be ideally suited for the calling he was now given (:5). AV is just as legitimate: "I cannot speak". This smacks of a refusal to accept the commission for which he had been prepared from the beginning of creation. The Hebrew for "child" is generally used of pre-adolescents, and it may be that indeed Jeremiah was very young. This indicates that God is active with children and they can legitimately respond to Him.
There is an intentional contrast in all the first person pronouns. God uses them of Himself in relation to Jeremiah: "I formed... I knew you... I sanctified... I appointed... I shall send you... I shall command you... I am with you". God had worked out His potential purpose with Jeremiah; but he then lamely responds "I said... I don't know how to speak... I am a child". Jeremiah pits his objections against God's predestiny. And he could have just refused, and on one level, would've got away with it. For human freewill is always real and actual. But on the other hand, God's calling to ministry is real; resistance to it is foolish, pitting our "I" against God's. Far better to joyfully surrender and follow His leadings. And Jeremiah achieves this, despite some points of resistance. For his prophecies are renowned for how the "I" of Jeremiah speaking merges seamlessly with the "I" of Yahweh speaking; Jer. 25:3-6 is one of many examples: "the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; but you have not listened. Yahweh has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them (but you have not listened, nor inclined your ear to hear) saying, Return now each one from his evil way and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even for evermore; and don’t go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don’t provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no harm. Yet you have not listened to Me, says Yahweh". No longer is there the pitting of Jeremiah's "I" against that of God; but rather a seamless merging. Just as over time, the Christian looking in the mirror sees not so much himself but the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18).
Jeremiah 1:7 But Yahweh said to me, Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for to
whoever I shall send you, you shall go, and whatever I shall command you,
you shall speak- He was not to keep telling himself that "I am a
child...". This exhortation to watch our self-talk and negative
self-perception is absolutely needed today. This could be read as meaning
that God would force Jeremiah's obedience regardless of his youth; or it
could simply be a more detailed reiteration of the command just given,
urging his freewill obedience to it.
Jeremiah 1:8 Don’t be afraid because of them; for I am with you to deliver
you, says Yahweh- AV "Don't be afraid of their faces" suggests this
young man being cowed by the faces of those older than him to whom he had
to witness. We know exactly this feeling, of inadequacy and awkwardness in
making a witness. And we are encouraged hereby to go forward. The phrase
is an exact quotation from the encouragements to all Israel, every
one of God's people, to go and possess the land
at the time of the conquest (Dt. 31:6; Josh. 11:6). The unfaithful
Israelites are thereby made parallel to the Canaanites; and Jeremiah like
Joshua is to lead the people into possession of the kingdom of God in
Israel. This was indeed the possible, potential outcome of Jeremiah's
message; if Judah had repented and accepted it, then they could have been
established as God's Kingdom and would triumph over all seemingly more
powerful opposition. But that potential went tragically unrealized at the
time. It was with these very same words that Jeremiah was to encourage the
Jews to resist and not fear the Babylonians (Jer. 42:11). As he had
overcome all the faces of his opponents through obedience to God's word, so
all Judah could have followed Jeremiah's personal example. This is indeed
how the preacher must be; the word is to become flesh in us. As Jeremiah
was not afraid before the faces of opponents, so Judah were to be like him
before the Babylonians.
Jeremiah 1:9 Then Yahweh put forth His hand- The same phrase as in
Gen. 19:10, where Yahweh through the Angels put forth His hand to preserve
Lot from the men of Sodom, who are presented in the prophets as
representing the men of Jerusalem and Judah in their persecution of
prophets like Jeremiah.
And touched my mouth; and Yahweh said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth- The same phrase is used in the commissioning of Isaiah in Is. 6:7. The touching of the prophet's mouth was there symbolic of God forgiving Isaiah; and here the same idea may be in view, seeing that Jeremiah has just argued back with God in (like Moses) refusing the commission given to him, when God has explained that he had been born and prepared for this work. Jeremiah's reluctance to preach and struggle with God is going to be a theme of his ministry, coming to full term in Lamentations, where at the end of his life he openly struggles with God over the fulfilment of the very word which Jeremiah has been inspired to preach.
Jeremiah 1:10 Behold, I have this day set you over the nations and over
the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to
overthrow, to build and to plant-
“To pluck up and to tear down… to build and to plant” is the language later used in Jeremiah of God doing these very things (Jer. 18:7,9; 24:6; 31:28). But the operational power to them was through His word, and that word had to be first spoken to men. Jeremiah, then "a child", was given huge power insofar as he was the mediator of God's power to Israel and the world. The word we preach has a similar power; for every man who hears the Gospel is called. They either respond, and come to life eternal; or are held responsible for their rejection of that calling. The power of eternal life and eternal condemnation in death is therefore in our hands, even though we may consider ourselves the most irrelevant and inadequate of persons.
Jeremiah had complained that he was but a child, totally inadequate; and yet through the power of the word he was preaching, he had power over the nations. His prophetic word could destroy nations like Babylon and disobedient Judah, and also result in the building and planting of a new Israel if they were obedient. These words are applied to all who "overcome"; they shall likewise be given "power over the nations" (Rev. 2:26). The 'plucking up' is the word used of how Judah would be plucked up out of their land for their disobedience to the prophetic word (Dt. 29:28; 2 Chron. 7:20). And as the Gentiles plucked up / out Israel from their land, so those nations would be plucked up (Jer. 12:14,15,17). Likewise the building and planting specifically refers to the restoration of Israel after their plucking up (Jer. 24:6; 31:28,40; 42:10). It was God through His word who would do these things (Jer. 18:7); but that possibility worked through the preacher and proclaimer of that word. Therefore here Jeremiah is presented as the one who would do these things. This is the enormous power delegated to all to this day who preach His word; we really can save people, plant them in the Kingdom by sowing the seed of the Kingdom; and those who refuse will be plucked up.
"Break down" is the word specifically used about the throwing down of
the temple and great houses of Jerusalem (Jer. 33:4; 39:8). Likewise
"overthrow" is used in this sense, specifically about Judah and Jerusalem
(Jer. 31:28,40). The building and planting are the words used of how God
potentially would have restored and rebuilt the kingdom of God in Israel
had Judah repented (s.w. Jer. 24:6; 31:28). The plural "nations and
kingdoms" in view are therefore epitomized in the fate of Judah; although
perhaps intensive plurals are being used here, in the sense of 'the one
great nation' and 'one great kingdom' of Judah. Or it could be that the
plural refers to Israel and Judah; for at times the ten tribe kingdom are
also in view in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 1:11 Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me saying, Jeremiah,
what do you see? I said, I see a branch of an almond tree-
The almond
is the first tree in Palestine to bud, so it means literally the watching
tree, as if it were alive and eager to come to life. The idea was that
God's prophetic word of judgment against His people, as well as the
potentials for restoration, were very soon to come true, and there was an
eagerness and energy latent within the word of prophecy to achieve its own
ends.
The idea of God 'watching' to fulfil His word in Dan. 9:14 ("Therefore has Yahweh watched over the evil, and brought it on us") is taken from Jeremiah, who begins his prophecy speaking of the almond tree, the tree of watching over or hastening (Jer. 1:11,12). The idea was that God watches for the moment to make His word come true, whether for good or evil. This of itself shows us the nature of Bible prophecy. The prophetic words are not determinate, meaning that certain things will happen regardless of human freewill. God has stated His intentions, and is waiting for the right time to fulfil it. Hence Daniel alludes to this idea, because He wants God to in one sense hasten His plan to re-establish His Kingdom, and wants Him there and then to seize the opportunity to fulfil it. In other words, God watches eagerly for human behaviour and required preconditions which enable Him to judge or save. Thus He waits until a certain amount of iniquity has built up before judging sinners; and waits in Daniel's case [or, as Daniel then understood it] for a certain amount of prayer and penitence before fulfilling His word of final salvation.
Jeremiah 1:12 Then Yahweh said to me, You have seen well; for I watch over
My word to perform it- He would watch over His word to achieve the
breaking down and building up just spoken of in :10; as is stated
specifically in Jer. 31:28.
The word translated 'hasten' or "watch over" [shoked] is very similar to the word for 'almond' [shaked]. The idea is that God is about to arouse Himself and His words will come true. Perhaps the idea is that He was going to work with Josiah's desire to arise for the things of the Lord. As it happened, this potential wasn't fulfilled, Jeremiah's word wasn't responded to and Josiah was slain in battle. But God's words of judgment would come true, and relatively soon. Rashi claims: "An almond tree takes twenty-one days from its blossoming until it is completely ripe, as the number of days between the seventeenth of Tammuz, when the city was broken into, until the ninth of Ab, when the Temple was burnt". But the rod is a symbol of discipline. The idea is also that God was 'waking up' to action; the long promised judgment was going to come. Although it would take another 40 years, such was His grace. This dual possible application- positively, to Josiah's reformation, and negatively, to judgment, is exactly what Jeremiah's message was all about- to pull down and also to build up. It can be argued that "Jeremiah" has a double meaning, 'Yah pulls down' as well as 'Yah builds up'.
The words of the Bible are watched over by God. They will be fulfilled, even if He watches them for centuries. The destruction and also rebuilding are alluded to in Jer. 31:28: "As I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant". Almonds are associated with God's eyes; the bowls of the lampstands were almonds (Ex. 25:33,34). Zech. 4:2 talks about these almond bowls on the candlestick, and Zech. 4:10 interprets them as the "eyes of Yahweh which run to and fro through the whole earth". 2 Chron. 16:9 talks about the Angels in the same way; "the eyes of Yahweh run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him". Similarly in Rev. 4:5 the lamps in the bowls of almond are equated with the "seven spirits (or Angels) of God". Rev. 5:6 equates the seven eyes with the seven spirits. Thus the almond rod which Jeremiah saw represented God's eyes or Angels who would watch over the word of God which Jeremiah was to speak to perform it. See on Dan. 9:14.
Jeremiah 1:13 The word of Yahweh came to me the second time saying, What
do you see? I said, I see a boiling cauldron; and it is tipping away from
the north- Heb. 'the face of the pot', which referred to the
side of the pot and lip on the rim from which the contents were
poured out. Or we could translate "I see kindled thorn facing from the
north", which would connect with the allusions to the call of Moses at the
burning bush. It was about to be poured out southwards, upon Judah. Ez.
11:3; 24:3 use the boiling cauldron as a symbol of Jerusalem. Perhaps in
Ez. 11:3 the false prophets had purposefully wrested Jeremiah's prophecy
here to say that the cauldron represented Jerusalem rather than Babylon,
and it would give them protection from Babylon. This is typical of how
Divine words are wrested out of context in accordance with the desired
narrative of the false teacher.
Jeremiah 1:14 Then Yahweh said to me, Out of the north evil will break out
on all the inhabitants of the land- The pouring out of the cauldron
was the breaking out of evil from Babylon. Whilst this was
fulfilled in the Babylonians doing this, as described later in Jeremiah,
Babylon was not a powerful force when Jeremiah gave this first prophecy,
and "Babylon" isn't mentioned by name here. Quite possibly "all the
families of the kingdoms of the north" refers to the Scythians who were
then attacking Assyria, and who Herodotus claims did briefly invade
Palestine. And it is established that the town of Bethshan was for a time
renamed Scythopolis. They may be the otherwise unknown "kings of Zimri" of
Jer 25:25. I suggest that the prophetic potential described here and in
Ezekiel 38 was of a Scythian invasion. But God gave His people more time
to repent, and so this northern threat morphed from the Scythians to the
Babylonians. By the time of Jer. 25:9, these northern 'families' were
described as being under the control of Babylon. But at the time of
Jeremiah 1, no mention is made of "Babylon"; but rather, various marauding
families from the north, which would more naturally apply to the
Scythians. Zephaniah was also prophesying at the time of Josiah (Zeph.
1:1), and the invaders he describes are likewise anonymous and not named
as "Babylon". I suggest Zephaniah fits with the earlier prophecies of
Jeremiah, given around the same time, where the invader of Judah is not
named as Babylon, but as a marauding force from the north, referring to
the Scythians. But by grace God didn't allow this to happen as drastically
as foretold and deferred it, fulfilling the essence of the predictions
through the Babylonians rather than the Scythians.
Jeremiah 1:15 For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of
the north, says Yahweh; and they shall come, and they shall each set his
throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its
walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah- God's judgment
was to be uttered as it were from the judgment thrones of the invaders
which would be set up at the gates of Jerusalem, the place of power and
judgment.
Jeremiah 1:16 I will utter My judgements against them touching all their
wickedness, in that they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other
gods- This was fulfilled
when Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, on God's behalf, “gave judgement upon
Zedekiah” or, AVmg. “spake judgements with him” (Jer. 39:5). Heb. "I will
argue My case against them". This
is evidence that 'the judgment seat' isn't the weighing up of evidence
which we may tend to think of it as. Pilate sat on the judgment seat not
to weigh up evidence but to pronounce the verdict (Jn. 19:13). Herod sat
on the judgment seat in order to make "an oration" to the people,
supposedly on God's behalf (Acts 12:21 RVmg.). It wasn't to weigh up any
evidence- it was to make a statement. And thus it will be in the final
judgment. Also, "judge" is often used in the sense of 'to condemn'- not to
just consider evidence (e.g. Mt. 7:2; Rom. 3:7; 2 Thess. 2:17). The trial
of our faith is going on now; the judgment will simply formally reveal the
verdict which is now being arrived at. The Father judges now "according to
every man's work" (1 Pet. 1:17), as He did in OT times: "Thou renderest to
every man according to his work" (Ps. 62:12).
And worshipped the works of their own hands- The equivalent of idolatry today is reliance upon our own works. These then become our idols.
Jeremiah 1:17 You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and speak
to them all that I command you- Jeremiah's temptation, as ours, may
have been to only speak forth part of God's message.
Don’t be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them- James 5:10 puts it bluntly- the prophets are to be taken by us as our examples. Jeremiah was warned: "Be not dismayed of them, lest I dismay you" (Jer. 1:17 RV). This is alluded to by the Lord when He tells us that if we are ashamed of Him and His words, then He will be ashamed of us (Lk. 9:26). The connection surely indicates that the Old Testament prophets and the spirit of their commissioning is intended to apply to us today in our fulfilling of the great commission. Thus the prophets become our pattern for witness; they are our “brethren the prophets” (Rev.22:9). And so an understanding of them becomes programmatic for our witness today. Our audience, the world in which we live, is in essence that in which the prophets lived.
Jeremiah remembered this command not to be dismayed and quotes it back to himself in Jer. 17:18: "Let them be dismayed, but don’t let me be dismayed". This is how we should act- quoting scripture to ourselves as encouragement. We note that later it is the righteous remnant who are commanded not to be dismayed (Jer. 30:10 s.w.); Jeremiah was to be their example and representative.
We note that Jeremiah repeatedly criticizes the prophets and priests together (Jer. 2:8,9,26; 5:31; 6:13; 8:10; 14:18; 23:11,12,33,34; 32:32). He was himself a priest, and also a prophet. His message was critical of both priests and prophets- his own guilds, as it were. We can read Jer. 5:30,31 as Jeremiah reporting the apostacy of both of them to God: "An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will You do when the end comes?". If this were God speaking, we would expect "What will I do...?". We note "The priests rule...". They were caught up in politics, and did what they were directed to do by the false prophets, who in turn said what the princes wanted them to say. When the priest was supposed to teach God's law, not be a mouthpiece for a false prophet. This must have made him truly alone. No wonder he needed psychological strengthening for such a lonely ministry. The priests in Jer. 6:14,15 told the people there would be "Peace, peace!" when Jeremiah's message was exactly the opposite; and they "commit abomination", a term usually used of idol worship. Hence "Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil" (Jer. 23:11). The preceding verse speaks of "the land is full of adultery" (Jer 23:10), so quite possibly this "evil" was cultic temple sex- within Yahweh's temple. Jeremiah stood along amongst the priests. "And yet he is described as "of the priests" (:1). There was no spirituality at all in the priests and prophets: "The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’. The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols. Therefore, I will contend with you again, declares Yahweh, and I will bring a case against your children’s children" (Jer. 2:8,9)- who would've been Jeremiah's relatives.
Jeremiah 1:18 For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and
an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings
of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people
of the land- This was true potentially, but Jeremiah still had to
make the necessary freewill decisions. Jeremiah later speaks of how he came to
see Israel for who they were: “The Lord made it known to me and I knew;
then thou didst show me their evil deeds” (Jer. 11:8). Ezekiel was shown
“what the house of Israel is doing in the dark” (Ez. 8:12). To pass
through human life with this level of sensitivity must’ve been so hard.
Psychologically and nervously, the stress would’ve been awful. It seems to
me that the prophets had to be somehow psychologically strengthened by God
to endure living that sensitively in this crass and unfeeling world- hence
God made Ezekiel and Jeremiah as a wall and “iron pillar” to Israel,
hardened their faces, so that they wouldn’t be “dismayed at [the] looks”
of those who watched them with anger and consternation (Jer. 1:18; 15:20;
Ez. 2:4-6; 3:8,9,27). This psychological strengthening was not aimed at
making them insensitive, but rather in strengthening them to live
sensitively to sin in a sinful world without cracking up. And He will do
the same for us, too.
Right in the context of God predicting the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah is presented as a strong, fortified city, made strong by God against any opposition. The implication was that the faithful should identify with Jeremiah if they wished to avoid the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah uses the same term for "fortified city" in urging the faithful to run into one in the face of the Babylonian advance (Jer. 4:5). But that fortified city was himself and the community of the faithful. So much of his prophecies would be about the fall of Jerusalem. He is here being told that he would survive- and his survival would be an acted parable of how ultimately Jerusalem would be saved. In Lamentations 3, Jeremiah 'gets it' although soon returns to his depression about the fall of Jerusalem. He realizes that his miraculous deliverance in the dungeon spoke of how ultimately, Zion would likewise be saved and restored. He was to be the representative of Zion; and throughout Lamentations he therefore repeatedly speaks of how "we" have suffered, identifying himself with Zion. Likewise a pillar was a sign of kingship; the royal family were to be dethroned, but Jeremiah was to survive like a pillar, as an acted parable of how ultimately the Davidic Kingship would eternally survive through the future Messiah. His lamentations of the loss of the royal family, for the time, reflect a collapse of faith in this lesson. Five times the record will describe the removal of the pillars from the temple when the city fell; but Jeremiah remained alive, as the pillar that was not removed. He predicted the destruction of the pillars (Jer. 7,26,27:19), Jachin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:15-22) at the temple entrance which the people so trusted in (Jer. 50:28; 51:11). Along with the temple, which included "the hall of pillars" (1 Kings 7:6). But he would remain, as the embodiment of Yahweh's word of ultimate deliverance.
The language of a fortified city suggests that Jeremiah will have to stand fast against invaders and aggression surrounding him. But those enemies will be his own people- the priests and princes. He was always safe from the Babylonians. He is being shown that the real enemy [for him and for Judah] was not Babylon, but his own corrupt people. "Against the kings of Judah" could imply that Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah were all in some ways and at some point going to be against Jeremiah. We note that Jeremiah is never recorded as being involved in Josiah's reforms, Josiah took the discovered "book of the law" to Huldah and not Jeremiah (2 Kings 22:14) and Josiah was slain in battle for disobedience. Our real enemy is likewise ourselves and our fellow believers more than external forces. As a Jerusalem priest, this would have been incredibly hard to accept. All this is so true to Christian experience. Issues with other Christians are the most common reason for spiritual stumbling, the most likely reason why those raised in church reject Christianity, rather than opposition from unbelievers. It is not the attacks of unbelievers that make men stumble; they make us stronger. It is the attacks from our own people that do the real spiritual damage. And Jeremiah from the start is warned of this and potentially strengthened against it. It all got so hard that in Jer. 15, Jeremiah basically refuses to go further as God's prophet. God replies: "If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me... I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you". (Jer 15:19,20). The promise of being a "wall of bronze" was conditional, as are all the promises to us of psychological strengthening through the Spirit. It's noteworthy that inscriptions have been found describing the Egyptian Pharaohs as an iron pillar and wall of bronze to those they protected. It was this Egyptian protection which the Jews so hankered after. God is telling Jeremiah that He is going to be this to Jeremiah personally; again, setting Jeremiah up as the representative of his people. He was Zion. Just as the Babylonians said "Arise and let us attack at night and destroy her palaces!" (Jer. 6:5,6), so Jeremiah's Jewish enemies said "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living; that his name be remembered no more!" (Jer. 11:19). The judgment upon Jerusalem was to be at the hands of the Babylonians who would sit in the city gates and pronounce her judgment: "each shall set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem", and through them God would utter judgments against Zion (Jer. 1:15,16). This was fulfilled in Jer. 39:3 when "all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat down in the Middle Gate". But this is just what the Jewish princes did to Jeremiah. They took "their seat at the entrance of the new gate that leads to the temple" and pronounced judgment on Jeremiah (Jer. 26:10).
The language of fortification suggests that within the walls of Jeremiah, there would be deliverance (:19). There may be a hint here that those who sided with Jeremiah would be delivered; Jeremiah was to be the replacement for the fortified Zion. Later, the language of the suffering servant in Is. 53 will be used about Jeremiah- the lamb led to slaughter, with the leaders of Judah seeking to cut him off "from the land of the living" etc. But he was a saviour who in the end didn't save- he disappears without trace in Egypt. Nobody responds to his message, and he doesn't save anyone; but the potential was there.
Jeremiah 1:19 They will fight against you; but they will not prevail
against you; for I am with you, says Yahweh, to deliver you- Jeremiah
needed reminded of this promise in Jer. 15:20 where it is repeated word
for word. The aggression of the people against Jeremiah was extreme. As he
faced death in the cistern, he must have struggled to believe them. "I am
with you" is the language of God encouraging Moses and Joshua, that
inheritance of the kingdom land was possible, and :17 is likewise an
allusion to this. The hint may be that Jeremiah's ministry could have
resulted in the restoration of the Kingdom, and the faithful remnant
inheriting it in his time.
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