Jeremiah 1:11-19

II. THE CALL CONFIRMED Jeremiah 1:11-19

TRANSLATION

(11) And the word of the LORD came unto me saying, What are you looking at, Jeremiah? And I replied, I am looking at a rod of almond. (12) Then the LORD said unto me, you have seen well, for I am watching over MY word to perform it. (13) And the word of the LORD came unto me a second time saying, What are you looking at? And I said, I am looking at a boiling pot and its face is from the north. (14) And the LORD said unto me, From the north calamity is unleashed upon all the inhabitants of the land. (15) For, behold, I am about to call for all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north (oracle of the LORD) and they will come and place each man his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah. (16) Then I will pronounce against them My judgments because of all of their wickedness, viz., they have forsaken Me, made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their hands. (17) But as for you, gird up your loins! Stand up! Speak unto them all which I have commanded you! Do not be dismayed because of them lest I shatter your nerve before them. (18) And as for Me, behold, I have made you today a fortified city, and iron pillar, a wall of bronze against all the land, against the kings of Judah against her princes, against her priests and against the people of the land. (19) They shall fight against you but they shall not prevail against You, for I am with you (oracle of the LORD) to deliver you.

COMMENTS

In the last half of chapter 1 the call of Jeremiah is confirmed and amplified through two visions and further words of exhortation and encouragement. The two visions are of particular interest. The first one expresses a general principle of prophecy; the second deals with a particular concrete application.[112] Before considering the visions themselves two preliminary matters need to be touched upon: (1) the time of the visions, and (2) the nature of them.

[112] Skinner, tip. cit., p. 32.

The time of the visions. Hyatt[113] calls the visions inaugural visions but it really is not certain that they were part of the call experience or even that they followed immediately after the call. The fact that each vision has a separate introductory formula would suggest a certain time interval between the call and the visions and between the two visions as well. If these visions did not come immediately upon the call of Jeremiah they were given very early in his career for God seems to use them to assure Jeremiah of his prophetic call. They are confirmatory tokens. The visions also serve to create within Jeremiah an awareness that momentous events affecting the kingdom of Judah were imminent.

[113] Philip Hyatt, Jeremiah (Exegesis), The Interpreter's Bible (New York: Abingdon, 1956), V, 798f.

The nature of the visions. God made known His will and purpose through two kinds of visions in the Old Testament. In the first type of vision the prophet saw with his mind (or perhaps with his eyes, who can say) an object or scene which had no external reality. In this kind of vision God produced what was seen and also provided the interpretation of it. In the second type of vision the prophet happened to notice or was directed to notice an object or scene. He meditated upon what he saw and as he did so God revealed to him the prophetic significance of it. In the one case God caused the prophet to see a significant object; in the other, God caused the prophet to see significance in an object. Into which one of these two vision categories do the visions in Jeremiah 1 fall?

It is difficult to decide whether God showed the almond rod and the boiling pot in mental visions or whether Jeremiah happened to see the external objects and then learned their symbolic significance through divine revelation. In both visions God asked Jeremiah What do you see? The same language is used in Jeremiah 24:3 where the problem again arises as to the nature of what the prophet saw. The absence of the words the Lord showed me which are present in other similar passages (e.g., Jeremiah 24:3; Amos 7:8; Amos 8:2) might suggest that Jeremiah did not receive a mental vision. However the phrase the Lord showed me is sometimes absent in contexts where mental vision is mandatory (e.g., Zachariah Jeremiah 4:2; Jeremiah 5:2). Exegetically, then, decisive evidence with regard to the nature of what Jeremiah saw in chapter 1 is lacking. The present writer is inclined to think that as Jeremiah meditated on these common, every day objects God caused him to see in them a mystic or prophetic significance.

A. The Vision of the Almond Rod Jeremiah 1:11-12

As Jeremiah held in his hand an almond walking stick or rod God caused the prophet to come to a tremendous realization. The almond tree which blossoms in January was poetically named by the Hebrews the wakeful tree because it was the first to awake from winter sleep. When God asked Jeremiah what he saw His purpose was not only to direct the attention of the prophet to the almond rod, but also to get the prophet to pronounce the word for almond. The Hebrew word for almond tree is shaked and the Hebrew word for watch (or wakeful) is shoked. Here then is paronomasia or word play.[114] God is using the rod of wake-tree wood to show Jeremiah that He is wakeful.

[114] Paronomasia in the context of a vision also occurs in Amos 8:1-2.

Aside from the word play, what is the import of this vision? First, the vision speaks of God's concern. Since the days of wicked Manasseh no judgment had befallen the nation of Judah. As in the winter season all was at rest. But the Keeper of Israel does not slumber or sleep (Psalms 121:4). Amid the moral and spiritual deadness round about, God was awake. He was aware of and concerned about the corrupt condition of the nation. At times things seemed to go unchecked, evil seems to triumph and men assume that God is dead or unconcerned. But the winter of moral desolation cannot last forever; the Lord is wakeful. When the season of judgment has fully come the Wakeful One will manifest Himself as the God of wrath.

The almond rod also suggests the chastisement of the nation. As Aaron's almond rod that budded in the wilderness was a token of God's wrath against the rebellious (Numbers 17:8) so now the almond rod which Jeremiah observes presages the outpouring of God's judgment upon the apostate people of another time. It is not a branch with twigs and leaves which the prophet sees but rather a stick used for walking or striking. This would be a most appropriate symbol of an instrument of chastisement. The symbolic significance would not be lost upon a prophet who knew the writings of Isaiah: Ho Assyrian, the rod of My anger, the staff in whose hand is My indignation! (Isaiah 10:5).

The third focus of the almond rod vision is that of the certainty of prophetic revelation. God is watching with persistent care to see that His word is performed. He sees to it that His word does not return unto Him void but rather accomplishes His good pleasure (Isaiah 55:11). Whether it be judgment or salvation, threat or promise His word will come to pass. Jeremiah need have no fear that he will ever be embarrassed or proven to be wrong if he preaches the word of God. Thus the prophet can be absolutely confident that what he predicts through divine revelation will be fulfilled. Such confidence would enable Jeremiah to preach with boldness, power and assurance. Every preacher should remember that he is the messenger of Him who watches over His word; no promise shall fail, no threat shall go unfilled.

Implicit in the first vision is the calendar of divine judgment. When one in Palestine sees the almond tree blossom he knows that spring is hastening inevitably onward. As the almond among the trees hastens to put forth its leaves, so God is hastening (note the translation of the King James Version) to perform His word of judgment. Such was the interpretation of the great Jewish commentators Rashi and Kimchi. On God's calendar, judgment was imminent.

B. The Seething Caldron Jeremiah 1:13-16

At some undetermined time subsequent to the almond rod revelation Jeremiah experienced another vision. He observed a large cooking or wash pot[*] over an open fire. He describes the pot as seething or boiling. The Hebrew word here means literally blown up. The idea seems to be that the fire beneath the pot had been fanned into a fierce flame by a blast. of wind thus bringing the contents of the pot to a boil.[115] So much is clear. But what did Jeremiah mean when he said its face is from the north?[116] Its face probably refers to the side of the pot facing Jeremiah.[117] The face of the pot is from i.e., away from, the north. If the pot is tilting away from the north it must be tilting toward the south.[118] How the pot got in this precarious position is anyone's guess. Perhaps it had been set unevenly on the fire at the start or perhaps as the materials on which it was standing were consumed the pot settled unevenly and the southern side sank.

[*] The same kind of pot was used by a whole company of prophets to cook their meals (2 Kings 4:38). It probably was made of metal (Ezekiel 24:11).

[115] Bright op. cit., p. 5.

[116] The King James translation to the north has been rightly corrected by more recent English versions.
[117] Others think the face of the pot was what one would see as he looked into the pot, i.e., the contents.
[118] Streane, op. cit., p. 7.

Nothing could be more appropriate in describing the political conditions in the days of Jeremiah than a seething caldron. The whole Fertile Crescent was seething with plans for revolt after the death of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in 627 B.C. The Assyrian empire was tottering. The Neo-Babylonian kingdom was rising on the horizon. Shortly the calamitous contents of that political caldron would be unleashed against the inhabitants of Judah. The word translated unleashed (ASV, shall break forth) means literally, opened. Cheyne suggests that the caldron had a lid and the removal or falling off of this lid is the opening to which the prophet alludes.[119] The evil (ASV) or calamity which is the subject of Jeremiah 1:14 is the invasion of Judah by hordes of Babylonian soldiers. The word translated land in this verse can also mean earth. Here the former meaning is intended as Jeremiah 1:15 indicates.

[119] Cheyne, op. cit., p. 3. It is also possible that the evil or calamity in the north was opened in the sense of revealed. See Freedman, op. cit., p. 4.

The key word in Jeremiah 1:14 is the word north. Previous to the battle of Carchemish the Babylonians are only mentioned vaguely by Jeremiah as a northern people.[120] Strictly speaking they were an eastern people from the point of view of Palestine. However, the caravan route which the armies of Babylon would follow as they swept southward entered Palestine at Dan (cf. 4:I5 and Jeremiah 8:16) and then proceeded due south. Jerusalem could be attacked successfully only from the north, as the west, south, and east sides of the city were rendered practically impregnable by deep valleys. Thus the ominous and as yet unidentified enemy is pictured as coming from the north.

[120] See Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 6:1; Jeremiah 10:22.

The significance of the boiling caldron pouring forth its contents toward Judah is explained in Jeremiah 1:15. God will summon against Judah all the families of the kingdoms of the north. The army of king Nebuchadnezzar was made up of mercenaries of the various kingdoms which he had conquered. This vast throng would attack Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. The thrones might refer to the formal judgment passed upon the inhabitants of the conquered city by the victorious Babylonian generals. On the other hand thrones might be metaphorical for the tents of the enemy generals or perhaps even for some of the large siege instruments. The formula oracle of the Lord (ASV saith Jehovah) underscores the truth of the prediction made in this verse. This is the first of numerous occurrences of this expression in the Book of Jeremiah. The expression is one of the strongest possible claims of inspiration in the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 1:16 makes it clear that the coming conquerors are but instruments of God who is sending His divine judgment upon an apostate people. The expression speak or pronounce judgments is peculiar to Jeremiah,[121] occurring elsewhere only in 2 Kings 25:6. The judgment falls upon Judah because of all of their wickedness. Three specific examples of this wickedness are cited: (1) They had deserted the true God and were thus guilty of infidelity; (2) they had burned incense to false gods; and (3) they had worshiped graven images. The Hebrew word translated offered incense has a general sense (to make sacrifices smoke) and a specific sense (to offer incense). It is difficult to know in many passages which sense is intended. Bright has proposed that the word be rendered sending up offerings. The phrase other gods refers of course to false gods and does not imply that Jeremiah recognized the actual existence of other deities beside God.[122]

[121] See Jeremiah 4:12; Jeremiah 12:1; Jeremiah 39:5; Jeremiah 52:9.

[122] Jeremiah's own strict monotheism is proved by such passages as Jeremiah 2:27; Jeremiah 8:19; Jeremiah 10:1-16 and Jeremiah 16:20.

C. Exhortation and Encouragement Jeremiah 1:17-19

After a brief preview of the fate of Jerusalem the divine eye again focuses on the key man for the hour. First comes the exhortation (Jeremiah 1:17) and then the encouragement (Jeremiah 1:18-19).

1. Words of excoriation

The verbs in Jeremiah 1:17 are most instructive. Three positive commands are followed by one prohibition. The first command, gird up your loins, implies preparation. Before beginning a journey, starting a race or engaging in conflict an oriental would bind up his loose flowing robes so as not to be hindered in his movement.[123] Gird up the loins then implies (1) readiness for action and (2) energy in action. God is saying to the prophet Prepare yourself for a strenuous ministry. In modern idiom God might say to a preacher, Roll up your sleeves!

[123] Cf. Gehazi on an urgent mission (2 Kings 4:29); Elijah racing from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel (1 Kings 18:46). Jesus also advised his disciples in Luke 12:35: Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps be burning.

The second command, Stand up, implies action! He is to begin his prophetic ministry immediately. The king's business is urgent and there is no time for loitering. The third command, speak, points to the primary task of the prophet viz., the communication of the word of God. As in Jeremiah 1:7, the prophet is directed to preach nothing more and nothing less than what the Lord has commanded.

The fourth command, a negative one, is accompanied by a word of warning. God knew that during his ministry Jeremiah would on numerous occasions face hostile crowds, angry shouts, mocking, taunting, jeering, insolent opponents. The message of divine judgment always stirs such reactions among godless sinners. True preachers of the word must constantly battle the temptation to be intimidated by their audience and to compromise their message. Thus the Lord commands His prophet, Do not be dismayed because of them. He must not permit himself to break down before his audience nor show any signs of fear nor let his fear cause him to alter the message. A stern warning accompanies this commandment, lest I shatter your nerve before them. If Jeremiah shows the least bit of fear for his enemies they will be able to get the best of him. One moment of weakness will finish him as God's messenger. Only fear of the Lord will save a man of God from the fear of his congregation.[124]

[124] Joseph Woods, Jeremiah (Epworth Preacher's Commentaries. London: Epworth, 1964), p. 13.

2. Words of encouragement

The challenging as for you to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:17) is balanced by the assuring as for Me of the Lord (Jeremiah 1:18).[125] God does not make demands without supplying needs. When God gives the prophet a message to deliver he also gives him the courage to deliver it and the strength to withstand the reaction it provokes. Jeremiah would be fortified by divine strength. Three metaphors are used to portray the protection which Jeremiah would experience: (1) He would be as invincible as a fortified city which might withstand enemy bombardment for years. (2) He would be as indestructible as an iron gate which could withstand the heaviest attack. (3) He would be as impregnable as a wall of bronze, the toughest metal known to the ancients. Walls of wood might be destroyed by fire and walls of stone might ultimately be battered down; but all the weapons of ancient warfare would be ineffective against walls of brass.[126] Though all segments of the populationthe kings, princes, priests and people of the landmight oppose him, yet God would give him the strength to endure.

[125] Elmer A. Leslie, Jeremiah Chronologically Arranged, Translated, and Interpreted (New York: Abingdon, 1954), p. 24.

[126] Theo. Laetsch, Bible Commentary, Jeremiah (St. Louis: Concordia, 1952), p. 32.

Metaphorical language gives way to literal warning and promise in the last verse of chapter 1. Jeremiah would be famous but he would not be popular. All the powerful figures of the nation will fight against him but they will not prevail. God will come to his rescue. His adversaries might win the skirmishes but they will not win the war. Jeremiah is not promised deliverance from persecution and suffering but from being defeated by persecution and suffering. Here then is the contrasting picture presented by this verse: Jeremiah hated and attacked by men but loved and protected by his God. The invincible Lord will stand with him; he cannot be defeated. On this positive note the call narrative concludes.