“Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jer 15:16).

According to Bible scholar, William Holladay, this verse alludes to Jeremiah’s call by God in the first chapter of the book. “Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth'” (Jer 1:8). He further contends, and I agree, that this description comes directly from Deuteronomy 18, namely, the promise of the prophet like Moses. “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deut 18:18).

Once again, we see in Jeremiah a remarkable convergence of Messianic prophecies coming together. He is likened to the prophet like Moses (compare Jer 15:16; Deut 18:18). He is like the blessed man and Messiah king in Psalm 1-2 (compare Jer 15:10, 12, 16-17; Ps 1:1-2; 2:7, 9). He bears reproach like the rejected Messiah of Psalm 69 (compare Jer 15:15; Ps 69:7). He is like the lamb of God who is cut off from the land of the living (compare Jer 11:19; Isa 53:7-8).

Jeremiah’s importance for Jewish evangelism has been till now hidden from my eyes.

Although this dense constellation of parallels between Jeremiah and the Messiah Yeshua is impressive, Jeremiah’s importance for Jewish evangelism has been till now hidden from my eyes. Yet how clearly Yeshua’s image is reflected back at us from the pages of this incredible book. Oh that God remove the veil from Israel’s eyes to read Jeremiah and see Yeshua too!

“Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law” (Ps 119:18).

“Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?'” (Luke 24:31-32).