Jeremiah 26
The reader has no doubt noticed that Jeremiah's prophecies are not given in the order in which they were spoken; there is a moral order in the way they are presented. For example, the subject of chapter 25 was the coming judgment in which not only Judah, but the neighboring lands, Babylon and the whole world would be involved.
Chapter 26 continues the subject of judgment, and the prophecy uttered three years before, was set in its present and proper place by the divine Author when Jeremiah's prophecies were committed to writing. The same disregard of the time of writing is seen in the Book of Psalms; one instance of this must suffice: Psalm 51 refers to a time long after that of Psalm 54.
Jeremiah found what all of God's servants who serve Him faithfully have found, namely, that both the message he brought and himself the messenger, were rejected by the many. He was to say all that God gave him to tell, diminishing not a word, whether the message was accepted or refused.
Verse 3 once more shows, as the Word of God constantly reveals, that God does not willingly punish mankind; righteousness and holiness are the foundations of His throne, and sin is intolerable to Him, yet instead of at once sweeping- the universe clean so that not a sinner should remain unjudged, He speaks in accents of mercy and tender compassion.
However judgment must fall upon the unrepentant (verse 6 ). Shiloh was a solemn reminder of this; it was there that the ark and the tabernacle of, the wilder. ness were first placed, after the children of Israel got into possession of Canaan, but the day came when Shiloh was connected with God's dishonor (4 Samuel 2 to 4), and the ark (token of Jehovah's presence amid His people) was removed, never to return there. (See Jeremiah 7:1212But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. (Jeremiah 7:12)).
The people and their leaders were not permitted to put Jeremiah to death, but verse S shows that his murder was in their hearts. Our blessed Lord experienced this hatred of His creatures as none other ever did; but many servants of His in olden times have laid down their lives for His sake. No one is yet indifferent to the Word of God; it enters the heart by the avenue of the conscience, and produces within either love to Him or hatred against Him.
People like to boast of the enlightened age in which we live, and the great advance in every way which the last decades have seen, but we are sure that what God has said about the human heart, which the reader will find by looking back at verse 9 of chapter 17, is still true.
In the face of those wicked men gathered together against him at the temple designed for God's glory, Jeremiah was enabled to testify again boldly and faithfully for his Master (verses 12-15). It was not his word, his testimony, but God's, and the message of coming judgment was mingled with mercy (let them despise it at their peril!).
The courageous and faithful words of the prophet were not without effect on the princes and the people (not upon the priests and the prophets, we note); the elders were reminded of Micah, and his prophecy (chapter 3 verse 12), which brought hint no harsh treatment froni the godly Hezekiah. They also thought of Urijah, another faithful ma.n of whom we only know from the reference here given; he had, evidently not long before this time, given his life for his faithfulness to God. Jeremiah's life might have been taken too but God did no permit it, and moved Ahikam the son of Shaphan to take his part.
Messages of God’s Love 12/23/1934