Wednesday: The Call for Death
From our perspective looking back, it’s hard to believe the hardness of the hearts of the people. As we saw in yesterday’s lesson, Jeremiah’s message-however strong-was still filled with hope. If they repented, God would avert the horrific punishments that, based on the covenant promises and curses, would come upon them.
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
If only they would do what they were supposed to do, if only they would obey God and obtain the blessing that obedience would bring, then all would be well. God would forgive, God would heal, God would restore. The gospel provision, which would eventually come through the sacrifice of Jesus, would be enough to forgive all their sins and restore the people.
What a message of hope, of promise, of salvation!
What was the response to Jeremiah and this message? (See Jer. 26:10-11.)
In Israel, only a legally assembled court could pass a death sentence. Only a majority vote of the judges was acceptable for the death sentence. The priests and the prophets prosecuted Jeremiah with their deadly accusations. Those opposed to him wanted to present him as a political criminal and as a traitor.
What was Jeremiah’s response? (Jer. 26:13-15).
Jeremiah didn’t back down at all; with the threat of death before him, the prophet, no doubt in some fear, nevertheless did not soften a single word of the message that he had been given by the Lord, who specially warned him at the start not to hold back a word(Jer. 26:2). Thus, in contrast to the Jeremiah who at times was whining, complaining, and cursing the day of his birth, we see him now as a man of God who is standing faithfully and with conviction.
When was the last time you had to stand faithfully, at a personal cost to yourself, for the truth as it is in Jesus? If you never have had to do that, what’s wrong?
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Quoted from the lesson, “From our perspective looking back, it’s hard to believe the hardness of the hearts of the people.” This is generally true if we think we are better off than they. It is typical that we see the sins of others, as under a floodlight, clearer than our own (Luke 6:41-42).
In the last day church the corruptions of others are generally viewed through a magnifying glass, while one’s own vices are barely perceived through filters of self-esteem, self-pity, rationalizations and twisted interpretations of scripture.
In contrast many in the church of the apostolic age place the magnifying glass over their own hearts (Mark 13:33; Acts 1:14). With this attitude when they faced the call for their persecution and experienced it their response was remarkable, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” (Acts 5:40-42)
When there is a revival of primitive godliness the faithful may be mindful where they came from (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), but more than that they will remain true as they face opposition (Jeremiah 26:13-15).
When was the last time you had to stand faithfully, at a personal cost to yourself, for the truth as it is in Jesus?
In 2007 to resign from church pastor, from a regular pay and the prestige that comes with it to do independent ministry for poor native indigenous landowners without charging them any single cent. For there was a trend in Fiji SDA are the most dysfunctional people but that changed in the first 2 years of doing this type of ministry spending more than US$50-75K per year. Had to market SDA church and people as the most lovable, caring for their good and less for ourselves
If you never have had to do that, what’s wrong?
Anyone can do a pastor work but rarely will anyone go out there when the call comes to market the SDA brand and name with its message. I present the 12 Tribes around the Earthly Sanctuary, in Heaven and in the New Earth in my dealings with the land and resources so when asked to preach on their Sunday Tribal meet every quarter from morning to evening and that is when i share the message in its totality. I pursue that in Colporteur style just lay a book and in my case the Sanctuary Service surrounded by the 12 Tribes with its Sabbath, Law of Sociatal and Economic and religion as found in the Decalogue. So if I do not do this i don't think it would be done by anyone, for who in this day would leave a higher calling of minister or pastor in the Church to do a lower class kinda of job like I do , but i call it ministry.
Xariete, you seem to suggest that it is often much more difficult to witness for Christ outside the paid ministry than as a minister, and I believe that that is true.
However, not all have the opportunity or ability to do things in a relatively big way as you seem to be able to do. But all have their place. Ellen White acknowledges that the work of a lay person may be more difficult than that of a pastor, as she writes:
I am sorry if that what I wrote seems to be what I am implying, but no. I believe that one should pray fervently as to what ministry suits best his spiritual gifts for its maximum use. I believe that Pastors and Lay people when they join hands together would take the gospel to places never imagined before. I believe that some of us are not maximizing their gifts to its full potential. If I had remained in ministry, areas I have covered or ministered today would never have been entered for if I were a minister, for native indigenous ignorance and negative view of SDA. Now they have a balanced view of us and appreciate us, due mainly for our real concern for their livelihood and eternity. I do not intend to do mass evangelism for than news would spread that I wanna change the whole clan, tribe or village and thus my ministry would be stopped by the Methodist Church or Catholic Church for these two churches are dominant in the villages. So I have tailored my ministry with these theme The Tribes Around the Sanctuary Services and these tribes are very receptive and are amazed to acknowledge to testify that we know Jesus better than any Christian Denomination and I want to leave it at that nothing more, not a tent meeting to convert the whole village for then i would be stopped short to completing my aim to plow as many villages and community as much as the Holy Spirit allows me to. I just see myself as a plower for the seed planter to come later after the land is farrowed maybe during Sunday Law or Death Decree for I have already touched the last day events in my sermon and seminar during their quarterly Tribal Sundays of which i am their guest preacher and speaker in their Methodist or Catholic Church. I suspect if we really do discover our real ministry most of us will have to come out of our comfort zone today for the sake of just carrying out the Gospel Commission
May I offer a brief overview of Jeremiah 26?
1. Jeremiah delivers a prophetic warning in the Temple courtyard.
"If you will not hearken unto Me... Then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth." (Jer 26:1-7.)
2. The warning causes a tumult in the house of the Lord. (Jer 26:8-9)
3. The "princes of Judah" come to hear and to judge the matter. (As stated above, the church did not have authority to impose a death sentence while the nation was under Babylonian control, but this authority was granted to the "civil" arm.)
4. The prosecutors/accusers speak first.
"Then spake the priests and the [false] prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, 'THIS MAN IS WORTHY TO DIE..." (according to the Deut 18:20 statute?)
5. Jeremiah's defence. (Jer 26:12-15)
6. Acquittal : The princes find Jeremiah not guilty, and the people endorse the decision.
"Then said the princes and all the people to the priests and to the [false] prophets; 'THIS MAN IS NOT WORTHY TO DIE..."
7. Some of the elders then speak in support of the not guilty verdict, citing a precedent from the time of king Hezekiah.
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Quite amazing! The Book of Jeremiah can appear to be an unmitigated series of failures on the part of the Lord's prophet. But here, in defiance of the religious leaders, the princes and the people actually stand IN OPEN SUPPORT of the prophet. Why did they not then amend their ways, and thus turn away the threatened calamities? The people stood against the priests, but the influence of the priesthood must still have been very strong. The favorable impressions in favour of the Lord's prophet were strong, but these, it seems, were fleeting.
Lets us pray that the Lord will give us the strength to stand for his holy word.Amen
We need to be clear what the message was in Jeremiah.
Repent and surrender to the Chaldeans and in 70 years return to Jerusalem
or
Rebel and be destroyed
Fully reformed by Gods grace we see now Jeremiah's courage to stand firm by the truth of our Heavenly father ,nomatta the consequency!!what a lesson for us who give up at the first try of spreading the gospel because of luck of positive response. The Grace of God is constantly working in us until we are fully molded into the fullness of the gifts of the holy spirit. So dont give up trust in The Great Teacher Our Lord Jesus Christ!!
"Cain" will always come gunning for "Abel". How can we expect anything else? Satan hates truth, righteousness, faith, obedience, love for one's neighbor, temperance, and everything else exhibited in the life of Jesus, and will do anything to frighten God's servants into unbelief.
Life eternal is a promise, and God is faithful. (Jer 29:11)