King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 5 notes
1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
In verse 4 he says the word of the Lord came to him, but in verse 9 he says and the hand of the Lord touched his mouth.
This goes to show that the word of the Lord is the Lord in person.
It is not a voice or sound. It is a personal being.
Saying the word of the Lord came is more of an expression for saying the Lord came to him.
Revelation 19:13 KJV
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And his name is the word of God.
Is that not the name given to Jesus the Christ — does that mean this expression is actually referencing Christ in his pre-incarnate form?
Why else would he be called the word of God if he is not the word of God?
That expression often confused 😕 me. But it doesn't mean he was in the past in the form of words; rather, it's an expression describing his function.
Because when he shows up he speaks the mind of God.
He is the logos.
5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
This issue of I cannot speak.
It seems the Lord sees differently from how we see ourselves.
Moses complained of the exact same thing.
And I, even I, have pleaded for a mouth 👄 that can speak and for God to be with my mouth like he was with Moses, so I can speak and teach his word.
7But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
And you would think 🤔 after having said this, the ride will be smooth, or at worst when trouble comes, immediately God comes in to save the day.
Jeremiah was put in a pit and almost died, he was imprisoned, and at a point he himself testified that he said he would no more speak the word...
Yeah, that's how bad it got.
No, it's more like you will go through the challenges, there will be doubts 🤷♂️, pain 🥖 and at a point you might wonder if God is alive.
But our God, just at your threshold, he comes to the rescue.
And you know the thing about God is that when he steps in, he does a beautiful job of cleaning up every mess.
Oh, when he, God, steps in, as we say, he "ebaa fée Tami sini".
Like when the good cop shows up in the movie at the last moment, you know help has come and it doesn't matter how messed up the situation. He's gonna do a good job.
9Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
11Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
12Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
13And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
14Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
15For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
16And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
Does that mean the righteous were spared... Not necessarily, not automatically, not all.
For instance, Daniel and his brethren were spared, but we can't definitively say all righteous people were spared.
Example: Jonathan was killed, though so righteous, in the war in which his father died... So it's not always the case.
I wish I knew the criteria in the case of such selection, as to which righteous person lives and which one is spared the wickedness of this world.
Maybe the righteous that run the risk of turning evil if given more time... Who knows, or those who are so pure hearted and love God that the world is not worthy of them, as stated in the New Testament.
17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
18For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Literally fenced in city 🏙. Such a city is fortified with iron pillars and walls made of bronze.
19And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.