Today's Reading:

Jeremiah 25
Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah 27
Jeremiah 28

When the officials and people wanted to kill Jeremiah for speaking God’s hard truth (Jeremiah 26), it was Ahikam, son of Shaphan, a quiet but influential scribe, who stood up and protected him. God did not send an angel or a miracle; He sent a scribe. Because of Ahikam, Jeremiah’s life was spared. Years later, after Jerusalem fell, Ahikam’s own son Gedaliah was appointed governor over the remnant in Judah. God used one faithful family, quietly working behind the scenes, to preserve both His prophet and a remnant of hope in a time of total unrest. Grace often works through quiet, steady people who simply do what is right when it counts.

Why do you think God often uses regular, everyday, ordinary people, who simply refuse to look the other way, to protect His messengers and keep hope alive? What do you think it means that this family who once saved a prophet later became a bridge to try and hold a broken nation together?

Jeremiah had been prophesying to the people of Judah and Jerusalem for 23 years, yet they did not listen or turn back to God. They had so many chances over the years. Now was the time for judgment. The Lord raised up Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to destroy them. The adjectives were strong: horror, scorn, and banishment. They would become a desolate wasteland for 70 years! In God’s mercy, after the 70 years of judgment, He would then punish Babylon. The cup, “ the wine of God’s wrath,” would be drunk by all the nations. This was God’s judgment on Jerusalem/Judah, Egypt, Philistia, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Arabia, and others all the way to Babylon (in that order). They would all get a turn to be “drunk and throw up,” a messy, gross party that no one wants an invitation to. The whole ancient world would be under judgment and fall to the sword. Micah had prophesied this, their doom, in Micah 3:12. God would roar like a lion. The leaders (shepherds) would know the day of judgment had come. The slaughtering would leave bodies from one end of the earth to the other, covering all nations.

God had Jeremiah stand in the Temple court and warn, without omitting a single word, that if the people did not repent, then the Temple would be destroyed just like Shiloh, where the Tabernacle had been destroyed by the Philistines after the Battle of Aphek (1 Samuel 4). Everyone seized Jeremiah and wanted to kill him for prophesying against the Temple and the city. Jeremiah explained that these were not his words, but that they came from God. Jeremiah had humbled himself. Remember back in chapter 20, Pashhur had put him in the stocks overnight and beat him at the Temple gate, that was personal.

Now in chapter 26, the entire crowd wanted to kill him. Jeremiah was given a formal trial. They remembered back to the prophet Micah during the days of Hezekiah, who had prophesied the same words of judgment against Jerusalem and the Temple. Because the people had repented back then, they decided Jeremiah should not be put to death. Uriah, who had also prophesied the same, did not have the same fate. He had fled to Egypt but was hunted down and killed by King Jehoiakim. In Uriah’s case, the king acted quickly with no opposition. Jeremiah was defended by some. God does not always save His servants from death (like Uriah), but He will still accomplish His purpose through them.

God had Jeremiah act out another parable. This one was visual but also a difficult task. Jeremiah was to make two yokes (wooden frames used for oxen) to show that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had been given authority over all nations by God. He was not a follower/believer in God. If the people did not submit to Nebuchadnezzar, then they would be struck down by sword, famine, and pestilence. The people had to serve him by putting their neck under the yoke, as a symbol of submission and service. If the king did this, he would live; if not, then he would die with the people. The false prophets had said not to submit or serve the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 27:9).

Jeremiah had given the same warning to King Zedekiah (the last king of Judah). Do not listen to the false prophets about the Temple articles of the Lord returning (pillars, movable stands, etc.); it was false. They were, in essence, saying, do not worry; everything will come back next week. NO! This was false. The truth was that the remaining items would be taken to Babylon and stay there until the day God comes back to claim them. He would one day restore them to their proper place. This meant that the future still had hope. God had not forgotten about His house. Exile would only be temporary, for 70 years. Do not believe those who say the items are coming back next week.

In chapter 28, the false prophet Hananiah said he would break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years all of the items would come back, and Jehoiachin would return. Note that Jeremiah was still wearing his yoke that God had told him to put on! Jeremiah retorted with “Amen!” He sure hoped that would happen. Yet he and all the other true prophets before him had declared that God would bring war and judgment. Whoever prophesied and had their prophecy come true would be shown to be the real prophet. Hananiah removed Jeremiah’s wooden yoke and broke it to symbolize freedom. God then replaced the yoke with one of iron that was stronger and heavier, as a symbol of harsher oppression. (My neck cramps just thinking of this). Jeremiah had worn the wooden yoke for months as a public symbol. Even the surrounding nations would have known the meaning since he had sent yokes to other kings. Now Jeremiah prophesied the false prophet Hananiah’s death.

Today's Discussion question:

Why do you think God often uses regular, every day, ordinary people, who simply refuse to look the other way, to protect His messengers and keep hope alive? What do you think it means that this family who once saved a prophet later became a bridge to try and hold a broken nation together?

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