Jeremiah 26
Respond Tenderly to the Truth!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, April 18.
God’s tender mercies are often delivered in hard messages. In the beginning of the rule of King Jehoiakim, Jeremiah was sent on a mercy mission to speak to all the people who had gathered in the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 26:3, God explained to the prophet His reasoning for such a difficult message, which he was not allowed to soften for the people’s easier consumption, “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.” Because He is rich in mercy, God was giving His chosen people a final opportunity to repent prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people to Babylon. Unfortunately, as we see in Jeremiah 26:7-9, they would not listen:
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! 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’?”
God gives hard words because He loves His children and only wants the best for them. Unfortunately, not much has changed since the time of Jeremiah. People still want the message preached by God’s messenger to agree with their own sensibilities and loyalties, and if they don’t hear what they want to hear they will often punish the messenger. Back in the day that meant seeking his death, now it usually means criticizing the preacher or leaving the church.
Seize the moment and respond tenderly to the truth! May God’s faithful messengers soften your heart, so that you may live a faithful life to the God who loves you enough to tell you the truth.
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YOUTUBE:
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