UNWILLING TO LISTEN AND BELIEVE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Shephatiah, son of Mattan, Gedaliah, son of Pashhur, Jehukal, son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, son of Malkijah, heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’ And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”

Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

Jeremiah 38:1-4

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When we left Jeremiah at the end of Chapter 37, things were looking up for him. He had direct dialogue with King Zedekiah which allowed him not only to remind Judah’s ruler that he would soon be removed from power and captured by the Babylonians but also to petition for his release from imprisonment because he had done nothing to warrant it. And although Zedekiah didn’t completely free God’s prophet, he did release him to the courtyard of the guard.

Well, as Chapter 38 opens, we find that Jeremiah’s relief from danger was short-lived. Look again at this passage:

Shephatiah, son of Mattan, Gedaliah, son of Pashhur, Jehukal, son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, son of Malkijah, heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’ And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”

Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.” Jeremiah 38:1-4

Jeremiah may have convinced the king to not do him harm but as we see, Zedekiah’s officials were not as inclined to pardon. For we read where Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehukal, and Pashhur all went to the king after hearing Jeremiah promise the following:

1. That whoever stayed in the city would die from either sword, famine, or plague.

2. That safety from death would only come from surrendering one’s self to the Babylonians.

3. That Jerusalem would be given into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar and his army who would capture it.

So what did the officials propose to Zedekiah?

The death penalty for Jeremiah, all because they were unwilling to listen and believe to what he was trying to tell them

Jeremiah was speaking on behalf of God Himself and yet the officials, because they did not hear what they wanted to hear, flat out rejected the prophet and the Lord he spoke for. Had they listened to God’s messenger and believed in what he was saying, they could have saved themselves and the people they represented from a lot of harm but they didn’t.

Instead, they wanted to silence the prophet by killing him, as if that would stop the word of the Lord from coming to them ever again.

Friends, this same scenario is playing out all over the world today. People who the Lord is calling to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to others are being persecuted and punished for their obedience. Rejecting their work and the Lord who called them to that work, those who are oppressing (and even killing) Christians for their beliefs think they might silence God, just as Zedekiah’s officials did. But the truth of the matter is that the Lord will never be silenced or shut out of doing His will on earth.

When the Lord chooses to move, no one or nothing is going to stop Him, even if they refuse to listen and believe. He has, is, and will always have His way. Period.

Today and every day, we would be well suited to always have our ears open to listen to and receive all that the Lord wants us to know and trust in. For when we believe in Him with unswerving faith, then He will lead us to a place where we will always be in His care and love, whether in this life on earth or the eternal life ahead through His Son Jesus.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
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