What Do You See Jeremiah?
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” (Jeremiah 1:11 NIV) The verse continues, “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. Verse 12 reads: The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
The King James Version reads differently; Jeremiah says. “I see a rod of an almond tree.” Jeremiah 1:12 KJV reads: Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Perform what?
Jeremiah 1:16 KJV reads: And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
Jeremiah 1:16 NIV reads: I 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.
So, both translations indicate God’s judgment is coming as a response to wickedness. Both versions say essentially the same thing. Yet, I wonder if Jeremiah saw an almond branch or did Jeremiah see Aaron’s rod. Numbers 16 speaks of a rebellion. This rebellion is sometimes referred to as Korah’s rebellion. Korah and others that rebelled ended up being swallowed by the ground. Afterward, an exciting thing happened to Aaron’s staff (or rod).
Numbers 17 reads:
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.
Produced Almonds
The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?”
Numbers 18 details how Aaron, his sons, and his family were to conduct themselves in the priesthood duty. The Lord said, “I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.” (Numbers 18:7 NIV)
A Royal Priesthood
Likewise, in the book of Jeremiah, when the Lord called Jeremiah to be a prophet, the Lord said, “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 1: 17-19 NIV)
Perhaps, in a proverbial sense, maybe we should see almond branches too. As Aaron became a priest and Jeremiah became a prophet, we, as born-again Christians, are a chosen people. As written in 1 Peter 2:9: We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. So I pray for a vision of almond branches as a sign that God is about to “fulfill His word” and is hastening. I pray we are given the strength and discernment to go to everyone that God sends us to so we can say whatever He commands us. May we not fear those who oppose us, for God is with us and will rescue us.
Evil In America
May the Lord reach out his hand, touch our mouths, and say to us, “I have put my words in your mouth. Today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow, build and plant.” I wish for these sentiments from Jeremiah 1 to happen again soon because there is so much evil in America today. The evil acts are so numerous I don’t believe I can mention them all.
Perhaps it suffices to say that this link shows an evil statue on top of the courthouse in Manhattan. It is the same courthouse used for persecuting (no, I chose persecuting over prosecuting on purpose) President Donald Trump for political reasons. However, this may be just a symptom of a more significant problem. We have an increase in gender mutilations of our youth. We lack worshipers in our churches, and God is not allowed in our schools. Why would God bless America when we fail to acknowledge Him?
When troubled, I try to remember a card I recently purchased at a hospital gift shop.
Only God knows the future. He holds it in His hands, and when our questions find no answers, He is the one that understands.
God’s presence still goes with us; His love is ever near. The whispered cries within each heart; our LORD will always hear.
No matter what each day may bring, His promises are true. He will never ever leave us, and His love will see us through.
With thoughts and prayers that God will strengthen you daily, reminding you of his tender presence and love to see you through.
What will we see?
If God asks us, “What do you see, Jeremiah? (substitute your name for Jeremiah) Will we respond as Jeremiah 15:18?
Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable?
You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.
If we respond like that, hopefully, God will tell us what he said to Jeremiah.
“If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me. You will be my spokesman if you utter worthy, not worthless, words. Let these people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you. I will save you from the hands of the wicked and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.”