Jeremiah

Prophet Like Moses

Jack R. Lundbom

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781498280013
• Edition: 22
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Biography

This book on Jeremiah seeks to place before a broad audience of students and lay readers one of the truly great Hebrew prophets and extraordinary individuals of the ancient world. It lifts up major themes preserved in the book bearing Jeremiah's name, one of the most prominent being Jeremiah's understanding of himself as "the prophet like Moses." Jeremiah remained faithful to his calling during the final days of Israelite nationhood, when the remnant of a once great nation fell to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 586 BC. He suffered along with everyone else, but was nevertheless numbered among the survivors. From his confinement in the court of the guard he gave a dispirited remnant, many of whom would subsequently make the long journey into faraway exile, unambiguous hope for the future, announcing just before the nation's fall a new covenant that God would make with his people in future days.

Chapter 1

“A Prophet Like Moses”

Life of the Prophet Jeremiah

Call, Acceptance, and Commission

Whereas we know considerably more about Jeremiah than we do about any other Hebrew prophet, about his early years we know very little. We are left to reconstruct his youth and early career from but a few details accompanying chronological notes in the book (1:1–2; 3:6; 25:1–3; 36:1–2), and from oracles within chapters 1–20 and 30–31 containing reform themes and a hope for the return of exiles from Assyria. It is, however, still possible to sketch in broad outline Jeremiah’s life and ministry during the reign of Josiah, even if details are unavailable.1 From the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, i.e., 609 BC, we know much better the activities of the prophet and the march of events because of prose in the book that is dated.

We learn from the superscription to the book that Jeremiah was born into a priestly family at Anathoth, a village three miles north of Jerusalem. Anathoth, although close to the capital city of the Southern Kingdom, nevertheless belonged to Benjamin, which was part of the Northern Kingdom, and it preserved northern traditions at the sanctuary there.

Anathoth was a village of priests, and Jeremiah’s father, Hilkiah, may have descended from Abiathar, a priest of David whom Solomon retired to Anathoth after he became king (1 Kgs 2:26–27). Anathoth preserved traditions from Shiloh, Israel’s first sanctuary located a short distance to the north. Shiloh was remembered not for Eli, its resident priest, but for Samuel who grew up under Eli and became the last of the Judges, a seer of reputation, and most importantly the first in a line of great Israelite prophets. Jeremiah recalled Shiloh’s destruction (Jer 7:12–14; 26:4–6), a memory too painful to receive even passing mention in Israel’s historical accounts. But it was remembered in Ps 78:60.

Jeremiah received his call to be a prophet in the thirteenth year of Josiah (Jer 1:2, 4), which was 627 BC. From the call passage in chapter 1 we see unmistakable parallels between Jeremiah and Samuel. Both grew up in Israelite sanctuaries under the instruction of priests, and both received their first revelation from Yahweh as young boys. Hebrew na‘ar is rightly translated “boy” in 1 Sam 3:1, 8 and Jer 1:6–7 (NRSV). Both learned at a young age that Yahweh was about to bring judgment and destruction, and that they were the ones selected to convey that word—in Samuel’s case to Eli the priest (1 Sam 3:11–14), and in Jeremiah’s case to “nations and kingdoms” (Jer 1:10). Both were naturally afraid of what this would entail. Samuel was doubtless relieved when Eli accepted the judgment on him and his house (1 Sam 3:18). Jeremiah was given only a promise, but it was a good one: Yahweh would deliver him from all those rising up against him (Jer 1:8).

From the passage reporting Jeremiah’s call it is clear that so far as Jeremiah’s own self-understanding was concerned, the prophet looming largest for him was Moses. Jeremiah’s vision before a budding almond tree recalled Moses’ vision of a burning bush (Jer 1:11–12; Exod 3:2–6), and Jeremiah’s protestation about being unable to speak had a parallel in Moses’ demur about not being eloquent (Jer 1:6; Exod 4:10–17). There was more. In Deuteronomy, which achieved written form in the late monarchy, most likely in the seventh century, Moses too had become a prophet—indeed, he was the greatest of all prophets (Deut 34:10–12). Yahweh told Moses in Deuteronomy that in future days he would raise up a prophet like him:

A prophet I will raise up for them, from the midst of their

brethren, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth,

and he will speak to them all that I command him.

(Deut 18:18)

Jeremiah understood himself to be this “prophet like Moses.” He hears Yahweh saying to him:

Look, I have put my words in your mouth,

See, I have appointed you this day,

over the nations and over the kingdoms,

to uproot and to break down,

and to destroy and to overthrow,

to build up and to plant.

(Jer 1:9b–10)

Jeremiah did not accept Yahweh’s call when it came to him. Unlike Isaiah, he was not ready to accept. Nor was Yahweh ready for an acceptance. Yahweh said in the vision following that his word awaited a later fulfillment (Jer 1:12).

We learn of Jeremiah’s acceptance only later, when in one of his confessions he reflects back on the time when acceptance took place. Jeremiah says:

Your words were found and I ate them,

and your word was to me for joy,

and for the gladness of my heart,

For your name is called upon me,

Yahweh, the God of hosts.

I sat not in the happy crowd and acted jolly,

because of your hand, all alone I sat,

for with indignation you filled me.

(Jer 15:16–17)

Jeremiah is referring to the finding of the law book in the Temple during the reform of Josiah (2 Kgs 22:8–20), and says that he was joyful when the promised words of Yahweh came into his mouth. He had not been joyful when the call first came. Jeremiah goes on to say, however, that now he is filled with bitterness as the words have penetrated more deeply and have brought him much pain. What was written on this scroll we do not know, but based on the oracle given by the prophetess Huldah after the law book was found (2 Kgs 22:16–17), it appears she was making contemporary a portion of the old Song of Moses poem (Deut 32:15–22).2 Jeremiah’s acceptance, in any case, can be dated at 622 BC, when the law book was found. The prophet designate was five years older than he was at the time the call was received.

Jeremiah was now ready to be commissioned for prophetic office, and we can assume the commissioning took place soon after the prophet’s acceptance. The reporting of the divine commissioning comes in Jer 1:13–19, and with it comes another vision, this one of a boiling pot over fire about to spill over. There are rumblings already of a menacing foe coming from the north. Babylon is stirring in the lower Euphrates after Assurbanipal’s death in 627, but not until 612 will it destroy Nineveh with help from the Medes, and not until 605 will Nebuchadnezzar be in the Philistine Plain destroying Ashkelon and Ekron. Nevertheless, a foe is on the rise, and Jeremiah is warned that it will threaten Judah.

Early Career as a Prophet

From 622 to 609 Judah enjoyed a period of relative peace, with the Assyrians pulling out of the territory to the north; the young Josiah carrying out a reform and covenant renewal in Jerusalem; hope arising in the prophet and others that exiles taken away to Assyria would return home and make their way to Zion (Jer 31:1–6, 7–9, 10–...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: “A Prophet Like Moses”
• Chapter 2: “I Will Be With You”
• Chapter 3: “I Saw the Earth . . . and the Heavens”
• Chapter 4: “Hear the Words of the Covenant and Do Them”
• Chapter 5: “Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace”
• Chapter 6: “Do Justice and Righteousness”
• Chapter 7: “Is Not My Word Like Fire . . . Like a Hammer?”
• Chapter 8: “Who Can Make My Head Waters . . . My Eyes a Well of Tears?”
• Chapter 9: “Cursed Be the Day, Cursed Be the Man”
• Chapter 10: “Before Me You Shall Stand”
• Chapter 11: “A Prophet to the Nations I Made You”
• Chapter 12: “I Will Cut . . . a New Covenant”
• Bibliography