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Jeremiah Accused and Acquitted 

Jeremiah 26

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • May 12, In the year of our Lord Christ, 2019 

  1. Chaps 21–33 | Prophecies of Judgment & the Messiah 
    1. Chaps 21–29 | Judgment: Judah & Nations 
  2. Chap 26 | Jeremiah Accused and Acquitted 
    1. 26.1–6 | Speak to Cause Repentance

      1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word. 3 Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings. 4 And you shall 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, 5 to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’”

      – Jeremiah 26.1–6
      1. How much of God’s word was Jeremiah to speak? 
      2. Verse 3 shows God’s fairness. 
        1. He knew whether they would repent or not, but He still wanted to give them a fair chance. 
        2. It shows that He did not want to destroy Jerusalem or the temple. 
      3. If they did not heed the Lord’s word, what would be the two consequences? 
        1. He would make the temple like Shiloh. 
        2. He would make the city a curse to all nations. 
      4. What happened at Shiloh? 
        1. Shiloh is where the tabernacle was at first in the Land of Canaan. 
        2. However, Israel sinned at Shiloh and He forsook that place, although His tabernacle had been there. See Jeremiah 7.8–12; Psalm 78.56–60. 
      5. The Lord had forsaken a place and a tabernacle before and He would do it again, unless they repented. 
    2. 26.7–9 | The People Seize Jeremiah

      7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. 8 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You will surely die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without an inhabitant’?” And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

      – Jeremiah 26.7–9
      1. The Lord had instructed Jeremiah to speak to all the people, and he had been faithful to the Lord’s command. 
      2. Why did the people seize Jeremiah? 
        1. They did not like what he had said. 
        2. They determined to kill him. 
    3. 26.10–15 | Jeremiah’s Defense

      10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the LORD and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the LORD’S house. 11 And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, “This man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.” 12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying: “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard. 13 Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; then the LORD will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you. 14 As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you. 15 But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

      – Jeremiah 26.10–15
      1. The princes got involved. 
      2. What was the charge against Jeremiah? 
      3. Did Jeremiah deny the charges? 
        1. What was it that they could do that the Lord would not be against them? 
          1. They could amend their ways. 
          2. They could obey the voice of the Lord. 
        2. Jeremiah simply reaffirmed his previous messages. 
        3. The man appeared was fearless. 
      4. What did Jeremiah say next? 
        1. He would submit himself to whatever they deemed good and proper. 
        2. What warning did he give them? 
          1. That if they killed him, they would bring innocent blood upon themselves. 
        3. What was the reasoning for his warning? 
    4. 26.16–19 | The Leaders Defend Jeremiah

      16 So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” 17 Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:

      Zion shall be plowed like a field,
      Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
      And the mountain of the temple
      Like the bare hills of the forest.’

      19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and seek the LORD’S favor? And the LORD relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

      – Jeremiah 26.16–19
      1. Finally some leaders who stand up for the preacher! 
      2. What reasoning did the leaders use? 
      3. Did you see how we should learn from biblical history, even from Israel’s history? 
    5. 26.20–24 | They Kill Another Prophet

      20 Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt. 22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt. 23 And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people. 24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

      – Jeremiah 26.20–24
      1. Here is another contemporary prophet with Jeremiah. 
      2. Did he preach the same as Jeremiah or something different? 
      3. What did the kings and his people want to do to Urijah? 
        1. How determined was Jehoiakim to kill this prophet? 
        2. What led him to be so determined? 
          1. It was a time of war and he thought that Urijah was against Judah, that his preaching would hurt the war effort. 
          2. However, what Urijah preached would have stopped the war, but the king could not see that truth. 
      4. What happened to Jeremiah during this time? 
        1. Someone saved Jeremiah. 
        2. Why does one die and another is saved? 
          1. See Hebrews 11.30–38.