Jeremiah 26:20-24 – God will see us through.

Jeremiah 26:16-19 tells us how the king's officials intervene and prevent Jeremiah from being executed. He cited how Micah said something similar to Jeremiah concerning Jerusalem’s destruction and as spared. King Hezekiah in that instance  chose to heed his message and Micah was spared.  

Jeremiah 26:20-23 look like another case that the priests and the prophets who had seized Jeremiah brought to counter the call of the king’s official to spare Jeremiah.  It was apparent that they were bent on  executing him. So they brought up this other incident where a man named Uriah was executed for prophesying for the Lord. He then fled to Egypt because his life was threatened by Jehoiakim. But the king pursued him. He sent men led by Elnathan to Egypt and had Uriah extradited and executed with a sword. The body of Uriah was then buried among the common people.

Verse 24 indicates that Jeremiah was safe yet by another unexpected source. God used a man named Ahikam,  the son of Shaphan. His presence with Jeremiah prevented the people from apprehending him. According to 2 Kings 22:11-13, Ahikam was one of those people whom King Josiah had commissioned to inquire of the Lord when the “book of the Law” was found while repairing the temple. It was this Ahikam whose presence with Jeremiah prevented his execution.

As perilous as serving the Lord may be, He will always have people He would use to ensure His servant’s safety in their times of peril. The Bible is replete with stories of how God’s servants had been provided with unexpected sources of help in their time of need, Moses had the princess of Pharoah, David had his motley crew, Nehemiah had Artaxerxes, Esther had Ahasuerus, etc. Once again we turn to another of Annie Johnson Flint’s poems for encouragement as we conclude. She said these words in his poem "God Hath Not Promised." 

God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

 

God hath not promised we shall not know

Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;

He hath not told us we shall not bear

Many a burden, many a care.

 

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,

Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;

Never a mountain, rocky and steep,

Never a river, turbid and deep.

 

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help form above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.