764_Don’t attack the messenger (Jeremiah 26)
Jeremiah 26:1-6 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.’”
There is an old story about a king who became angry when a messenger brought him bad news from the battlefield. In his fury, the king ordered the messenger to be punished. But someone wisely reminded him, “You may punish the man who brought the news, but you cannot change the news.” The messenger was not the cause of the problem. He was simply the one who had the courage to report it.
Something very similar happened in Jeremiah 26. Jeremiah stood before the people of Judah with a message they did not want to hear. But the real question was not whether they liked Jeremiah. The real question was whether they were willing to listen to God.
The chapter begins with a statement that we should never overlook: “The word came from the LORD.” Jeremiah was not giving them his personal opinion about the spiritual condition of Judah. He was not delivering a message he had invented after carefully analyzing the nation’s failures. The message came from God, and Jeremiah had been appointed to deliver it.
And then God gave Jeremiah a remarkable instruction: “Do not hold back a word.” Jeremiah was not permitted to edit God’s message to make it more acceptable. He could not soften the warning because he was afraid of the reaction. He could not leave out the difficult parts because they might offend the people. He had to speak the whole message God had entrusted to him.
The message itself was simple but terrifying. God called the people to repent and turn from their evil ways. If they refused, judgment would come upon Jerusalem and the temple. God said, “then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth” (Jeremiah 26:6).
Shiloh was not an empty illustration. It was the place where the tabernacle had once stood, but because of Israel’s persistent disobedience, it had been abandoned. God was warning Judah that possessing the temple did not guarantee His protection while they continued in rebellion. Religious privilege could never substitute for repentance.
But instead of asking whether the message was true, the priests, the prophets, and the people became angry with the messenger. Jeremiah 26:8 says, “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 surely die!’”
Notice what happened. Jeremiah had finished speaking what the Lord had commanded. The people did not answer the message; they attacked the messenger. They did not say, “Let us examine our ways.” They said, “You shall surely die.”
And perhaps that is one of the great dangers whenever God’s Word confronts us. When the message makes us uncomfortable, it is much easier to criticize the messenger than to examine ourselves. If a sermon exposes our pride, we may criticize the preacher’s style. If God’s Word challenges our priorities, we may find fault with the person who brought the message. If someone lovingly points out something that needs to change in our lives, we may become defensive rather than asking, “What is God trying to show me?”
Yet attacking the messenger does not make the message disappear.
When the officials heard what was happening, they came and sat in judgment. Jeremiah did not retreat from his message. Instead, he reminded them that he had spoken in obedience to the Lord. He told them that if they killed him, they would bring innocent blood upon themselves and upon the city. In effect, Jeremiah was saying, “The issue is not me. The issue is whether you will listen to God.”
What happened next is remarkable. Some of the leaders and the people recognized the truth. They referred to an earlier prophet named Micah, who had proclaimed a similar message during the reign of King Hezekiah. They remembered how Hezekiah responded. He did not attack Micah. He feared the Lord and sought His favor.
Their conclusion was profoundly wise: “But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves” (Jeremiah 26:19).
What a difference that attitude makes. Instead of asking, “How can we silence the prophet?” they asked, “How can we avoid bringing disaster upon ourselves?” Instead of defending themselves against the messenger, they examined themselves before God.
And that is precisely the response God desires from us when His Word confronts us. The important question is not, “Who said this?” but, “What is God saying to me?”
Of course, Jeremiah’s story also reminds us that not everyone who speaks in God’s name is necessarily speaking God’s truth. Scripture calls us to test what we hear against God’s revealed Word. Jeremiah’s authority was not that he was Jeremiah; it was that “the word came from the LORD.” A faithful messenger does not ask people to submit to his personality or opinions. He points them back to God and His Word.
And for those who are entrusted with proclaiming God’s Word, Jeremiah offers another powerful lesson. The messenger must remain faithful even when the message is unpopular. God told Jeremiah, “Do not hold back a word.” That calling has not changed. Those who speak God’s truth must remember that their ultimate accountability is to God, not to the approval of people.
The New Testament gives us a beautiful parallel in the life of the apostle Paul. He wrote to Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!” (2 Timothy 2:8–9).
Paul could be imprisoned, but God’s Word could not be imprisoned. Jeremiah could be threatened, but God’s message could not be silenced. Uriah, another prophet who proclaimed the same warning, was hunted down and killed. Jeremiah himself was spared through the intervention of Ahikam son of Shaphan. But whether the messenger lived or died, the Word of God remained.
And ultimately, we see this most clearly in Jesus Christ. He was the perfect Messenger of the Father, yet people rejected Him, opposed Him, and ultimately crucified Him. But the death of the Messenger did not destroy the message. Instead, through His death and resurrection, the message of salvation became the hope of the world.
So when God’s Word confronts us, let us resist the temptation to attack the messenger. Let us pause before becoming defensive. Let us search our hearts. Perhaps the uncomfortable word is precisely the word we need.
And when we are the ones called to speak God’s truth, let us learn from Jeremiah. We must speak faithfully, lovingly, and courageously. We cannot control how people will respond. We cannot make people repent. We cannot guarantee that everyone will appreciate what we say. But we can make sure that we have been faithful to the Word God has entrusted to us.
The messenger is not your enemy. If the message is truly from God, the messenger may actually be God’s mercy reaching you before it is too late.
So the next time God’s Word challenges you, don’t immediately ask, “Who is saying this, and what is wrong with them?” Ask a better question: “Lord, what are You saying to me?”
The people in Jeremiah’s day had a choice. They could kill the messenger, or they could humble themselves before God. They could defend themselves, or they could repent. They could reject the warning, or they could seek the Lord’s favor.
May we choose the wiser path. May we become people who tremble at God’s Word, welcome His correction, and respond to His warnings with repentance and faith. For when God speaks, the greatest danger is not that we might hear something we dislike. The greatest danger is that we might hear exactly what we need—and refuse to listen. God bless.
As we reflect on Jeremiah 26, consider these questions:
What kinds of messages from God’s Word are most difficult for you to receive, and why do you think they challenge you so deeply?
When you feel uncomfortable or corrected by Scripture or by godly counsel, how do you normally respond, and what does that response reveal about your heart?
What can you learn from King Hezekiah’s response to the prophet Micah about receiving God’s warnings with humility?
And how can you distinguish between rejecting a messenger because he is genuinely unfaithful to God’s Word and rejecting him simply because you dislike what God’s Word is saying through him?
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, open my heart to Your Word. Give me the humility to receive Your correction and the wisdom to examine myself when Your truth makes me uncomfortable. Keep me from attacking those who bring Your Word simply because I do not like the message. Give me discernment to recognize Your truth, courage to obey it, and strength to put it into practice. And if You have entrusted me with speaking Your Word to others, help me never to hold back what You have commanded me to say. Enlighten my heart with the truths You have taught me today, and give me grace to believe them, live by them, and faithfully follow You. In Lord Jesus’ name, Amen.