Jeremiah 1:4-10, Jeremiah’s Call to Ministry

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, asked his persecutors, “Were there any prophets your ancestors did not persecute?” (Acts 7:52). The seer, the man of God (or woman of God, Exodus 15:20, Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14), was sent by God with His message, speaking only what God had told him or her. And that message was often decrying His people’s sin and announcing God’s judgment, something God’s people were not overly fond of. Being called by God to be His prophet was a sobering, even terrifying, thing to happen.

⁴ The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Yahweh,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; for I am too young.”

⁷ But Yahweh said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ Go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.

⁹ Then Yahweh reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I set you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”  (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

How did this word from Yahweh come to Jeremiah? We’re told in verse 9 that Yahweh reached out His hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth, so it is likely that, as with Moses, Yahweh, that is, the angel of Yahweh, made a personal appearance to Jeremiah. This is awe-inspiring enough! But when He tells Jeremiah that he has been formed by God in his mother’s womb (as we presume all humans are) and set apart, appointed to be a prophet to the nations, are we surprised that Jeremiah humbly protests?

This is probably the proper decorum at being given such a lofty calling, to declare oneself unworthy, but we have seen that in some (Moses, Exodus 3,4) it was a genuine rebellion. But Yahweh meets Jeremiah’s objection the same way He met Moses’ objection. He is calling Jeremiah. This is not a request. This is a command. He must go where God sends him, he must speak what God tells him. It is natural to be afraid, but Yahweh tells him not to be, because Yahweh is with him, Yahweh will deliver him. Then Yahweh puts His words in Jeremiah’s mouth. God equips whom He calls.

Jeremiah is not going to travel to all the nations. All his ministry will be in Judah. But his message will be to every nation. And it will consist of two thirds judgment and one third comfort. His words from God will uproot, tear down, destroy, overthrow, build and plant, the latter two being a reversal of the first four.

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Discussion Questions

1. What does your name mean?
2. What does it appear God formed you in the womb to be?
3. How did God equip you to carry out His call?
4. What have you found scary about your call?