◄ Jeremiah 26:24 ►
Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
Study Bible
Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah
Ahikam was a prominent figure during the reign of King Josiah and served as a scribe or official. His father, Shaphan, was a scribe who played a significant role in the religious reforms of Josiah (2 Kings 22:3-14). Ahikam's support for Jeremiah indicates a continuation of his family's commitment to the true worship of Yahweh. This support is crucial as it highlights the presence of a remnant faithful to God amidst widespread apostasy. Ahikam's protection of Jeremiah can be seen as a type of Christ, who also protects and intercedes for His people.

so he was not handed over to the people
The people, stirred by the priests and prophets, sought to put Jeremiah to death for his prophecies against Jerusalem and the Temple (Jeremiah 26:8-11). This reflects the common biblical theme of the prophet's rejection by his own people, similar to the experiences of other prophets like Elijah and even Jesus (Luke 4:24). The people's desire to execute Jeremiah underscores the tension between true prophetic messages and popular opinion or religious establishment.

to be put to death
The threat of death for Jeremiah was real and imminent, reflecting the severe consequences faced by prophets who delivered unpopular messages. This mirrors the ultimate rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who, like Jeremiah, spoke truth to power and was rejected by the religious leaders of His time. The protection of Jeremiah by Ahikam can be seen as a divine intervention, ensuring the continuation of God's message through His prophet. This incident also foreshadows the protection and deliverance that God provides to His faithful servants, even in the face of persecution.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. In this chapter, he is under threat for prophesying against Jerusalem and the temple.

2. Ahikam son of Shaphan
A supporter of Jeremiah who played a crucial role in protecting him from being executed by the people. Ahikam was a member of a prominent family in Judah, known for their loyalty to God and His prophets.

3. The People of Judah
The collective group who were angered by Jeremiah's prophecies and sought to put him to death for speaking against the city and the temple.

4. The Temple
The central place of worship in Jerusalem, which Jeremiah prophesied would be destroyed if the people did not repent.

5. The Elders and Officials
Leaders in Judah who were involved in the decision-making process regarding Jeremiah's fate. They were influenced by Ahikam's support for Jeremiah.
Teaching Points
Courage in the Face of Opposition
Jeremiah's experience teaches us the importance of standing firm in our faith and convictions, even when facing hostility or danger.

The Role of Godly Supporters
Ahikam's intervention shows the impact that one person's support can have in protecting and encouraging those who are doing God's work.

Divine Protection
God's providence is evident in how He uses people and circumstances to protect His servants, reminding us to trust in His sovereignty.

The Importance of Repentance
Jeremiah's message to the people of Judah underscores the necessity of repentance to avoid judgment, a timeless truth applicable to all believers.

Influence of Godly Heritage
Ahikam's actions reflect the influence of a godly heritage, encouraging us to cultivate and pass on a legacy of faithfulness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Ahikam's support for Jeremiah demonstrate the importance of standing up for truth and justice in our own lives?

2. In what ways can we be like Ahikam, providing support and protection for those who are faithfully serving God today?

3. Reflect on a time when you faced opposition for your faith. How did God provide support or protection for you during that time?

4. How does the account of Jeremiah and Ahikam encourage us to trust in God's sovereignty and protection in our own lives?

5. What lessons can we learn from the people of Judah's response to Jeremiah's message about the importance of repentance and obedience to God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 22
Ahikam's father, Shaphan, is mentioned as a scribe during King Josiah's reign, highlighting the family's historical involvement in religious reforms and support for God's word.

Jeremiah 1
The calling of Jeremiah as a prophet, emphasizing his divine mandate to speak God's truth despite opposition.

Acts 5
The apostles face persecution for preaching the gospel, similar to Jeremiah's experience, but are protected by God's providence.
Sermons
A Friend in NeedD. Young Jeremiah 26:24
Help Raised Up for God's Servants in Times of PerilA.F. Muir Jeremiah 26:24
Afflictions, Distresses, TumultsF. B. Meyer, B. A.Jeremiah 26:1-24
The Prophet of God Arraigned by the NationA.F. Muir Jeremiah 26:1-17, 24
People
Achbor, Ahikam, Elnathan, Hezekiah, Jehoiakim, Jeremiah, Josiah, Micah, Shaphan, Shemaiah, Uriah, Urijah
Places
Babylon, Egypt, Jerusalem, Kiriath-jearim, Moresheth, New Gate, Shiloh, Zion
Topics
Ahikam, Ahi'kam, Death, Handed, Hands, Jeremiah, Nevertheless, Shaphan, Supported
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 26:23

     5241   burial

Jeremiah 26:20-23

     7775   prophets, lives

Library
The Life of Mr. Robert Garnock.
Robert Garnock was born in Stirling, anno ----, and baptized by faithful Mr. James Guthrie. In his younger years, his parents took much pains to train him up in the way of duty: but soon after the restoration, the faithful presbyterian ministers being turned out, curates were put in their place, and with them came ignorance, profanity and persecution.--Some time after this, Mr. Law preached at his own house in Monteith, and one Mr. Hutchison sometimes at Kippen. Being one Saturday's evening gone …
John Howie—Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies)

A Godly Reformation
'Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 3. He in the first year of his reign, in the first mouth, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them. 4. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Second Stage of Jewish Trial. Jesus Condemned by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.
(Palace of Caiaphas. Friday.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 57, 59-68; ^B Mark XIV. 53, 55-65; ^C Luke XXII. 54, 63-65; ^D John XVIII. 24. ^d 24 Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. [Foiled in his attempted examination of Jesus, Annas sends him to trial.] ^b and there come together with him all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. ^a 57 And they that had taken Jesus led him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, ^c and brought him into the high priest's house. ^a where …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Sanctification.
I. I will remind you of some points that have been settled in this course of study. 1. The true intent and meaning of the law of God has been, as I trust, ascertained in the lectures on moral government. Let this point if need be, be examined by reference to those lectures. 2. We have also seen, in those lectures, what is not, and what is implied in entire obedience to the moral law. 3. In those lectures, and also in the lectures on justification and repentance, it has been shown that nothing is …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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