Day 226 (Jeremiah 26-29) - Year 4
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Hey, Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for The Bible Recap. Today's reading covers three separate instances where Jeremiah has run-ins with local leadership.

The first story may have felt familiar to you. God sends Jeremiah to prophesy to the people entering the temple. This feels a lot like what happened back in chapter 7, and no one really knows if it's happened again or if it's just being repeated here in this trio of examples of Jeremiah's struggle with the authorities. I'm inclined to think that it's the same story we read in chapter 7, mostly because God indicates that the people might repent, which sounds pretty different than what he's been saying lately.

If it is the same incident, we get a few more details during this version of events. After Jeremiah's message, the priests and the prophets and all the people arrest him. In his trial, they accuse him of treason and false prophecy, offenses against both the political and religious groups. According to Deuteronomy 18, the penalty for a false prophet is death. They want him dead.

One thing worth noting is that when they're making their charge against him, they conveniently leave out the part where God says he will relent of the destruction if they repent. But the people either hadn't listened closely to what Jeremiah said, or they tweaked it so they could accuse him. When Jeremiah is confronted with their false accusations, he clarifies the rebuke they've misquoted, but he does it with humble confidence, submitted to their authority, and

And he can do that only because he knows the greater authority they will answer to in regard to whatever they decide to do with him. He trusts God, regardless of the outcome. After hearing Jeremiah's side of the story, they acquit him. The people still want to kill him and his life is still in danger, but his life is spared by Ahicham, the son of Shaphan. Shaphan, by the way, was the scribe who found the scroll in the temple during Hezekiah's renovations.

We may never remember the names Ahikam or Shaphan, but God is using their family behind the scenes in pretty significant ways. Just a reminder before we move on to chapter 27, Jeremiah's scribe Baruch had collected a bunch of stories to put into this book, but he hasn't necessarily laid them out according to a perfect timeline. So as far as we can tell, the rest of today's reading happens after Babylon has invaded.

In chapter 27, Jeremiah's next confrontation with leaders happens. This time, it's with the kings of five other nations. God has him dress himself up in straps and a yoke. In case you've never seen a yoke, we'll link to an image in the show notes. Basically, it's a long piece of wood that goes on the back of an animal or two animals. Then a strap or another piece of wood goes around their necks. It's attached to a plow, which the animals pull when they walk.

The animals aren't in charge because they're bound up in the yoke and the straps. They go where the farmer directs them to go. The point of this image is that God is going to make the nation submit to Babylon and King Nebi, like the animal submits to the yoke, guided by the farmer. Around this time, some of the nations are plotting a revolt, and the false prophets of the day are, of course, rallying behind the revolt. But God wants the nations to know it's not going to happen.

God also calls Nebi his servant. And we've talked about this before, but it bears repeating. Nebuchadnezzar is not a follower of Yahweh, but he's still a servant of Yahweh because God is making him serve his purposes. Jeremiah repeats this message to the king of Judah and the priests and the people. He says, Judah has to submit to Babylon too. And by the way, they're going to take all the temple furniture. Don't worry about it. God will bring it back to Jerusalem when he's ready.

So far today, Jeremiah has confronted political officials and kings, among others. And chapter 28 brings us his confrontation with another prophet who also claims to be a prophet of Yahweh. His name is Hananiah.

The two of them meet up in front of everybody, and Hananiah contradicts some of Jeremiah's previous prophecies. He says, Remember that yoke we're supposed to be wearing? God has broken it. Babylon's not in charge of us anymore. And within two years, God is going to bring back the temple furniture and the exiles and the captives.

Then Jeremiah says, that sounds awesome. Since we know that all prophecies that are truly from God come true, then let's wait and see what happens in the next two years. This might just be humble hopefulness on Jeremiah's part, but it could also be a subtle rebuke.

He knows time will tell the truth and will expose any false prophets and prophecies. Hananiah probably feels rebuked because he walks over to Jeremiah and breaks the yoke Jeremiah is wearing. Did you guys expect him to still be wearing it? I didn't. Apparently, it wasn't just for a one-time show. It's a constant reminder everywhere he goes. I'm telling you, being a prophet was not a fun calling. So Hananiah does this dramatic gesture and Jeremiah lets him have the last word.

But deep down, he's probably slightly relieved to have the yoke off his neck and is probably wishing chiropractors existed. Not long after that, God gives Jeremiah a two-fold message for Hananiah. First, that metaphorical yoke of wood on the necks of the nations has been replaced with a yoke of iron. Yikes. Hananiah's lies led to greater oppression for the people.

And second, as a false prophet, the consequences for Hananiah is that God will enact the death penalty himself. Not long after that, he dies. Chapter 29 recounts Jeremiah's words to the exiles who are being carried away into captivity in Babylon. And by the way, one of the Pony Express writers who delivers this letter to the exiles is another son of Shaph and the scribe.

Jeremiah's letter tells them, look, you're going to be in exile for a while, 70 years, remember? So here's what God says to do in that time. Make the most of where he's put you. Build houses, plant gardens, grow your families. Try to improve the lives of the people around you. Try to bless the very city that has taken you captive. It won't just be good for them, it will be good for you too.

And P.S. Don't listen to any of the prophets around you. They're liars. You're not coming home early. God has a plan and it's a good one, but it's going to take 70 years. Then he'll bring you back and restore what he's taken from you. God also reminds them that anyone who didn't listen to his warnings, those who didn't go into exile with them, they'll be punished with sword, famine, and pestilence. But the exiles are the remnant. They're the ones he's preserving.

Finally, God directly addresses a false prophet named Shemaiah who had contradicted and shamed Jeremiah to the exiles. Then God punishes Shemaiah and his family. Today, my God shot showed up in every story. It was the theme of God's protection over Jeremiah in the midst of all his accusers. From the people and the priests who try to kill him, to Hananiah the yoke-breaker, to Shemaiah the shamer, God kept proving himself.

All Jeremiah had to do was stand firm in what God had said. He didn't have to have a clever argument. He didn't have to miraculously fuse the broken yoke back together. He just had to trust God in where God had placed him, which is what Jeremiah told the exiles to do too. And that's so much easier to do when we know the God who knows. That's what God calls himself in 29-23. I am the one who knows. He knows. He knows.

And he's where the joy is. No matter how long you've been doing TBR, chances are you'll start to ask some good questions like, what version of the Bible do you use? Or which study Bible do you recommend? Or does she go by Tara or Tara Lee? Good news. We have an FAQ page for all of that. So check it out at thebiblerecap.com forward slash FAQ. We'll also drop a link to that in the show notes today. And it's Tara Lee.

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