Jeremiah - Lesson 26

• Chapters 1-24 Review:

  • The LORD called Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations during the last five kings of Judah.

  • The LORD’s warning to His people is to stop worshipping false gods or He will judge them by destruction and exile using a nation from the North, Babylon.

    • The judgment will include the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

    • The people are to repent from their evil ways; the leaders are specifically called out for their rejection of the LORD’s covenant and the shedding of innocent blood; the false prophets are called out for misleading the people to believe the LORD would not bring judgment on them.

    • Jeremiah is reviled by the leaders and the people of Judah, but the LORD will protect him.

  • The LORD promises there will not be a complete destruction of His people, as He will provide a Messiah and will bring His people back into the Promised Land in a future time, never to be removed.

    • The words of the LORD are always fulfilled as He is sovereign over His creation.

• Chapter 24 The good figs, the Jews, go into exile and in the future they represent Jews, their descendants, who will be brought back to the land and come to know the Messiah. The bad figs, the Jews who refused to leave, rebel and die in Judah and everywhere they try to hide. 

• Chapter 25 The LORD speaks to Jeremiah in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar; the first siege takes place on Jerusalem. The seventy-year exile is prophesied. The nations the LORD used to bring judgment of His people will also be judged.

Jer. 26:1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD, saying,
Jer. 26:2 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the LORD’S house all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not omit a word!
Jer. 26:3 ‘Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.’
Jer. 26:4 “And you will say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you,
Jer. 26:5 to listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened;
Jer. 26:6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”

• Verse 1 The timing of the revelation of the word of the LORD is at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim.

  • A review of the transfer of power to Jehoiakim as king of Judah is a good place to start in understanding the context of this chapter.

    • Jehoiakim’s father King Josiah had reigned over Judah for thirty-one years and had been a good king for Israel.

  • Josiah engaged in battle against the Egyptians and was killed.

    • A quick succession took place, 2Kings 23:28-35.

2Kings 23:28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
2Kings 23:29 In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. And King Josiah went to meet him, and when Pharaoh Neco saw him he killed him at Megiddo.
2Kings 23:30 His servants drove his body in a chariot from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.
2Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2Kings 23:32 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
2Kings 23:33 Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
2Kings 23:34 Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away and brought him to Egypt, and he died there.
2Kings 23:35 So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in order to give the money at the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, each according to his valuation, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

• Verse 30 The people of Judah made Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, king.

  • Verse 33 Pharaoh Neco deposed Jehoahaz as king and imprisoned him.

  • Verse 34 Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim.

  • Verse 35 Judah became a vassal of Egypt, and paid taxes as required by Egypt; Jehoiakim submits to the demands.

    • Jer. 26:1 Places these unfolding events during this tumultuous time in Judah.

• Verse 2 The LORD tells Jeremiah he is to stand in the court of the LORD’s house.

  • From this vantage point Jeremiah is to speak to all the men from the cities of Judah who come to the LORD’s house to worship.

  • The reference to speaking to all who come to worship probably highlights that Jeremiah was speaking to the people during one of the feasts where the men were required to travel to Jerusalem to participate in the feast.

  • The LORD tells Jeremiah he is not to leave out a single word the LORD gives him to communicate to the people.

• Verse 3 The LORD indicates there is a chance the people will listen to the message Jeremiah is to bring, and they could, everyone of them, turn from their evil way.

  • The nation had just suffered the loss of their long-time king Josiah.

  • The king they chose in his place has been taken as a prisoner to Egypt.

  • Their current king had been selected and named by another nation and was imposing heavy taxes on them.

    • The situation the nation found themselves in should have grabbed their attention and drawn them to listening to the LORD for direction.

    • If they all turn from their evil ways, then the LORD will turn from bringing calamity on this people for their evil deeds.

    • All the current events demonstrate calamity has begun to fall on the nation.

• Verse 4 The LORD covers what all the people are to do, and that is to walk in His Law, set before them.

• Verse 5 The people are to listen to what He has spoken to them through all the prophets He has sent to them.

  • Multiple prophets had been sent and they had not listened to the LORD yet.

• Verse 6 The people are not listening and are not walking in His law.

  • The consequence for this will be the temple in Jerusalem will be like the tabernacle of Shiloh, and Jerusalem will become a curse to all the nations of the earth.

• Jeremiah Chapter 7 covers in more detail what Jeremiah spoke to the people, especially the reference of comparing what has happened in Shiloh to what is going to happen in Jerusalem.

  • This is found in Jer. 7:8-15.

Jer. 7:8 “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail.
Jer. 7:9 “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known,
Jer. 7:10 then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations?
Jer. 7:11 “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.
Jer. 7:12 “But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.
Jer. 7:13 “And now, because you have done all these things,” declares the LORD, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer,
Jer. 7:14 therefore, I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.
Jer. 7:15 “I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brothers, all the offspring of Ephraim.

• This is covered in the lesson of Jeremiah chapter seven in detail.

  • For a quick review, the highlights are that the LORD is specifically calling out the hypocrisy of the people who were committing grievous sin and then showing up to look like they worship the LORD in the temple.

    • This was the same hypocrisy Israel was guilty of when they abused the ark of the covenant, deciding it was a physical representation of the LORD and they would conjure up the power of the LORD without submitting to the LORD.

  • The result was the LORD allowed the enemy to take the ark of the covenant away from His people. The LORD was not fooled by the hypocrisy then and He is not fooled now.

    • The details in Jeremiah Chapter seven seem to be centered on the content of Jeremiah’s message and in chapter twenty-six the message is about how the message is received.

Jer. 26:7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
Jer. 26:8 When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die!
Jer. 26:9 “Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Jer. 26:10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the LORD and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the LORD’S house.
Jer. 26:11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing.”

• Verse 7 The message reached the intended audience of the priests, prophets and the people.

  • There seems to be a shift in the language, referring to Jeremiah in the third person, which may indicate this section of scripture was written by someone other than Jeremiah who was witness to the events.

• Verse 8 The impact of the message is the people seize Jeremiah with the intention of killing him.

  • Verse 9 The people demand to know why Jeremiah is bringing this prophecy in the name of the LORD comparing the temple and Jerusalem to that at Shiloh.

  • The people understood the comparison to Shiloh was about the destruction of the place of worship and the city where that was established for the nation.

    • Any mention of the destruction of the temple to the Jews will bring out anger and was used to try and define Jesus as an insurrectionist, as the Jewish leadership tried to have Jesus put to death.

Matt. 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.
Matt. 26:60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,
Matt. 26:61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’”

• Jer. 26:9 The response of the people is described as them all gathering around Jeremiah at the temple.

  • This is a mob attack on Jeremiah for what he has declared.

• Verse 10 This commotion causes all the officials of Judah to leave the king’s house and come to the house of the LORD.

  • The king’s house would be where the officials were conducting daily business of the the nation. This would include those who were to keep the peace in the city.

  • When the officials show up it appears there is a quick trial of sorts to get to the bottom of the commotion.

    • This may be why there is a mention of the New Gate, as often official business or community concerns are heard at the gate.

• Verse 11 The priests and prophets tell the officials and the people Jeremiah should receive the death sentence for what he has prophesied against the city.

  • The accusations focus on what was prophesied against the city, not about the temple.

  • This may have been for political reason.

    • If Jeremiah were a false prophet this request to have him put to death would be justified.

Jer. 26:12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
Jer. 26:13 “Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will change His mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you.
Jer. 26:14 “But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight.
Jer. 26:15 “Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

• Verse 12 Jeremiah begins his defense stating the only thing he has spoken was directly from the LORD.

  • Jeremiah clarifies his prophesy was about the temple and the city.

  • Jeremiah never steps away from speaking the truth.

• Verse 13 Jeremiah repeats that the requirement for the people was to change their ways and deeds by obeying the voice of the LORD your God.

  • Obeying the voice of the LORD was to practice His Law.

    • The people have the option to prevent the calamity from coming on them now.

• Verse 14 Jeremiah says he submits himself to their hands to determine what is good and right in their sight.

• Verse 15 Jeremiah ends with a warning: should the decision be made to put him to death, the people will be killing an innocent man.

  • Jeremiah’s blood would then be on all the people, the city of Jerusalem and all her people, because the LORD sent Jeremiah to speak these words to them.

Jer. 26:16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, “No death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.”
Jer. 26:17 Then some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,
Jer. 26:18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus the LORD of hosts has said,
“Zion will be plowed as a field,
And Jerusalem will become ruins,
And the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.”’
Jer. 26:19 “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 the LORD changed His mind about the misfortune which He had pronounced against them? But we are committing a great evil against ourselves.”

• Verse 16 The lines are drawn now with the people and the officials of the people standing up to the priests and prophets saying, “No” to the demand of a death penalty for Jeremiah.

  • The reason for this demand is they feel Jeremiah spoke in the name of the LORD their God.

  • There is no way to test the words of Jeremiah in the short term to determine if he is correct.

• Verse 17 Now, there are some elders of the nation who speak up to the people.

  • The elders would be those who understood the history of the nation they would be well versed in the Law, and were to be respected by the people and the leaders of the people.

    • These elders stood up, described as ‘rose up’, to address the crowd.

• Verse 18 These elders bring the people’s attention to one prophet in particular who had spoken about seventy years earlier to the people. He is the prophet Micah whose words are recorded in the OT scriptures.

Mic. 1:1 The word of the LORD which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

• Here the elders directly quote the writings of another prophet, and those words are now recorded in Jeremiah.

Mic. 3:11 Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe,
Her priests instruct for a price
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on the LORD saying,
“Is not the LORD in our midst?
Calamity will not come upon us.”
Mic. 3:12  Therefore, on account of you
Zion will be plowed as a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.

• Verse 11 Brings a clear accusation against the leaders of the nation for accepting bribes and distorting justice for the nation.

  • This injustice is also called out against the priest and the prophets.

  • The hypocrisy of what the leaders are doing in accepting bribes and then saying the LORD is with us, described as in their midst, and then declaring because of this the LORD will not bring calamity on them is astounding.

• Verse 12 The result of this wickedness is laid out, declaring Zion will be plowed under like a field and Jerusalem will be destroyed leaving it a heap of ruins, including the temple mount.

  • Jer. 26:19 The elders make the point the response to the prophesy brought by Micah the prophet was not King Hezekiah seeking to kill the prophet.

    • In an opposite response, King Hezekiah feared the LORD and sought out the favor of the LORD.

    • The result was the LORD did not bring the misfortune He had pronounced against them at that time. This is detailed in 2 Kings chapter 19.

  • The elders clearly draw the comparison to the current situation and say what is happening with Jeremiah would be committing a great evil against themselves.

  • In the legal realm, when one can demonstrate the outcome of a previous similar case it is given weight in the decision making process.

Jer. 26:20 Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah.
Jer. 26:21 When King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt.
Jer. 26:22 Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him went into Egypt.
Jer. 26:23 And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who slew him with a sword and cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people.
Jer. 26:24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death.

• Verse 20 The work of silencing prophets is displayed in recounting how a prophet named Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim spoke words against Jerusalem similar to the words Jeremiah was speaking.

  • There is no other mention of this prophet by name in the scriptures.

• Verse 21 King Jehoiakim, his warriors and officials heard what Uriah was prophesying and decided to put him to death, but Uriah got word of the plan and fled to Egypt.

• Verses 22-23 The king sent his men to Egypt, and they brought Uriah back to the king, who then killed him with a sword and discarded his body in a place where the common people were buried.

  • Judah was a vassal nation to Egypt and would have had agreements allowing them to bring their own citizens back to Judah.

    • There does not appear to have been any trial held for Uriah before the king put him to death.

    • This act exposes the brutality of King Jehoiakim.

  • This type of burial was done to demonstrate the utmost disrespect for a person.

• Verse 24 This was the same outcome that was intended for Jeremiah, but he was spared because the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was used to spare Jeremiah’s life.

  • These events took place, according to verse one, in the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim.

  • The scriptures record his reign lasted for eleven years followed by a brief three months for his son Jehoiachin, and finally an eleven-year reign for King Zedekiah—the last king of Judah.

    • In the study of Jeremiah chapter twenty-four there was in in-depth look at events that unfolded immediately after the exile of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar.

    • There was an important man King Nebuchadnezzar appointed as governor over the remnant of Jews still in Judah.

2Kings 25:22 Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them.

• This man is Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.

  • The appointment of Gedaliah over the remnant of the LORD’s people happens over twenty-two years after his father was used by the LORD to protect Jeremiah His prophet.

  • The truths revealed in Jeremiah chapter twenty-six include the LORD does not desire His truths to be hidden but pronounced to the world boldly, no matter the consequences.

• Jeremiah and Uriah were both tasked with bringing the same message to the same people at the same time in history. One prophet’s life was spared while the other was executed.

  • Each believer is to respond to the calling the LORD has placed on their lives.

  • There is no promise of the outcome this side of eternity, the reward is in the obedience to the calling.   

• The LORD’s people are not to look to men of the world for their direction or to be their ultimate protectors.

  • Instead, we are to seek the LORD’s protection and rely on His words and His ways in navigating through our lives. Psa. 118:4-9

Psa. 118:4  Oh let those who fear the LORD say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
Psa. 118:5  From my distress I called upon the LORD;
The LORD answered me and set me in a large place.
Psa. 118:6  The LORD is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
Psa. 118:7  The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
Psa. 118:8  It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in man.
Psa. 118:9  It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in princes.