Jeremiah 20
It is discouraging to face the rejection of those around us as we speak a message that we know is right. It is especially difficult when the persecution that we receive comes from others who are within the covenant community, others that have a special obligation to bring the Word of the Lord to His people. In this chapter Jeremiah is opposed not by nameless powers that be, but by a man with a specific name and a certain authority that he uses against Jeremiah.
Pashhur, son of Immer, was a priest and chief officer in the temple. He had heard Jeremiah prophesy a word of destruction from the Lord God to His people. There is no note of humility on Pashhur’s part. He beats Jeremiah and puts him in the stocks overnight.
The next day Jeremiah has something to say to him. That word is not just a general word of danger or condemnation against the people of
The only change in his message is the specificity of God’s pronouncement for this one man Pashhur. God has a new name for him: “Terror on Every Side.” God has called Him by this name, and now he learns why from the man he had beaten and imprisoned. The people of
This will mean something for the defiant leader who dared to lay a hand upon the one who was serving as the Lord’s true prophet. He now speaks to Pashhur a true but distressing verdict. Pashhur and all who live in his house will go away into captivity, and they will never return. They will die in captivity, and will be buried in the
Jeremiah feels utterly deceived by the Lord. Wherever he goes he speaks the Word that he has been given to say. Right now that word is “Violence and Destruction.” Because of this he is not a popular man among those who have been assuring people that God will bring them peace almost immediately. Both of these messages cannot be true at the same time. When Jeremiah would team up with his own soul to attempt to keep the Word of the Lord bottled up within him, he simply cannot do it. The Word of God is like a burning fire shut up within his heart. It must come out.
Meanwhile the forces arrayed against the prophet seem to be growing. They plan to denounce him and would gladly celebrate if they could guarantee his downfall immediately. Why such a venomous hatred of Jeremiah? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they believe that they have given their whole lives to the service of the Lord, and the message that Jeremiah brings is seen as a direct attack against their power and prestige.
Despite the fact that there is much here that suggests that Jeremiah feels betrayed and abandoned by God, yet in some other ways, he knows that he is not alone. Even as he is made aware that there are those who seek his immediate demise, yet the prophet also knows that the word is with him, not only as a comfort to the persecuted but also as a dread warrior. As one who seeks that these enemies will face speedy justice from the hand of the Lord, He seems deeply conflicted between the joy of being the Lord’s servant and the misery of facing ruthless enemies among the priests of
On one hand he knows that God is the One who delivers the needy out of the oppressors’ traps. For this great reason God is worthy of much praise. The people should sing to Him, and He surely will free the weak from trouble. On the other hand the deliverance and vengeance he seeks is not coming as speedily as he would like, and he begins to despair of his own life. He begins to imagine that it would have been better for him if he had died before he was born. He seems to see before him only toil, sorrow, and shame.
There is One who faced the hatred of scribes and Pharisees, of priests and Saducees for us. Our Lord Jesus Christ would feel in some sense utterly forsaken at the cross, and yet would recognize the complete reliability of the power and plan of His Father. We too may face these feelings in the heat of the Lord’s service where we must deal with profound disappointments, and yet be granted resources of faith every day for the battle ahead. The patience that is required for such a ministry must come from God. The Lord who brought us grace through His blood can provide us with both the honesty of a godly lament and the strength of a faith that can move mountains.
posted by Pastor Magee @ 7:00 AM
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