Text: Jeremiah 26:1-15
The Lord commands Jeremiah to speak harsh words to the people. The harsh words were evidence that God had instructed him not to hold back any Word (v. 2) . The prophecy was that: One: God would destroy the temple like He did to Shiloh (7:12); Two: Jerusalem would be a curse and become a byword (v. 6).
So on hearing this, instead of repenting, the people threatened to kill Jeremiah (v.8). People revered the temple for its opulence rather than what it stood for; so, for anyone to talk about destroying it amounted to blasphemy, and this could not be tolerated.
The religious leaders were also very furious with Jesus when He told them that He could destroy the very temple and rebuild it in three days (Mat.24:2). With courage, Jeremiah defended himself that he was innocent and he had to speak the Word of God as it was, without any modifications/ edits (v. 15). Let us be bold and take the courage to always speak the Word of God in its entirety . Take courage, you are not alone, Jesus promised to be with us all the time to the end of the age (Mat.28: 19).
Meditate on verse 2, How are you going to apply it to your life?
My Heavenly Father, I pray for boldness and courage to speak Your Word to this lost world, without bending it or favouring anyone. Amen.