Jeremiah 1:8

came unto me, saying, 5 Before 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. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But 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. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9 Then 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. 10 See, 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. Here is, I. Jeremiah's early designation to the work and office of a prophet, which God gives him notice of as a reason for his early application to that business (v. 4, 5): The word of the Lord came to him, with a satisfying assurance to himself that it was the word of the Lord and not a delusion; and God told him, 1. That he had ordained him a prophet to the nations, or against the nations, the nation of the Jews in the first place, who are now reckoned among the nations because they had learned their works and mingled with them in their idolatries, for otherwise they would not have been numbered with them, Num. xxiii. 9.

1:1-10 Jeremiah's early call to the work and office of a prophet is stated. He was to be a prophet, not to the Jews only, but to the neighbouring nations. He is still a prophet to the whole world, and it would be well if they would attend to these warnings. The Lord who formed us, knows for what particular services and purposes he intended us. But unless he sanctify us by his new-creating Spirit, we shall neither be fit for his holy service on earth, nor his holy happiness in heaven. It becomes us to have low thoughts of ourselves. Those who are young, should consider that they are so, and not venture beyond their powers. But though a sense of our own weakness and insufficiency should make us go humbly about our work, it should not make us draw back when God calls us. Those who have messages to deliver from God, must not fear the face of man. The Lord, by a sign, gave Jeremiah such a gift as was necessary. God's message should be delivered in his own words. Whatever wordly wise men or politicians may think, the safety of kingdoms is decided according to the purpose and word of God.

Be not afraid of their faces,.... Their stern looks, their frowning brows, and angry countenances, which would threaten him with destruction and death: for I am with thee, to deliver thee, saith the Lord; out of their hands, when in the most imminent danger. The Targum paraphrases the words thus, "my Word shall be thine help to deliver thee:'' which is true of Christ, the essential Word of God.

(8) Be not afraid. —The words imply, as in those spoken to Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 2:6 ), to St. Peter ( Luke 5:10 ), and St. Paul ( Acts 18:9 ), the fear that sprang from the sense of personal weakness and unfitness to cope with the dangers to which his work exposed him. The “faces” of his adversaries would be a source of terror to him. The consciousness that Jehovah was with him was to raise him from that timidity.

Be not afraid of their faces; their fierce looks, Ezekiel 3:9 , the indication of their enraged minds, Daniel 3:19 ; neither when thou deliverest my message to them, nor when thou mayst be cited before them, Matthew 10:18,19 . This is God’s answer to Jeremiah’s fears in respect of the persons he was to deal with, as the other was in respect of his own consciousness of insufficiency; and he mentions their faces, because the majestic countenance of princes and magistrates is apt to strike a great awe and terror upon children. I am with thee; I will not only send thee as other kings do their ambassadors, but I will go with thee. This God promises to Moses, Exodus 3:12 Deu 31:6,8 . To deliver thee: here God promises his protection for encouragement.

Just as little needs youthful bashfulness or shy unwillingness to speak before high and mighty personages stand as a hindrance in the way of his accepting God's call. The Lord will be with him, so that he needs have no fear for any man. The suffix in מפניהם refers to all to whom God sends him ( Jeremiah 1:7 ). These, enraged by the threatenings of punishment which he must proclaim to them, will seek to persecute him and put him to death (cf. Jeremiah 1:19 ); but God promises to rescue him from every distress and danger which the fulfilment of his duties can bring upon him. Yet God does not let the matter cease with this pledge; but, further, He consecrates him to his calling.

[Bible] 1:2. The word of the Lord which came to him in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 1:3. And which came to him in the days of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, unto the end of the eleventh year of Sedecias the son of Josias king of Juda, even unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, in the fifth month. 1:4. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 1:5. Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations. 1:6. And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. 1:7. And the Lord said to me: Say not: I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee: and whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak. 1:8. Be not afraid at their presence: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. 1:9. And the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me: Behold I have given my words in thy mouth: 1:10. Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant. 1:11. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What seest thou, Jeremias? And I said: I see a rod watching. 1:12. And the Lord said to me: Thou hast seen well: for I will watch over my word to perform it. 1:13. And the word of the Lord came to me a second time saying: What seest thou? And I said: I see a boiling caldron, and the face thereof from the face of the north. 1:14. And the Lord said to me: From the north shall an evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 1:15. For behold I will call together all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord: and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all the walls thereof round about, and upon all the cities of Juda.

In experience, being altogether unskilful in such affairs, not having been used to prophesy, and therefore in neither respect likely to be much regarded. ## Jeremiah 1:7 Say not, I am a child; do not plead excuses. ## Thou shalt go: this is God’s answer to Jeremiah, in respect of his sense of his own inability. This may be by way of command, and then it is a check to his timorousness; Thou shalt go, therefore draw not back. Or by way of promise, and then it is a satisfactory answer to his excuse, as both proceeded from a sense of his own insufficiency: q.d. Fear not, I will make thee eloquent and courageous. ## To all: this relates either to persons or things. ## To all, i.e. to all persons to whom I shall send thee; thou shalt balk none: see Rev_10:11. Or, ## upon all, so is the Hebrew; and then it is, Thou shalt go upon all errands and messages that I shall send thee. See Isa_55:11 Act_26:16. ## Jeremiah 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces; their fierce looks, Eze_3:9, the indication of their enraged minds, Dan_3:19; neither when thou deliverest my message to them, nor when thou mayst be cited before them, Mat_10:18 ,19 . This is God’s answer to Jeremiah’s fears in respect of the persons he was to deal with, as the other was in respect of his own consciousness of insufficiency; and he mentions their faces, because the majestic countenance of princes and magistrates is apt to strike a great awe and terror upon children.