God Uses Man to Reach Mankind - Jeremiah 32-36

 Jeremiah 32:1 (ESV)

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

If you do a quick search in an electronic copy of God’s Word for the words, “The Word of the Lord Came to ...”, you will see the word appear in that combination almost 150 times.  If you add to those words the prophet Jeremiah’s name, it appears over 30 times in the prophet’s book.   Look at some of the examples:

Isaiah 38:4 (ESV)

Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 

Daniel 9:2 (ESV)

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

Ezekiel 1:3 (ESV)

the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.

Jonah 1:1 (ESV)

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

Micah 1:1 (ESV)

The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

We could go on and on.   We have no idea “how” the Word of the Lord came to these prophets and others.   We only know from all these references that God has chosen to speak to man, through man.  This is God’s plan, method, strategy.    Now all these references are in the Old Testament.  However, notice how God kept His approach moving. In Jesus, God’s Word became flesh and it was through Jesus that God spoke to mankind:

John 1:14 (ESV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 1:2 (ESV)

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

And, Paul continued to be part of God’s approach to reaching others for Christ and actually passed that on to others:

2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV)

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

God has chosen to use man to reach man.  He sent His Son as the prime example and the final word to mankind.  He is still using us, as His tool to reach the masses for His Glory, through His Son:

Romans 10:14-17 (ESV)

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.