Called Before You Were Born — Jeremiah 1:1–19

The recording, chapter markers and searchable transcript appear here once the Sunday video is available.

In this message

God formed, knew, sanctified, and appointed Jeremiah before he was born, showing God’s call begins with God, not with us.
Feelings of inadequacy are a common obstacle, but God’s presence and provision are enough to obey what He calls you to do.
Lasting spiritual power comes from speaking God’s Word rather than trading in opinions, especially in public and online conversations.
God promised to deliver Jeremiah from trouble, not to keep trouble from coming, and to make him strong like a fortified city.
Idolatry is trusting created things rather than the Creator, and competing “gods” still pull at our total commitment to God.

The passage

The verses Lee stops on. Read Jeremiah 1 in full.

Jeremiah 1:1

1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.

After King Solomon’s death, the united kingdom of Israel had split into rival northern and southern kingdoms. The northern kingdom was called Israel; the southern, Judah. Jeremiah was from Anathoth, four miles north of Jerusalem in the southern kingdom. He lived and prophesied during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah. This was a chaotic time politically, morally, and spiritually. As Babylon, Egypt and Assyria battled for world supremacy, Judah found itself caught in the middle of the triangle. Although Jeremiah prophesied for 40 years, he never saw his people heed his words and turn from their sins.

Jeremiah 1:10

10See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

The ministry of a prophet is always profitable but not always pleasant. It’s not simply planting and building, but the ministry of a prophet is also pulling down, throwing down, tearing up, rooting out. There had to be a breaking before that could be a building. There had to be a clearing of the land before there could be a planting of the seed. Jeremiah knew this. He saw it in his father and in the priestly community that ministry wouldn’t always be easy.

Jeremiah 1:16

16I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made.

The people of Judah sinned greatly by continuing to burn incense to and worship other gods. God had commanded them specifically against this (Exodus 20:3-6) because idolatry places trust in created things rather than the creator. Although these people belonged to God, they chose to follow false gods. Many “gods” entice us to turn away from God. Material possessions, dreams for the future, approval of others, and vocational goals compete for our total commitment. Striving after these at the expense of our commitment to God puts our heart where Judah’s was – and God severely punished Judah.

God doesn’t just call the equipped; He equips the called.

What we have seen

Notice in these verses the prominence of the pronoun “I” in reference to the Lord.
we often struggle with new challenges because we lack self-confidence, feeling that they have inadequate ability, training or experience.
this is very important for us to remember as we respond to people in person and especially on-line.
this excites me. God is not looking for the person who is the most credentialed, or the most well versed or well read.
Ray Comfort – God gives a similar commission to the Christian.
The problems we face may not seem as ominous as Jeremiahs’, but they are critical to us and may overwhelm us!

What is the main point of Jeremiah 1:1–19?

Jeremiah 1:1–19 shows God calling and commissioning Jeremiah and promising His presence and deliverance in a persistently hostile environment. God’s repeated “I” language highlights that the call, the message, and the enabling come from the Lord. Jeremiah feels young and unprepared, but God addresses that fear by sending him, giving him words, and defending him. The chapter sets the tone for a ministry that would be profitable but not always pleasant.

What does it mean that God knew Jeremiah before he was born?

God knowing Jeremiah before his birth means Jeremiah was not a prophet by his own choosing—God had set him apart and commissioned him. The same truth is applied personally: God knows people long before they are born or conceived, and His plans are intentional rather than random. That is meant to steady someone who feels discouraged or inadequate with the reminder that God has always regarded them as valuable and purposeful. The passage is also connected to God’s work in the womb and used to argue strongly against abortion.

Why does Jeremiah 1 emphasise God saying “I” so much?

Jeremiah 1 emphasises God’s “I” statements to show the call depends on God’s initiative and authority. The text highlights God forming, knowing, sanctifying, ordaining, sending, commanding, and being with Jeremiah. That focus is meant to move attention away from Jeremiah’s self-assessment and toward God’s sufficiency. The repeated “I” also frames obedience as responding to God’s direction rather than relying on personal confidence.

What should someone do when they feel unqualified for what God is asking them to do?

Feeling unqualified should not be treated as a reason to disobey what God is calling someone to do. The pattern in Jeremiah 1 is that God provides what is needed—words to speak, presence to steady fear, and deliverance through trouble. Lack of self-confidence can become an excuse for avoidance, so it needs to be named and resisted. When God gives a job to do, He will provide the talent and resources needed to get it done.

Does God promise to keep believers from trouble, or to help them through it?

God promises deliverance from trouble, not insulation from trouble. Jeremiah was not kept from jailings, deportation, or insults, but God walked with him through storms and rescued him. The same principle is applied broadly: God does not keep His people from encountering life’s storms, but He will see them through. God’s promise is that nothing will defeat someone completely because He will help them through the most agonising problems.

What does Jeremiah 1 teach about speaking to people online about faith?

Jeremiah 1 is used to stress that true power comes from what God’s Word says, not from people’s ideas or philosophies. In online and in-person religious arguments, the counsel given is to look at the original text, pray over it, research, and then simply post the Scripture and its translation rather than adding commentary. The point is to let the Bible speak for itself because it does not need our opinions to carry authority. The emphasis is on certainty and authority grounded in Scripture.

What do the almond branch and the boiling pot images mean in Jeremiah 1?

The almond branch is linked with life, fruit, and early budding, and it signified the authority God had given Jeremiah for his ministry. The almond tree being among the first to blossom pictured the beginning of God’s swift and certain judgement. The boiling pot tilting from the north pictured Babylon delivering God’s scalding judgment against Jeremiah’s people. Together the visions signalled that God had seen Judah’s sins and would act.

Why does Jeremiah’s ministry include tearing down before building up?

Jeremiah’s calling included rooting out, pulling down, destroying, and throwing down as well as building and planting. The point made is that there had to be breaking before building and clearing before planting. A parallel is drawn to the need to pull down strongholds and cast down imaginations that seek pre-eminence over Christ in the mind. True ministry is framed as speaking as the Lord directs in humility and integrity rather than trying to be liked.

What counts as idolatry in Jeremiah 1, and how can it show up now?

Idolatry is described as placing trust in created things rather than the Creator. Judah burned incense to and worshiped other gods, directly against God’s command. Modern competitors for total commitment are named as material possessions, dreams for the future, approval of others, and vocational goals. Striving after these at the expense of commitment to God is treated as putting the heart where Judah’s was, and it brought severe punishment on Judah.

How does Jeremiah 1 connect to a Christian’s responsibility to share the gospel?

Ray Comfort is cited to say God gives a similar commission to the Christian: prepare yourself, arise, and speak to a lost and dying world. Sharing the gospel is presented not as an option but as God’s command. The emphasis is also placed on delivering God’s message faithfully without letting personal opinions get in the way. God is portrayed as not looking for the most credentialed person but for the one who will faithfully deliver His message.

Where else scripture speaks

Every passage Lee reaches for. The ones he teaches from open here; the rest link out.

Galatians 1:15–161 Samuel 16:12–13Philippians 1:11 Hebrews 4:12Numbers 17:8 Exodus 20:3–6 Galatians 1:10 Romans 8:31

Passages picked up elsewhere in the series:

Galatians 1:15–16 — Prophets in 2025?, Fire in my Bones, How to Spot a False Prophet
Luke 1:13–17 — Faith in a Bad Market
Philippians 1:11 — When Faithfulness Feels Forgotten
Hebrews 4:12 — God Will Restore Them
Ecclesiastes 3:1–3 — Chastisement Proves God’s Love, God Loves You Too Much To Settle
Exodus 20:3–6 — The Covenant is Broken, Trust Issues: When Man Fails and God Remains

Take this with you

Jeremiah would face a persistently hostile environment, but God had made him a fortified city and an iron pillar.