Speak truth – get marked – that’s the way it is

By: American Decency Staff

That was then now is now. 

Then.  This passage from Jeremiah 19:14-15 where we see Jeremiah – God’s prophet – speaking in obedience to God, though knowing that he’s going to be vilified for speaking truth.  He doesn’t know what form vilification is going to take.

Life? Limb? Reputation?

Quoting :

 Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people: ¹⁵ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words.”

Continuing at Jeremiah 20:1-2

Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. ² Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the Lord.

The entire chapter is contemporary.  Jeremiah after being released from the stocks  continues his dialogue including these words to Pashur: 

And you, Pashur, all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity.  To Babylon you shall go, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely. 

Jeremiah shows his humanity (feeling sorry for himself and  filled with wonderment at how God seemingly can put him in such tough straits) at Jeremiah 20:7-11:

O Lord, you have deceived me,
    and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
    and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
    everyone mocks me.
⁸ For whenever I speak, I cry out,
    I shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me
    a reproach and derision all day long.
⁹ If I say, “I will not mention him,
    or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
    shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
    and I cannot.
¹⁰ For I hear many whispering.
    Terror is on every side!
“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
    say all my close friends,
    watching for my fall.
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
    then we can overcome him
    and take our revenge on him.”
¹¹ But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
    therefore my persecutors will stumble;
    they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
    for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
    will never be forgotten.

Jeremiah’s heart for God revealed in part at verse 9:
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
    shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
    and I cannot.

Now:

Can you relate to Jeremiah’s spirit, his heart cry?  THERE IS IN MY HEART AS IT WERE A BURNING FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES, AND I AM WEARY WITH HOLDING IT IN, AND I CANNOT. 

I’ve not been in the arena that Jeremiah has been but I have been in situations where I could not hold back. 

Often I have seen that God used me best when I have spoken His standard into corruption, godlessness.

At the same time, it is vitally important that we are discerning asking God’s help to speak – that He would be glorified and His purposes fulfilled.  God help us!

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