Jeremiah (1-31) 1:11 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Jeremiah (1-31) 1:11

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This is the first of two visions in this chapter. ‘Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.’ Our translators have said almond tree. Actually what the original says – there is a bit of dispute over the sense – is either a wakeful tree, awake, wakeful, or watchful tree. Now the translation almond tree is really quite brilliant because that is exactly what the almond tree is. It fruits very early in the year, and so all eyes are on the almond tree because it is of such interest, going out of turn as it does. As you read on you see the significance of this.We have no difficulty in interpreting it, because the Lord gives the interpretation himself. ‘Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen for I will hasten my word to perform it.’ Now there are two things about a rod of an almond tree, and one of them is mentioned here and the other is mentioned by implication in what follows in the next vision. A rod in the Old Testament suggests a rod of chastening, and that is what is going to happen: the people are going to be chastened. But the primary sense here is an almond tree, and the Hebrew word which is translated almond tree means haste or hasten. It has often been called the hasty tree, because as far as the Hebrew word for almond tree is concerned, that is what it means: a hasty tree. It is called a hasty tree for the simple reason that it is the first tree to give leaf and blossom. Once the almond tree blossoms, the spring arrives and the season changes. So it is the first off the mark: the hasty tree. That is why it is selected here. The Lord says to Jeremiah, ‘Thou hast well seen, for I will hasten my word to perform it.’ In other words, Jeremiah, your calling is this: you are giving prophecies. No sooner have you uttered them, it will seem, than they will be fulfilled. No sooner have you given the warning of something impending, and it will happen. You are an eleventh-hour prophet. In your lifetime, the things you are warning about, will happen. Jerusalem will be sacked; Judah will be laid waste; there will be massive deportation to Babylon; the end of liberty for Judah and the beginning of the Babylonian captivity. That is the message to Jeremiah, and that message must impregnate everything he ever says. He must speak with the boldness and the urgency of somebody who knows that, almost as soon as his message is delivered, God will act upon it. That accounts for many of his lesser prophecies, as well as the major prophecies.

Application

In a sense, it is the same with us. God watches his word and acts upon it. Jeremiah is told, the fulfilment of the word will be certain and obvious, and above all, it will be soon. Many of the things we preach, God brings about very swiftly: things that need to be proclaimed to the world. It doesn't take long. Towards the end of the 19th century came German rationalism, denial of the Scriptures, the higher critical movement. In our country, many evangelicals adopted it. They didn't stop being evangelical, but they started doubting the full inspiration and infallibility of the word of God. In society around, Darwinism and unbelief came in like a flood, and by the end of the 19th century, for all the powerful Christian influence and the vast number of Bible believing Christians in this land, by and large, the land had become sophisticated and unbelieving, haughty, indifferent. The warnings were given, and the result was World War I. Things continued to go downhill, and to quicken in pace leading to World War II. Judgments upon the nation and upon all the nations of Europe without doubt, warnings from God. There was a steep decline, followed by terrible troubles.

Now we are in another steep decline. We have got same-sex marriage on the books, but that is by no means the end of it. In Canada now, there are serious moves to try to begin to bring polygamy into legislation. On the back of same-sex marriage, now that marriage has been shattered people will push the agenda even further. The same is seen in Australia. Multiple marriages: people want to legislate that; there is great sympathy for it. One thing comes after another. Where is it going? Aren't these end times signs in our Bibles, these great upheavals, this jettisoning of all biblical morality: wrong being made right, right being made wrong? Aren’t these uniquely last age signs? You know we won't go on proclaiming these warnings indefinitely before God acts, before God moves. We cannot say how God will move. We cannot say whether there will be another great warning or conflagration or trouble, and then a further time of opportunity and blessing before the end comes, or whether this presages the end, imminently. But when Jeremiah was appointed, God said to him, ‘Once you have declared the warnings and the word of God, and preached it far and wide, the fulfilments will follow swiftly.’ And that happens at other times also. You can see it in the events of history, and we have it here with the almond tree. ‘You preach’, says the Lord, ‘and I will perform.’ I am watching you, the almond tree phenomenon says. I am awake and watching you and as you speak, I will act. That's exactly what happened in Jeremiah's case, that so much of what he said happened within his lifetime. Several chapters awaited centuries for fulfilment, but that is the significance of the almond tree. Make sure you speak, and I will be attending you with power.

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Jeremiah (1-31) 1:11 Commentary and Bible Study