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delegating dirty work

Jeremiah 29:24-32 (JDV)

Jeremiah 29:24 Speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and this is what you are to say,

Jeremiah 29:25 “This is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You have sent out letters in your own name to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,

Jeremiah 29:26 ‘Yahveh has appointed you priest in place of the priest Jehoiada to be the chief officer in the temple of Yahveh, responsible for every crazy who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks and an iron collar.

Jeremiah 29:27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you?

Jeremiah 29:28 You see, he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.” ‘”

Jeremiah 29:29 The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:30 Then the word of Yahveh came to Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 29:31 “Send a message to all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what Yahveh says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie,

Jeremiah 29:32 this is what Yahveh says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people, nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to my people – this is what Yahveh declares – because he has spoken rebellion against Yahveh.'”

delegating dirty work

Shemaiah hated Jeremiah, and wanted him stopped, but he didn’t want to do the dirty work himself. He wrote a letter to the priests asking them to take care of Jeremiah because he was a crazy.

One of the priests – Zephaniah – read the letter to Jeremiah. The result was that God punished Shemaiah with death, and no descendants. It is a serious thing to try to stifle God’s voice, and you cannot hide from your responsibility by getting someone else to do your dirty work.

Lord, we want to support your voice in this generation.