Jeremiah 15:19

“Therefore thus saith the Lord, if thou return, etc.] From thine unbelief, diffidence, and impenitence, and repent of them; expressed in the preceding verses: then will I bring thee again; or, “restore theef331”; pardon his sin, and return him to his post and place, to his office and ministry in it, and confirm and establish him therein: and thou shalt stand before me; not only as a petitioner for the people; (see <241501> Jeremiah 15:1), but as a servant of the Lord, attending to his word, and waiting his orders, and ready to execute them. It denotes his stability in his office: and if thou wilt take forth the precious from the vile; take precious truths, comparable to gold, silver, and…”

“God's reply to Jeremiah. return . . . bring . . . again--Jeremiah, by his impatient language, had left his proper posture towards God; God saith, "If thou wilt return (to thy former patient discharge of thy prophetic function) I will bring thee back" to thy former position: in the Hebrew there is a play of words, "return . . . turn again" (Jer 8:4; Jer 4:1). stand before me--minister acceptably to Me (Deu 10:8; Kg1 17:1; Kg1 18:15). take . . . precious from . . . vile--image from metals: "If thou wilt separate what is precious in thee (the divine graces imparted) from what is vile (thy natural corruptions, impatience, and hasty words), thou shall be as My mouth": my mouthpiece (Exo 4:16).…”

“Jeremiah had questioned God’s righteousness (see Jeremiah 12:1 note); he is told, “If thou return,” if thou repent thee of thy doubts, and think only of thy duty, “then will I bring thee again, then will I cause thee again to stand before Me.” To stand before a person means to be his chief officer or vicegerent. It implies therefore the restoration of Jeremiah to the prophetic office. If thou take forth the precious from the vile - i. e., if thou cause the precious metal to come forth from the dross. Jeremiah was to separate in himself what was divine and holy from the dross of human passion. Let him abandon this mistrust, this sensitiveness, this idea that God did not deal righteously with…”

“If thou - These are God's words to the prophet, rebuking his distrust in God, and promising him, that if he did return from his distrust in God's providence, he would restore him to the former favour he had with him, and he should be his prophet to reveal his mind to the people; and that if he would separate the precious truths of God from the vile conceits of men, then God would continue him as his prophet, to speak in his name to the people. But - He charges the prophet to keep his ground, and not to go over to wicked men. Jeremiah 15:21”

“15:19 The Lord confronted Jeremiah with the need to make a decision. If Jeremiah decided to return to a disposition of service and submission, the Lord would restore him to further usefulness. If Jeremiah took care to utter good words of submission, faith, and obedience, and reject worthless ones (such as those that the false prophets spoke, 14:14-16), Jeremiah could continue to be the Lord’s spokesman.”

“return: Jer 15:10-18, Jer 20:9; Exo 6:29, Exo 6:30; Jon 3:2 stand: Jer 15:1; Kg1 17:1; Pro 22:29; Zac 3:7; Luk 1:19, Luk 21:36; Jde 1:24 take: Lev 10:10; Isa 32:5, Isa 32:6; Eze 22:26, Eze 44:23; Heb 5:14 as my: Exo 4:12, Exo 4:15, Exo 4:16; Luk 10:16, Luk 12:12, Luk 21:15 let them: Jer 38:20, Jer 38:21; Eze 2:7, Eze 3:10, Eze 3:11; Act 20:27; Co2 5:16; Gal 1:10, Gal 2:5 Jeremiah 15:20”