Persevere in Obedience
Jeremiah 37:11-17; 38:4-6, 14-18
Followers of God face many problems today, but we are encouraged to persevere in our service to the Lord by refusing to compromise our godly convictions, no matter what the cost.
Jeremiah faced repeated persecutions. Jeremiah 11:21-23 showed that even the people in his own hometown wanted to kill him. He felt betrayed by God (20:7). He delivered a message that was not well received. Only two people (that we know of) responded favorably to his message – Baruch, his scribe (36:1-4; 45:1-5), and Ebed-melech the Cushite (38:7-13; 39:15-18).
In Jeremiah 37:11-17, Jeremiah was beaten and imprisoned after being falsely accused of deserting to the Chaldeans. When he was released, he continued proclaiming God’s message. Today, we face many dangers because we obey God, but we must persevere even in the face of persecution.
Jeremiah never wavered, even when he faced death. In chapter 38, verses 4-6, King Zedekiah’s officials believed Jeremiah should be put to death. Zedekiah tried to relieve himself of any responsibility for Jeremiah by telling the accusers that Jeremiah was in their hands, then he allowed Jeremiah to be dropped into a cistern to die.
You and I will face trouble and hardships daily. Let us not give up serving the Lord. Be prepared to stand firm in obedience to God, even if everyone around you wavers and lacks conviction. You can expect that some people will misunderstand your heart and your intentions.
Jeremiah 38:14-18 encourages us to persevere through obedience to God’s Word. Zedekiah met again with Jeremiah and ask him not to hide anything from him. Jeremiah believed the king would kill him if he told the truth, but Zedekiah assured him he would not.
Jeremiah then gave the king the same message from the Lord he had given previously (38:2-3). The message was that the only way to save the city, and the king’s life, was to surrender to the Babylonians. King Zedekiah did not appreciate this message.
Judah never heeded Jeremiah’s preaching, and Jerusalem fell to Babylon (38:1). Jeremiah was faithful to God by preaching the Word of God. But we must realize that even if we persevere in obedience, the final outcome might not be what we desire. God only asks that we be faithful.
Dinkins– Lessons in the BSL series for the summer quarter are being written by David Dinkins, pastor of First Baptist Church, Kingstree, and former director of missions.