The Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah when Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah were kings of Judah, "until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive..."
The Lord said to Jeremiah:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah doubted and said he could not speak because he was only a youth.
But the Lord replied:
...you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you.
And the Lord touched Jeremiah's mouth with His hand, and said:
...I have put My words in your mouth...I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.
Then the Lord asked Jeremiah what he saw, and he saw the branch of an almond tree. This meant that Jeremiah was ready to perform God's Word. A second time the Lord asked Jeremiah what he saw, and Jeremiah saw a boiling pot facing away from the north. This meant that the Lord would send an enemy from the north (Babylon) to bring judgment upon Judah for their wickedness, because they had forsaken the Lord, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
The Lord told Jeremiah to prepare to speak to them all He commanded. Jeremiah was made for this day. "...they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you."
COMMENTARY
McGee gives us some reference for the book Jeremiah: Hilkiah, father of Jeremiah, was the high priest who found the book of the Law, which set off a revival, during the reign of Josiah.
Jeremiah's ministry began in the thirteenth year of Josiah. He was a young man, maybe in his early twenties, and he did not feel experienced enough or qualified to be a prophet. But God set Jeremiah apart from the time of his conception in his mother's womb for this very purpose.
God told Jeremiah that the people will reject his message and ignore him, and being a tender man, it broke his heart. Maybe this was why God used Jeremiah because He wanted His people to know how much He loved them, that He wanted to save and deliver them.
God did not want Jeremiah to be concerned about his ability or effect to deliver the message because it was God's words; all he had to do was give the message. Jeremiah was not responsible for the response or lack thereof. He was only responsible for being obedient to God and giving God's word with authority, as God gave it to him. Remember, God uses the weak things of this world to do His will.
God asked Jeremiah on two occasions what he saw. Once he saw an almond tree, which represented a "waker" or "watcher." Jeremiah was to be a waker of the people, though they wanted to hit the snooze button too many times and stay asleep.
The other object Jeremiah saw was a boiling pot from the north, which represented the rising power of Babylon. That would be the warning the people would disregard.
McGee gave more references to the other prophets and where they were or are on the timeline with Jeremiah. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, and Nahum, contemporaries of Isaiah, are no longer "on the scene." Zephaniah and Habakkuk may still be living during the time of Jeremiah. Ezekiel and Obadiah were contemporaries of Jeremiah, but they do not prophecy until AFTER the captives are in Babylon. And Daniel will come later. But Jeremiah will deliver the judgments of the Lord alone.
God told him they won't listen, but continue to give the messages. The Lord will put His words into Jeremiah's mouth. How unworthy Jeremiah felt, but there is no excuse bigger than God's calling.
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