Few people fit a profile of exceptional strength and courage. Gideon was a farmer, the weakest of his clan. Jonah apparently was a coward and was running in the opposite direction that God had called him. Moses, one of the greatest leaders in the Hebrew Bible, also had great doubts about his ability and worth to fulfill such a noble calling, that of leading the Israelites out of slavery. It is fascinating to note that the parallel between Jeremiah and Moses is quite astonishing. Both initially rejected the call, feeling unsuited to the mission (HB, Jer. 1.6, Ex. 3). God reassures both Jeremiah (HB, Jer. 1.10) and Moses (HB, Ex 3. 10,12) that he has chosen them. Additionally, both prophets shared feelings of insecurity about their ability to speak. Jeremiah alluded to his age as a factor, while Moses was considered to have a speech impediment, but God touches both of their mouths to give them the words to say, as His spokesperson for those periods of time ( HB, Jeremiah 1.9, Ex. 4.12). Additionally, God promises protection and strength to every prophet in the midst of adversity (HB, Jer. 1:17-19, Ex 3:12). So why are the prophets chosen to be God's spokesmen to the Israelites, who are not naturally the most eloquent, the strongest, or the most courageous? Why, while others were punished for their doubts, were Jeremiah and Moses not struck when they initially rejected the call? Why were these two characters included in the Hebrew Bible? Perhaps this was in order to prevent the Israelites from assuming that these prophets were more than human. By having prophets identify with readers through their weaknesses and strengths, their emotions and reactions to situations, it increases the identifiability of the story. How many times in life do tasks present themselves, seemingly beyond our natural abilities and comfort zones, when it is the right thing to do? Jeremiah and