Jeremiah : The Prophetic Calling of Jeremiah

Lesson #1 for October 3, 2015

Scriptures: [Jeremiah 1:1-5; 1:6-19; 7:5-7; Isaiah 1:19; 6:5; 1 Kings 2:26; Matthew 28:20[i]].

1.    Welcome to our study of the book of Jeremiah. This first lesson focuses primarily on his calling as spelled out in the first chapter of Jeremiah. We know more about the life of Jeremiah than we do about any other prophet in the Old Testament. There is a great deal of biographical information in the book. That information makes it easier to understand his work as a prophet. We know that he is a revered prophetic figure.

2.    What do we know about conditions in the world in the days of Jeremiah?

3.    Jeremiah was called to his ministry about 627 B.C. He continued to prophesy until at least 587 B.C. when Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple were destroyed and left in rubble. His story continued into Egypt after that. Daniel and his friends were taken into Babylonian captivity in 605 B.C. to represent Judah in Babylon. Ezekiel and most of the people of Judah were taken into captivity in 598/597 B.C. following the second conquest of Judah and Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah prophesied during all of these events.

4.    Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar’s father, rose to power in the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the same year that Jeremiah began his ministry. Nabopolassar reigned from 626 until 605 B.C. when he died in Babylon while his son Nebuchadnezzar was conquering Jerusalem for the first time. Jeremiah lived through all three conquests and the final destruction of Jerusalem.

5.    Do you think of the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah as a success? Or, a failure? Jeremiah could never have stood up to all that he stood through without the Lord’s help. The Lord told him that he would be “a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall.” (Jeremiah 1:18, NIV) How does God give people strength to survive the trials they go through? Think about all the trials Paul went through and even Jesus Himself!

6.    Consider the fact that Jeremiah was called by God to give assistance to and guidance to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah. What do you think Jeremiah thought as he realized that the people of Judah overwhelmingly rejected almost everything he tried to teach them? Jeremiah was not the only prophet trying to teach the children of Judah at that time in history. During Jeremiah’s lifetime, the following prophets were also active: Daniel, Ezekiel, Zephaniah, Hulda, Obadiah, Nahum, and Habakkuk! Why do you think there were so many prophets active at the same time? How many of them knew each other? We do not know. Was God desperately trying to reach His people like He is with us through the three angels’ messages?

7.    We can presume that all of the prophets were carrying similar messages. They were trying to convince the people to stop sinning, stop killing people, stop worshiping idols, and to do what is right and fair to the poor, widows, and orphans. The fact that God sent all of those prophets to try to change the course of events seems to indicate clearly that God’s judgment falling upon them was not inevitable. But, when people are accustomed to doing evil, change is not easy. How many things are we now doing that were considered evil some years ago? Are we as a society gradually slipping into more and more evil ways?

8.    We are not told how the prophets received their messages. It seems clear that at times God spoke to them directly. At other times, the Holy Spirit worked through angels and gave prophets dreams or visions. Occasionally, God spoke with a “still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12ii) But, the prophets understood very clearly that God was speaking to them. And they knew what they had to do, even witnessing before kings, emperors, and generals.

9.    Do you wish we understood more about how inspiration works? How would you feel about giving an unpopular message to a king or emperor who had the full ability to order your death on the spot?

10.    Some have suggested that in light of the three angels’ messages and Revelation 19:10iii, we are supposed to be a prophetic people today. Are we carrying a popular message? How many people around us seem to want to hear what the Bible has to say? Being a prophet is not easy. How many Adventists today take Ellen White seriously?

11.    Read [1 Kings 1 and 1 Kings 2:26]iv. What do these passages tell us about Abiathar who apparently was an ancestor of Jeremiah? When Abiathar threw his support behind Adonijah the oldest son of David and the apparent heir to the throne, was that a serious mistake on his part? It led to his being dismissed from the priesthood. Did the kings in those days have the right to choose or to dismiss priests? Aren’t priests supposed to be appointed by God? The town of Anathoth to which Abiathar was exiled was only about 3 miles northeast of Jerusalem. It was the hometown of Jeremiah and his family.

12.    It is clear that Jeremiah had priestly training. Reviewing once again what we know from the Old Testament, we see that God calls shepherds, rabbis, farmers, as well as priests to the prophetic office.

A member of the Levitical priesthood, Jeremiah had been trained from childhood for holy service. In those happy years of preparation he little realized that he had been ordained from birth to be “a prophet unto the nations;” and when the divine call came, he was overwhelmed with a sense of his unworthiness. “Ah, Lord God!” he exclaimed, “behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” Jeremiah 1:5-6.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 407.1.

13.    What was the expected role for priests in Old Testament times? Weren’t they supposed to be the moral and spiritual leaders of the nation? Remember that although a number of priests were living and supporting the ministry of the temple around Jerusalem, other priests and their families were scattered throughout the tribes, ministering to the local peoples where they were. The tribe of Levi was actually given 48 cities scattered throughout the country as their inheritance in the land of Canaan. [(Numbers 35:1-8; Joshua 21:1-42)][v] Jeremiah’s family came from one of those cities.

14.    What do you suppose it meant to be a priest and a prophet at the same time? Weren’t prophets kind of outliers from society? Were the priests partly to blame for the decline in spirituality in Judah? What are our spiritual responsibilities in the home or the church or in the community today? How do we go about determining what those responsibilities are?

15.    Read Jeremiah 1:1-5vi. Jeremiah clearly thought that when God called him, he was still too young and could not serve as God’s mouthpiece. He clearly thought that he was still unfit and incapable of doing the job. Other Bible prophets and writers shared his views of themselves. [(Exodus 4:10-15; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 1:6; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8)]vii In what ways were the experiences of Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Moses similar?

16.    Was Jeremiah at all uncertain about his call? He repeatedly stated, “The word of the Lord” came to me or, “The word of the Lord” says thus and so. Did speaking with his level of conviction help him to do his job?

17.    Does the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2015 have a clear message from the Lord? Are we clearly warning the world about what is coming?

18.    Jeremiah received his call in the 13th year of King Josiah’s reign, probably about 627/626 B.C. We do not know exactly when he was born.

19.    Read again Jeremiah 1:4-5viii. How would you feel if God told you that you were His chosen messenger from the time you were conceived? How did Jeremiah know it was God speaking to him? Jeremiah was set aside or sanctified to be hallowed and holy to serve the Lord. This is clearly a proof of God’s foreknowledge. So, how is it that God can know the future without limiting our freedom? Would it be safe for anyone else to know our future? Even ourselves?

20.    What bothered Jeremiah most when he received God’s call? Was it just his young age? Or, did he recognize the spiritual condition of the nation around him?

21.    If a prophet had responded to God’s call by saying: “Sure! No problem. I can do that!” do you think God would have called him? Imagine being called to be a spokesman for the Creator of the universe!

22.    In the days of the Old Testament, prophets’ messages had to be delivered almost always in a personal, face-to-face manner. There were no websites, no e-mails, and it was not easy to write a letter.

23.    Read Jeremiah 1:7-10ix. What was God’s response to Jeremiah’s reluctance? Does that response give us some courage as we think of what God might be asking us to do?

24.    God touched his mouth and told him that he would be given the words that he was supposed to speak and that God would protect him. He would be like “a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall.” (Jeremiah 1:18-19) What did God intend by saying that? Were those some of the strongest things known to man in Jeremiah’s day? What terms do you think God would use if He were calling one of us to be His prophet today?

25.    Do you think that Jeremiah thought that one person plus God is a majority? Did he move forward in his prophetic mission without any fears?

26.    Read Jeremiah 1:11-19[x]. What do you think is being pictured in these verses? When Jeremiah saw a boiling pot from the north about to tip over, what does that imply? The dangers to the Judean people in those days came first from Assyria and then from Babylon. Both of those nations approached Judah from the north. In light of what Jeremiah might have known about the Assyrians and the Babylonians, would he have been comforted by such a message?

27.    How much of Jeremiah’s call was for the benefit of the people? How much was for the benefit of Jeremiah himself? Would you feel a little more comfortable realizing that God had promised you that He would be with you? Certainly, Jeremiah needed that.

28.    Read Matthew 28:19-20xi. What kind of promise is God making to us? Can we survive?

29.    Martin Luther had some interesting words to say about Jeremiah in the introduction to his commentary on the book of Jeremiah as quoted in the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Friday, October 2.

Jeremiah was a sad prophet, who lived in a deplorable and difficult period and, what is more, his prophetic service was extremely difficult as he was struggling and fighting with a bad-tempered and stubborn people. Apparently he did not achieve much success because he experienced how his enemies became more and more evil. They tried to kill the prophet several times. They pressed hard against him, whipping him several times. Yet, he would live to see with his own eyes how his country was devastated and his people taken into exile.

30.    Notice Ellen White’s words about Jeremiah.

For forty years Jeremiah was to stand before the nation as a witness for truth and righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was to exemplify in life and character the worship of the only true God. During the terrible sieges of Jerusalem he was to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah. He was to predict the downfall of the house of David and the destruction of the beautiful temple built by Solomon. And when imprisoned because of his fearless utterances, he was still to speak plainly against sin in high places. Despised, hated, rejected of men, he was finally to witness the literal fulfillment of his own prophecies of impending doom, and share in the sorrow and woe that should follow the destruction of the fated city.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 408.1.

31.    Review Jeremiah 1:16-19xii again. Where does this sound like most of Jeremiah’s opposition would come from? Was Jeremiah asked to stand up against the Assyrians and Babylonians? Was he given serious messages to the leaders of the Assyrians and Babylonians? Have you ever thought that the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church needed a prophetic message from the Lord? If God called you to give such a message, how do you think you would respond? Did Jeremiah know immediately it was God speaking to him that first time? How did God let him know for sure that it was God speaking? Remember the story of the boy Samuel. (1 Samuel 3:1-18xiii) Samuel was sure that it was Eli calling him.

32.    What was it about Jeremiah that made him an appropriate candidate to do the work that God was calling him to do? Would you say that Jeremiah’s feelings of inadequacy disqualified him? Or, did they qualify him even more to do the work God was calling him to do?

33.    Is God trying to speak to some or all of us today? Don’t you think there are things that God would like to say to His people or even to world leaders in our day? Would you be able and willing to speak up if God asked you to? How often have you found a “good excuse” for not doing something that God or the church wanted you to do? Aren’t we told that each of us has a work to do? How does God qualify us for whatever He asks us to do?

34.    Jeremiah has often been called the weeping prophet. Why do you think that is? Of course, we have not yet read much of his book. What do you think Jeremiah thought as he lived in or around Jerusalem as it was conquered by the Babylonians three times in a row, often following a terrible siege? After the third time when Jerusalem lay in complete ruins-nothing but a pile of rubble-Jeremiah was forced to go into Egypt against his will and against the advice of God. He apparently died in Egypt.

35.    Jeremiah 1xiv, discussing the call of Jeremiah, can conveniently be divided into three sections:

1)    Jeremiah’s ancestry and his times. (Jeremiah 1:1-3)

2)    Jeremiah’s call and visions. (Jeremiah 1:4-16)

3)    God’s promise. (Jeremiah 1:17-19)

36.    Jeremiah 1:1-3 teaches us that when God speaks, things happen. Does God’s word come to people in our generation? Has God’s word ever come to you? Notice that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah three times in chapter one. (Jeremiah 1:4,11,13) Do we have any evidence that Jeremiah sent messages to any of the other nations? (Jeremiah 1:5) God described Jeremiah’s formation in his mother’s womb using the same word which was used in Genesis 2:7 regarding the forming of Adam by God: from the dust of the ground.

37.    When Jeremiah was a little reluctant, God touched his lips with His hand. (Jeremiah 1:9) What do you think of the description God gave to Jeremiah of his future tasks? (Jeremiah 1:10) In what sense do you think Jeremiah was to uproot, to pull down, to destroy, and to overthrow? In what sense was he to build and to plant?

38.    God promised to be with Jeremiah, but He challenged him to gird up his loins using the same terminology which would be used to tell soldiers to get ready for battle.

39.    Are we listening to God with the same commitment that Jeremiah had? Is God trying to speak to us today? What might He say to us?

i-Jeremiah 1:1 This book is the account of what was said by Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The LORD spoke to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, 3 and he spoke to him again when Josiah's son Jehoiakim was king. After that, the LORD spoke to him many times, until the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah. In the fifth month of that year the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The LORD said to me, 5 “I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:6 I answered, “Sovereign LORD, I don't know how to speak; I am too young.”

7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

9 Then the LORD reached out, touched my lips, and said to me, “Listen, I am giving you the words you must speak. 10 Today I give you authority over nations and kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Two Visions

11 The LORD asked me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?”

I answered, “A branch of an almond tree.”

12 “You are right,” the LORD said, “and I am watching[a] to see that my words come true.”

13 Then the LORD spoke to me again. “What else do you see?” he asked.

I answered, “I see a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this way.”

14 He said to me, “Destruction will boil over from the north on all who live in this land, 15 because I am calling all the nations in the north to come. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of Jerusalem and around its walls and also around the other cities of Judah. 16 I will punish my people because they have sinned; they have abandoned me, have offered sacrifices to other gods, and have made idols and worshiped them. 17 Get ready, Jeremiah; go and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them now, or I will make you even more afraid when you are with them. 18-19 Listen, Jeremiah! Everyone in this land—the kings of Judah, the officials, the priests, and the people—will be against you. But today I am giving you the strength to resist them; you will be like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. They will not defeat you, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

7:5 “Change the way you are living and stop doing the things you are doing. Be fair in your treatment of one another. 6 Stop taking advantage of aliens, orphans, and widows. Stop killing innocent people in this land. Stop worshiping other gods, for that will destroy you. 7 If you change, I will let you go on living here in the land which I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.

Isaiah 1:19 If you will only obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces.

Isaiah 6:5 I said, “There is no hope for me! I am doomed because every word that passes my lips is sinful, and I live among a people whose every word is sinful. And yet, with my own eyes I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

1 Kings 2:26 Then King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to your country home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not have you put to death now, for you were in charge of the LORD's Covenant Box while you were with my father David, and you shared in all his troubles.”

Matthew 28:20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

ii-1 Kings 19:12 After the earthquake there was a fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice.

iii-Revelation 19:10 I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don't do it! I am a servant together with you and with other believers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God!”

iv-1 Kings 1King David in His Old Age

1 King David was now a very old man, and although his servants covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm. 2 So his officials said to him, “Your Majesty, let us find a young woman to stay with you and take care of you. She will lie close to you and keep you warm.” 3 A search was made all over Israel for a beautiful young woman, and in Shunem they found such a woman named Abishag, and brought her to the king. 4 She was very beautiful, and waited on the king and took care of him, but he did not have intercourse with her.

Adonijah Claims the Throne

5-6 Now that Absalom was dead, Adonijah, the son of David and Haggith, was the oldest surviving son. He was a very handsome man. David had never reprimanded him about anything, and he was ambitious to be king. He provided for himself chariots, horses, and an escort of fifty men. 7 He talked with Joab (whose mother was Zeruiah) and with Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to support his cause. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's bodyguards were not on Adonijah's side.

9 One day Adonijah offered a sacrifice of sheep, bulls, and fattened calves at Snake Rock, near the spring of Enrogel. He invited the other sons of King David and the king's officials who were from Judah to come to this sacrificial feast, 10 but he did not invite his half brother Solomon or Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the king's bodyguards.

Solomon Is Made King

11 Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, and asked her, “Haven't you heard that Haggith's son Adonijah has made himself king? And King David doesn't know anything about it! 12 If you want to save your life and the life of your son Solomon, I would advise you to 13 go at once to King David and ask him, ‘Your Majesty, didn't you solemnly promise me that my son Solomon would succeed you as king? How is it, then, that Adonijah has become king?’” 14 And Nathan added, “Then, while you are still talking with King David, I will come in and confirm your story.”

15 So Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. He was very old, and Abishag, the young woman from Shunem, was taking care of him. 16 Bathsheba bowed low before the king, and he asked, “What do you want?”

17 She answered, “Your Majesty, you made me a solemn promise in the name of the LORD your God that my son Solomon would be king after you. 18 But Adonijah has already become king, and you don't know anything about it. 19 He has offered a sacrifice of many bulls, sheep, and fattened calves, and he invited your sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of your army to the feast, but he did not invite your son Solomon. 20 Your Majesty, all the people of Israel are looking to you to tell them who is to succeed you as king. 21 If you don't, as soon as you are dead, my son Solomon and I will be treated as traitors.”

22 She was still speaking, when Nathan arrived at the palace. 23 The king was told that the prophet was there, and Nathan went in and bowed low before the king. 24 Then he said, “Your Majesty, have you announced that Adonijah would succeed you as king? 25 This very day he has gone and offered a sacrifice of many bulls, sheep, and fattened calves. He invited all your sons, Joab the commander of your army,[a] and Abiathar the priest, and right now they are feasting with him and shouting, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he did not invite me, sir, or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or Solomon. 27 Did Your Majesty approve all this and not even tell your officials who is to succeed you as king?”

28 King David said, “Ask Bathsheba to come back in”—and she came and stood before him. 29 Then he said to her, “I promise you by the living LORD, who has rescued me from all my troubles, 30 that today I will keep the promise I made to you in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, that your son Solomon would succeed me as king.”

31 Bathsheba bowed low and said, “May my lord the king live forever!”

32 Then King David sent for Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah. When they came in, 33 he said to them, “Take my court officials with you; have my son Solomon ride my own mule, and escort him down to Gihon Spring, 34 where Zadok and Nathan are to anoint him as king of Israel. Then blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Follow him back here when he comes to sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, because he is the one I have chosen to be the ruler of Israel and Judah.”

36 “It shall be done,” answered Benaiah, “and may the LORD your God confirm it! 37 As the LORD has been with Your Majesty, may he also be with Solomon and make his reign even more prosperous than yours.”

38 So Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the royal bodyguards put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon Spring. 39 Zadok took the container of olive oil which he had brought from the Tent of the LORD's presence, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet, and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 Then they all followed him back, shouting for joy and playing flutes, making enough noise to shake the ground.

41 As Adonijah and all his guests were finishing the feast, they heard the noise. And when Joab heard the trumpet, he asked, “What's the meaning of all that noise in the city?” 42 Before he finished speaking, Jonathan, the son of the priest Abiathar, arrived. “Come on in,” Adonijah said. “You're a good man—you must be bringing good news.”

43 “I'm afraid not,” Jonathan answered. “His Majesty King David has made Solomon king. 44 He sent Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the royal bodyguards to escort him. They had him ride on the king's mule, 45 and Zadok and Nathan anointed him as king at Gihon Spring. Then they went into the city, shouting for joy, and the people are now in an uproar. That's the noise you just heard. 46 Solomon is now the king. 47 What is more, the court officials went in to pay their respects to His Majesty King David and said, ‘May your God make Solomon even more famous than you, and may Solomon's reign be even more prosperous than yours.’ Then King David bowed in worship on his bed 48 and prayed, ‘Let us praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has today made one of my descendants succeed me as king, and has let me live to see it!’”

49 Then Adonijah's guests were afraid, and they all got up and left, each going his own way. 50 Adonijah, in great fear of Solomon, went to the Tent of the LORD's presence and took hold of the corners of the altar.[b] 51 King Solomon was told that Adonijah was afraid of him and that he was holding on to the corners of the altar and had said, “First, I want King Solomon to swear to me that he will not have me put to death.”

52 Solomon replied, “If he is loyal, not even a hair on his head will be touched; but if he is not, he will die.” 53 King Solomon then sent for Adonijah and had him brought down from the altar. Adonijah went to the king and bowed low before him, and the king said to him, “You may go home.”

1 Kings 2:Abiathar's Banishment and Joab's Death

26 Then King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to your country home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not have you put to death now, for you were in charge of the LORD's Covenant Box while you were with my father David, and you shared in all his troubles.”

v-Numbers 35:7 with their pasture land, making a total of forty-eight.

Joshua 21:41-42 From the land that the people of Israel possessed, a total of forty-eight cities, with the pasture lands around them, was given to the Levites.

vi-Jeremiah 1:1 This book is the account of what was said by Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The LORD spoke to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, 3 and he spoke to him again when Josiah's son Jehoiakim was king. After that, the LORD spoke to him many times, until the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah. In the fifth month of that year the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The LORD said to me, 5 “I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”

vii-Exodus 4:10 But Moses said, “No, LORD, don't send me. I have never been a good speaker, and I haven't become one since you began to speak to me. I am a poor speaker, slow and hesitant.”

11 The LORD said to him, “Who gives man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or dumb? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? It is I, the LORD. 12 Now, go! I will help you to speak, and I will tell you what to say.”

13 But Moses answered, “No, Lord, please send someone else.”

14 At this the LORD became angry with Moses and said, “What about your brother Aaron, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. In fact, he is now coming to meet you and will be glad to see you. 15 You can speak to him and tell him what to say. I will help both of you to speak, and I will tell you both what to do.

Isaiah 6:5 I said, “There is no hope for me! I am doomed because every word that passes my lips is sinful, and I live among a people whose every word is sinful. And yet, with my own eyes I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

Jeremiah 1:6 I answered, “Sovereign LORD, I don't know how to speak; I am too young.”

1 Corinthians 15:9;

9 For I am the least of all the apostles—I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church.

Ephesians 3:8

8 I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ,

viii-Jeremiah 1:4 The LORD said to me, 5 “I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”

ix-Jeremiah 1:7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

9 Then the LORD reached out, touched my lips, and said to me, “Listen, I am giving you the words you must speak. 10 Today I give you authority over nations and kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

x-Jeremiah 1:Two Visions

11 The LORD asked me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?”

I answered, “A branch of an almond tree.”

12 “You are right,” the LORD said, “and I am watching[a] to see that my words come true.”

13 Then the LORD spoke to me again. “What else do you see?” he asked.

I answered, “I see a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this way.”

14 He said to me, “Destruction will boil over from the north on all who live in this land, 15 because I am calling all the nations in the north to come. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of Jerusalem and around its walls and also around the other cities of Judah. 16 I will punish my people because they have sinned; they have abandoned me, have offered sacrifices to other gods, and have made idols and worshiped them. 17 Get ready, Jeremiah; go and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them now, or I will make you even more afraid when you are with them. 18-19 Listen, Jeremiah! Everyone in this land—the kings of Judah, the officials, the priests, and the people—will be against you. But today I am giving you the strength to resist them; you will be like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. They will not defeat you, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

xi-Matthew 28:19-20

19 Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

xii-Jeremiah 1:16 I will punish my people because they have sinned; they have abandoned me, have offered sacrifices to other gods, and have made idols and worshiped them. 17 Get ready, Jeremiah; go and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them now, or I will make you even more afraid when you are with them. 18-19 Listen, Jeremiah! Everyone in this land—the kings of Judah, the officials, the priests, and the people—will be against you. But today I am giving you the strength to resist them; you will be like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. They will not defeat you, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

xiii-1 Samuel 3:The Lord Appears to Samuel

3 In those days, when the boy Samuel was serving the LORD under the direction of Eli, there were very few messages from the LORD, and visions from him were quite rare. 2 One night Eli, who was now almost blind, was sleeping in his own room; 3 Samuel was sleeping in the sanctuary, where the sacred Covenant Box was. Before dawn, while the lamp was still burning, 4 the LORD called Samuel. He answered, “Yes, sir!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “You called me, and here I am.”

But Eli answered, “I didn't call you; go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.

6-7 The LORD called Samuel again. The boy did not know that it was the LORD, because the LORD had never spoken to him before. So he got up, went to Eli, and said, “You called me, and here I am.”

But Eli answered, “My son, I didn't call you; go back to bed.”

8 The LORD called Samuel a third time; he got up, went to Eli, and said, “You called me, and here I am.”

Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy, 9 so he said to him, “Go back to bed; and if he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

10 The LORD came and stood there, and called as he had before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel answered, “Speak; your servant is listening.”

11 The LORD said to him, “Some day I am going to do something to the people of Israel that is so terrible that everyone who hears about it will be stunned. 12 On that day I will carry out all my threats against Eli's family, from beginning to end. 13 I have already told him[a] that I am going to punish his family forever because his sons have spoken evil things against me. Eli knew they were doing this, but he did not stop them. 14 So I solemnly declare to the family of Eli that no sacrifice or offering will ever be able to remove the consequences of this terrible sin.”

15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning; then he got up and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 16 Eli called him, “Samuel, my boy!”

“Yes, sir,” answered Samuel.

17 “What did the LORD tell you?” Eli asked. “Don't keep anything from me. God will punish you severely if you don't tell me everything he said.” 18 So Samuel told him everything; he did not keep anything back. Eli said, “He is the LORD; he will do whatever seems best to him.”

xiv-Jeremiah 1:1 This book is the account of what was said by Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The LORD spoke to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, 3 and he spoke to him again when Josiah's son Jehoiakim was king. After that, the LORD spoke to him many times, until the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah. In the fifth month of that year the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.

The Call of Jeremiah

4 The LORD said to me, 5 “I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”

6 I answered, “Sovereign LORD, I don't know how to speak; I am too young.”

7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

9 Then the LORD reached out, touched my lips, and said to me, “Listen, I am giving you the words you must speak. 10 Today I give you authority over nations and kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Two Visions

11 The LORD asked me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?”

I answered, “A branch of an almond tree.”

12 “You are right,” the LORD said, “and I am watching[a] to see that my words come true.”

13 Then the LORD spoke to me again. “What else do you see?” he asked.

I answered, “I see a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this way.”

14 He said to me, “Destruction will boil over from the north on all who live in this land, 15 because I am calling all the nations in the north to come. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of Jerusalem and around its walls and also around the other cities of Judah. 16 I will punish my people because they have sinned; they have abandoned me, have offered sacrifices to other gods, and have made idols and worshiped them. 17 Get ready, Jeremiah; go and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them now, or I will make you even more afraid when you are with them. 18-19 Listen, Jeremiah! Everyone in this land—the kings of Judah, the officials, the priests, and the people—will be against you. But today I am giving you the strength to resist them; you will be like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. They will not defeat you, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

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