Jeremiah continues to declare the word of the LORD. He continues to do what the LORD requires of him. He reminds the people of the covenant that God made with their ancestors. Live by the terms of the covenant, live by the law, and you will be blessed or turn your backs on the covenant and you will suffer the consequences. Jeremiah, was trying to save their lives. And for this, what did he receive in return? He received threats of persecution and even death if he did not stop prophesying, if he did not stop relaying God's word to the people.
Jeremiah calls on the LORD to protect him and his family. Now, what does this mean? In order to be protected from his enemies, from God's enemies, God will have to stop the enemy. That may not be such a pleasant thing for the enemies of God and His prophet. It may well mean that the very same thing that the enemies plan for Jeremiah will return to them. It may mean that it will be they and their own children who will die, not Jeremiah or his children.
Be very careful about what you pray for and what evil schemes you devise against others. I think of it on the lines of Jesus sending out the twelve to proclaim the Good News and telling them, "Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town" (Matt 10:11-15 NIV)
When my children were very young, as I tried to teach them to treat others fairly, this is one of the tactics I would use. I would tell them, "Do to others as you would have them do to you," (Luke 6:31; Matt 7:11) because what you do to others will be done to you. My mother use to put it to us this way when we were children and our plans against others or their plans against us backfired, "What goes around, comes around."
Taking all this into consideration, might it not be a better idea to welcome those who proclaim the good news rather than persecute them? Just saying... :)
Have a blessed day... and may the peace of the LORD be with you all. Pr. J
Jeremiah calls on the LORD to protect him and his family. Now, what does this mean? In order to be protected from his enemies, from God's enemies, God will have to stop the enemy. That may not be such a pleasant thing for the enemies of God and His prophet. It may well mean that the very same thing that the enemies plan for Jeremiah will return to them. It may mean that it will be they and their own children who will die, not Jeremiah or his children.
Be very careful about what you pray for and what evil schemes you devise against others. I think of it on the lines of Jesus sending out the twelve to proclaim the Good News and telling them, "Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town" (Matt 10:11-15 NIV)
When my children were very young, as I tried to teach them to treat others fairly, this is one of the tactics I would use. I would tell them, "Do to others as you would have them do to you," (Luke 6:31; Matt 7:11) because what you do to others will be done to you. My mother use to put it to us this way when we were children and our plans against others or their plans against us backfired, "What goes around, comes around."
Taking all this into consideration, might it not be a better idea to welcome those who proclaim the good news rather than persecute them? Just saying... :)
Have a blessed day... and may the peace of the LORD be with you all. Pr. J
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