Jeremiah 26
Dear RTB’ers,
Back to Jeremiah. Both the STS editors and my Study Bible suggest that today’s chapter 26 reading is an extension of what we already read in Jeremiah 7. Back then Jeremiah was warning the officials and people of Jerusalem of their certain doom if they did not repent of their evil ways. We read that again today, with Jeremiah speaking words that the Lord gave him: Thus says the LORD: ‘If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law that I have set before you, and to listen to the words of My servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’ (vv. 4b-6) His words inflamed the Jewish leaders and the people, nearly all of whom were ready to kill Jeremiah. He, however, spoke in his own defense (Jer. 27:12-15) and was spared.
No doubt, Jeremiah’s defense was through the Lord providing the words that he spoke. Jesus had given similar advice to His disciples: Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. (Luke 12:11-12; see also Matthew 10:18-20 and Mark 13:9-11) We also, in sharing our faith need to pray for wisdom and rely on the Holy Spirit to give us words to share.
Blessings.
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