Text: Jeremiah 18:18-23
The people are planning to persecute Prophet Jeremiah because he had challenged the social and moral behavior of everyone, including the King, Officials of the State, the Prophets, the Priests, the Wise and the Teachers (4:9, 8:8, 9). Instead of obeying him, the people chose to silence him. Their false prophets told them what they wanted to hear. They pretended to be working for God and accused Jeremiah of two things: (i) That Jeremiah was not a true prophet, but a pretender as no priest commissioned him nor did he concur with other prophets; (ii) That since he could also attack other prophets and priests (5:31), then his prophecies were not from God; so they planned to destroy his reputation using the tongue, “let us attack him with the tongue, be an example to others by not paying attention to what he said and eventually to silence him by killing him” (v.23). As you stand to glorify God be sure that you will be fought and, if need be, be killed.
Jeremiah prayed a prayer cursing his enemies. This is not for us to imitate and pray cursing our enemies. Jeremiah did so because he was a prophet and by impulse of the Spirit of prophecy in the foresight he could see the ruin coming upon his tormentors or enemies. For us, Jesus Christ taught us to bless those who curse us and pray for those who persecute us (Mat. 5:44).
Meditate on verse 19. How is this verse teaching us about prayer?
Our Lord and heavenly Father, in the name Jesus Christ, we pray against false teachings in this nation and, indeed, the whole world. Give us the grace to treat well those who do us wrong. Amen.