A PROPHET'S LIFE THREATENED

PROCLAMATION

“But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything The Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, ‘You must die!’ ”  Jeremiah 26:8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  In chapter twenty-five of The Bible Book of Jeremiah, the prophet told the people that again and again The Lord God had sent prophets to them who told them to turn from their evil practices of idol worship but they did not listen to them. (Jeremiah 25:3-7)  Because they did not listen to the words of The Lord, He was going to punish them and let the Babylonians take them into captivity for seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:8-11)  In the twenty-sixth chapter, Jeremiah repeated this prophesy in the courtyard of the temple.  When he had finished speaking, the priests, the false prophets, and the people who heard him, seized him, and threatened to kill him. (Jeremiah 26:1-15)  Jeremiah was willing to die for The Lord. (Jeremiah 26:14-15)  However, he was spared when some of the elders came forward and told the people that other prophets had spoken to them and their ancestors in the name of The Lord and they were not killed.  The elders said that killing Jeremiah would bring an even more terrible disaster on them. (Jeremiah 26:17-24)  The Lord made a way to save his life.

APPLICATION

There are times and places where a believer would place their life in danger if they made a positive public statement about The Lord God.  Believers know that The Lord God protects us from dangers seen and unseen.  However, we should be willing to give up our life for belief in Christ.  In fact, Jesus, The Christ, said that whoever shall lose his life for His sake shall save it. (Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, and Luke 9:24)  He also said that if we deny Him before men, in order to save our life, then we will lose because He will deny knowing us before our heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:33)  Remember, He died for us.  Christ said that greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for a friend, and He said that we are His friends if we keep His commands. (John 15:13-14)  The question is, do we love Him enough to die for Him?