Jeremiah 1

Note: I have to admit this is a first for me. I can't ever remember reading Jeremiah from beginning to end. In all my other attempts to read the Bible through, I somehow never made it this far. Or maybe in trying to catch up with the schedule, I skipped it altogether. I suspect this may be true of most of the prophets – especially the Major Prophets.

Jeremiah 1
1-3 Introduction

• Author: Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, of the priests in the land of Benjamin. According to the commentaries, this is not the Hilkiah who was high priest during Josiah's reign. Jeremiah's father was merely "one of the priests" who served the tribe of Benjamin.
  
• Time: In the 13th year of the reign of Josiah of Judah (18 years); through the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah (11 years); until the 11th year, 5th month of Zedekiah, when Jerusalem was taken into captivity. According to my calculations, this means Jeremiah's prophecy covers about 40 years. See 2 Kings 22-25.
  

4-19 Jeremiah's Call and Commission

• The LORD called Jeremiah, saying he had chosen Jeremiah to be a prophet before he was ever born.
• Jeremiah tries to excuse himself from the responsibility, saying he is too young to be such a prophet, but God accepts no such excuse, for he will put the words in Jeremiah's mouth.
• God: What do you see, Jeremiah? Jeremiah: The branch of an almond tree. God: You're right. I'm watching, and will perform my word. Matthew Henry's interpretation: The almond tree is one of the first to bud in the spring, so this might be read as "Thou hast seen a hasty tree, which signifies that I will hasten my word to perform it.’’
• God: What do you see, Jeremiah? Jeremiah: I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north. God: Disaster is going to come out of the north and overpower Judah, because Judah is following other gods; they worship the works of their own hands.
  
• God: Do everything I tell you to do. I will protect you from those who will oppose you. God doesn't hide from Jeremiah that he will have trouble, that he will be opposed by his own people. But he also gives him the assurance that he will survive the opposition.