The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah v.4Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:4 informing him that God had known him before he was born and had preordained him to be his prophet.v.5Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:5 He was told to declare to the nations whatsoever God commanded him to speak v.7Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:7 and not to be afraid of the persecution this would bring.v.8Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:8 God put his words in Jeremiah’s mouth v.9Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:9 and the things he declared would certainly occur: “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”.v.10Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:10 Jeremiah did none of these things literally, but he declared what would happen and God brought them to pass. The prophets spoke with authority because they spoke the word of God, and we can accept their message with absolute confidence, knowing that all that they said comes from God.
Jeremiah was immediately given two visions which, at first sight, seem cryptic. However, the almond tree v.11Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:11 was the first tree to blossom in the spring and is used here to show that God would very soon do what he declared.v.12Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:12 It is also a symbol of resurrection for a rod of an almond tree v.11Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:11 was used to represent the resurrection of Christ when Aaron’s rod budded and sprang back into life. Numbers 17:8Waiting for response for Numbers 17:8 The second vision was that of a seething pot v.13Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:13 to represent the cauldron that Jerusalem would become when nations invaded the land from the north v.14,Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:14 besieged the city,v.15Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:15 and punished the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem for their wickedness.v.16Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:16
When Jeremiah told the Jews of the impending judgments he was branded a traitor and persecuted, but God encouraged him in advance, promising protection.vs.17-19Waiting for response for Jeremiah 1:17-19 This echoes the encouragement Jesus gave to the apostles when telling them of the persecution they would suffer for his sake. Luke 21:16-19Waiting for response for Luke 21:16-19 In the event, Jeremiah survived to see Jerusalem destroyed and the people of Judah carried away captive to Babylon.
The words of God to Jeremiah in this chapter show us that the prophets of the LORD did not speak their own thoughts but expressed the mind of God.