JEREMIAH THE PROPHET, SON OF HILKIAH THE PRIEST

"The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests...to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah..."(Jeremiah 1:1,2).

"Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth" (Jeremiah 1:4-9).

"And I will utter my judgements against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands...and they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee" (Jeremiah 1:16,19).

"Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase...and I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof: but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me and the prophets prophesied by Baal and walked after things that do not profit" (Jeremiah 2:3,7,8).

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water...yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into a degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?" (Jeremiah 2:13,21)

"...Yet return again to me, saith the Lord...A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God." (Jeremiah 3;1,21)

to be continued...