Readings for today: Jeremiah 25-28
In the Ancient Greek myth, a priestess of Apollo named Cassandra was given the gift of seeing into the future but the curse of never being believed. She prophesied the doom of the city of Troy but no one took her seriously. Some versions of the myth suggest it’s because she rejected her god’s romantic advances, others suggest it’s because she betrayed Apollo. Either way, she was doomed to prophesy and never be believed and was considered insane by her own people.
I imagine Jeremiah can sympathize with a woman like Cassandra. He too was doomed to prophesy and never be believed by God’s people. Throughout the reigns of several kings, Jeremiah faithfully preached the Word of the Lord. He faithfully delivered the messages God gave him. He obeyed God’s call to speak God’s truth but was rejected over and over again. He spoke in the streets. He spoke in the Temple. He spoke in the royal courts. Still no one believed him. In fact, they imprisoned him. Some even sought to put him to death. Thankfully, there were faithful people like Ahikam who protected him much like Frederick the Wise would do for Martin Luther centuries later.
However, as bad as we might feel for Jeremiah and his plight, the greatest tragedy is that God’s people refused to believe God. They refused to listen to God. His pleas for obedience fell on deaf ears over and over again. Even when He raises His voice and “roars from on high” or “roars loudly over His grazing land” or “calls out with a shout” and the “tumult reaches the ends of the earth”, God’s people still plug their ears and close their eyes. Even when He forces the nations to drink the cup of His wrath, they reject Him. It’s painful to read. It’s even more painful to witness.
The reality God is still roaring from heaven. He is still calling out to us with a shout. He is still making His voice heard across the earth. He wants us to believe. He wants us to trust. He wants us to obey. He knows what’s coming if we refuse to turn and repent. He remains the righteous judge who will not let sin and unrighteousness and oppression and injustice persist forever. There is coming a day when God will bring an end to it all.
Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 29-32