Jeremiah 26:1-15--Jeremiah Threatened with Death

Jeremiah 26:1-15
English Standard Version
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Jeremiah Threatened with Death
26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. 4 You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”

7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the LORD. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

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Jehoiakim was a vassal king for Nebuchadnezzar for three years (see 2 Kings 24:1-7).  He tried to ally Judah with the Pharoah of Egypt against Babylon against the LORD's instructions.  As you might imagine, it did not turn out at all like he had planned.  At the time of the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, the LORD sent Jeremiah to the Temple to give a message to all the people who were gathered there to worship.  The LORD told Jeremiah to make sure to convey every word of the message that he was given and to leave nothing out.  There was hope, even at this point, that some of them might hear the word of the LORD and repent and that judgment might be held back for a little longer.

The LORD told the people that if they would not listen to Jeremiah in the same way that they had not listened to the other prophets that had been sent to them, then the Temple would become like the Tabernacle that was in Shiloh.  He would make Jerusalem a curse word among all the nations of the earth.

When the priests, false prophets, and the people heard these words, they rose up to kill Jeremiah saying, "You must die!"  They accused him of what they were guilty of (being a false prophet who prophesied falsehoods in the name of the LORD).  They could not believe that the LORD would allow the Temple to be destroyed, so they assumed Jeremiah's message could not possibly have come from the LORD.  They missed what the LORD was trying to say.  The Tabernacle was not saved, nor was Shiloh where it resided.  What would make the Temple or Jerusalem any different?

The king's officials came up to hold court to keep the people from rioting.  The charges were brought against Jeremiah that he deserved to die for prophesying against the city of Jerusalem and against the Temple (it sounds very much like some of the charges that were brought against Jesus).  Jeremiah was given a chance to speak and said that the LORD sent him with a message that was against both the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.  It was a call to repentance, which it seems the people missed.  There was still hope for them to delay the coming judgment, or that the LORD might relent completely if His people turned back to Him and cast away their idols.

Jeremiah stood by the words he spoke because he spoke the words the LORD gave to him, but he also submitted to the decision of the government officials and said that his life was in their hands.  However, he wanted them to know that if they put him to death, they would be shedding even more innocent blood, and they would be choosing to harden their hearts such that all the words of his prophecy would be sure to come upon them.