February 27, Jeremiah 26
Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you." - Jeremiah 26:12-13
As we've read the book of Jeremiah, it may have occurred to you that some of the material seems to be repetitive and out of chronological order. Both those characteristics are clearly in view in Chapter 26. We've already read about conditions in the time after the fall of Jerusalem. But this chapter rewinds the story back before the fall to the warnings that came in the early days of Jehoakim's reign.
We saw back in Chapter 7 how God called Jeremiah and gave him the assignment to preach to the people. He encouraged them to repent, and warned them about the fatal consequences that would surely follow if they refused to turn back to God. Jeremiah's words in Chapter 26 are very similar. Both these chapters may refer to the same occasion. This lack of chronological order and the repetition of certain themes is common in Jeremiah, and not uncommon in other prophets' writings.
This chapter begins a series of historical narratives in the book that reemphasize and give additional details about major events and themes Jeremiah had already mentioned. God sent Jeremiah to the court of the temple where the largest number of people from across the kingdom would be gathered when they came to Jerusalem to worship. Jeremiah told the leaders and the people assembled there some news they did not want to hear. God still extended a gracious hand of invitation to these rebellious idolaters. He still offered them the opportunity to listen to the prophet, turn from their evil ways and save themselves from disaster. They not only rejected the invitation and ignored the warning. They wanted to kill God's messenger because they hated the message he delivered. This ungodly reaction sounds just like how the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day treated him. They incited the crowd to join them in seeking the death penalty for Jesus on the same false charges Jeremiah's audience brought against him. They accused him of blasphemy in speaking against the temple and prophesying falsely. The descendants (physical and spiritual) of these Israelites not only killed Jesus. They tried to kill the apostles and did kill Stephen for preaching Jesus as the promised Messiah. They even wanted to kill Lazarus after Jesus raised him from the dead, because he was living testimony to truth they refused to hear and see.
Some of the elders of the people objected to the plan to kill Jeremiah. They reminded the others of the prophet Micah of Meresheth in the days of Hezekiah, who preached a similar message. But Hezekiah had a very different heart from Jehoiakim. He humbled himself and led the people in repentance, and thus averted the threatened destruction. But Jehoiakim's hardhearted hatred of God had already cost one faithful prophet (Uriah) his life. The king would probably have killed Jeremiah if Ahikam had not intervened and saved Jeremiah's life.
What can you and I take away from this tragic account? Let's observe that even religious people can and do reject God's word if the Lord says something they don't want to hear. Let's be inspired by Jeremiah to understand that genuine faithfulness to God includes willingness to die for obeying God’s commands. Don't miss the fact that repentance is an individual matter. Jeremiah called the people to listen and “every one turn from his evil way." We can do some things for others and they may be able to do some things for us. But no one can repent and obey God on our behalf. That is up to each of us.
God saved Jeremiah from death more than once in different ways. In this chapter he used Ahikam the son of Shannan. We don't know much about him, but we do know that it was by his hand that God saved his faithful prophet from the angry mob that wanted to kill him. We don't know all the ways God works to protect his people, but we trust that he will take care of his faithful ones, regardless of what evil people may try to do to them. Let’s not forget that God wanted to save them all. He offered repeatedly for many years to deliver them if they would return to him. But he is faithful to his word, and when men and women refuse to heed, they will inevitably suffer the bitter consequences. Doesn’t it seem better to you to listen and live?
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—February 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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