Welcome to the longest book in the Bible.

😐 I thought that was Psalms.

In English, Psalms is the longest. But in Hebrew, it’s Jeremiah, followed by Genesis, then Psalms.

As far as individual men through whom God spoke the most, Jeremiah is up there with Moses, Paul, Isaiah, Ezekiel and David.

It’s interesting that both Josiah and Jeremiah were probably pretty close in age and the Lord called them to serve in their youth. Josiah became king at age 8. Jeremiah was probably in his teens when the Lord first spoke to him. So God is using the next generation.

Imagine being one of the elders in Judah. The king is 21 years old and leading the nation in HUGE reforms. And now there’s this kid who doesn’t even have facial hair yet and he is out in front of the Temple saying that an army is coming to destroy the city.

But God gave Jeremiah a courageous spirit. He will need it. He’s going to live to see some of the most devastating things in the history of the descendants of Abraham.

Here’s a text that is rather understated so it can be overlooked:

“Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Remember how Isaiah had a seraph bring a burning coal to touch his mouth (Is. 6:6-7)? Jeremiah doesn’t describe a dramatic, heavenly vision. But somehow Yahweh Himself (probably His “angel”) appears to Jeremiah and personally touches his mouth.

One thing all true prophets have in common (even the NT ones!) is an experience of divine visitation. They either have some kind of out-of-body trip to heaven or “The Word of the Lord” comes to them.

Jeremiah is the son of a priest and they were from Anathoth (one of the Levitical cities), meaning: Jeremiah was a descendant of Aaron. He did not function as a priest most likely because his family was descended from Abiathar who aligned himself with Abijah to take the throne after the death of King David. Solomon removed him from the priesthood for this. See 1Kings 2:26-27.

Interestingly, much of Jeremiah’s ministry as a prophet will put him at odds with the sketchy priesthood in Jerusalem.

Yahweh starts off the boy-prophet with a couple simple visions: the branch of an almond tree and a boiling pot tipping out its contents. These first 2 visions feel like…

🎤 Mic check… mic testing 1 2 3… can you hear me? Tap tap tap…

📡 Ok Jeremiah, can you see this in the spirit?

📡 Roger that. Coming in loud and clear.

🤔 Ok, but what does an almond branch 🌸have to do with God’s Word?

The words almond and watch are related.

“Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.” And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Here is the Hebrew word for almond:

Here is the word for keeping watch:

Shaqed, Shaqad. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.

The almond tree is the first tree to bloom in spring in the Holy Land. When I visited Israel it was the month of January and in one place we saw an almond tree in bloom. IN JANUARY! It’s the tree you watch for to know that spring is at the door.

The Hebrew letters ShQD mean…

🦷 Shin – teeth, consume, eat, destroy

🌅 Quf – sun at the horizon, circuit, day, encompass, gather

🚪Dalet – door, move, down, entrance

If the teeth have gathered at the door…

You’d better be watching for any little sign. Be alert!

Rather like Jesus did with the Disciples, Yahweh interprets the “parable” for Jeremiah. He’s still learning the ropes.

Speaking of huffing and puffing… the second vision also has a play on words.

In verse 13 Jeremiah sees a “boiling” pot. The Hebrew word is:

Assyria, the Big Bad Wolf is going to come from the north and blow their house (the Temple and the kingdom) down. Bubbles puffing up from a boiling pot is naphach. And disaster is going to pathach.

“Now look, I have made you today as a fortified city and as an iron pillar and a bronze wall against all the land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. And they will fight against you but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you,” declares Yahweh, “to deliver you.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭LEB‬‬

God makes Jeremiah as tough as nails.

🤓 Uh… isn’t he known as “the weeping prophet?” 😭

🤨 Hey… Tough men can cry.

I think this is referring to Jeremiah’s unbending faithfulness to Yahweh. It doesn’t mean he has walled-off his emotions. He will not give in to the corrupt leaders of the land. No matter what they do to him. He will have the guts to stand alone against the entire government. Because before this is all over, that’s exactly what he’s going to have to do.