Jeremiah 1 does the same thing for Jeremiah that Isaiah 6 does for Isaiah, it is Jeremiah's call and commission to prophetic ministry. Jeremiah comes from the priestly line of Aaron, his father was a priest and at the time of his commission Jeremiah was expected to also. What we see in verse 2 though is a Divine detour being introduced with “the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah”. So the Lord came to Jeremiah saying:
God’s Grace
(1) Verse 5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
(1a) Clear statements of God’s sovereignty and His election or grace. Jeremiah is called by God. No real reason is stated…He just does it. Why? Because God knew Him in the womb and consecrated him, that’s why. Period. End of sentence. God is basically saying “I am God, I am sovereign, all-knowing, all-powerful and perfect, I picked YOU, so shut-up and get over it.”
God’s Protective Presence
(1) Verse 6: ‘Then I said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth."
(1a) We hear echoes of Moses’ doubt here nearly verbatim. Regardless of whether Jeremiah believed he was not equipped for oral ministry nor old enough, God did. Being a priest (or priest in training) Jeremiah being a fairly God-centered person he would’ve known this. So I don’t think this was so much a concern for being able to speak correctly as it was (1) a sheer terror of being a prophet as prophets were often ostracized and alienated and (2) being a speaker for the Lord puts you between the people and the Lord. In many cases what will need to be said to the people will not be pleasant and they will take it out on the prophet.
(2) Verse 7 & 8: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD.
(2a) Jeremiah’s age is irrelevant and of no importance to God. God could’ve used his youth to His advantage if He really wanted to. As God eventually comforted and gently rebuked Moses in his doubt, so too He does it with Jeremiah. God is in charge. God would’ve spoken for Jeremiah if the situation warranted it. If God will it, it happens, regardless of human shortcomings, qualms and doubts. God can and will even use His peoples doubts to advantage… so they need not worry. HE will deliver us (and did).
(2b) If the Lord is declaring you better be listening.
God’s Word
(1) Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth, "See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms…”
(1a) ...and now for something rare and unusual. A visual object lesson from God. If God wanted to assure me by touching me I would’ve been assured of anything. In verse 1 starts with God coming in “Word” form, “the word of God came” but here we read God physically manifests in the form of a hand to touch Jeremiah’s mouth. I would’ve passed this over as metaphorical or figurative language if it hadn’t been for two words in verses 9 & 10: “touched” and “see”. [Strong’s H5060: naga] “And He is touching” is the correct understanding of this. It is used 92 times in the OT and every instance is a physical touch. The figurative wordage would’ve meant that God was arriving at or acquiring Jeremiah’s lips thereby making it inapplicable in this context. This has to be literal. God literally/physically touches him.
(1b) See or seeing implies that God was asking Jeremiah to acknowledge with his own eyes and cognizance what God has done for Jeremiah to strengthen and encourage him.
(1c) Just as God’s word could speak the physical universe into existence so to it can manifest a physical presence as a visual representation.
In Jeremiah 1:15-19 we see God give promises to Jeremiah because God knew Jeremiah was destined to have rough going in his ministry. Jeremiah was going to be delivering some not-so-pleasing prophecies. The first of which is mentioned in verse 15 (actually 13 & 14 too). The Lord was going to pout out disaster like a boiling pot from the north. After summoning “all” the families of the kingdom of the north they will…come and set “each one their throne” at the entrance of the gate of Jerusalem and against the walls. In other words God is telling the southern kingdom would fall to the north.
God was pronouncing judgments on Judah concerning their wickedness. They have been idolatrous and offered sacrifices to other gods, false gods, statues, lawn ornaments as I am fond of calling them.
Fortunately or unfortunately for Jeremiah it is he that will inform them of this fact so God tells him to “gird up his loins and arise” to go to speak to them as a prophet of God. To gird up your loins meant to draw up and tie your lower garments for battle. People often wore tunics and if they were not bound they would trip combatants and often mean their demise. God tells Jeremiah not to be terrified before them because He has made Jeremiah a “fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall” or what amounts to a nearly insurmountable unbeatable foe. This promise would be necessary because as we will see all of Israel or the whole land would oppose or fight against Jeremiah’s (God’s) message. Jeremiah in the end would not be overcome though as declared by the Lord (v. 19). As we have seen God work in other situations of insurmountable odds here again God will do the same. Why? So that the enemies of God, Jeremiah and us, the readers will know that “He is the Lord our God”.
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