Jeremiah 1:4-19
Summary for Jer 1:4-5: 1:4-5 a In his first message from the Lord, Jeremiah learned three important truths about God: his knowledge of all things, including individuals; his ability to choose individuals for specific tasks even before they come into existence; and his willingness to extend his authority to the people he calls.• God set Jeremiah apart to perform a special task and granted him the official status of a prophet when he appointed Jeremiah to that task.
• Jeremiah’s ministry extended to the nations. Although he traveled away from the kingdom of Judah only three times (see 13:4-7 b; 43:7-8 c), his written materials have been read worldwide.
1:6 d Jeremiah was young (probably a teenager).
Summary for Jer 1:7-8: 1:7-8 e God urged Jeremiah to look beyond himself to the importance of the task he was called to fulfill. He had to meet God’s requirements for a royal messenger, which included willingness to travel and the faithful delivery of the Lord’s messages.
1:9 f When God placed his words in Jeremiah’s mouth, he granted the prophet the status of an official royal messenger, including the ability to speak authoritatively in public.
Summary for Jer 1:11-12: 1:11-12 g These verses contain a play on words: The almond tree (Hebrew shaqed) is the first plant to flower, usually in late January or early February. The Lord wanted Jeremiah to know that he was always watching (Hebrew shoqed) him (see also Ps 121:3-8 h).
Summary for Jer 1:13-14: 1:13-14 i Like a flood of boiling water, invading armies would bring terror to the people of Judah. Although Babylon was due east of Judah, the desert between them required that the Babylonian army attack Judah from the north.
1:17 j Jeremiah was afraid of looking foolish as the Lord’s messenger (see Jeremiah Book Introduction, “Literary Features: The Messenger System”). In reality, it would be foolish of Jeremiah to refuse to do as God commanded.
1:18 k A fortified city could hold out for a long time against a siege, often until the besieging army left to deal with a crisis elsewhere in the empire.
1:19 l I, the Lord, have spoken: This statement has the force of a royal decree (see study note on 2:2).
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