Pay close attention to the phrase “the word of the Lord” in this encounter with Jeremiah:
Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.”
7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8 “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
9 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. (1: 4-9)
The call of Jeremiah was by the “word” mentioned above.
Notice that . . .
(1) the “word of the LORD came to [Jeremiah] saying” something;
(2) Jeremiah called the “word” “Lord [Master] GOD” [Jehovah];
(3) this “word” interacted with Jeremiah verbally;
(4) the LORD (also Jehovah) is clearly the same one as the “word” as he continues to talk; and,
(5) the LORD “stretched out his hand” to touch Jeremiah’ mouth.
In this scenario the “word,” or better “Word,” has the name of Jehovah, and speaks as God. He stretches out his hand and touches Jeremiah. In other words, this was an appearance, not a vision. This “Word” surely is the Son of God before his incarnation, for Jesus said repeatedly that no one has seen the Father.
Such OT depictions of the pre-incarnate Christ are among the most powerful indications that Christ is, in fact, divine.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory. . .” “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained him” (John 1).
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