Jeremiah 1:2-3
Hey guys!!
Sorry it's been a while again... I don't like how crazy busy things get... it seems I never can find the time for this all... and I apologize for not being able to engage in dialogue on your blogs yet--I honestly am not trying to make excuses... I just seriously hardly have time for the things I do need to be doing. At any rate, here we are again...
Jeremiah 1:
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to 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.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations”.
Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth”.
But the LORD said to me, “Do not say ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant”. And the word of the LORD came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree”.
Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it”. And the word of the LORD came to me a second time saying, “What do you see?”
And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north”.
Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD; “and they will come, and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And I will pronounce my judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. Now, gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them. Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. And they will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
vs. 2-to whom the word of the LORD came in the days (day [literally from sunrise to sunset], day [figuratively a space of time defined by this term], age) of Josiah, the son of Amon, king (king, royalty) of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign (reign, ascension to the throne, induction into royalty, to be/make king, rule).
~*Our English language almost seems empty to me when I begin to read the multiple meanings which the Hebrew words can have. To us, the word “day” simply means “day”… from morning to night-12:00 midnight till 11:59 the next day. To the Israelites, it could mean (as in some people’s belief of the creation account) a figurative space of time defined by the term "day" (in other words, it could be multiple days, could be years, could be a literal day). Hence, we have accounts where Jewish writers speak of something happening in the day of judgment, etc. (which may well be many days, but is just referred to as a day… the idea here is a period of time, more than a literal day).
Here too, the idea of “reign” is deeper-to me, when I hear the word "reign", I think of a dictator-most likely cultural baggage which has been attached to the word in the past. In Israelite history, it was simply a statement of the fact that the individual was king at the time. There may have been baggage connected to it back then as well (there usually is cultural baggage connected with words…)…to me the thought of the “induction into royalty” is so cool… the reign began the day the individual was inducted, or sworn in (in our world, I believe the closing line for such a ceremony {albeit not for a king} is: “So help me, God”?) and ended the day he died or passed on leadership (through a new induction) to their heir. I'm not totally sure why this concept seems so rich to me, but maybe it’s just the sense of finality of it-once they’re in, they’re in, until someone (or time) does something to end the fact that they’re in (i.e. kills them or renders them incapable of ruling). Our God’s reign cannot be ended by either time or by anything anyone can do…he’s in for good, and we’ve got the choice to accept that or not. As for me, I revel in the fact that his kingdom is forever (as opposed to the finite rules of men like Josiah…)…never will there be a more righteous and just King.*~
vs. 3-It came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile (exile [especially in the disgraceful sense-captives stripped and carried off to a foreign land], bring, carry, lead, depart, remove) of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
~*Kinda running on the same line of thought as my crazy suggestion with the word “land” earlier, this seems to reflect a similar thought… the Israelites were removed, carried, and led away from their inheritance…already a shameful thing-add to that the shame involved in being led into exile. Anyone along the way to wherever you were being taken would know and mock the fact that this kingdom-once great-had been torn down and taken captive. I can’t imagine the loss of dignity involved as that. Every time I hear of the exile in the Bible, I can’t help but think of the slave trade which went on in the States for many years prior to the Emancipation Proclamation…to imagine the disgrace involved in being taken away, treated harshly, and carried off to some distant land to be slaves and serve your captors seems impossible to me. That the value of a human life could be reduced to whatever the highest bidder is willing to pay, and that someone can actually become another man’s property by legally binding contract seems so anti-scriptural to me (if anyone is aware of scripture which supports this kind of demotion of human worth, let me know… I fail to see it anywhere!). Think of the hopelessness they must have felt (Israel), knowing they were being taken away from their inheritance-the promised land-and never knowing if they would ever return there. What blows me away most through all of this is the fact that God’s faithfulness continued…and continued…and continued. And still continues today (in all reality, is there any logical way Israel should still be around as a nation, after all they’ve been though?). I do not see how anyone can deny the fact that God’s hand is still at work in that nation… there’s no other explanation for it to me…*~
Sorry it's been a while again... I don't like how crazy busy things get... it seems I never can find the time for this all... and I apologize for not being able to engage in dialogue on your blogs yet--I honestly am not trying to make excuses... I just seriously hardly have time for the things I do need to be doing. At any rate, here we are again...
Jeremiah 1:
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to 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.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations”.
Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth”.
But the LORD said to me, “Do not say ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant”. And the word of the LORD came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree”.
Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it”. And the word of the LORD came to me a second time saying, “What do you see?”
And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north”.
Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD; “and they will come, and they will set each one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And I will pronounce my judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. Now, gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them. Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. And they will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
vs. 2-to whom the word of the LORD came in the days (day [literally from sunrise to sunset], day [figuratively a space of time defined by this term], age) of Josiah, the son of Amon, king (king, royalty) of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign (reign, ascension to the throne, induction into royalty, to be/make king, rule).
~*Our English language almost seems empty to me when I begin to read the multiple meanings which the Hebrew words can have. To us, the word “day” simply means “day”… from morning to night-12:00 midnight till 11:59 the next day. To the Israelites, it could mean (as in some people’s belief of the creation account) a figurative space of time defined by the term "day" (in other words, it could be multiple days, could be years, could be a literal day). Hence, we have accounts where Jewish writers speak of something happening in the day of judgment, etc. (which may well be many days, but is just referred to as a day… the idea here is a period of time, more than a literal day).
Here too, the idea of “reign” is deeper-to me, when I hear the word "reign", I think of a dictator-most likely cultural baggage which has been attached to the word in the past. In Israelite history, it was simply a statement of the fact that the individual was king at the time. There may have been baggage connected to it back then as well (there usually is cultural baggage connected with words…)…to me the thought of the “induction into royalty” is so cool… the reign began the day the individual was inducted, or sworn in (in our world, I believe the closing line for such a ceremony {albeit not for a king} is: “So help me, God”?) and ended the day he died or passed on leadership (through a new induction) to their heir. I'm not totally sure why this concept seems so rich to me, but maybe it’s just the sense of finality of it-once they’re in, they’re in, until someone (or time) does something to end the fact that they’re in (i.e. kills them or renders them incapable of ruling). Our God’s reign cannot be ended by either time or by anything anyone can do…he’s in for good, and we’ve got the choice to accept that or not. As for me, I revel in the fact that his kingdom is forever (as opposed to the finite rules of men like Josiah…)…never will there be a more righteous and just King.*~
vs. 3-It came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile (exile [especially in the disgraceful sense-captives stripped and carried off to a foreign land], bring, carry, lead, depart, remove) of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
~*Kinda running on the same line of thought as my crazy suggestion with the word “land” earlier, this seems to reflect a similar thought… the Israelites were removed, carried, and led away from their inheritance…already a shameful thing-add to that the shame involved in being led into exile. Anyone along the way to wherever you were being taken would know and mock the fact that this kingdom-once great-had been torn down and taken captive. I can’t imagine the loss of dignity involved as that. Every time I hear of the exile in the Bible, I can’t help but think of the slave trade which went on in the States for many years prior to the Emancipation Proclamation…to imagine the disgrace involved in being taken away, treated harshly, and carried off to some distant land to be slaves and serve your captors seems impossible to me. That the value of a human life could be reduced to whatever the highest bidder is willing to pay, and that someone can actually become another man’s property by legally binding contract seems so anti-scriptural to me (if anyone is aware of scripture which supports this kind of demotion of human worth, let me know… I fail to see it anywhere!). Think of the hopelessness they must have felt (Israel), knowing they were being taken away from their inheritance-the promised land-and never knowing if they would ever return there. What blows me away most through all of this is the fact that God’s faithfulness continued…and continued…and continued. And still continues today (in all reality, is there any logical way Israel should still be around as a nation, after all they’ve been though?). I do not see how anyone can deny the fact that God’s hand is still at work in that nation… there’s no other explanation for it to me…*~