Jeremiah 26 reminds me of the expression, “Don’t shoot the messenger”. We often use that when we share bad news with someone to explain that we did not make the decision, we are just letting them know the answer. No one likes to be the bearer of unpleasant information, but it is much sadder to see someone being deceived for a long time. It is pathetic when everyone else knows the truth, but no one is willing to speak up. In today’s chapter, God tells Jeremiah, it is time to “Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord”. Once again, God begins His discipline with His own people. God is not going to allow them to be deceived any longer, “Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word”. Please understand His motivation, “Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent”. This is a sincere attempt at communicating a hard truth to spur change. And God includes the end result of not changing, “If you do not listen to Me and follow My law, and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets… then I will make this house like Shiloh”. Shiloh was the temporary location of the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant. The Hebrew people began to treat the Ark like a good luck charm thinking THEY were special and forgetting about the God that made them a special people. Shiloh represents the devastating loss of all hope. Have you been to Shiloh?
“The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak” and they responded with anger. “As Jeremiah finished… all the people seized him and said, ‘This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city’”. What do you do when someone points out the potential danger of ignoring temptation? Jeremiah does the loving thing and continues the warning, “Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster He has pronounced”. Are you willing to speak up when a friend needs to hear the hard truth?
Jeremiah is not concerned for himself, “I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is… right”. In fact he continues, “Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves”. Here is the key, “for in truth the Lord has sent me… to speak all these words”. We have to be extremely careful when we speak OUR words. We all need to hear the Word of God and that means we should quote scripture. Even some in Judah understood, “This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord”. For the rest of the chapter “Some of the elders” recalled examples from the past of men and cities that heard and repented. “And did not the Lord relent?” Some understood, “We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!” We are left with a common scenario, “the king was determined to put him to death”, but one strong leader stayed firm, “Ahikam… supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death”. Do you have a tough message to deliver? Maybe you have competing advice. Please know, “The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. In it you will find truth that lasts for eternity.