Saturday 20 March 2021

Psalm 114

Background

We return to Jeremiah in our reading today, which comes in the middle of chapters 21 to 29. It finds Jeremiah denouncing false prophets and kings of Judah who refuse to listen to God’s word. Chapter 26 is very closely linked with the 'Temple sermon' of Chapter 7 (readings for last Thursday and Friday) in which Jeremiah is uncompromising in his approach in the early years of the reign of King Jehoiakim. The prophet’s bravery is reinforced by the words in 26:20-23, telling the story of another prophet called Uriah who, having prophesied in a similar vein as Jeremiah, fled to Egypt to escape King Jehoiakim. Unfortunately this did not prevent Uriah being brought back to the King, who personally killed him with a sword.

Jeremiah knows the danger he is in, but also knows that God requires him to speak the truth to those in authority about the dire state into which Judah has descended. Jeremiah will know better than anyone that his earthly life is on the line. At first things don’t go well and the assembled royal officials are not impressed when they are told that Jerusalem will be destroyed, comparing it to the ruined city of Shiloh. “This man deserves the sentence of death because he has prophesied against this city." (v. 11).

However, this chapter is 'a game of two halves'. Jeremiah is roused for seemingly one last speech. His defence is simple: “It is the Lord who sent me…” (v. 12). He basically tells them to do what they have to do, but that they need to know that he is innocent and all the people of the city will be liable if he is sentenced to death. Perhaps at this point the officials recall a precedent, remembering the words of the prophet Micah a century before Jeremiah; also remembering that King Hezekiah of Judah did not kill Micah for saying very similar things to Jeremiah’s warnings. Whatever the reasons, a remarkable turn around occurs and in verse 16 we read, “This man does not deserve death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord.”

 In Luke 7 Jesus is talking to the crowd about John the Baptist being a prophet: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?” (v. 24). Jeremiah stands before his accusers defenceless, except that he has God’s presence with him, enabling him to stand straight and with total conviction. The man and the message had total integrity. It set him free.

To Ponder:

On many days in this past week, thinking about Jeremiah, words in the Methodist Covenant Service have come to mind.

“Christ has many services to be done:
some are easy; others are difficult;
some bring honour; others bring reproach;
some are suitable to our natural inclinations and material interests, others are contrary to both;
in some we may please Christ and please ourselves;
in others we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves.
Yet the power to do all these things is given to us in Christ, who strengthens us.”

 Today,  let's simply give thanks to God who strengthens us each day by journeying with us.