Jeremiah 26

IN the beginning of the reign of Jehoiachim the son of Josiah king of Judah, came this word from the LORD, saying The Prophesie, chap. 25. is said to have been revealed in the fourth year of Iehoiachim, this in the beginning of his Reign, which makes learned men think, it ought to have been placed before that. The affairs of the Iews were then in a very desperate condition, Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt, had overcome Iosiah and killed him in Battle, Ie oa az or Shallum, being made King in his stead, 2 King. 23.30. he had reigned but three Moneths, and Pharaoh Necho taketh him and imprisoneth him, and layes a Tribute upon the Land of 300 Talents of Silver and a Talent of Gold, and makes Eliakim King changing his name to Iehoiachim, v r. 33, 34. Now in the beginning of this Kings Reign cometh this word of God to Ieremiah, the people being still hardened and going on in their sinful practices.,

Thus says the LORD, Stand in the court of the LORDS house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORDS house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them In the largest Court of the Temple, where the most may hear what thou sayest, and there speak to all those that dwell in any of the Cities of Judah, from whence they were wont to come up, more especially thrice in a year to the Temple to Worship, Psal. 122.4. In the Gate or Court of that house wherein they have such a Confidence, do thou stand. So chap. 7.2. and declare unto them what I command thee.; diminish not a word Neither smoothing what may appear rough, nor suppressing what may offend them, intirely delivering my Will unto them, not shunning to declare unto them the whole Counsel of God, as Paul, Acts 20.27..

If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way Not that God was ignorant of their obstinacy and the hardening of their hearts, which was the future e ent; but to let us know that their destruction would be of themselves, he would give them both a time and space, and also means for Repentance, and the prevention of e judgments of God coming on them; he did give them time for it was after this eleven years before the Captivity of Jehojachim, two and twenty before that of Zedekiah: and for Means, God afforded them the Ministry of this Prophet., that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them, because of the evil of their doings Repentance applyed to man, signifieth a change of Heart and Co nsels, as well as of his course of Actions: In the unchangeable God it only signifieth the turning of the course of his Providence, not bringing that evil upon them for the evil of their doings, which supposing their Progress and obstinacy in their sinful courses, he had fully resolved to bring upon them..

And thou shalt say unto them, Thus says the LORD, f ye will not hearken to me to walk in my law A course of Actions in Scripture, is ordinarily call'd a way; in which sense we often read of the way of the Lord, the way of the wicked, the way of the Righteous, &c. and a motion in this Course is usually called walking, Psal. 1.1. Ezek. 18.9. and applied both to God and Men. To walk in Gods Lawes is expounded by hearkening unto them, or (as in other places) by observing, keeping and doing them., which I have set before you God is said to have set his Laws before them, both in respect of their first promulgation to them at Sinai, and writing them in Tables; and the daily Expositions and urging of them upon their practice by his servants the Prophets, as it followeth..

To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets Those Prophets who in prophesying were my servants, revealing my Will unto you, which is the same with hearkening unto Gods Laws mentioned, v. 4., whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them Whom I have made my business to send unto you: and to whom you ought therefore to have hearkened, as unto me, but you have not done it hitherto, 2 Chron, 36.12.16. (but ye have not hearkened.)

Then will I make this house like Shiloh Shiloh was the City where the Tabernacle was pitched, and the Ark, the symbol of Gods presence, was, Jud. 18.31. & 21.19. 1 Sam. 1.3.9.24. & 3.21. Out of it the Ark was carried, 1 Sam. 4.3. when it was taken by the Philistines, and was carried no more thither, but rested in Kirjath-jearim. 1 Sam. 7.2. where it rested 20 years. David fetched it from thence, 2 Sam 6.2. So that as the Psalmist tells us, Psal. 78.60, 61. God forsook the Tabernacle in Shiloh; here he threatneth to do the like as to the Temple, because of which they had such a confidence. Jeremiah, chap. 7.12. had spoken much the same thing, it is a threatning that God would deprive them of his Ordinances., and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth To which he addeth a threatning of destruction to the City, to that degree that when men should curse any place, they should say, God do unto thee as he did to Jerusalem. We had the like phrase, chap. 24.9. and have it again, chap. 29.18, 22, &c..

So the priests, and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD All the People present at that time heard the Prophet, who according to the command of God came into the Court of the Lords house, and discharged his office, speaking these words..

¶ Now it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak Either they had a reverence for the Prophet, or the terror of God fell upon them, so as they did not interrupt him till he had fully dispatched his rrand. unto all the people, that the priests, and the prophets, and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die Then the chief of the Priests with the assistance of the People apprehend him, and tell him he should be put to death..

Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD They charge him with being a false Prophet, speaking false things in the name of God, their pretence seemeth to have been from the Promises of God; such as that, Psal. 132.13, 14, For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell, for I have desired it. Which they interpreted into such a sense as if they could not by their sin drive God away from them, and therefore Ieremiah must prophesie falsly, against the Will of God before revealed., saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? and all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD This caused a seditious Tumult of the People in the Temple, which alarum'd the Civil Magistrates..

¶ When the princes of Judah heard these thing When the Nobles, and other Civil Magistrates, heard of the Tumult, occasioned by Ieremiahs unpleasing prophesie,, then they came up from the kings house, unto the house of the LORD They came from the Kings Court, where the Nobles and great Officers in Nations usually are, to the Temple., and sat down at the entry of the new gate of the LORDs house And sat down at the entry of the new gate in the Lords house; some think it was called the new gate because repaired by Iotham, 2 King. 15.35. 2 Chron. 27.3. Some say it was the Eastern, others, that it was the western gate. It was certainly the place where their Sanhedrim, who were to judge of false Prophets were wont to sit..

Then spake the priests, and the prophets In the corrupt state of all Kingdoms, and Cities, the Ecclesiastical Officers always were the greatest Enemies to the Faithful Ministers of God, as we shall find in the whole story both of the old and new Testament. unto the princes, and to all the people w, saying, This man is worthy to die, for he has prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears They speak to the members of the great Court who are called Princes, and also to the people who were in the Court charging Ieremy with Sedition, by prophesying falsly, which was a capital Crime. It was the charge against Steven, Acts 6.13. that he spake blasphemous words against the holy place; to prove this they appeal to those of the people that had heard him..

¶ Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes, and to all the people, saying The Priests having given Ieremiah his Charge, he makes his Defence., The LORD sent me to prophesie against this house, and against this city all the words that you have heard The sum of which was, he acknowledgeth that he had prophesied against the Temple, and against the City, and tacitly acknowledgeth their power to take cognisance of seditious Persons and false Prophets, and does not deny but such persons deserved to die, but denieth that he was a false prophet, or guilty of any design to stir up sedition, for he had said nothing but what God had sent him to speak; and therefore could not prophesie what was false, nor was to be charged with any seditious design..

Therefore now amend your wayes and your doings It is not that I have pronounced Evil against you, but the Lord who made both you and me: You rage against me, who am but Gods Instrument by whom he lets you know his Mind and Will, it were more advisable for you to reform your wicked Lives and Practices., and obey the voice of the LORD your God And that by a full obedience to what the Lord has commanded you in his Law, and by me speaketh to you., and the Lord will repent him If you will do this, the Lord will change the course of his Providence, and do that which in men is called a repenting, and not bring those evil things upon you, which he by me his servant has pronounced against you. of the evil that he has pronounced against you.

As for me, behold, I am in your hand That is, I am in your power (as hands often signifieth in Scripture) Ieremiah does not by this acknowledge any power they had justly, thus to restrain; and question him.: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you Nor does he dare them, to do what they had a natural power to do, by saying, do with me what seemeth good unto you, the phrase imports no more than that he could not hinder their doing with him what they pleased. The hands in which he was, were the hands of Violence, not of Justice, for though they had a just power against false prophets, yet they had no such power against any Prophet sent by God, let the matter of his Prophesie be never so threatening and ungrateful to them. Therefore he addeth,.

But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your selves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof If you make this sedition, and put me to death for it, you have a natural power to do it, but you will get nothing by it, but further bring down the Vengeance of God upon you by shedding my blood without a cause, the guilt of which will be added to your other guilt, and lie upon you, and upon your City.: for of a truth the LORD has sent me unto you, to speak all these words in your ears For you may think, and talk what you please, it is a certain truth, that I spake nothing out of any evil design, nor of my own head; but only what the Lord sent me to speak..

¶ Then said the princes, and all the people unto the priests, and to the prophets The Judges in this case with the assent of the People acquit the Prophet, and vindicate him from the Charge of Sedition given against him by the corrupt Priests, and false Prophets, distinguishing, This man is not worthy to die: for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God betwixt one who of his own head spreadeth false News, and threateneth evil to a place, and one who does it by Authority from God or by Divine Revelation, which is here meant by in the name of the Lord our God. Thus the Civil Magistrates taught the Priests and Prophets a point of Divinity, which they ought not to have been ignorant of. Some may enquire how the Princes knew that Ieremy spake what he spake in the name of the Lord? to which it may be replyed, That Ieremy had been a Prophet now about 20 years, for he began in the 13th. of Iosiah, chap. 1.1, 2. Iosiah reigned 31 years, 2 Kin. 22.1. Then Shallum or Jehoahaz reigned three moneths, this was in the beginning of Jehojachims Reign, in which time they had had a large Experience both of his Doctrine, and Conversation, and though the Priests and Prophets who had had the like experience, were filled with Malice and prejudice, yet the Princes, and a part of the People were more equal, and though the people were many of them led away with the Priests, yet hearing the Prophets defence, and the Princes judgment upon it, they concur with em to acquit the Prophet..

Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying Probably these Elders were some of the Court, or else Advo ates, for they were wont to rise up, either to plead or to judge. Isa. 3.13. Acts 5.34. They rise up and apply themselves to the people to justifie their absolutory sentence..

Micah the Morasthite This was that Micah, whose prophesies are part of holy Writ as appeareth by Micah 1.1. and 3.12. where are the very words of the Prophesie here mentioned. prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake unto all the people of Judah, saying The substance of that Prophesie was the same with this of Jeremiah, that Zion should be plowed up, and the place where the Temple stood should become so desolate that Trees should grow there, as in a Wood or Forest., Thus says the LORD of host: Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house, as the high places of the forest The substance of that Prophesie was the same with this of Jeremiah, that Zion should be plowed up, and the place where the Temple stood should become so desolate that Trees should grow there, as in a Wood or Forest..

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death The Interrogation here has the force of a Negation; that is, Hezekiah and the Sanhedrim in his time did not go about to call him in question for his life, nor put him to death. His prophesie had a quite contrary effect on him.? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD It begat in him an aw and dread of that God, in whose name the Prophet spake, and quickened him to apply himself to God by earnest prayer, and the course he took had a very good issue.? and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them The Lord did not do what he threatned to do.? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls Now, if we should take a quite contrary course, and put this man to death, we should do contrary to what that good Prince did (and that with good success) do our selves no good, but procure great evil against our Souls; that is against our selves both Bodies and Souls strictly taken..

And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied against this city, and against this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah This is a piece of story which we have recorded in no other part of Scripture. Some judge these words were the words of the same that spake before, but that is not likely, for then they had brought one instance for acquitting him, another, for the condemning of him. They are therefore rather to be interpreted as the words of some others, either of the Court who were Enemies to Jeremiah, or of his Accusers, or their Council, urging a later president, in the time of Jehojakim the King that at this time reigned, who also pretended to speak in the name of the Lord, and whose prophesie was the same in substance with this of Jeremiah..

And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it he was afraid and fled, and went into Egypt When Jehoiachim our present King, and all his great men heard of it, probably by the information of others, they judged it a capital crime, and used means to apprehend him, in order to the putting him to death, upon which the Prophet being advertised of it, and fearing the issue, fled into Egypt..

And Jehoiakim the king, sent men into Egypt The innocent Prophet considered not the king of Judahs alliance with the King of Egypt, obliging him upon demand to deliver up any of his Subjects, who being charged with capital Crimes, should flee into his Country for Sanctuary, and fled thither, but the King, namely Elnathan the son of Achbor sent after him one of his great men (mentioned also chap. 36.12.) with some others to his assistance., and certain men with him into Egypt.

And they set forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king, who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people These persons sent by Jehojakim, brought back the Prophet by force, he was tried and cast, judged worthy to die, and put to death, and ignominiously buried, not in the Sepulchers of the Prophets, or any men of Repute and f shion, but amongst the vulgar People. Which, as also his diligence to send for Vrijah (fled into a forreign Country to save his life) showed the great Malice of this Prince against the Lords true Prophets; though it had but very ill effects. The summe is (if we take these words as the speech of Jeremiahs Enemies) what do you tell us of what Hez kiah did, you have a later instance of it in our present Kings time, the cases of V ijah and of Jeremiah were fully parallel. So as the case is a judged case..

Nevertheless Though Jeremiahs Enemies pleaded this instance of Vrijah, which had this advantage of the other, because it was matter of fact done lately, and a case judged in this very Kings Reign, yet the hand, that is, the power and interest of one Ahikam who as appears from 2 King. 22.12. was one of Josiahs Counsellors, and the father of Ged liah, chap. 39.14. who upon the taking of the City was made Governour, chap. 40.5. was with Jeremiah., the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hands of the people to put him to death So as through the good Providence of God, Jeremiah was not delivered into the hands of the people, some of whom were mutable, and malicious enough, ready to do any thing the Priests put them upon. And the after advancement of the Son of this Ahikam to be Governour of Judah, may justly be interpreted a reward in this life, which God gave him for his kindness to his Prophet..