What Is It You See? [Jeremiah 1:11]

Jer 1:10-19 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

11 The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"

"I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.

12 The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."

13 The word of the LORD came to me again: "What do you see?"

"I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north," I answered.

14 The LORD said to me, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares the LORD.

"Their kings will come and set up their thrones

in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;

they will come against all her surrounding walls

and against all the towns of Judah.

16 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.

17 "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. 18 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. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Has God said to you, "What do you see?" Add your name. "What do you see, _______?"

If God is not a respecter of persons – if God does not show favorites – if God expected Jeremiah to see something, God must have shown him something to see and are you or I any different? God has shown each of us something at some time and God expects us to see that something and understand it.

Ps 69:6 May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty;

may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

THREE VERSES

Amos 3:7-8 Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

8 The lion has roared- who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken- who can but prophesy?

Jer 1:10-11 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

11 The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"

Prov 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

[KJV]

Is the prophetic in your life today? It has to be. If it is not, how do you know what the plan of God is for your life? Now, does that mean we are obligated to run to the nearest seer and get a reading on our life? Are we supposed to not make any decisions until our Christian fortune-teller comes to town? And if we don’t like his or her words, do we seek out another Christian prophet to tell us the "right" word "from the Lord"?

The three verses should suggest a pattern that applies to each of us – God does not show favoritism – and it is a pattern that must be supernatural. If it is only human wisdom, knowledge, experience, and understanding – if you can explain it and do it, you get the glory, not God. We are God’s workmanship, it is not the other way around.

Eph 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This cornerstone of the Reformation and the Protestant movement needs to be understood not only in big denominations and global Christianity, but also personal life decisions. Evangelicals use this verse to point out the need for salvation as a gift from God. But there is more about "works" and "workmanship." This "work" was applied and experienced directly by and to Jeremiah. He is the example. Paul is the spiritual theory behind the example.

YOU HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY GOD

The spiritual job we have to do was prepared in advance for us to do. That is what Paul said. And that is exactly what God told Jeremiah: "See, today I appoint you ... This is a spiritual responsibility that Jeremiah had and being as God does not have favorites, there must be something similar for each of us.

"See, today I appoint you..."

We struggle and struggle over God’s will in our life and I contend, unless you are in blatant rebellion of God, it is where you are right now. If that is the case, we need some clarification.

What was Jeremiah "right now" when God told him "I appoint you."

Jer 1:1-3 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.

Jer 1:6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

Jeremiah was a priest. This is a genetic qualification with the training that would occur to be a priest. He had to be in compliance with all the Mosaic requirements for a priest otherwise he would not have been called "one of the priests." Where was Jeremiah? Where his mother and dad "circumstantially" caused him to be. Were decisions made? Absolutely. Some by Jeremiah. Some by others. But with all the decisions that were made, Jeremiah was still where he was and God did not tell him he should be someplace else, first.

God does not show favoritism. Do you think you are not right now where God wants you to be? Are you in rebellion of God? Think about that in the context of the Jonah account. Really now, are you more powerful than God? I am sure God has a great fish for you, if needed.

Jeremiah insisted he was without the appropriate qualifications. But the scripture indicates he was a priest when the word came to him.

Jeremiah insisted he was too young. He did not have the clout with people that the elders had. He was politically inferior. He was the junior – the newcomer. He did not have the respect of opinions that comes with age.

Jer 1:7-8 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

What does this mean? It means that God qualified him, not man, and not himself. And God gave him the authority where he was – a priest who didn’t think he talked too good.

YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A VISION OF AN APPOINTMENT BY GOD

God asked Jeremiah what he saw. "An almond tree branch." Was that a vision? Was Jeremiah walking or standing by an almond tree? I don’t know – and it doesn’t matter. It works both ways. God asked. Jeremiah answered. God explained according to the answer of God.

This sounds a little strange for us Americans until we have something about language explained. God used a pun. The Hebrew word for "watching" sounds like the Hebrew word for "almond branch." In English, God might have used this situation.

Jeremiah is in a jewelry store looking for jewelry for his bride and possibly a gift for his mother. He comes to the watch section. Suddenly, God says, "Jeremiah, what do you see?"

"I see watches"

The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."

See how that works? Do you see the pun? It doesn’t matter if it was something in Jeremiah’s physical life or whether he was having a vision. He saw watches. God said, "I am watching." Does God always use plays on words? Of course not.

What do you see right now? What do you see when God asks you what you see? Whether you are having a vision, a dream, or happen to be daydreaming about the branch out your window, God will ask you, "what do you see?" That vision will be explained by God within the context of who you are, where you are, and what you are right now. And then it will be put into the context of what God is going to do. Are you willing to listen to the explanation from God?

GOD WILL DO IT

Jeremiah is once again asked what he saw.

Jer 1:13 The word of the LORD came to me again: "What do you see?"

"I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north," I answered.

14 The LORD said to me, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.

The almond branch could have been quite natural – Jeremiah roaming in an almond tree forest. But the next thing seen seems to be one of those weird things God allows us to see in dreams and visions. But by then, Jeremiah was slightly more comfortable in telling God what he saw. And God explained it. It was not a pleasant word, but it is what Jeremiah was told.

How do we deal with these visions and dreams? How do we deal with these words that might come from a prophet or seer? How do we deal with the impression of walking in a forest of almond trees and seeing a branch? Do we get spooky and weird? Maybe rolling around on the floor?

If God does not provide the answer – if it is only our works or worked-up vision – then we are wrong.

Those three verses again:

– God doesn’t do anything without revealing His plans to the prophets.

– See, today I appoint you. "What do you see?"

– Without vision, the people perish

Prov 29:18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; [NIV]

When you don’t have vision, you fail. When you don’t have the revelation from God, you fail.

1 Cor 14:3-33 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. ...

22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" ...

29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

In the church and the New Testament, the gift of prophecy is for everyone. "I would rather have you prophesy." What does this mean? It means that everyone should be and already is in the situation where they can see the almond branch. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Do tongues make sense to you within the context of 1 Corinthians or are you opposed to the manifestation of the Gifts of the Spirit? Or maybe you have just delegated them to an ancient experience you had sometime during your spiritual youth. Or maybe those weird fanatic holy-rollers. Use it or lose it. Does that apply? Or maybe you were burnt by some prophetic word or misinterpretation? Where is the safety in this spooky stuff.

The safety is in 1 Cor 14:29. Notice two important things: First, two or three prophets speak, not just one. Second, others weigh carefully what is said. This is important for all "words" we have heard and should even apply to our own words or visions. We need to hear from several voices, not just one. And the words need to be judged or weighed. This "weighing" needs to be done by people with spiritual gifts functioning. This cannot be a "natural weighing" by itself. Can human wisdom or experience understand God’s puns?

Now in order to "weigh," others need to have something to "weigh." That is the value of writing things down. Sometimes God gives all of the information at once. Sometimes just a portion of it is revealed at a specific time and multiple revelations are needed. And we supernaturally assemble them through the Gifts of the Spirit. If a prophet or seer is unwilling to have his or her words weighed by the church body, there is no reason to accept the word as being from God.

Now, who is it that does anything. Jeremiah is told about the coming invasion. He does not do it. Jeremiah is even told about the trouble he was going to receive. Again, he did not do it. We will be given dreams, visions, and knowledge about what is going to happen on the Cuyuna Range. We will not do it. God will do it. If we do it, it is our works and we can brag. God doesn’t like that. It must be done by God. And He and only He provides the supernatural tools to function in the spirit.

We – each of us – has been appointed by God to be where we are with the gifts we already have to be used by God for his will.

Jer 1:17 "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.

How can I not be terrified? God is going to do what He has told us He will do. We must tell. We can fear man or we can fear God. I think Jesus had the more realistic answer.

Matt 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Is God asking you right now, "What do you see?" What will your answer be? Without vision, the people perish. God does not do anything without telling His prophets. What do you see?