Jeremiah 23-29 – August 12 & 13

The LORD outlines a root problem of the people: people speaking for God who are not speaking God’s Word. The LORD says in Jeremiah 23:21-22, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.” Amazing: if God could have gotten these false prophets to listen to Him and speak His Word, it would have caused a nation to turn from its wickedness. There is great power in preaching!

In Chapter 26 the LORD makes good on His promise to protect Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 1:18). When there are some who rise up and want to kill him, the LORD has men there who persuade them to relent.

The LORD calls Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon “My servant” in Jeremiah 27:6. It’s not because Nebuchadnezzar willfully served the LORD, but because the LORD was using him to bring judgment to the unrepentant nations; Nebuchadnezzar "served" God's purposes. The LORD promised that He would eventually judge Babylon also if they did not repent.