Jeremiah 1

Jeremiah 1:1-3

In this chapter we have, 1. The title of the book, with the time of the continuance of Jeremiah’s public ministry, ver. 1—3. 2. His call to the prophetical office, ver. 4—10. 3. The visions of an almand-rud and a feathing pat, signifying the approaching ruin of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, ver. 11—16. 4. Encouragement given to the prophet to go on undauntedly in his work, in an assurance of God’s presence with him, ver. 17—19.

a Joh. vii. 1b. 1 Chron. v. 6b. Chron. xxii. 2, &c. 617. b Chap. xxv. 3. c Chap. xxx v. 6. d Chap. 3d. 1b. e 1 Kings xxv. 2.

1. THE words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 2. To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

We have here an account of the prophet’s parentage, and the time of his prophecy.

1. He was of the farerdoral race, the son of Hilkiah, not the high-priest, nor of that family, but probably a defendant

from Ithamar, of whose line Abiathar was the last high-priest, whose possessions were at Anathoth, see 1 Kings ii. 26. a city about three miles from Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin.

2. He began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of Josiah, and, no doubt, was a great encourager of that pious king in his work of reformation, and countenanced by him in his labours to bring Israel to repentance: but the attempts of both were fruitless; the people continued hypocritical, even when they pretended to reform, and thus filled up the measure of their iniquities, and brought down those judgments Jeremiah was commissioned to denounce against them. He continued to prophesy during the wicked reigns of Josiah’s successors, when the destruction of the people was hastening apace, till he saw Jerusalem, under Zedekiah, miserably destroyed, and the people enslaved. Note, (1.) All attempts to save a people devoted to ruin come too late. (2.) They who will not be reformed, must be destroyed.

3. Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. 7. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt

shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, faith the LORD. 9. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth, and the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10. See, I have this day set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

9. 4—10. The designation of the prophet to his office, and God’s encouragement of him to proceed in it, are here set forth.

10. His designation. God, before he formed him in the month, had foreknown and predelineated him in his eternal counsels to be his servant, and fanciled or separated him for this peculiar service, in which he was to be employed, as a prophet to the nations; not only to the Jews, but to other nations alike, against whom his word should go forth. Note, (1.) God from eternity knoweth these that are his. (2.) What he predileanates us to, must infallibly take place. (3.) The eternal delight of God’s mercy towards us are known by his word coming unto us, and calling us to the work and office he hath appointed us. (4.) None can mindly acceptably before God, whom he hath not first fanciled and ordained.

11. His defects, under the apprehension of his own insufficiency. 10. Lord God! I consent, or I know not how to speak, as such an office requires; for I am a child, in weakness, probably also in years, it being certain he began to prophesy very early. Note, (1.) The work of the ministry is an arduous task; they may well resemble for themselves who are called to undertake it. (2.) It becomes young men especially to entertain a diffidence of their own abilities. No rock to fatal to youth as self-control.

12. God encourages him for his work. Say not, I am a child; though never to insufficient of ourselves, we may not draw back when we have God’s mission and promise of support: his strength shall be perfected in our weakness. Three arguments he urges: (1.) I find thee; and under a divine call we may be assured of divine help. (2.) I will infract thee; what I command thee thou shalt speak; and therefore he should never be at a loss for matter or words. (3.) I am with thee, to uphold thee with my arm, to comfort thee with my presence, to deliver thee from all danger; be not afraid of their faces. He might expect opposition; to be brow-beat, threatened, and inflicted on account of his ministry; but he need not fear when God’s omnipotence is engaged for him. Note, (1.) If God pleases, out of the mouth of babes and fucklings he can shew forth his praise. (2.) A faithful opponent must expect to meet a frowning word; but we must not fear the faces of men; nor need we, if God’s power protect, and his love comfort us, what can man do against us?

13. God gives him a sign to confirm his word to him. The Lord put forth his hand; the Lord Jesus, the God of his holy prophets, who appeared now in a human form; and touched my mouth, intimating that it was fanciled, and fitted for his service; and the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words into thy mouth, that he might with freedom and boldness deliver the message he had received from his Master; and an awful one it was! See, I have set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, as a prophet, whose word concerning them would infallibly come to pass; to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down; to pronounce their doom, and foretell the judgments that should overturn them, as a house or a tree rooted up and thrown down by the whirlwind: and to build, and to plant; to prophesy the refraction of the Jews after their captivity; or to call them to repentance, that when others perished, they might be preserved. Note, (1.) The sword of God’s word in the mouth of his ministers is more to be feared than the glittering spear. (2.) The same prophetic word which is to some a favour of death unto death, because they harden their hearts against the warning, becomes, through Divine Grace, to the penitent a favour of life unto life.

14. Moreover, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what iseth thou? and I said, I see a nod of an almond-tree. 12. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. 13. And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What iseth thou? and I said, I see a seething pot, and the face thereof may towards the north. 14. Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15. For lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, faith the LORD, and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of

Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. 16. And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burnt in- cense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. 17. Thou therefore: give up thy loins and arise, and speak unto them all that I con- nund thee: be not dismayed at their faces, left I confound thee before them. 18. For behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19. And they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, faith the LORD, to deliver thee.

9. 11—10. Jeremiah having received his mission, hath here a general view of the most inherent of his prophecy, the de- ftruction of the Jews for their sins.

10. Their sum is represented by two signs, shewing how speed- ly and terribly it approached. The first is an almond red, which is pre-vented to his view, and which God explains, as signifying that the defenceless of the Jews should be very dear, as the almond-tree hastens before any other tree to put forth like blooms. The other is a pride; it is, with its fair means the north. This pot is Jerusalem, and the fire under it the Chaldeans, as God explains it, assembling out of the north, un- der the conduct of Nebuchadnezzar, called of God, e. 15. to execute his judgments, coming under the divine direction, and the entire turn to prevail. They shall set up not only their tents as befieging foes, but their thrones as triumphant conquerors, in the gels of Jerusalem, having fathdled it, with all the de- fenced cities of Judah. Note, (1.) God will never want ar- mies to execute his vengeance against a devoted people: at his summons infirmity they assemble. (2.) Ministers clearly in the Bible foresee the ruin of sinners, and forewarn them; but they will not believe, till too late they feel their doom inevitable.

11. The cause of their ruin is their sins, especially their idel- laty. I will utter my judgments against them, pass sentence up- on them, and execute it, teaching all their unchancels, which was great and aggravated, who have forsaken me, apollutated from God’s worship and service, and have burnt in- cely to other gods; they have not shipped the words of their own hands; gods of their own fancy, and the images of their own making; which argued their fluidity and ignorance, strange as their impiety and ingratitude.

12. God directs him how to proceed, and encourages him to be faithful. Gird up thy sins; alluding to the long garments they wore in the calf, which, when they went in halfe, they girt about their wall. He must be expediteous and diligent; arise, and spent unto them boldly and inflicately, not intimidated by any fears or danger, all that I mean to him, without adding thereto, or diminishing therefrom, however effective and pro- voking the message might appear, and however great the per- tonages to whom it would be delivered, to the kings, princes, priests, and people. The dignity of the magistrates doth not let them above myself, nor the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of the farcishers of

CHAP. Benedict Hill.