Topical Bible: Persecution of Jeremiah

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The prophet Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," faced significant persecution throughout his ministry. His life and prophetic mission are detailed in the Book of Jeremiah, where he is depicted as a faithful servant of God, delivering messages of impending judgment and calls for repentance to the people of Judah. Despite his obedience, Jeremiah's message was largely unpopular, leading to severe opposition and persecution.

Early Opposition

Jeremiah's prophetic ministry began during the reign of King Josiah and continued through the reigns of subsequent kings, including Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. From the outset, Jeremiah faced resistance. In Jeremiah 11:18-23, we learn of a plot against his life by the men of Anathoth, his hometown. The LORD revealed this conspiracy to Jeremiah, saying, "The LORD informed me, so I knew. Then You showed me their deeds" (Jeremiah 11:18). Despite the threat, God promised to punish the conspirators, affirming His protection over Jeremiah.

Conflict with Religious and Political Leaders

Jeremiah's message often put him at odds with the religious and political leaders of Judah. In Jeremiah 20, the priest Pashhur, son of Immer, struck Jeremiah and put him in the stocks for prophesying disaster upon Jerusalem. Upon his release, Jeremiah pronounced God's judgment on Pashhur, declaring, "The LORD has called you not Pashhur, but Magor-missabib" (Jeremiah 20:3), meaning "terror on every side."

Under King Jehoiakim, Jeremiah faced further hostility. In Jeremiah 26, he was threatened with death for prophesying against the temple and the city. The officials and people initially sought to put him to death, but the elders of the land defended him, recalling the precedent of the prophet Micah, who had similarly warned of Jerusalem's destruction.

Imprisonment and Suffering

Jeremiah's persecution intensified during the reign of King Zedekiah. In Jeremiah 37-38, he was imprisoned multiple times for his prophecies. Accused of deserting to the Babylonians, he was cast into a cistern, where he sank into the mud. Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch in the king's house, intervened and rescued Jeremiah from the cistern, with the king's permission.

Despite his suffering, Jeremiah remained steadfast in his mission. He continued to deliver God's messages, including the prophecy of the Babylonian exile and the eventual restoration of Israel. His unwavering commitment to God's word, even in the face of persecution, serves as a testament to his faith and dedication.

Legacy of Faithfulness

Jeremiah's life and ministry exemplify the trials faced by those who stand firm in their faith amidst opposition. His experiences highlight the cost of discipleship and the reality of persecution for those who proclaim God's truth. The prophet's endurance and reliance on God's promises offer encouragement to believers facing similar challenges, reminding them of God's faithfulness and ultimate justice.

Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 15:10,15
Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them does curse me.
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Jeremiah 17:15-18
Behold, they say to me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.
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Jeremiah 18:18-23
Then said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
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Jeremiah 26:1
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
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Jeremiah 32:2
For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.
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Jeremiah 33:1
Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
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Jeremiah 36:26
But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.
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Jeremiah 37:1
And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
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Jeremiah 38:1-6
Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying,
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Library

Demonstration xxi. --Of Persecution.
... Jeremiah was persecuted, and they cast him into the pit of mire. ... are in the West,
in the days of Diocletian there came great affliction and persecution to the ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxi of persecution.htm

The Events which Preceded the Persecution in Our Times.
... 8. This persecution began with the brethren in the army. ... Then, truly, according to
the word of Jeremiah, "The Lord in his wrath darkened the daughter of Zion ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter i the events which preceded.htm

It is not Enough that God Know us to be Chaste: we must Seem So ...
... Especially in These Times of Persecution We Must Inure Our Bodies to the Hardships
Which They May Not Improbably Be Called to ... xvi. 7; Jeremiah 17:10; Luke 16:15 ...
/.../tertullian/on the apparel of women/chapter xiii it is not enough.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... Now, in the instance of Jeremiah, we have on record that variety and vicissitude
of ... was withdrawn on his early death, he was exposed to persecution from every ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

Approaching Doom
... The spirit of opposition to reproof, that led to the persecution and
imprisonment of Jeremiah, exists today. Many refuse to heed ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 35 approaching doom.htm

Concerning Persecution
... In time of persecution God broaches the wine of consolation. ... Micaiah was in
the prison; Jeremiah in the dungeon; Isaiah was sawn asunder. ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/21 concerning persecution.htm

Man and the New Covenant.
... He had proved his solitary conscience under persecution. ... In all this lay much of
the vicarious service which Jeremiah achieved for his own generation; what he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 man and the new.htm

The Northern Iron and the Steel
... do so: and if the people acted like iron against Jeremiah, God would ... their patient
endurance for Christ's sake, break the force of all persecution, and triumph ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the northern iron and the.htm

The Prophet --His Youth and his Call.
... seventy years, prophets were again to appear: Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah. ...
religion of the prophets of the eighth century, by persecution, by the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture iii the prophethis youth.htm

Flight into Egypt and Slaughter of the Bethlehem Children.
... and sent forth [murderers, suddenly], and slew [Thus early did persecution attend
those ... Matthew does not mean that Jeremiah predicted the slaughter at Bethlehem ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xiv flight into egypt and.htm