NOTES for Jer 1:1-10

Jeremiah was called to prophetic ministry from his mother’s womb. Does this mean that the prophet was predestined in advance to be invulnerable to sin, that he was free from the temptations that tried and still try other people? No, of course not. He was a human being like everyone else, just as weak and capable of stumbling. That is all true, yet not entirely. Jeremiah agreed to rely on the strength given by the Lord, and in doing so proved able to receive it.

When the Lord calls the prophet to ministry, He likens him to a fortified city. This comparison seems a little strange to us, for we remember sayings and familiar phrases such as “one man cannot fight a battle” or “the voice of one is fainter than a squeak.” But the one whom the Lord has called becomes a warrior even when alone. Very often, when forced to stand against hostile or simply deceived crowds, such a person proves stronger than entire hosts. Even when cast down and apparently defeated, that person remains the victor. For victory still belongs to the One who appointed the prophet to ministry.