How do you think about God’s word? What is your attitude toward it? Psalm 19 gives an amazing declaration about how the righteous look at the word of God.
They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward. (Psalm 19:10-11 CSB)
David says that the teachings of the Lord are more desirable than gold. Please think about that. The word of God is more valuable to him than all the money he could have. Further, the word of God is sweeter to his taste than honey coming directly from the honeycomb. The point David is making is that there is nothing better than God’s word. So as we begin this lesson, I want us to think about about our attitude regarding God’s word. How do we think about God’s word? Please open your copies of God’s word to Jeremiah 26 and we are going to see how we can have this kind of heart for God’s word.
God’s Heart (Jeremiah 26:1-3)
The prophet Jeremiah is instructed to stand in the temple courts and to speak to all the people of Judah as they come to the temple for worship. You will notice God’s very specific instruction to Jeremiah in verse 2. Jeremiah was to speak “all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.” The direction to those who are going to proclaim God’s word is that you must not leave out a single word. God’s ambassadors do not have the right to edit the message. Speak every word to them and do not leave out a single word. Why was it so important to not hold back a single word? God explains in verse 3 that it is his desire that the people will listen and turn from their evil ways.
This shows us the heart of God. Speak every word of the Lord so that the people will turn their hearts. Do not leave a word out because God wants to show his people mercy and relent from the disaster that is planned because of their sins. Unfortunately we can think we are being merciful by leaving out certain words God has spoken. We think we are being more merciful that God. But no one can more merciful that God. All of God’s words are to be spoken because God’s words are the words of mercy to the world. If the world will listen to every word God is saying, then disaster would be avoided because they would turn from their evil ways. In fact, I believe it is safe to say that we are being unmerciful by not speaking all of God’s words. God is full of mercy and steadfast love. He wants every person to turn from their evil before it is too late. The way for each person to turn is to hear and respond to every word God has spoken.
God’s Message (Jeremiah 26:4-6)
The Lord continues by telling Jeremiah what to say to the people as they come to the temple for worship in verses 4-6. God’s message to the people was very simple. “Listen!” “You are not listening to me!” If you do not listen and listen to the words of God’s servants, the prophets who have been set to the people over and over again, then this temple will be made like Shiloh and the city will be a curse for all the nations. To make the temple like Shiloh is a reminder about what happened in the days of Samuel when the tabernacle was set in Shiloh but allowed to be destroyed by the Philistines because of the people’s sins. So this is a warning about impending judgment. God will need to destroy this temple and city like he did to the town of Shiloh where God was dwelling if the people will not listen and follow him. Friends, you cannot follow if you are not looking to the guide.
Responding To God’s Message (Jeremiah 26:7-11)
So how will the people respond to God’s message? Look at their response in verses 7-11. When the priests, prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah’s words, they seized Jeremiah and said, “You must die!” Can you imagine how frightening this moment would be for Jeremiah? Can you imagine that the response of God’s people is that Jeremiah needs to be killed for what he preached? The people completely reject what Jeremiah said. They want to kill Jeremiah for preaching against the people and the city for their sins. This is the same response you will see against Jesus and Stephen when they preached God’s message at the temple in Jerusalem. This becomes such an uproar that the officials of Judah comes from the king’s house to the temple gates where all the people declare that Jeremiah deserves to die because he has prophesied against the city (Jeremiah 26:10-11) and temple (Jeremiah 26:9). Jeremiah has simply spoken God’s word but the people do not want to hear that. The heart of these people, supposedly God’s people, is that they do not want to hear every word that God has to say.
I want us to think about this and consider if this is true about us. God told Jeremiah to speak every single word of his message. Do we want to hear every single word? Do we want to hear every single word that is found in the middle of these prophets in God’s word? Do we want to hear every single word in the books of wisdom of God’s word? Do we want to hear every single word in even the books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy? What is our attitude toward God’s word? We might presume that since we are God’s people and since we have come to worship that we absolutely want to hear every word God has spoken. But these people in Jeremiah’s day were also God’s people and they had come to the temple for worship. But they did not want to hear every word of God’s message. David said in Psalm 19 that every word from God was more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey to him.
Jeremiah’s Defense (Jeremiah 26:12-16)
So what will be Jeremiah’s defense to the charge that he should now die for saying God’s message? Jeremiah’s defense is very simple. First, Jeremiah tells the people that these were not his words, but God’s words (Jeremiah 26:12). The Lord sent him to proclaim all the words that you have heard. Second, Jeremiah restates God’s message (Jeremiah 26:13). Jeremiah does not omit a single word but says the message again. The people need to reform their ways and obey the voice of the Lord. If they will do this, then God will show mercy and the disaster will be averted. Finally, Jeremiah’s defense is simply that the people decide what is good and right to do with him (Jeremiah 26:14-15). But he wants them all to know one thing. If they kill him, they are shedding innocent blood. You will bring innocent blood on themselves and on this city. You might again remember that Pilate said the same thing concerning Jesus (cf. Matthew 27:24-25). Pilate proclaims himself innocent of Jesus’ blood. But the people responded that Jesus’ blood will be on them and their children. So what will the people do? Jeremiah’s defense is that he is God’s prophet, speaking God’s words. If they kill him, they are killing an innocent person and they will be held accountable to God for such an act. Let’s see what the officials and the people do with Jeremiah’s defense.
The Right Way To Listen (Jeremiah 26:17-19)
The people state that Jeremiah does not deserve to die because he has spoken in the name of the Lord. If it is the word of the Lord, then we need to receive the words and not reject them. How foolish is it to reject God’s word when we are plainly reading God’s word! The people seem to understand this. Jeremiah has spoken God’s word and should not die. Now the people consider how to go forward. In verse 17 we see that some of the elders of the people spoke to the assembly and remind them about a prophet named Micah who preached in the days of king Hezekiah. Micah preached that the city of Jerusalem would become a heap of ruins and a desolation (cf. Micah 3:12). How did Hezekiah handle Micah preaching those words? Hezekiah did not put Micah to death for saying God’s word (Jeremiah 26:19). Rather, Hezekiah listened, feared the Lord, and pleaded for God’s favor. When Hezekiah did this, God did relent of the disaster spoken against the city. Notice the conclusion that these elders draw at the end of verse 19. “But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.” If we kill Jeremiah and reject his message, then we are only going to make matters worse for ourselves, not better.
The Wrong Way To Listen (Jeremiah 26:20-24)
But then another situation is reminded to the people. There was another person who prophesied in the name of the Lord. A prophet named Uriah also spoke the same words as Jeremiah during King Jehoiakim’s reign. But when Jehoiakim and his officials heard his words, they determined to put him to death. When Uriah found out, he ran for his life to Egypt. But Jehoiakim sent people to Egypt and had the prophet brought back to Judah and killed. Then they dumped his body with the rest of the poor and rejected people of the land. One of the reasons this is told to us is to see what a dangerous situation Jeremiah is in at this moment. We are told that this happened to Uriah in the days of King Jehoiakim. But go back to verse 1 of Jeremiah 26 and notice when this event happened to Jeremiah. This moment for Jeremiah is also happening at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign. This is such a major danger for Jeremiah that this chapter ends with a very ominous end. In verse 24 we are told that the reason Jeremiah was not handed over to death was because Ahikam supported him. We do not know what that means exactly. But somehow God saved Jeremiah through Ahikam so that he was not killed at this time.
A Heart For God’s Word
I started this lesson by asking about how we look at the word of God and what is our attitude toward it. So what can we learn from this situation that Jeremiah faced? First, having a heart for God means that we want to know every word that God has said. There are a number of reasons that we must want to know every word. The apostle Paul proclaimed this as a reason to the elders in Ephesus.
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. (Acts 20:26-27 ESV)
Notice that the reason Paul is innocent of any potential judgment on these elders is because he did not avoid speaking the whole counsel of God to the people. This is a really crucial point. The way God shows mercy is by calling us to listen to his word and then turn. The apostle Paul is saying that he delivered to them God’s message and now it is on them to listen and respond. I don’t know that we think of God’s word as an instrument of mercy. But this is exactly what Jeremiah was telling the people. Listen to every word that God says because it is the way that you will be saved from judgment.
If I were to ask if you want to be made whole and complete as a person and to have a whole and complete life, I don’t think anyone would reject that offer. Millions of books line the self-help shelves trying to help make people whole again. But listen to what God is trying to tell us:
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)
Notice again the path to being the complete person is every word of scripture. I believe we may not have a heart for God’s word because we fail to see what God’s word can do. The apostle Peter said that God’s power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him (cf. 2 Peter 1:3-5). Friends, it is only when we see God’s word as the means of God’s mercy, healing, wholeness, and transformation of our lives that we will then value God’s word more than gold and find it sweeter than honey. We are limiting ourselves and keeping ourselves from God’s transforming work when we do not desire every word that God has spoken. These are life-giving words. If we desire God, then we will desire to hear every word that has come from his mouth. Otherwise, we are like these people in Jeremiah’s day who claimed to be the people of God and came to worship God, but were not listening or following God at all.