Jeremiah 37:12-14 KJV
Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
Throughout this chapter, I am reminded that, although Jeremiah was a prophet of God and I highly respect him, he was still a man, and the people of his day saw him as such.
In this passage, Jeremiah was falsely accused of escaping Israel and going to the Chaldean (Babylonians). Although Jeremiah insisted the accusation was false he was still put in prison.
When later the king sought him privately to see if there was any word from the Lord, Jeremiah pleads that the King does not send him back into the prison. He feared he would die if he went back there.
And still, later the king, fearing that others would find out that he was seeking God's Word from Jeremiah, instructed Jeremiah not to tell the people what he had spoken to the king about and Jeremiah obeyed the king, essentially deceiving the people. He did not lie to them, but he did intentionally withhold the information they were after.
A preacher is a human being. I am a human being. And my humanity of necessity plays its way into the ministry I have of God. But that in no way diminishes the responsibility I have to fulfill my ministry, nor the responsibility those I minister to have of accepting that ministry.
Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
Throughout this chapter, I am reminded that, although Jeremiah was a prophet of God and I highly respect him, he was still a man, and the people of his day saw him as such.
In this passage, Jeremiah was falsely accused of escaping Israel and going to the Chaldean (Babylonians). Although Jeremiah insisted the accusation was false he was still put in prison.
When later the king sought him privately to see if there was any word from the Lord, Jeremiah pleads that the King does not send him back into the prison. He feared he would die if he went back there.
And still, later the king, fearing that others would find out that he was seeking God's Word from Jeremiah, instructed Jeremiah not to tell the people what he had spoken to the king about and Jeremiah obeyed the king, essentially deceiving the people. He did not lie to them, but he did intentionally withhold the information they were after.
A preacher is a human being. I am a human being. And my humanity of necessity plays its way into the ministry I have of God. But that in no way diminishes the responsibility I have to fulfill my ministry, nor the responsibility those I minister to have of accepting that ministry.
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