Knowing how to respond to God’s Word (Jeremiah 26)
Jer 26:1-24
At a retreat with my church shortly after I came to faith, I received a verse of Scripture. The leaders wrote different ones on cards and handed them out randomly at the end of the conference. They sincerely prayed that these might be God’s words to the individuals, but I found mine terrifying: ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…’ (Heb 3:15). I kept wondering what I had done and felt guilty for no reason. Coming from a church background that stressed obedience to God above all, I was inclined to think that I had to apply this verse to myself. Others might feel that there is now no condemnation against believers (Rom 8:1) and they need not be too concerned if the cap does not fit. Underlying our response is the question of how we can know what is truly a message from God to us?
Could the message come from God?
This is the topic of the next few chapters (26-29), as we pick up the story of Jeremiah again.[1] Our reading opens with God’s commission to the prophet to speak in the temple court, probably during a major festival (hence the reference to people from the cities of Judah – Jer 26:2). The similarities between the summary of this message (Jer 26:4-6) and Jer 7:1-34 suggest that it is the same occasion (see my posts on Jeremiah 7 here and here). Whereas the earlier passage gives the full sermon, now the focus is on the reaction to the message (Jer 26:3). The religious leadership (priests and prophets), along with the people, are outraged and demand Jeremiah’s death (Jer 26:7-9). Their implicit reason is that God promised to make Jerusalem and the Temple His permanent dwelling (Ps 132:13-18), so it is theologically wrong to suggest that it could be destroyed! It is as shocking to them as saying today that you could lose your salvation![2] Hence in their eyes, Jeremiah is a false prophet who deserves the death penalty (v.8; Deut 13:1-5).
Varying responses to God’s Word
In the court that convenes, Jeremiah reasserts that God has sent Him and repeats the gist of his message urging people to repentance while warning them that executing an innocent man is serious business (Jer 26:12-15).[3] The officials clearly feel the weight of the matter and their verdict of acquittal is followed by the explanation of how it came about (Jer 26:16-19). The remembered precedent of Micah’s prophecy a hundred years earlier (Mic 3:12; see my post on it here) and Hezekiah’s response (vv.18-19; 2 Kings 18:13-37; 19:1-37) saves Jeremiah’s life, but we are left wondering about the people’s reaction. They come to acknowledge that Jeremiah brought God’s message (v.16), yet we hear of no repentance. The ruthless hunting down of another prophet with a similar message, his extradition from Egypt and execution by the king himself (Jer 26:20-23) indicates the brutal reality: neither the king nor the people have taken God’s words to heart.
Learning to discern and live by God’s Word
What are we to learn from all this? First, the question of whether a message is theologically right (what we might describe today as ‘biblical’) is important. The more we understand the basic principles of our faith, the better equipped we will be to screen out supposedly Christian messages that are misguided and wrong. Comparable to Israel’s unshakable conviction that Jerusalem and the Temple were inviolable, for instance, many today believe that God is there for our convenience, to give us a happier, more fulfilled, and better life and that grace is all that matters. Thus, discipleship and faithful living become optional extras. Although we do not execute preachers today (thankfully!), it is easy to find a church where we hear words that stroke our egos but demand nothing of us. Second, it is possible to acknowledge that a word comes from God and yet do nothing about it. We may think it applies to someone else (who does not have a blind spot about themselves?), we can be initially enthusiastic but quickly forget in the business of life or be so preoccupied with personal concerns that we fail to let the message sink in (Mk 4:13-20). May we be like the good soil in Jesus’ parable and show fruit in our lives.
[1] For an introduction to the book, see Introduction to Jeremiah, and you can read previous posts on Jeremiah 1-25 here.
[2] Technically, both the promise to Jerusalem and not losing one’s salvation are true statement. However, in both cases a truth that God affirms can be abused and can feed our complacency.
[3] The idea that God can change His mind may seem disconcerting for us, as if He were fickle and inconsistent. However, when God changes His mind, it is never a random act like we might decide at a restaurant to order the chicken dish after all, rather than the lamb. When God decides not to bring disaster on His people, it is because He responds to their repentance with mercy. For a more detailed exploration of this question see my post Does God change His mind?
