Giving is More Important Than Getting

An early Christian leader named Tertullian (164-200AD) declared: “Kill us, torture us, condemn us, grind us to dust. The more you mow us down, the more we grow, for the seed of the church is the blood of the Christians. Every single drop of our blood springs up, in som … More

Persecution

This is the story of the persecution of Jeremiah. Zedekiah is now the king, but he, like his predecessors, refused to listen and obey the word of God as delivered by Jeremiah (vv. 1-2). The king calls for Jeremiah to pray for the land (v. 3). Jeremiah’s reply was not what the king wanted (vv. 4-10). The prophet was still free (v. 4) and could move about among the people. While the Babylonians had to withdraw from the siege of Jerusalem to deal with the invading Egyptians (588 b.c.), Jeremiah warned that they would return. They would destroy the city even if they had to fight with wounded men. Jeremiah warned Zedekiah not to be deceived (v. 9). This Hebrew phrase could be rendered “Don’t cause to lift up your souls.” Jeremiah finds himself confined to a dungeon which apparently had been unused for some time and in which there was only mire and filth. Literally, Jeremiah sank in the mire and was left to die. One can imagine the sorrow of heart and loneliness of spirit felt by Jeremiah as he languished without food or water in the mire (v. 6).

The withdrawal of the Babylonian army to fight the Egyptians produced a period of relative calm in Judah (vv. 11-16). Jeremiah used this lull to leave the city for a short journey into the territory of Benjamin. However the captain of the guard soon seized him and charged him with deserting to the enemy. Jeremiah denied the charge, but was ordered beaten and imprisoned and remained there a long time. Babylon returned to Jerusalem and renewed her siege of the city (vv. 17-21). Zedekiah secretly sent for Jeremiah and brought him to the palace to ask if he had any word from the Lord. Jeremiah‘ s word was that Jerusalem would fall and Zedekiah would be handed over to Babylon.

Application

No matter how much persecution Jeremiah experienced he remained true to the Lord and did what the Lord asked him to do. I want to be that type of person.

Jeremiah 37:1-21 (English Standard Version)


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