Jeremiah 1 Commentary
The introduction to the Book places the work of the prophet Jeremiah somewhere between 627 B.C and 587 B.C. But God’s work began way before the prophet was born. This is significant! The LORD God isn’t making Boardroom decisions every day. He knows the end from the beginning. Nothing surprises Him.
Jeremiah was in a ‘destiny’ situation. The LORD wired him for a special assignment. But how little he knew about it! And how unprepared he felt! It didn’t matter. The LORD ignored Jeremiah’s feelings of inadequacy and fear.
Verse 8. “I’m with you and will rescue you.” In the background is an admission of the presence of trouble for the prophet’s work, but the LORD would rescue him. The presence of the LORD with the prophet didn’t translate into an absence of trouble.
Of course, it confuses our reasoning. The prophet will have trouble regardless of the fact that the LORD is with him. It is a Boardroom decision made long before the prophet was even born!
The first message the LORD gives Jeremiah is an announcement of a pending disaster in the nation. You want to think twice before delivering such a message. But Jeremiah doesn’t have this option. The LORD warns the prophet against fear. It would be his undoing if he entertained it.
Fear destroys the purposes of the LORD. It’s never an innocent feeling! You are not preserving anything other than the purposes of the evil one!
We all remember the words of the LORD to Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.
There is a space to watch. Jeremiah will definitely get in trouble because of God’s work. The LORD God has mentioned it already. But we are also aware of the promise to rescue the prophet. We are interested in the means the LORD deploys to rescue Jeremiah.
This book, therefore, becomes an interesting laboratory to investigate the “whats”, “whens”, and “hows” of God’s rescue operations.
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