Jeremiah 26 FSI - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **Jeremiah 26 Notes** > [[Jeremiah 25 FSI|<Prev]]   [[Jeremiah 27 FSI|Next>]] > [[Jeremiah 26|Verse list view]] > [Jeremiah 26:1](Jeremiah%2026.md#^1) note > > Remember Jehoiakim became king after King Josiah, who was the last good king, died in 609 BC when he went out to battle against Pharoah-Necho. Jehoiakim actually became king after his brother reigned for 3 months before he was carried away captive, then Jehoiakim reigned for 11 years. And 609 BC began a period of 70 years until 539 BC when King Cyrus of Persia decreed the rebuilding of the temple could commence. So that's when this word came to Jeremiah, in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim about 609 BC. ^jer26-1 > [Jeremiah 26:2](Jeremiah%2026.md#^2), [3](Jeremiah%2026.md#^3) note > > Jeremiah is commanded of God to stand in the court of the LORD's house and to declare unto all the cities of Judah that His wrath is upon them. And Jeremiah is commanded to declare it all, not to diminish a word of it. Then in [verse 3](Jeremiah%2026.md#^3) God declares that they may repent and not come under judgment. > > When we get to [verses 4](Jeremiah%2026.md#^4), [5](Jeremiah%2026.md#^5) and [6](Jeremiah%2026.md#^6), God tells them what judgment to expect if they do *not* listen nor repent. Now, we know already from the book of Jeremiah that it was God's intent to destroy them, that they would not repent. But this nevertheless follows the principle that God has laid down in [Jeremiah 18:7](Jeremiah%2018.md#^7), [8](Jeremiah%2018.md#^8), [9](Jeremiah%2018.md#^9), [10](Jeremiah%2018.md#^10), that if they *would* repent then God would not bring the evil He has pronounced against them. Again, remember what happened when Jonah gave warning to Nineveh that God would destroy them in forty days and God did not destroy them: [Jonah 3:4](Jonah%203.md#^4), [5](Jonah%203.md#^5), [6](Jonah%203.md#^6), [7](Jonah%203.md#^7), [8](Jonah%203.md#^8), [9](Jonah%203.md#^9). They sat in sackcloth and ashes and cried out to God, leaning altogether on His great mercies. And, like Jonah, this is also how God comes to us today, warning us through His Word that if we *do not* repent He will destroy us. > > The way we reconcile the fact that God would not destroy them if only they would repent, and yet He was already intent on destroying them, is to understand that God knows the end from the beginning. He knows already that they will not repent. He knew that Judah would not repent, so He set the appointed time when Babylon would come against them to destroy them. And this is how He has set the appointed time for the end of time to destroy the churches and congregations, and then the world, even though the statement is still out there that if they repent and obey God then He will not destroy them. It's because they will not repent. It's not a fault of God's action, it's because sin is so much in control of the human race, even as God insists that He is a very merciful God. No one will ever repent unless God overrides our rebellious nature, and He thus many times leaves people in their sins. So His time program remains intact altogether. ^jer26-2-3 > [Jeremiah 26:4](Jeremiah%2026.md#^4), [5](Jeremiah%2026.md#^5), [6](Jeremiah%2026.md#^6) note > > So now the warning comes to Judah that if they will not repent to listen to God's Word and to turn away from evil, He will make them like Shiloh and a curse to all the nations of the earth. And He makes it clear that they have not hearkened, that is, they have not listened already. > > Shiloh was the city where the tabernacle had been placed. It was where Eli (and Samuel in his early days) officiated after the ark had been there for over 300 years. It was really the city of God before Jerusalem had been established. Then in [1 Samuel 4:2](1%20Samuel%204.md#^2) God brought the Philistines against Israel and about 4,000 of the Israelites were smitten in the field. Then the priests had this "bright idea" to bring the ark out of Shiloh to the battle line -- with the Israelites thinking its presence would somehow bring them safety and victory. But God instead allowed the ark to be taken by the Philistines, which was a calamity of the first order because the ark represented God Himself in their midst. And for 7 months it was in enemy territory. This ended Shiloh as being the city of God in any sense at all, and it represents how God abandons His people to themselves (as a corporate body) once they are under judgment. And this is exactly what happens to the churches and congregations once God has left them as well in our day, they are without God altogether. Once God has left, you are on your own and are left for judgment. > > We see the consequence of this once the ark had been carried away: The priests were killed, 30,000 men were killed in battle and Eli the high priest fell backward and fatally broke his neck ([1 Sa 4:10](1%20Samuel%204.md#^10), [11](1%20Samuel%204.md#^11) ... [16](1%20Samuel%204.md#^16), [17](1%20Samuel%204.md#^17), [18](1%20Samuel%204.md#^18)). Spiritually speaking it was a bitter tragedy. And this is the warning God is giving here to Judah in the days of Jehoiakim through Jeremiah. ^jer26-4-6 > [Jeremiah 26:7](Jeremiah%2026.md#^7) note > > So Jeremiah faithfully proclaimed these words in the LORD's house as God instructed in [verse 2](Jeremiah%2026.md#^2), and they all heard him. He was faithful to his commission. And in the audience there are 3 categories of people listening to the Words of the LORD through Jeremiah: The priests, the prophets, and all the people. The priests and the prophets, of course, are the religious rulers. They're the ones who ought to be bringing Truth, they should be the ones speaking on behalf of God. So God is very carefully indicating that they are there. > > Now this is a terrible thing that Jeremiah is telling them: "God is going to destroy you if you don't stop being as sinful as you are." And already at the beginning of the book of Jeremiah we saw that he trembled at this commission. His life was in danger and what might they do to him ([Jer 1:4-8, 17-19](Jeremiah%201.md))? And we'll see this danger come to fruition in [verse 8](Jeremiah%2026.md#^8). ^jer26-7 > [Jeremiah 26:8](Jeremiah%2026.md#^8) note > > As we saw in [verse 7](Jeremiah%2026.md#^7), so we read again in verse 8 -- there are 3 categories of people listening to the Words of the LORD through Jeremiah: The priests, the prophets, and all the people. The priests and the prophets, of course, are the religious rulers. They're the ones who ought to be bringing Truth, they should be the ones speaking on behalf of God. So God is very carefully indicating that they are there. And they, along with all the people, respond and tell Jeremiah that he shall surely die. > > Jeremiah had just warned them that they will become like Shiloh for their rebellion if they don't listen to the Words of the LORD: "God is going to destroy you and make you like Shiloh." That was like a black mark on Israel that would never go away, and now they're being reminded of the time when they were without God in a spiritual sense when the ark was carried away. And they didn't like this at all so they wanted to kill the messenger (cp [Rev 11:3-10](Revelation%2011.md) where the 2 witnesses are killed for bringing the whole counsel of God). The same is very true today, people don't want to hear about God's judgment, they just want to listen to nice things and things that please their ear. ^jer26-8 > [Jeremiah 26:9](Jeremiah%2026.md#^9) note > > Jeremiah's situation is very desperate. And isn't it interesting that they aren't even taking into consideration that God is giving them a warning that they are to listen and repent? They are already set in their ways, they are not going to listen and repent, so they are very angry. And now they are going to hold a trial beginning in verse 10. ^jer26-9 > [Jeremiah 26:10](Jeremiah%2026.md#^10), [11](Jeremiah%2026.md#^11) note > > Now come the princes from the king's house to the house of the LORD to sit as judges in the entry of the new gate ([v10](Jeremiah%2026.md#^10)). > > And the priests and the prophets are making the official charge against Jeremiah to the princes and all the people ([v11](Jeremiah%2026.md#^11)). And they are pronouncing the death penalty against Jeremiah for treason. > > Now, we have to remember that spiritually God is speaking about our day in the churches and congregations. And who are the ones who incite the people in the pews to continue to follow their false gospels and not to listen to the Truth of the Bible? It is those in the pulpits, those in the seminaries, and so on. It is coming from those who ought to know better and direct them to listen to the Word of God. ^jer26-10-11 > [Jeremiah 26:12](Jeremiah%2026.md#^12), [13](Jeremiah%2026.md#^13), [14](Jeremiah%2026.md#^14), [15](Jeremiah%2026.md#^15) note > > Now Jeremiah has his opportunity to address the princes and all the people. And the thing to note here is that Jeremiah is not backing down. He is not wishy-washy about this. He recognizes that he's up for execution. If the princes say, "Kill him," he's going to be dead. Yet he faithfully declares what he must declare. And this is a lesson for us. No matter how rancorous or angry the opposition may be, we must faithfully declare the Truth whatever may happen. But Jeremiah does warn them they will be shedding innocent blood because the LORD had sent him to say these things to them. > > So the court has been set. We have the judges (the princes), the accusers (the priests and prophets), Jeremiah has had an opportunity to speak and now they're going to look for other witnesses that may have something to say that will apply to this case. ^jer26-12-15 > [Jeremiah 26:16](Jeremiah%2026.md#^16), [17](Jeremiah%2026.md#^17) note > > The princes are acting on behalf of God to make the right kind of statement that Jeremiah is not worthy to die ([v16](Jeremiah%2026.md#^16)). > > But then we'll see in the remainder of the chapter that there are effectively 2 opposing witnesses who tell their case. So certain of the elders rise up to speak to the people ([17](Jeremiah%2026.md#^17)). They've been listening in this courtroom scene and they're going to give some examples of precedent. One is going to be on behalf of Jeremiah ([vv18](Jeremiah%2026.md#^18)-[19](Jeremiah%2026.md#^19)), and the other will be against Jeremiah ([vv20](Jeremiah%2026.md#^20), [21](Jeremiah%2026.md#^21), [22](Jeremiah%2026.md#^22), [23](Jeremiah%2026.md#^23)). ^jer26-16-17 > [Jeremiah 26:18](Jeremiah%2026.md#^18), [19](Jeremiah%2026.md#^19) note > > So this is the first piece of evidence in this trial against Jeremiah. The elder or elders are reminding them of the prophet Micah the Morasthite in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah. This is found beginning in [Micah 1:1](Micah%201.md#^1). And there we find the same kind of language of all the terrible things Judah and Israel were doing and the fact that God was going to bring judgment against them ([Micah 2:1](Micah%202.md#^1), [2](Micah%202.md#^2), etc.). Then when we get to [Micah 3:12](Micah%203.md#^12) we find the very verse that is quoted here in Jeremiah 26:18 by this elder. > > If we were to examine that passage more fully we would find that it, too, is speaking about our day. It is speaking exactly of the same context that we find here in Jeremiah that spiritually points to judgment day and the days leading up to it -- [Micah 4:9](Micah%204.md#^9), [10](Micah%204.md#^10). God speaks of them going out to *Babylon*. But Babylon wasn't threatening Judah in the days of Hezekiah, it was Assyria that was mainly threatening Israel. So God there is anticipating the same warnings there in the book of Micah that we find here in Jeremiah that apply to the end of the church age. > > So how did Hezekiah respond to the warnings of the LORD through Micah? It says here in [Jeremiah 26:19](Jeremiah%2026.md#^19) that he repented. Remember the principle that God has laid down in [Jeremiah 18:7](Jeremiah%2018.md#^7), [8](Jeremiah%2018.md#^8), that if they would repent then God will not bring the evil He has pronounced against them. Hezekiah was a God-fearing king so he repented, he did not put Micah to death, and Judah (over which he ruled) was not destroyed. Nevertheless, in those days the 10 tribes of Israel to the north of Judah did not repent and indeed, they were destroyed by the Assyrians. ^jer26-18-19 > [Jeremiah 26:20](Jeremiah%2026.md#^20), [21](Jeremiah%2026.md#^21), [22](Jeremiah%2026.md#^22), [23](Jeremiah%2026.md#^23) note > > So now we have the next precedent given by another elder in verses 20-23. And what is the difference in this example from the previous one given in [verses 18](Jeremiah%2026.md#^18) and [19](Jeremiah%2026.md#^19)? Both prophets faithfully declared the Word of God. Micah declared the warnings of God during the days of Hezekiah using the same king of language of judgment, and he was not put to death. And now we have Urijah, a contemporary of Jeremiah, a fellow-prophet who also prophesied in the Name of the LORD who *was* put to death. Why was one spared but the other was put to death? > > First of all, we must remember that Hezekiah was a God-fearing king whereas Jehoiakim was a wicked king. But the key phrase is found in verse 21, which says, "...but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt." That is the major difference between the two prophets. If we are declaring the whole counsel of God, but then we get weak-kneed and frightened so that we cease warning about the wrath of God coming upon the churches, so that we back away a little bit, thinking, "Why emphasize this so much?" -- God will neutralize us. Urijah went to Egypt, he wasn't faithful to declare the Word of God come what may. And Jeremiah here was at great risk as we've already seen from chapter 1 ([Jer 1:4-8, 17-19](Jeremiah%201.md)), and now as he is on trial with a charge of being worthy of death. And the consequence of this trial is seen in [verse 24](Jeremiah%2026.md#^24) ^jer26-20-23 > [Jeremiah 26:24](Jeremiah%2026.md#^24) note > > Remember in [verse 16](Jeremiah%2026.md#^16) that the princes and all the people had judged Jeremiah as *not* worthy to die after he had given his defense. There God separated the people from the priests and the prophets who had determined that Jeremiah had to die. They didn't want their teaching contravened in any way. They didn't want to have Truth, they wanted what *they* teach to be followed at the consequence of death. And that's how it is today where the pastors and elders insist on their own doctrines over the warnings of the Bible itself as they lead their congregations astray. But then in this verse we have Ahikam son of Shaphan who spared Jeremiah from being given over to their hand. ^jer26-24 Tags: #Old_Testament #Jeremiah #Gods_judgment_on_His_people #FSI