Jeremiah 26:1-13

“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim . . .” (v. 1). The historical date would have been 609 B.C. Jeremiah began to prophesy during the reign of Jehoiakim’s father, some eighteen years earlier. At that time, Jeremiah prophesied that all the families of the kingdoms of the north would bring God’s judgment against Jerusalem and Judah because they had worshipped the works of their own hands and given honor to other gods (Jer. 1:15-16).

Now, 18 years later, the Lord instructed Jeremiah to stand in the court of the Lord’s house and to speak to all who came to worship there (v. 2). Jeremiah was not sent to speak to the new king. He was sent to speak to them who came to the house of the Lord. Jeremiah was not to sugar-coat the Lord’s message. He was to diminish not a word.

This was not the first occasion on which God had instructed Jeremiah to speak to them who came to worship at the house of the Lord. In Jeremiah 7, the Lord had Jeremiah stand at the gate of the temple and make known that He (the Lord) did not honor outward worship. Jeremiah made known that going through the motion of worship does not cut the mustard with God.

In verse 3, the Lord states that He will repent of the evil which He had said should come provided that they would hearken to Him and turn from their evil ways — that every man must turn. The repentance of a few would not be cause for the Lord to spare the whole.

The evil which the Lord would cause to fall upon Jerusalem would be to make “this house like Shiloh” and to make Jerusalem “a curse to all the nations of the earth” (v. 6). Nothing is stated in scripture concerning Shiloh and the state of affairs at Shiloh following the Philistine capture of the ark of the Lord (see I Sam. 4:11). Before the loss of the ark, Shiloh was the home of the tabernacle. After the Philistines returned the ark to Israel, it was never returned to Shiloh (II Sam. 7:2). Scholars believe that the ark was not returned to Shiloh because Shiloh was in ruin and the tabernacle had been destroyed by the Philistines. History attests that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed 25 years after Jeremiah spoke these words.

The evil way from which every man must turn is stated in verses 4 and 5. Judah need to walk according the law of Moses and Judah would need to hearken to the words of the prophets whom God sent. Moses had given the law to the children of Israel some 750 years earlier at Sinai. Not keeping the law was never an option. When God made His covenant with Israel, He stated that the people would be required to keep the law. Failure to keep the law would result in Israel being delivered into the hands of their enemies (see Lev. 26:25). In addition to keeping the law, Judah was to hearken to the words of the prophets whom God would send. The nation of Judah had not kept the law, nor, had they hearkened to the prophets whom the Lord sent.

The priests, the prophets, and the people heard Jeremiah’s words and were distressed. They asked: “Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without inhabitant?” (v. 9). They had heard Jeremiah’s words but they had not heard what Jeremiah said. Jeremiah had just told them why God told him to say the words that which he spoke — Judah had not kept the law and Judah had not hearkened to the words of God’s prophets.

The priests and the prophets declared that Jeremiah should die because he prophesied against Jerusalem (v. 11). They thought that he had committed blasphemy. They took his words to be a curse against God (see Lev. 24:14-16). They read the law and failed to apply it to themselves. They were blind to the truth and could not see their evil ways.

Jeremiah had spoken in the name of the Lord. God’s word provides a test for those who prophesy in His name. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing not follow, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken” (Deut. 18:22). The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 B.C. confirmed that Jeremiah did, in deed, speak in the name of the Lord. The priests and prophets, in calling for Jeremiah’s death, failed to consider that which God spoke in Deuteronomy. They would know that Jeremiah spoke in the name of the Lord after “this house” was like Shiloh.

In verse 12, Jeremiah spoke the truth that his listeners did not want to hear: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.” In verse 13, Jeremiah repeated his plea that all who came to God’s house should repent of their evil ways. Sadly, they did not and judgment followed.

The Lord speaks to New Testament believers through the words of Jeremiah. There are many of today who enter into physical structures of worship who err in like manner of them who heard but did not hearken to Jeremiah’s words. Not all New Testament readers are New Testament believers. All read: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3). To be born again, one must be changed by God. One must receive the surety of the Holy Spirit. One must believe and confess Christ Jesus before the door to the kingdom of God is closed for all eternity. Trust and obey. Believe and receive.