Jeremiah 37 NLT
Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the Lord said through Jeremiah. Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.” Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go among the people as he pleased. (1-4)
Jeremiah is not called the weeping prophet for nothing. Few prophets suffered as he suffered. He faced persecution, he faced slander, and as verse 4 states, he eventually faced imprisonment and punishment. Yet, I think the greatest suffering he faced was living with the realization that his message continually fell on deaf ears. It is hard to be faithful and continue doing the right thing when you see no fruit from your ministry. Jeremiah prophesied in a time when the impending destruction of Jerusalem loomed just outside the walls where the Babylonian army was arrayed. There was little food and great distress in the city. On top of that, an entire cohort of false prophets were promising the deliverance of Jerusalem despite Jeremiah’s message from God.
Jeremiah learned what many preachers and churches are learning these days; people would rather believe a “hopeful” lie than the bitter truth of what God thinks about their behavior. The most shocking statement in the verses above is that the people who never believed Jeremiah still “hedged their bets” and asked him to pray for them. They figured it was better to be safe than sorry and there was a part of them that realized Jeremiah was probably right—it was just too painful to admit. How infuriating it must have been to have people refuse to heed his words, but still constantly come for help. I can sympathize because I see that same thing played out here in Africa. People don’t want to repent or confess their sin, but they still want the perceived blessing that comes from having a “man of God” pray for them.
It is shocking how true this human tendency still is thousands of years later. People are people I guess, and we still live in a world where people prefer to believe the lie that tells them what they want to hear, rather than the truth that calls them to repentance. People do not want a gospel that convicts them of their sin, but instead, they want one that overlooks their lifestyle and requires nothing from them. They want someone to proclaim God’s approval of their choices, rather than someone who proclaims the truth about God’s standards. Disagreement and debate are no longer tolerated, and instead, you must affirm the modern cultural perspectives or you are labeled a bigot, intolerant, or worse a racist. People will reject your message unless you “prophesy” the popular sentiment, regardless of whether the message comes from God and His word or not. In the end, though, the truth will come out, and “the Babylonians will breach the wall.” It is then that the church must be ready with the answer.
