Jeremiah 26:16-24--Jeremiah Spared from Death

Jeremiah 26:16-24
English Standard Version

Jeremiah Spared from Death
16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” 17 And certain of the elders of the land arose and spoke to all the assembled people, saying, 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts,

“‘Zion shall be plowed as a field;
    Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
    and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”

20 There was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. 21 And when King Jehoiakim, with all his warriors and all the officials, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt certain men, Elnathan the son of Achbor and others with him, 23 and they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people.

24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.

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The riot that we talked about yesterday was quelled and calmer heads prevailed.  The officials of the people said to the priests and the prophets that Jeremiah would not be put to death because he had indeed spoken the word of the LORD (they believed Jeremiah that the LORD was going to judge the people of Judah, Jerusalem, and even the Temple would be destroyed).  They remembered that the LORD had sent other prophets to them like Micah of Moresheth that gave very similar prophecies.  Remember the word of the LORD that came to King Hezekiah that came through Isaiah the prophet and Hezekiah's response?

5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.” (Isa. 39:5-8)

This is not a new message.  The elders remember they have been hearing (and ignoring) this message for many, many years.  In fact, the LORD has been warning the people since the book of Deuteronomy (See Deut. 28:15-68--they are prophetic words, not just words of what might possibly happen, but the LORD knowing what would happen).

The elders asked what Hezekiah's response was when he heard from Micah of Moresheth a message from the LORD that he did not like.  Did the king order him to be put to death?  No, the king cried out to the LORD to ask for the LORD's wrath to turn away and for them to be shown the LORD's favor once again, though we get the idea that Hezekiah thought the LORD could be manipulated.  He asked for the LORD's favor, but it does not seem like Hezekiah repented.  The LORD often said that it was for the sake of King David (and the covenant that the LORD made with him) that the LORD continued to bless Hezekiah, but it was not for the sake of Hezekiah himself because the LORD saw what kind of man he was.  The elders ask if they should not have the same kind of response to cry out to the LORD for mercy and grace.  Perhaps He would still answer and turn away once more from the disaster that He had planned for them.

The LORD also sent other prophets with similar messages to the people in other places.  Jeremiah was not the only prophet of the LORD, nor was he the only true prophet with this message.  Yet, when the king and the king's officials heard of these words from Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, they sought to put him to death.  Unlike Jeremiah, Uriah feared men and did not trust the LORD to save him and he fled to Egypt (where he should have known the LORD told his people never to run to for shelter, since He had set them free from their slavery there and they were never to go back).  Because of his cowardice, the LORD did not save Uriah when the king sent envoys to Egypt to have Uriah extradited back to Judah.  The king struck Uriah down with the sword and dumped his body in a common place where the public could look at him and see the example that was made of him--this is what the king would do to those who prophesied against him, his family, and his city.

However, the LORD protected Jeremiah through all of this so that he was not given over to the king's men to be put to death.  Though it would seem like we were nearing the end of the book of Jeremiah, we are really only about halfway through the book.  The siege is not something that happens quickly (though the people wish it would happen quickly and be over with).  There are also many messages of hope that are still to be given to the people of Judah and Israel about returning to the Land one day and the better kingdom that is being prepared for God's people, and the destruction of all of the LORD's enemies and the nations that have tried to oppose Him and His plan to work for, in, and through His people.  All the nations that thought they would rise up and take Israel's special place will be utterly destroyed.  Only those who make themselves subjects of the Messiah--the King of Kings and Lord of Lords--will survive.  More on this as we continue our study together.