Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 26

Verses 1-7

Jer 26:1-7

Jeremiah 26:1-7

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from Jehovah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Stand in the court of Jehovah’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word. It may be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah: If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send unto you, even rising up early and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah.

Stand in the court of Jehovah’s house...

(Jeremiah 26:4). This location enabled Jeremiah to preach to the greatest number of the throngs of people from all the cities of Judah, who were gathering upon some national feast-day.

And turn every man from his evil way...

(Jeremiah 26:3). Feinberg stressed two things of singular importance in this passage: (1) The kind of repentance which God demands is always an individual matter; and (2) promises of divine judgment are always conditional.

Walk in my law. hearken to the words of my servants the prophets .....

(Jeremiah 26:4-5). God’s condemnation did not result from their refusal to hearken to Jeremiah, merely; but it was the consequence of their rejection of all of God’s prophets, reaching all the way back to Moses and the sacred terms of the Old Sinaitic Covenant itself, all of this instruction being evident right here in this passage.

The great things that stand out in this paragraph are: (1) the necessity of obeying God’s law, if the forthcoming destruction is to be averted; (2) the terrible nature of the doom awaiting them if they did not repent; (3) Shiloh was cited as an example of the destruction that awaited Jerusalem and the temple.

The significance of the citation of Shiloh derived from the fact of its having been the very first place where the ark of the Lord rested after Israel’s entry into the promised land.

The Bible makes no specific reference to the occasion of Shiloh’s destruction, and critics once disputed it; but "The Danish expedition uncovered pottery and other evidence demonstrating that the destruction of Shiloh occurred, by the hands of the Philistines about 1050 B.C." The mention of this fact here was intended to refute the arrogant confidence of those Israelites who supposed that the existence of a mere building was their guarantee of safety no matter what they did, a guarantee which they erroneously ascribed to the existence of the temple.

As this narrative proceeds, it will be evident that "all the people" were a very fickle and undependable element discernible in this shameful trial of Jeremiah.

The priests, and the prophets, and all the people...

(Jeremiah 26:7). These were the enemies of Jeremiah. It should not be thought that the prophets were in any sense true prophets. These characters are mentioned in Jeremiah 26:7-8; Jeremiah 26:11; Jeremiah 26:16; and the LXX designates them as pseudo-prophets. That irresponsible and fickle Jerusalem mob, designated here as all the people, that is, the majority, started yelling for the death of the holy Prophet. They were fit ancestors indeed of the mob in that same city centuries afterward who would cry, Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

JEREMIAH FACES OPPOSITION

Jeremiah 26:1 to Jeremiah 29:32

The material in chapters 26–29 is primarily biographical in character and written in the third person. Some autobiographical material is also included here (see Jeremiah 27:1 to Jeremiah 28:4). The most unique literary feature of this section is chapter 29. This chapter contains the complete text of a letter sent by Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1-23) and also parts of two letters, one of which was sent to Shemaiah, and the other sent by him (Jeremiah 29:24-32). The materials in this section come from two different periods of the prophet’s ministry. The events in chapter 26 take place in the early days of Jehoiakim. Chapters 27–29 cover events about fifteen years later, in the fourth year of king Zedekiah when there was general unrest throughout the Babylonian empire. False prophets in Judah and in Babylon were encouraging Jews to join in the rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar. In continuing to counsel submission to Babylon Jeremiah aroused the hostility of the civil as well as the religious authorities of the nation.

THE ARREST AND TRIAL OF THE PROPHET Jeremiah 26:1-24

The faithful proclamation of the word of God is dangerous business. Amos, the prophet from Tekoa, was openly rebuked by Amaziah the high priest of Bethel and was ordered to leave the country (Amos 7:10 ff.). Zechariah the son of Jehoiada was stoned to death by the order of the pompous king Joash because he had the audacity to rebuke the king for apostasy (2 Chronicles 24:20 ff.). Legend has it that Isaiah was sawn asunder by wicked Manasseh. It was the faithful proclamation of the word that got Steven stoned, John beheaded and Peter imprisoned. The ministry is a hazardous vocation! It is no place for those with weak knees and faint hearts! In the present chapter Jeremiah is put on trial for his life because of his uncompromising and forthright presentation of the word of God.

The Arrest Jeremiah 26:1-10

Jeremiah was a soldier on a holy crusade, carrying out the instructions of his heavenly Superior. Acting under a divine directive (Jeremiah 26:1-3), Jeremiah preaches a stirring message (Jeremiah 26:4-6) which arouses the anger of those who heard him (Jeremiah 26:7-10) and nearly costs him his life.

1. A divine directive (Jeremiah 26:1-3)

Four specific points relating to a divine directive which came to Jeremiah are brought out in Jeremiah 26:1-3. First, there is a word as to the time of the directive. The word of the Lord came to the prophet “in the beginning of the reign of king Jehoiakim” (Jeremiah 26:1). This probably refers to the year 608 B.C. Righteous Josiah had been slain the year before in the battle of Megiddo; Jehoahaz his son had been able to hold the throne only three months before being deposed and deported by Pharaoh Necho. Now wicked Jehoiakim was sitting on the throne of David. These were turbulous times. World supremacy was being contested on the banks of the Euphrates river. No doubt the inhabitants of Jerusalem were jittery. Would the combined force of the Assyrian and Egyptian armies be able to withstand the armies of the Chaldeans There were ominous implications for Judah no matter which force emerged as world conqueror.

The divine directive contains a specific word as the place Jeremiah is to preach (Jeremiah 26:2). He is to go to the court of Solomon’s Temple and preach to the masses of people who assembled there from all the cities of Judah to worship the Lord. On a previous occasion in the reign of Josiah, Jeremiah had stood in this same courtyard and preached the word (see Jeremiah 7:1 to Jeremiah 8:3). Many scholars, perhaps a majority, believe that chapter 26 contains a summary of that earlier message and relates the consequences of it. However the grounds for equating the Temple sermon of chapter 7 and the Temple sermon of chapter 26 are singularly and collectively weak.^[234] There is not one hint of hostility to Jeremiah’s first Temple sermon. The message no doubt received a sympathetic hearing in the days of good king Josiah. But now the climate has changed. The religious and civil authorities are in no mood to tolerate criticism.

The divine directive to Jeremiah also contains a specific obligation (Jeremiah 26:2 b). The Lord commands Jeremiah not to diminish a single word from the message he had received from God. This commandment is reminiscent of the initial instruction given to Jeremiah at the time of his call when he was told, “whatsoever I shall command you, you shall speak” (Jeremiah 1:7). The Lord knew that Jeremiah needed to be reminded of this obligation at this point in his ministry. Even the most stalwart man of God might be tempted to omit or water down certain unpopular and unpleasant portions of his message when faced with the prospects of arrest, imprisonment and possibly death. No longer would Jeremiah enjoy the protection of the pious Josiah; he would feel for the first time the full impact of public hostility.

The divine directive also included a note as to the purpose for Jeremiah’s preaching on this occasion. Jeremiah’s message was harsh. It was a message of judgment. But the object of all that he said was the salvation of the nation. “Perhaps” they will hearken! This verse reveals the eagerness of God to turn away from His announced purpose to destroy the nations. If they would only repent! What fantastic possibilities can be set in motion through sincere repentance! If Judah would turn away from rebellion against God then He could “repent” or “relent” with regard to his intentions to destroy the land (cf. Jeremiah 18:8).

2. A stirring message (Jeremiah 26:4-6)

Jeremiah’s sermon in the courtyard of the Temple must have been quite a bombshell! It stirred a hornet’s nest of opposition. Doubtlessly in Jeremiah 26:4-6 only a brief summary of the sermon preached on this occasion has been preserved. Had the entire message been recorded it would probably have included a stinging indictment for injustice, hypocrisy and rebellion against God. No doubt it included threats of the enemy from the north which would devastate the land. The summary which has been preserved here contains two points of emphasis. First, there is an oblique call for repentance (Jeremiah 26:4-5). Jeremiah is here threatening the people that if they do not do certain things they will be punished. This is tantamount to calling upon the people to act in certain ways. Basically Jeremiah is calling upon them to hearken to the Lord. This involves two distinct responses on the part of the people. First they must listen to the voice of God as it was recorded in the ancient law of Moses. While he frequently condemned formalism and ritualism Jeremiah never minimized the importance of obedience to the written law of God. Second, the people must listen to the contemporary spokesmen of God, the prophets. The people thus far had failed to give credence to the words of God’s servants even though He had persistently sent them unto the nation (Jeremiah 26:5).

In no uncertain terms Jeremiah spells out the consequences of impenitence in this Temple sermon (Jeremiah 26:6). Two distinct threats are contained here in the summary of his message. First, God threatens to make “this house,” i.e., the Temple, like Shiloh. The shrine at Shiloh had been destroyed centuries before, apparently by the Philistine invasion during the judgeship of Eli (1 Samuel 4:10-11). A persistent delusion in the days of Jeremiah was that God would never allow His sanctuary to be destroyed by any foreign enemy. The prophet here marshals the facts of history to support his contention that no spot was too sacred to be decimated when God pours out His wrath upon a sinful people. The second threat in Jeremiah 26:6 concerns the city. God would make it a curse among the nations of the earth. That is to say, God would so destroy Jerusalem that when anyone wished a pronounce a curse on a city he would say, “May such and such a city become like Jerusalem!”

Verses 8-11

Jer 26:8-11

Jeremiah 26:8-9

And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people were gathered unto Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah.

The scene here is one of darkness and evil. The crooked prophets and false priests were in control of the sadistic, thoughtless mob called "all the people." It is exactly what took place again when the Jerusalem mob cried, "Crucify Him"!

The cunning crooked priests and prophets placed in the mouth of the mob the essentials of two capital charges; (1) that Jeremiah had spoken "in the name of Jehovah" without authority, and (2) that he had prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, both of which events they falsely claimed had been promised absolute and complete immunity from destruction by God Himself. The Law of Moses gave the death penalty as punishment for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16); and the same Law gave the death penalty for the speaking of a false prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20). We should not overlook the proof that these charges by the crooked priests and prophets were based upon the provisions of the Sinaitic covenant as revealed in the Pentateuch; and that the Jews of Jeremiah’s day were thoroughly familiar with every word of it! We believe that the crooked King Jehoiachim was a party to this attack on Jeremiah, a fact clearly indicated by the kings subsequent conduct.

All the people were gathered together unto Jeremiah...

(Jeremiah 26:9). According to Barnes, this meant that the people had come together for the purpose of constituting themselves as an impromptu court to try Jeremiah. If it had been allowed to proceed as the crooked prosecutors of these charges had planned, it would probably have resulted in the same kind of trial and stoning to death that later marked the trial and death of Stephen in Acts 7 th chapter. Fortunately, someone evidently summoned the elders and princes of the nation to come and take part in the trial, which they at once did.

Jeremiah 26:10-11

And when the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house unto the house of Jehovah; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Jehovah’s [house]. Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

When the princes of Judah heard these things...

(Jeremiah 26:10). This refers to their hearing of the commotion raised in the temple, which precipitated their prompt investigation.

As ye have heard with your ears...

(Jeremiah 26:11). It was not true that the princes and elders had indeed heard the alleged blasphemy of Jeremiah; and these words were directed to the bloodthirsty mob as their cue to join in the demand for Jeremiah’s death. There was nothing fair about the charges of the priests and the prophets; they announced the verdict of death before they even mentioned the charges.

The princes of Judah...

(Jeremiah 26:10). These, along with the elders, included all the branches of the royal family who acted as judges, and the heads of substantial families of Israel. Without these men, Jeremiah would have had only a mock-trial. In our opinion, the arrival of the princes and elders was totally providential and unexpected by Jeremiah’s enemies.

3. An angry response (Jeremiah 26:7-10)

Those who were assembled in the court of the Temple that day listened sullenly and indignantly as the mighty man of God delivered the word (Jeremiah 26:7). Though Jeremiah saw the scowling faces, the clenched fists, the threatening gestures yet he continued boldly to rebuke, threaten and exhort his audience. At the conclusion of his sermon the people, led by their priests and prophets, seized Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:8). “Death!” they cried. “You have spoken words worthy of death, Jeremiah!” Buffeted, battered and berated by the angry throng Jeremiah remembered the words God had spoken to him at his call: “they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail” (Jeremiah 1:19).

One wonders what the fate of the prophet might have been had not certain princes arrived from the royal palace (Jeremiah 26:10). Apparently they had heard the commotion in the Temple court and had hastened there to determine the cause of the tumult. Their arrival seems to have had a soothing effect upon the hostile crowd. After order was restored the princes sat down at the entrance of the New Gate to conduct a formal, legal inquiry into the matter.

Verses 12-15

Jer 26:12-15

Jeremiah 26:12-15

JEREMIAH’S COURAGEOUS DEFENSE

Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God; and Jehovah will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes. Only know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, ye will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth Jehovah hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

Like the Blessed Saviour himself, Jeremiah submitted to the powers of the government, but warned them of the consequences. The words of the prophet were fully truthful and convincing. No person unmotivated with a hatred of God’s Word could deny the righteous defense of this godly prophet; and the princes and elders promptly defiled that any death penalty was deserved.

The proceedings at the New Gate were similar to those in any court of law. Formal charges were lodged against Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:11) and then the prophet was allowed to speak in his own defense (Jeremiah 26:12-15). A legal precedent was cited which seems to justify acquittal (Jeremiah 26:16-19). But then a counter-precedent which would demand the death of the prophet was submitted to the court (Jeremiah 26:20-23). The account closes with an explanation of how Jeremiah escaped death at the hands of his adversaries (Jeremiah 26:24).

1. Indictment and defense (Jeremiah 26:11-15)

The false prophets and priests open the formal trial proceedings with their accusation against Jeremiah. They demand a judgment of death. Apparently they feel that Jeremiah has prophesied falsely in the name of the Lord and therefore was worthy of the death penalty (Deuteronomy 18:20). They could not conceive of such threatening prophecy coming from the Lord. To declare that the Lord would destroy the Temple was blasphemy, a capital crime! It seemed to be an open and shut case. Everyone in the court had heard Jeremiah’s sermon.

It is to the credit of the princely tribunal that they gave Jeremiah an opportunity to defend himself. Laetsch calls Jeremiah’s defense “a masterpiece of brevity and convincing argumentation.” He does not retract any statement he has made nor does he make any apology. In his defense he makes four points: (1) The Lord sent me with this message (Jeremiah 26:12). (2) If you repent of your sins no calamity will befall you (Jeremiah 26:13). (3) You may do with me as you please (Jeremiah 26:14). He seems to be saying here that he is willing to die for what he has done if the court deem that an appropriate punishment. (4) If I am executed you will be guilty of shedding innocent blood (Jeremiah 26:15). Jeremiah closes his defense as he had begun, by affirming in no uncertain terms the divine origin of his message. This may have been Jeremiah’s finest hour. The court could not help but be impressed by the unshaken conviction of this man of God.

Verses 16-19

Jer 26:16-19

Jeremiah 26:16

Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he hath spoken to us in the name of Jehovah our God.

Then said the princes and all the people...

(Jeremiah 26:16). Notice that all the people have dramatically switched sides. They here stand with the princes and elders against the crooked priests and prophets. What a fickle and changeful thing is a mob of people! (I commented at length on this phenomenon in Vol. I of my New Testament Series, p. 470.)

Jeremiah 26:17-19

ARGUMENT OF SOME OF THE ELDERS

Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying, Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? did he not fear Jehovah, and entreat the favor of Jehovah, and Jehovah repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls.

Zion shall be plowed as a field...

(Jeremiah 26:18). This whole quotation is a verbatim account of what is written in Micah 3:12. There is hardly another instance of this same kind of an appeal anywhere else in the Old Testament. Again, we have convincing evidence of the existence of the whole corpus of Hebrew scriptures and of the knowledge of the Hebrew people of exactly what those scriptures taught; and all of this on the very eve of the captivity.

The elders who made this appeal were evidently familiar with God’s Word and were of a noble and pious character.

Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls...

(Jeremiah 26:19). This means that by putting Jeremiah to death great guilt would accrue to their souls. Their counsel won the day for Jeremiah.

2. A legal precedent (Jeremiah 26:16-19)

It does not seem to have taken the princes long to reach a decision regarding the case. “This man is not worthy of death for he has spoken in the name of the Lord” (Jeremiah 26:16). The people seem to have concurred with their judicial officers in the decision. They too had been convinced by Jeremiah’s defense. It was the testimony of the elders of the people (Jeremiah 26:17) which seemed to sway the court and lead to the verdict announced in Jeremiah 26:16. A casual reading of the standard English translations might lead one to think that the testimony of the elders followed the verdict of acquittal. The Hebrew would certainly allow and logic seems to demand that this testimony preceded the verdict of the princes and people. Usually the term “elders” refers to those who held an official status in the community. Here however it seems best to take the word in its literal sense. These men because of their age and experience occupied a position of honor and respect among the people. Their testimony would bear considerable weight.

The elders cite the case of Micah who made pronouncements against Jerusalem very similar to those which Jeremiah had made. Micah was from the town of Moresheth-gath (Micah 1:14) and so here is called the Morashtite (Jeremiah 26:18). The elders recalled and quoted the exact words of Micah 3:12. A direct citation of this kind occurs nowhere else in prophetic literature. Over one hundred years elapsed between the time of Micah and the present incident and yet these elders were able to quote verbatim the same text of Micah which has come down to the present time. This is a rather remarkable testimony to the accuracy of the transmission of the Hebrew text in that early time.

The point that the elders are making is not merely that Micah, a recognized man of God from an earlier period, had prophesied negatively against Judah. There is more to their argument. They point out that king Hezekiah did not punish Micah for such negative prophecy (Jeremiah 26:19). On the contrary Hezekiah had heeded the warning of Micah and had led the people in a great revival. As a result God had relented with regard to the pronouncement of doom against Jerusalem. The elders conclude their testimony by declaring “therefore we shall be procuring great evil against our souls” if we execute Jeremiah now.

Verses 20-23

Jer 26:20-23

Jeremiah 26:20-23

ARREST AND EXECUTION OF URIAH

And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of Jehovah, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah: and when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty-men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt: and Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, [namely], Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt; and they fetched forth Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king, who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

Uriah...

(Jeremiah 26:20). This prophet’s name is spelled Urijah in the older versions. Why did not God spare his life also? We do not know; but it could have been because of his fear, and his flight into Egypt, from which place he would no longer be able to prophesy against Judah as God had commanded him.

It is clear enough, as Graybill stated it, that, "This account of how Jehoiachim vented his spleen upon a lesser adversary suggests his intense hatred of Jeremiah, and gives us reason to believe that he was behind Jeremiah’s persecution here." ^F12

Elnathan...

(Jeremiah 26:22). This man was probably the king’s father-in-law (2 Kings 24:8), making the delegation to extradite Uriah from Egypt an impressive one. The circumstance that favored the success of their mission derived from the fact that Jehoiachim himself was a vassal of the king of Egypt and thus was likely to have enjoyed the advantage of the right to extradite wanted persons from Egypt.

Uriah...

(Jeremiah 26:23). Nothing is known of this individual except what is revealed in this tragic account of his death. Kiriath-jearim, with which Uriah’s name was connected, was located nine miles west of Jerusalem on the road to Jaffa. The ark of the covenant was once deposited there for a period of twenty years.

The graves of the common people...

(Jeremiah 26:23). The king Jehoiachim dishonored the corpse of Uriah by denying it the honor due to the bodies of true prophets in order to keep the people from regarding him as a true prophet. The prophets had a separate cemetery, as indicated in Matthew 23:29. Jehoiachim was busy doing those things that would earn for him the burial of an ass. (Jeremiah 22:19).

3. A counter-precedent (Jeremiah 26:20-23)

It is impossible to determine precisely what the original relationship was between this paragraph and the trial of Jeremiah. Some hold that the account of the death of Uriah the prophet is a completely separate episode coming from later in the reign of Jehoakim and inserted here to emphasize the extremely precarious position which Jeremiah had just escaped. However the present writer is inclined to accept the old Jewish interpretation of the passage (found in the Siphre) that this episode was cited by Jeremiah’s accusers as a counter-precedent during the trial. Whichever view is adopted—and there are good arguments for both—the incident of Uriah the prophet certainly demonstrates the grave danger that outspoken men of God faced during the reign of the ruthless Jehoiakim.

Nothing is known of Uriah apart from that which is recorded here. The text relates that (1) he was the son of Shemaiah; (2) that he was from the city of Kiriathjearim seven miles north-west of Jerusalem; (3) that he prophesied against Judah and Jerusalem in the same manner as did Jeremiah; (4) that he fled to Egypt when his life was threatened by Jehoiakim; (5) that he was extradited from Egypt through the instrumentality of an Elnathan; This Elnathan is again mentioned in Jeremiah 36:12; Jeremiah 36:25. If identical with the Elnathan of 2 Kings 24:8, he was Jehoiakim’s father-in-law. (6) that Jehoiakim slew him or had him slain with a sword; (7) that he was buried in the graveyard of the common people (Jeremiah 26:23). Some form of degradation is obviously intended by the expression “graves of the children of the people.” Perhaps the idea is a common graveyard as over against a family sepulcher.

Why did Uriah flee from Jehoiakim^? Was this not sinful cowardice on his part^? It should be remembered that Elijah fled from the wrath of wicked Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-8). Jeremiah and Baruch hid on another occasion from this same Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:19; Jeremiah 36:26). Joseph and Mary took the infant Jesus and fled to Egypt to escape the slaughter ordered by Herod (Matthew 2:13-23). John relates that Jesus hid himself from those who would have stoned him on one occasion (John 8:59). Paul secretly escaped from the city of Damascus to avoid those who were waiting to slay him (Acts 9:23 ff.) One is reminded of the advice which Jesus gave to his disciples: “When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another” (Matthew 10:23). From all of these references the principle emerges that a man of God should not knowingly place his life in jeopardy while he still has a mission to perform.

One other question with regard to the Uriah incident needs to be answered. Why was it that Jehoiakim was so easily able to secure the extradition of Uriah from the land of Egypt? Why could not or did not the king of Egypt grant asylum for the Judean fugitive? The answer probably lies in the fact that Jehoiakim of Judah was the vassal of Pharaoh Necho and a treaty must have existed between the two kings. Such treaties usually included a provision for reciprocity with regard to fugitives. The Uriah episode must have taken place during the first three years of Jehoiakim’s reign when he was an Egyptian vassal. In his fourth year Jehoiakim became a vassal to Nebuchadnezzar.

Verse 24

Jer 26:24

Jeremiah 26:24

But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

This powerful citizen protected Jeremiah and refused to turn him over to the king and his followers, knowing full well what the results would have been if he had done so. He was indeed a powerful man in that period of Jewish history. His son Gedaliah later become governor of Judah; and "He is mentioned again in circumstances that reflect great credit upon him and his religion in 2 Kings 22:12-14." What a wonderful service he provided here for the true faith by his faithful protection of the true prophet Jeremiah!

4. Jeremiah’s deliverance (Jeremiah 26:24)

Jeremiah had one very influential supporter during his trial. Ahikam son of Shaphan is credited with having influenced the court in favor of tolerance with respect to the prophet. Ahikam’s father, Shaphan, had served as secretary of state under Josiah (2 Kings 22:8). Ahikam himself was deputed by Josiah to consult with the prophetess Huldah concerning the law book which had been found in the Temple (2 Kings 22:14). The son of Ahikam, Gedaliah, befriended Jeremiah on several occasions (Jeremiah 36:10; Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 40:5). Gedaliah was later appointed governor of the land by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 40:5). From all of this one would conclude that Ahikam was a devoutly religious man as well as a man of quite some political influence. Here he courageously defends Jeremiah. His prestige is such that the enemies of the prophet could not carry out their scheme to get rid of Jeremiah. What a wonderful thing it is when there are God-fearing men in high places!

Jeremiah Threatened with Death - Jeremiah 26:1-24

Open It

1. How would you describe the dynamics of an angry crowd?

2. If you could create an agenda for the leaders of our country, what would it include?

Explore It

3. During whose reign did Jeremiah receive this particular communication from God? (Jeremiah 26:1)

4. What was Jeremiah instructed to do in the courtyard of the temple? (Jeremiah 26:2)

5. What had God resolved to do if the people repented? (Jeremiah 26:3)

6. What did God promise to do in the event that Judah did not repent? (v26:4-6)

7. Toward what conclusion about Jeremiah and his message did the priests and prophets incite the people? (Jeremiah 26:7-9)

8. What did the secular officials do when they heard about the conflict between Jeremiah and the religious officials? (Jeremiah 26:10)

9. What charge did the religious officials bring against Jeremiah? (Jeremiah 26:11)

10. On what authority did Jeremiah defend his message to the people? (Jeremiah 26:12)

11. What call from God did Jeremiah reiterate even as he defended himself? (Jeremiah 26:13)

12. What did Jeremiah warn the rulers even as he put himself at their mercy? (Jeremiah 26:14-15)

13. On what grounds did the secular officials persuade the people that Jeremiah did not deserve to be punished? (Jeremiah 26:16)

14. What example from Israel’s past was raised by some of the elders? (Jeremiah 26:17-19)

15. What lesson did the wise rulers seek to apply to the present situation involving Jeremiah? (Jeremiah 26:19)

16. What had happened to Uriah the prophet when he tried to warn the same king and people? (Jeremiah 26:20-23)

17. What influential person helped save Jeremiah from being murdered? (Jeremiah 26:24)

Get It

18. Why do you think Jeremiah would not back down even when his life was threatened?

19. Why do you think the religious leaders were so invested in the preservation of Jerusalem and the temple?

20. In what sense does God leave our future up to us?

21. Why is it difficult for us to respond to correction with openness and humility?

22. How does this story illustrate the important role that leaders have in influencing nations for good or evil?

23. Why do people try to negate God’s judgments by attacking His representatives?

Apply It

24. How can you improve your response to a spiritual warning you recently received from the Bible, a sermon, a book, or a person?

25. What study or pursuit could help you to stand firm in speaking God’s Word, even when it is poorly received?

Questions On Jeremiah Chapter Twenty-Six

By Brent Kercheville

1 Where is Jeremiah to proclaim this next message (Jeremiah 26:1-6)? What was the prophetic declaration?

2 What was the response of the priests and prophets to Jeremiah’s declaration (Jeremiah 26:7-11)?

3 What does Jeremiah say in response (Jeremiah 26:12-15)?

4 Who do some of the elders of the land remember (Jeremiah 26:16-19)?

What was his message?

How did this help Jeremiah?

5 Who else do some of the elders of the land remember (Jeremiah 26:20-24)? Is this recollection helpful for Jeremiah?

6 What was the outcome for Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:24)?

TRANSFORMATION:

How does this relationship change your relationship with God?

What did you learn about him?

What will you do differently in your life?