Grant, Almighty God, that since You are pleased to kindly invite us to Yourself, and have consecrated Your word for our salvation, O grant that we may willingly and from the heart obey You, and become so teachable that what You have designed for our salvation may not turn to our perdition; but may that incorruptible seed by which you regenerate us into a hope of the celestial life so drive its roots into our hearts, and bring forth fruit, that Your name may be glorified; and may we be so planted in the courts of Your house that we may grow and flourish, and that fruit may appear through the whole course of our life,until we shall at length enjoy that blessed life that is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
"Now the word of the LORD came to me..." (1:4) Jeremiah makes it clear right away that, although he came from a priestly family in a priestly town, he did not take the office of prophet upon himself, nor would he have. But he states that God's call came to him, without any invitation or anticipation. God specifically chose Jeremiah for this task. In fact, God goes so far as to tell Jeremiah that He created him for the express purpose of being a prophet to the nations. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated [i.e., set you apart for a holy purpose]; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." (1;5, ESV) Notice there the verbs God used: "I formed, I knew, I consecrated, I appointed." These are all strong verbs that indicate God's absolute sovereignty and control in Jeremiah's life, and they serve as a reminder that this is all God's work; that he is active. At the outset, knowing what we know about Jeremiah's timidity (at least at the beginning), we may wonder why God chose Jeremiah and not a more bold, fearless man to be his messenger, especially given the extremely difficult circumstances of this ministry. I believe God chose Jeremiah because He knew that Jeremiah would have to rely totally on Him and not his own abilities. God chose the weak to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
Jeremiah voiced his objection to God's call, citing his youth (1:6). Commentators are divided in regards to whether Jeremiah's "youth" refers to his age or merely his lack of experience. I don't think it's feasible to expect that God would choose a child, say 8 or 9 years old, to carry His message, but Jeremiah's ministry lasted forty years, so he probably was fairly young at the time of God's call (maybe around twenty). God didn't disagree with Jeremiah, and He didn't promise him an easy road. He instead promised Jeremiah that He would be the driving force (v. 7) and the delivering force (v. 8) of Jeremiah's ministry. Jeremiah could be reassured that everywhere he went and everything he said would be at God's command, not his own. He could also be reassured that, yes, there would be difficulty and danger, but that God would deliver him. He wouldn't be abandoned.
Jeremiah's objection to God's call was not unlike that of Moses in Exodus 3. Neither man was being disobedient or refusing God or seeking to be excused, both men simply saw their own inadequacy in the face of the task in front of them. And they were right; they were inadequate. But God comforted both of them by promising His presence. Confronting people about their sin and its consequences, or about their reliance on their religious traditions for their standing with God, is a daunting task and we should expect resistance. No one likes to be told that they're not just fine how they are. That's why the message has to come from God, not us. A Christian (well-meaning though he or she may be) who approaches a stranger and tells him that he's going to hell and needs to repent will probably do more harm than good for the Kingdom of God. However, a Christian who shows genuine concern and care for another person, and lovingly explains what God's standards of righteousness are and how we can be reconciled to Him, can expect much more openness and receptivity to the Gospel. People generally won't trust Christ until they trust a Christian. Jeremiah, however, didn't have that luxury.
God touched Jeremiah's mouth and gave him His words (v. 9). He placed his message in Jeremiah's mouth. In later days, when Jeremiah's ministry was exceedingly difficult for him, when he was being greatly persecuted because of God's words, he tried to hold them in so that maybe the persecution would stop; but he was unable to withhold the word of God (20:9). God not only gave Jeremiah His message, He gave him the authority to preach it to anyone and everyone (v 10). Entire nations (not just Judah, all nations of all times) were to be subject to the message God gave him. Even kings were (and are) not exempt. And knowing the magnitude of the task and the frailty of the messenger, God continually draws Jeremiah's attention to Himself ("I have put my words...I have set you...") and away from his own weakness. God wanted to make sure Jeremiah's focus was on Him and not on the size of the task, his own inadequacy, or the position of the people to whom he was to preach. In his commentary on Jeremiah, John Calvin says: "Teachers cannot firmly execute their office except they have the majesty of God before their eyes, so that in comparison with him they may disregard whatever splendor, pomp, or power there may be in men."
Let us always remember that our calling in Christ has very little to do with us and everything to do with Him. It's not about who we are or what we can do; it's all about Christ and what He has already done. Let us always keep the majesty of God before our eyes.
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