Jeremiah 26

Earlier on in this book we read mostly Jeremiah's prophesies, without much comment on the reaction of people. Jeremiah, like all the prophets were inspired by unique symbols and word pictures that help bring the message home.

God is an emotional God. These images help us to feel God's emotion. He is angry. He is hurt. He is devastated that he must pronounce sentence on his people.

But now in later chapters we do see how the people and the leaders react to Jeremiah's prophecies of doom.

In chapter 26 Jeremiah is sentenced to death by the priests and sort of put on trial. Perhaps he is put on trial because the king gets wind of what is happening and sends officials to intervene. The king's officials give him an acquittal.

But there must be more to it. Or the events are not related in order. In a chaotic situation like this it may be impossible to relate things in an easy order.

Anyway Jeremiah speaks on his own behalf. He doesn't back down but acknowledges they could kill him but if they do they are shedding innocent blood since what he says is true. Then some other people speak. They tell of previous trials against prophets. I guess this is part of the trial too somehow. One of the prophets mentioned is never mentioned anywhere else. He was killed by a trial of similar kind.

The final verse of chapter 26 says that Jeremiah is acquitted. Credit is given to Ahikam for saving him. Was he the judge? Maybe he is the lead official sent by the king to preside over the debate so that is was an informal trial. Obviously Ahikam has the authority to quell what seemed at first like a mob. Jeremiah hung in their bravely through all this.

By prophesying in the temple he placed himself in harm's way. There was no escape if the people wanted to stone him. The people did not deny his prophesy it seems. They just did not want to hear it. They wanted to "kill the messenger".

Let us not follow that example.