Run out of Town
Read Jeremiah 11:1–15:21
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18. Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me.
19. I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”
20. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.
21. This is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said, “We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord’s name.”
22. So this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says about them: “I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve to death.” Jeremiah 11:18-22
People like or dislike meteorologists depending on how accurately they predict the weather. But what is worse is that some people dislike meteorologists just for predicting bad weather, despite how accurate they may be. It’s not their fault that it’s raining—shouldn’t we cut them some slack? At least they warned us about the bad weather, right?
Jeremiah gets about as much respect as a forecaster who predicts bad weather all the time. Even the folks he grew up with don’t want him around. In fact, they want him dead. But unlike a meteorologist, Jeremiah can’t leave this job or area because God has placed Jeremiah just where he wants him, so Jeremiah must continue to give the people the bad reports.
People today sometimes oppose believers who share God’s message for the same reasons that motivated the people of Anathoth to plot Jeremiah’s death. Certainly it would be tempting to remain silent or to change the message in the face of such opposition. Instead, we must be faithful to our calling, faithful to our Lord.
If you speak to others about God, you don’t need to be obnoxious, pushy, or abrasive. Like Jeremiah, speak respectfully, time what you say properly, and make sure that you’re representing God and not your own biases. But also like Jeremiah, keep speaking, and pray that the plans of your opponents will fail (Jeremiah 11:20). Let God be your protection.
