Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 22-24 NLV; Ch. 25-26 ESV

Podcast Introduction

This is Prophecy Friday, and we’ll read Jeremiah 22-26 The show title is ˆTime To Decide.”

Comments on Jeremiah 26

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2 “Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. 4 You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”

Jeremiah 26:1-6 (ESV)

A prophet of God is one who speaks what God has told him to say. Prophecy is not only telling what will happen. Prophecy is delivering God’s message. Here in chapter 26, God gave a very specific message to Jeremiah, and He told Jeremiah to speak “… all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.”

Given the message that Jeremiah was to deliver, it took quite a lot of courage to do this. He was to go to the Temple court. This was a large area where a lot of people gathered. By all accounts, Jeremiah seems to have been a quiet man, a retiring man, not a man who relished the limelight. 

And in His instructions, God told Jeremiah, “It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds.” When God said, “It may be that they will listen,” He knew, of course, how His message would be received, but He wanted Jeremiah to deliver the message with a hopeful heart. He wanted Jeremiah to communicate to the people in a way that told them that their future was in their hands, not as if the decision to bring judgement was a foregone conclusion.

So Jeremiah obediently followed the Lord’s instructions. To the letter. 

And when the people heard the message, they “… laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die!'” And the text says, “And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.”

This was an angry mob. They were bent on killing him because they didn’t like his message. Even the priests and prophets said, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city…” They seem to have thought that Jeremiah was a traitor. They thought that he was against Jerusalem.

And Jeremiah made his case to the officials and all the people. He said, ““The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you.” 

Jeremiah restated exactly what the Lord told him to say. He didn’t soften his words. He didn’t try to make it any easier to hear. He faithfully delivered the message. Do you think that was an easy thing to do? In the face of an angry mob who had just threatened his life? 

And he went on to say, ” But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

I don’t think Jeremiah spoke defiantly in his defense. I don’t think he mirrored the anger that the people had. I think he spoke matter-of-factly. He was at the mercy of the crowd and the priests and prophets of the Temple. He just pointed out to them that his message was from God, and that if they killed him, they would be shedding innocent blood. In reality, *they* were on trial, not him. 

17th century English Bible commentator John Trapp wrote, “See here how God gave his holy prophet a mouth and wisdom, such as his adversaries were not able to resist.” 

In Jeremiah 1:19 God told Jeremiah, “They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I [am] with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.” And here in chapter 26, after hearing Jeremiah’s words the officials and all the people said, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God,” and Jeremiah was spared.

Like Jeremiah, we live in a time where speaking God’s truth can be frightening. Cancel culture is alive and well. There can be very real consequences for speaking against the ungodly, sinful things we see happening around us. And in some countries, even today, Christians are being killed simply for being Christians. As quickly as we are seeing societal changes take place in the world, it is entirely conceivable that these murders will spread.

Will we have the courage of Jeremiah? Will we speak the undiluted truth of God? Beloved, now is the time to decide. Now is the time. Will you stand up to the angry mob, or will you kneel to them? 

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Transcript

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Steve Webb 0:00
They were on trial, not him.

Steve Webb 0:10
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring one year Bible and podcasting since 2004. I’m your og Godcaster. Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read through the entire Bible in a year. And it’s prophecy Friday, we’ll read Jeremiah 22 through 26. And the title of the show is time to decide, before we read, let’s pray. Our gracious heavenly Father, we thank you for this time together. And I pray God that you would touch our hearts, touch our minds and teach us today. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. All right, let’s begin, shall we?

Steve Webb 0:49
Jeremiah chapter 22. The Lord says, go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak this word there. Say here the word of the Lord, oh king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who come through these gates, the Lord says, do what is right and fair and good. And take the one who has been robbed away from the power of the one who has made it hard for him, Do not hurt or do wrong to the stranger, the one whose parents have died, or the woman whose husband has died, and do not kill those who are not guilty in this place. For if you will obey this word, then kings will come through the gates of this house and sit on the throne of David. They will be in war wagons and on horses together with their servants and their people. But if you will not obey these words, I promised by myself says the Lord, that this house will be destroyed. For the Lord says about the house of the king of Judah. You are like Gilead to me or like the top of Lebanon. Yet I will be sure to make you like a desert, like cities without people. I will send destroyers against you, each with his things for fighting, and they will cut down your best cedar trees and throw them on the fire. Many nations will pass by this city and they will say to one another. Why is the Lord done such a thing to this great city? And they will answer because they did not keep the agreement of the Lord their God. They worship other gods and served them. Do not cry for the one who is dead or have sorrow for him. But cry all the time for the one who goes away for He will never return or see the land of his birth again. For the Lord says about shall I’m the son of Josiah king of Judah, who ruled in the place of Josiah his father and who left this place, he will never return. He will die in the place where they took him and he will not see this land again. It is bad for him who builds this house by wrongdoing and his upper rooms by not being fair, who has his neighbor’s serve him for nothing, and does not pay him? Who says I will build myself a big house with large upper rooms. I will cut out its windows, cover it with cedar and color it bright red? Do you become a king by trying to build better houses of cedar? Did not your father eat and drink? He did what was right and fair and good. So all went well with him. He spoke strong words in the cause of the poor in those in need. And so all went well. Is not that what it means to know me, says the Lord. But your eyes and heart are set only on what you can get by wrongdoing and on killing those who are not guilty and on making it hard for people and on hurting others. So the Lord says about Jehovah Kim, the son of Josiah king of Judah, they will not cry and sorrow for him saying it is bad my brother or it is bad, my sister. They will not cry and sorrow for him saying oh Lord, or oh how great he was. He will be buried like they bury a donkey pulled away and thrown out on the other side of the Gates of Jerusalem. Go up to Lebanon and cry out and let your voice be heard invasion. Cry out from Ambrym also, for all your lovers have been destroyed. I spoke to you when things were going well for you but you said I will not listen. This has been your way since you were young. You have not obeyed my voice. The wind will take away all your shepherds and your lovers will be taken away and chains. Then you will be ashamed and troubled because of all your sin. Oh you people of Lebanon who make your nest among the cedars how you will cry inside yourselves when pain comes upon you. It will be pain like a woman giving birth. As I live says the Lord. Even if konia the son of Jehovah Kim king of Judah, were marking a ring on my right hand I would still pull you off. I will give you over to those who want to kill you to those whom you fear. I will give you to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the Babylonians. I will throw you and your mother who gave birth to you into another country where you were not born and there you will die. You will want to return to this land again but you will not return is this man can I hated broken jar? Is he a pot that no one cares for? Why have he had his children been thrown out into a land that they had not known, oh, land, land, land here the word of the Lord. The Lord says, Write this man down as one who has no children, a man who will not do well in his days, for none of his children or children’s children will do well sitting on the throne of David, or ruling again in Judah.

Steve Webb 5:27
Jeremiah chapter 23. It is bad for the shepherds who are destroying and dividing the sheep of my field says the Lord, the Lord God of Israel says this about the shepherds who are caring for my people, you have made my flock go everywhere, and if driven them away, if not cared for them, see, I’m about to punish you for your sinful things you have done, says the Lord, then I myself will gather those who are left of my flock out of the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them back to their field. And they will have many children, I will have shepherds over them, who will care for them. And they will not be afraid any longer are filled with fear. And none of them will be missing, says the Lord. See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a right and good branch, he will rule is king and be wise and do what is right and fair and good in the land. In his days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will be safe. And this is the name he will be called by the Lord who makes us right and good. So see, the days are coming, says the Lord, when they will no longer say as the Lord lives who brought the sons of Israel up from the land of Egypt. But they will say, As the Lord lives who brought up and led the children of the people of Israel back from the north country, and from all the countries where he had driven them, then they will live in their own land. As for the men who speak for God, my heart is broken within me, all my bones shake, I have become like a drunk man, like a man who has had too much wine, because of the Lord and because of his holy words, for the land is full of people who are not faithful, because of the bad things that have come upon it. The land is filled with sorrow, and the fields of the desert have dried up their way is sinful, and they use their power in a wrong way. For both the men of God and the religious leaders are sinful. I have found their sin, even in my house, says the Lord. So their way will be a danger to them, they will be driven away into the darkness and fall down in it, for I will bring much trouble upon them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord and Samaria, I have seen a very bad thing among the men of Samaria, who tell what is going to happen in the future. They speak for the false god, Baal and have led my people into sin. In Jerusalem, I’ve seen a very sinful thing among the men of Jerusalem, who tell what is going to happen in the future. They do sex sins and tell lies, and give help to those who do sinful things so that no one turns from his sin. All of them have become like Saddam to me, the people of Jerusalem had become like Gomorrah. So the Lord of all says about the men who tell what is going to happen in the future. See, I will make them eat bitter food and drink water with poison. For from these men of Jerusalem, sin has gone out into all the land. The Lord of all says, Do not listen to the words of those who are telling you what will happen in the future. They are filling you with empty hopes. They tell of dreams from their own thoughts, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who hate me, the Lord has said, you will have peace. To everyone who walks in the strong will have his own heart they say, trouble will not come to you. But who among them has listened to the Lord, that He should see and hear his word, who has given thought to His Word and listened? See, the strong windstorm of the Lord has gone out in anger, it will come down upon the head of the sinful, the anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has done all that he has planned in his heart. In the last days, you will understand. I did not send these men who say they speak for God. Yet they ran to tell their news. I did not speak to them, yet they spoke in my name. But if they had listened to me, then they would have made my words known to my people, and they would have turned them back from their sinful way. And from the sinful things they did. Am I a God who was near says the Lord and not a God who is far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Says the Lord? Do I not fill heaven and earth says the Lord. I have heard what the men say who speak false words in my name. They say I had a dream I had a dream. How long will there be lies in the hearts of those who speak false words in my name, who speak the lies of their own heart. They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams, which they tell one another Just as their fathers forgot my name because of Bale, the one who has a dream may tell about his dream. But let him who has My word speak my word in truth. How can straw be compared with grain says the Lord is not my word like fire says the Lord, and like iron that breaks a rock and pieces. So I am against those who tell what is going to happen in the future says the Lord, who steal my words from each other. See, I am against these men, says the Lord, who use their tongues and say, This is what the Lord says, I am against those who have told false dreams, says the Lord, and have led my people the wrong way by their lies in foolish words of pride. I did not send them or tell them what to say. So they do not help these people at all, says the Lord. When these people are the one who speaks in my name, or a religious leader asks you what heavy load has the Lord placed on us? Then you say to them, You are the heavy load, and I will throw you off, says the Lord. As for the man who speaks in my name, or the religious leader, or any one of the people who say, the heavy load of the Lord, I will punish that man and those of his house, each of you say to his neighbor into his brother, what is the Lord answered? Or what has the Lord said, but you must not say the heavy load of the Lord anymore. For every man’s own word will be the weight upon himself, and you have made sinful the words of the living God, the Lord of all our God. This is what you should say to the man who speaks in my name. What answer has the Lord given you and what has the Lord said, but if you say, the heavy load of the Lord, then the Lord says, You have said the heavy load of the Lord, when I told you not to say it. So I will pick you up and throw you away from me together with the city which I gave to you and your father’s, I will put you to shame forever, you will always be ashamed and it will not be forgotten.

Steve Webb 11:58
Jeremiah chapter 24, after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took away Jeconiah, the son of Jehovah Kim, king of Judah, and the leaders of Judah, together with the Abel workman from Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs sat in front of the house of the Lord. One basket had very good figs, like figs just ready to eat, and the other basket had very bad figs so bad that they could not be eaten. Then the Lord said to me, what do you see Jeremiah? And I said, figs, the good figs, very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, This is what the Lord God of Israel says, like those good figs. So will I think of the people of Judah as being good, whom I have said away from this place into the land of the Babylonians, for I will keep my eyes on them for their good, and I will return them to this land, I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not pull them up by the roots. And I will give them a heart to know me for I am the Lord, they will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with their whole heart. But the Lord says, like the bad figs, which are so bad, they cannot be eaten. So I will give up Zedekiah king of Judah and his captains, and I will give up those left of Jerusalem who stay in this land and those who live in the land of Egypt, I will make them a cause of fear and trouble for the nations of the earth. They will be a shame and a curse and spoken against in all the places where I will make them go and I will send the sword and hunger and disease upon them until they are destroyed from the land which I gave to them and their fathers.

Steve Webb 13:43
Jeremiah chapter 25. The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehovah became the Son of Josiah king of Judah. That was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem for 23 years from the 13th year of Josiah the son of Amman, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear. Although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, saying, Turn now every one of you from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you and your father’s from of old and forever. Do not go after other gods or serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, then I will do you no harm. Yet you have not listened to me declares the Lord, that you might provoke me to anger with a work of your hands to your own harm. Therefore, Thus says the Lord of hosts, because you have not obeyed my words, Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the North declares the LORD and for never connect as are the king of Babylon, My servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction and make them a horror, a hissing and an everlasting desolation. Moreover, I will banish them from the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp, this whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 70 years. Then after 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity declares the Lord, making the land and everlasting waste, I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. For many nations in great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands. Thus the Lord the God of Israel, said to me, take from my hand, this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it, they shall drink in stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them. So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it, Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials to make them a desolation and a waste that hissing it occurs as at this day, Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, all his people, and all the mixed tribes among them, all the kings of the Land of Oz and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod Edom, Moab in the sons of Ammon, all the kings of Tyre all the kings of Sidon, and all the kings of the coast land across the sea, D Dan, tema, Buzz, and all who cut the corners of their hair, all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert, all the kings of Zimride, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of media, all the kings of the north, far in near one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth, and after them, the king of Babylon shall drink, then you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, drink, be drunk and vomit, Fall and Rise no more because of the sword that I am sending among you. And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, you must drink for behold, I begin to work disasters, the city that is called by my name, and you shall go on punished, you shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts. You therefore shall prophesy against them all these words and say to them, the Lord will roar from on high and from his holy habitation under his voice, he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout like those who tread grapes against all the inhabitants of the earth. The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against the nations. He is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword declares the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, disaster is going forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth, and those pierced by the Lord on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other, they shall not be lamented or gathered or buried, they shall be done on the surface of the ground. Whale you shepherds and cry out and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and dispersion of come, and you shall fall like a choice vessel. No refuge will remain for the shepherds nor escape for the Lord’s of the flock of voice, the cry of the shepherds and the wail of the Lords of the flock. For the Lord is laying waste their pasture, and the peaceful folds are devastated because of the fierce anger of the Lord. Like a lion he has left his lair for their land has become a waste because of the sword of the oppressor and because of his fierce anger,

Steve Webb 19:19
Jeremiah chapter 26. In the beginning of the reign of Jehovah can the son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, Thus says the Lord, stand in the corner of the Lord’s house and speak to all the nations of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord, all the words that I command you to speak to them, Do not hold back a word, it may be, they will listen and every one turned from his evil way that I may relent to the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, if you will not listen to me to walk in my law that I have set before you and to listen to the words of my servants, the prophets. But to my send to you urgently, Though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh and I will make this city occurs for all the nations of the earth. The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah is speaking these words in the house of the Lord. And when Jeremiah had finished speaking, all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, You shall die. Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, this house shall be like Shiloh, in this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant. And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the new gate of the house of the Lord. Then the priests and the Prophet said to the officials into all the people, this man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against the city as you have heard with your own ears. Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house in this city, all the words you have heard. Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. But as for me, Behold, I am in your hands, do with me as seems good and write to you only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants. For in truth, the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears. Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, this man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us and the name of the Lord our God. And certain of the elders of the land arose in spoke to all the assembled people saying, mica of Moorish chef prophesied in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and said to all the people of Judah, Thus says the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be plowed as a field, Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded Hite did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put Him to death, did he not fear the Lord and in treat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them, but we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves. There was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord Uriah the son of Shemaiah, from Curie FGM. He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like those of Jeremiah. And when King Jehovah came with all his warriors, and all the officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard of it, he was afraid and fled and escaped to Egypt. Then King Jehoiakim sent to Egypt, certain men, l Nathan, the son of Akbar, and others with him. And they took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with the sword and dumped his body into the burial place of the common people. But the hand of a hiker, the son of Shaman was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.

Steve Webb 23:10
I’m going to talk today about Jeremiah 26. But before I do, I’m just going to reread the first six verses to you. In the beginning of the reign of Jehovah Kim, the son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, Thus says the Lord, stand in the court of the Lord’s house and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord, all the words that I command you to speak to them, Do not hold back a word, it may be, they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them, because of their evil deeds. You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, if you will not listen to me to walk in my law that I’ve set before you, and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, Though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth. All right, a prophet of God is One who speaks what God has told him to say, prophecies not only telling what will happen, prophecy is delivering God’s message. In here in chapter 26, God gave a very specific message to Jeremiah, and he told Jeremiah to speak all the words that I command you to speak to them Do not hold back a word. Well, given the message that Jeremiah was to deliver, it took quite a bit of courage to do this. He was to go to the temple court. Now this was a large area where a lot of people gathered, and by all accounts, Jeremiah seems to have been a quiet man, a retiring man, not a man who relished the limelight. And in his instructions, God told Jeremiah, it may be they will listen in every one turn from his evil way that I may relent to the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. It’s important to know that when God said it may be that they’ll listen, he knew, of course, how this message would be received. But he wanted Jeremiah to deliver the message with a hopeful heart. He wanted Jeremiah to communicate to the people in a way that told them that their future was in their hands, not is if the decision to bring judgment was a foregone conclusion. So Jeremiah obediently followed the Lord’s instructions to the letter. And when the people heard the message, they laid hold of him saying, You shall die. And the text says it all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. This beloved was an angry mob. They were bent on killing him because they didn’t like his message. And even the priests and prophets said, This man deserves the sentence of death because he has prophesied against this city. So they seem to have thought that Jeremiah was a trader, they thought he was against Jerusalem. And then what happened? Jeremiah made his case to the officials and all the people. He said, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house in this city, all the words you have heard, now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God in the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. So Jeremiah restated exactly what the Lord had told him to say. He didn’t soften his words, he didn’t try to make it any easier to hear. He faithfully delivered the message. Do you think that was an easy thing to do? In the face of an angry mob who had just threatened his life? And then he went on to say, but as for me, behold, I’m in your hands, do with me as seems good and right to you. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants. For in truth, the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears. I don’t think Jeremiah spoke defiantly in his defense. I don’t think he mirrored the anger that the people had. I think he spoke matter of factly he was at the mercy of the crowd and the priests and the prophets of the temple. He just pointed out to them that his message was from God, and that if they killed him, they would be shedding innocent blood. In reality, they were on trial, not him. 17 century English Bible commentator John trap wrote, see here how God gave His Holy Prophet, a mouth and wisdom, such as his adversaries, were not able to resist. In the first chapter of Jeremiah, verse 19, God told Jeremiah, they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you. And here in chapter 26, after hearing Jeremiah’s words, the officials and all the people said, This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God, and Jeremiah was spared. Beloved, like Jeremiah, we live in a time where speaking God’s truth can be frightening, canceled, culture is alive and well. There can be very real consequences for speaking against the ungodly, sinful things we see happening around us. And in some countries, even this very day, Christians are being killed simply for being Christians. And I hate to say it, but as quickly as we’re seeing societal changes take place in the world, it is entirely conceivable that these murders will spread. Will we have the courage of Jeremiah? Will we speak the undiluted truth of God? Beloved, now is the time to decide. Now is the time will you stand up to the angry mob? Or will you kneel to them? It is so important to make that decision ahead of time, what will your decision be? Call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511 and let me know or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com and type out your ideas. Tomorrow will be gospel Saturday, and we’ll read Mark 13 and 14.

Steve Webb 29:25
Beloved, as you know, the decision to boldly proclaim the Word of God with no compromise has been made here on the Lifespring one year Bible. That’s the main reason you will not hear any ads on the show. Because speaking the truth of God’s word is not considered to be brand safe. advertisers don’t want to have anything to do with that. So I need your support in the form of time, talent or treasure. If you agree with me in that decision, I’d like you to pray and ask the Lord how he would have you helped me keep the lights on. I’ve got a $299.88 cent web hosting bill to pay that’s due this Sunday. That’s the bill to keep Lifespringmedia.com online. Of course, if that goes offline, so does this show. But don’t worry, it will get paid. I just wanted you to know that there are some very real expenses connected to the show. And there are dozens more. So please do pray about supporting the show. Beloved, if you’re glad the show exists. If it brings some value to me, go here.

Jingle 30:26
Lifespringmedia.com slash support.

Steve Webb 30:28
I will thank you and I believe that God will bless you.

Steve Webb 30:31
And speaking of donating time, talent or treasure, I’m Happy to announce that someone has raised their hand to say that they’d be willing to donate some time and talent to take over the publishing of our newsletter, beginning immediately. Yay. And this person is someone whose name you’ve heard on the show if you’ve been around for a while, remember Sean of San Pedro? And remember that his wife’s name is Brittaney, they welcomed little Howie into their family a few months ago their first child? Yeah, Brittaney is assuming the publishing duties from Kirsty. That’s a relief for both Kirsty and me. So thank you so much, Brittaney, and Kirsty thank you for all the time and love you put into the newsletter. God bless you and your family. Now, if you have not yet subscribed to the newsletter, what are you waiting for? I’m really looking forward to seeing what Brittaney does with it. She has been doing a newsletter at her church and I’m sure she’ll be creating something great for us too. So, to sign up, go to news dot Lifespring media.com Of course you have my promise that I will never spam you or sell your information to anybody. News.Lifespringmedia.com.

Steve Webb 31:51
Today’s show art is by Jason Paschall and my thanks to the entire team. For one last time thanks to Kirsty and thanks to Denise Michael Hayner, Scott Snider, Jason Paschall and Brittaney of San Pedro. God bless each of you. And now until tomorrow may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript not yet corrected.