"That Preacher!"

Jeremiah 42 tells of the Israelites asking the prophet to go and talk to God for them.  They say, “Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God…that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.”   Jeremiah answers, “I have heard you.  Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the LORD will answer you.  I will not keep back a word from you.”  They say, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message...”   Jeremiah does what they ask.  He prays and ten days later, God answers.  Jeremiah delivers the message to the people.  But in chapter 43, it says, “But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God—that is all these words—all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, ‘You are telling a lie!  The LORD our God has not sent you to say…’”

I shake my head in wonder as to the lunacy of those people.  What are they thinking, going against the Word of God?  As I pondered this, a thought came to mind.  How like we, when the pastor delivers a sermon from God’s Word and we don’t like what we hear.  How many times I have heard, “That preacher!”.   We are quick to blast the messenger when all they are doing is delivering the message.   As I continued to think on this, I was reminded of the Spurgeon devotion of this morning:  “Brethren, pray for us.”  1 Thessalonians 5:25.  “We [ministers] treat with souls for God on eternal business, and our word is either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death.  A very heavy responsibility rests upon us, and it will be no small mercy if at the last we be found clear of the blood of all men.  We see many backslidings, and our hearts are wounded; we see many perishing, and our spirits sink.  We wish to profit you by our preaching; we desire to be blest to your children; we long to be useful both to saints and sinners;  therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our God.”

All I can add to that…May we be found faithful!