Do Not Omit a Word

[Christsdaughter]

Do Not Omit a Word
Saturday March 12, 2011

Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah Threatened With Death
1Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: 2“This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. 3Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. 4Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”
7The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD. 8But 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! 9Why do you prophesy in the LORD’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?” And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the LORD and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD’s house. 11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!”
12Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. 13Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. 14As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. 15Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.”
17Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, 18“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“‘Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.’£
19“Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the LORD and seek his favor? And did not the LORD relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!”
20(Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. 21When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and fled in fear to Egypt. 22King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt, along with some other men. 23They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)
24Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

God once again commanded Jeremiah to speak the same message warning the people of Judah to repent. He commanded Him not to omit a single word. I imagine that after preaching this same painful message for 23 years and being hated and persecuted all that time, he must have felt weary and lost heart at times and was tempted to omit the really difficult parts of the message. There was a reason that God was commanding him not to omit a single word. Jeremiah must have known what might happen to him and was warring with himself over it on his way to deliver the message. He proceeded to obey the Lord anyway regardless of what might happen to him and the people threatened to kill him. Wow!

These threats did not stop Jeremiah. He proceeded to deliver the rest of the message. Even though he told them that if they repented, the Lord would not bring this disaster, they chose to be unrepentant anyway and were determined to harm Jeremiah. Jeremiah told them to do with him whatever they though right to do, but warned them that innocent blood would be on their hands because the Lord truly did send him to deliver that message. He also reminded them of how God relented when king Hezekiah decided to repent and seek the Lord’s favor.

No matter how difficult the messages are or what may happen to the Lord’s servants, we must deliver the messages that He gives us and not omit a single word, even if it is the same message over and over again. God wants to deliver the whole message over and over again to give people a chance to respond to Him and repent. Our lives are in His hands. He will watch over us and do what is best.

For those who are rebelling against God and ignoring His messages, REPENT! Reform your ways and your actions! If you do, the Lord will not bring about the disaster that He promises to bring. Don’t store up wrath for yourselves! Submit to the Lord, give Him your whole heart and your whole life, confess and repent, accept the free gift of salvation provided only through Jesus Christ, and experience freedom from sin and death! God is jealous for you! He loves you and sent His one and only Son in order to provide a way for you to be reunited with Him because He wants you back!

 

[sunestauromai]

Amen - it is God's truth that sets us free - his full truth!