Jeremiah Threatened for Telling the Truth

By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 27

From Jeremiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

No one likes to hear bad news or that someone is unhappy with them. And Shemaiah was no exception. He told the prisoners from Judah they would be going home soon. God did not give him that message.

How do I know? Because God spoke to me and said they would be slaves in Babylon for seventy years.

The Lord asked me to send word to the people of Jerusalem and Judea who had been taken as prisoners to Babylon, telling them what He told me. He said they should go ahead and build houses for now and plant their gardens because they would be there for seventy years.

When Shemaiah, who lied to the people to make them feel good, read these words he became angry and wrote a letter to Zephaniah, the priest who was allowed to stay here in Jerusalem. 

In the letter Shemaiah said, "You should put any madman who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons. I don't understand why you haven't put this man Jeremiah who claims to be a prophet away. He is not telling the truth. He sent this crazy message to us saying we will be here in Babylon for a long time. That we should build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat what the gardens produce. Really? No way will we be here a long time."

Zephaniah the priest didn't believe Shemaiah. He knew God had spoken to me. He brought the letter from Shemaiah to me and read it out loud.

When he finished reading, God spoke to me, saying, "Send this message to the men, women, and children who have been taken as prisoners in Babylon. 'Because Shemaiah has told you I gave him a message, even though I did not, and has led you to believe this lie, I will punish him. He will not see the good things I will do for my people. He will be punished because he has preached rebellion against Me."

I sent the message as the Lord instructed. Shemaiah will be the one punished, not me so that the people will know who is truthful and who isn't.

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1. What fruit did Jeremiah see in his vision.
2. What is the difference between a dream and a vision.
3. The good fruit was like...what?
4. The bad fruit was like...what?
5. How long would those who were taken to Babylon have to wait before they would come back to Jerusalem?
6. What would happen in that amount of time?