Most hated of all the prophets of his day

Jeremiah 17:14-27

Have you prayed a prayer of need, if so you fully grasp the cry of Jeremiah's heart when he is crying out to the Father?  “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.”  As the spokesman of God, Jeremiah has been faithful, but the message is not only politically incorrect, it is about the people's sins, the nation’s sin, the leader’s sins, and God’s judgment.  One might say Jeremiah is making the news each day in Jerusalem, and he is the most hated of all the prophets of his day.  Not much different than our time when a man of integrity stands and proclaims truth, when the masses do not want God or anyone as their moral authority.  But with all that said, Jeremiah is concerned that God will not come to his rescue.  I’ve been there and yet over and over I’ve experienced the Father’s hand of protection, makes one wonder why we have such small faith in a Father who gave His Son to redeem us?

And in the heat of the endless battles, I am so thankful that my Father is merciful and shows grace, for I, like Jeremiah, have prayed such a prayer. “Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction!”  Let me confess I’ve never been that bold.  Our prayer may not be that different; “Lord, just nuke then, rid the world of such evil people, in hindsight maybe I’ve been that unloving.

It seems that no one knows what the people's gate location was, but it is evident Jeremiah is instructed to proclaim the message God has given him at a gate where people are coming and going.  The message is quit working on the Sabbath day, for they had entered into a covenant with God that they would rest on the Sabbath, as He did after the creation.  But like today, they came and did as they pleased and paid no attention to Jeremiah’s message from God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice