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| 1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: |
Words of Jeremiah – To be read to all the people at the Temple on the occasion of a general gathering for worship and repentance. R4857:2
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| 2 to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. |
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| 3 It 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. |
End of the 11th year – The 70 years of desolation began in the end of the 11th year of Zedekiah. HG47:2
It was here the diadem was removed to "be no more until he come whose right it is." (Ezek. 21:25-27) HG46:5
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| 4 Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, |
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| 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations. |
Before I formed thee – In the case of Adam, God knew what man, without experience, would do before he formed him, and made full provision for his failure. R875:3*
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Before thou camest forth out of the womb – The womb of the Sarah feature of the Abrahamic Covenant.
I sanctified thee – This is where the church is sanctified. The symbolic "Holy" of the tabernacle.
I ordained thee – It is God who ordained that the church should be His witness before the nations.
A prophet unto the nations – We prophesy to the nations by declaring Present Truth. |
| 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child. |
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Then said I – The church in the flesh is here speaking.
I cannot speak, for I am a child – This is the proper attitude for God's children. We are to be as "little children." Our own understanding is nothing. |
| 7 But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak. |
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The LORD said – At this point we NEED to listen to His instructions.
Unto me – The church in the flesh.
Say not 'I am a child' – Even though our attitude is that of little children, God instructs to speak with the authority of His Word. Therefore, we are not to say 'I am a child.'
I shall send thee – We are not going on our own but on God's mission.
Whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak – Not our own words. Our mission is not to get followers for ourselves. Our opinions do not matter. It is only the Truth of God's Word that counts. |
| 8 Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah. |
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Be not afraid of their faces – Perfect love casteth out fear.
For I am with thee – This makes all the difference!
To deliver thee – Our work will continue until God determines it is finished. This is the thought of the wave offering in the tabernacle. |
| 9 Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth: |
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Touched my mouth – Compare with Isa. 6:6,7.
I have put my words in thy mouth – This is most important! It is not our own strength or wisdom that is involved here. God has done it all and we need to proceed from that standpoint. |
| 10 see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. |
I have this day – A prophecy which belongs to Christ's Millennial reign. B311
Set thee – Christ. B311
Claimed by Papists to refer to the Pope. B311
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I – Jehovah God.
Have set thee – The church in the flesh.
This day – The millennial Day.
Over the nations and kingdoms – Those on the other side the veil are already over the nations and kingdoms. Those on this side are doing (in a small way) the same work by declaring God's message.
To root out.. pull down.. destroy.. throw down – To execute God's judgements by declaring God's message. In other words: God counts it to us as if we have actually been doing this work because the power is in His Word. Psa. 149:5-9
To build and to plant – The first part was the message of the destruction of the old order. This is the message of the building up of the Kingdom of God on earth. |
| 11 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree. |
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| 12 Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it. |
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| 13 And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling caldron; and the face thereof is from the north. |
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| 14 Then Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. |
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| 15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. |
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| 16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. |
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| 17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them. |
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| 18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and copper 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. |
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| 19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee. |
To deliver thee – Not from persecution or even death, but merely such protection as would prevent his enemies from hindering the Lord's purpose in him. R1372:2
The Lord does not engage to deliver his children from all the ills of life; but if faithful unto death, they will have a glorious deliverance and entrance into the Kingdom. R1372:3
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