Jeremiah 26
I found it interesting that this chapter chronicled three men who had, in effect, prophesied the same message in Israel: Jeremiah (vs 2-6), Micah (vs 18), and Uriah (vs 20). We know that Micah’s prophesy came long before Jeremiah’s, but we aren’t told whether Uriah was before or after Jeremiah.
We are told that the same king who wanted to execute Jeremiah for what he was preaching actually executed Uriah for it. In fact, he had Uriah chased all the way into Egypt (where he ran to hide) and dragged back to Israel so he could be put to death in the palace. I guess that message really offended King Jehoiakim!
To me, it’s amazing to see what lengths people will go to in order to stop a message they don’t like. Maybe it goes back to the idea that God’s truth is like a fire in our bones—and if we’re trying to shut out that truth, we have to do a lot of fancy footwork to try to put out the fire!
Photo © Unsplash/Alejo Reinoso
If, in fact, Uriah prophesied doom on Israel before Jeremiah came along, his death only proves one thing: God can’t be silenced. Evil men can kill the messengers (and they have, all down through the ages) one by one, but when one falls, there will surely be another one who hears the call of the Spirit and steps up to take his place. You may be able to silence the messengers, but you can’t kill the message!
Photo © Unsplash/Patrick Fore