Shiloh Remembered - Jeremiah 26

Jeremiah 26:6 "Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth."

We will remember Shiloh (not the Civil War site) in the Bible as the place where the tabernacle and the ark once sat. The Philistines defeated Israel there and took the ark. Thousands of Israelites were slain. I Samuel 4:10-

Shiloh: (the place of rest) a city Judges 21:19 17 miles north of Jerusalem. Joshua 18:1 Where , the Tabernacle was set up and remained for 300 years.

The message of this chapter is that the priests and council did not like the message God sent Jeremiah to deliver, so they sought to kill Jeremiah.

v3 "If so be they will hearken, and turn every ma from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings."

The message was one of warning and compassion. But the leaders held fast to their sinful ways and would not repent but rather wanted to kill Jeremiah as if that would solve their problem. It is the old "kill the messenger" mentality.

v8 "Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets, and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die."

So there was a hearing for Jeremiah with the princes as the sort of court. At first, the people went with the priests and prophets but then they changed sides and went with the princes who were to let Jeremiah live. For Jeremiah stood firm.

v16 "Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die; for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."

So then the elders spoke up.

v17 "Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying."

They reminded the people of Micah and how Hezekiah responded to his message in a good way. And of Urijah who also had a strong message for Israel. So the elders were Jeremiah's defenders and Jeremiah lived a long life.

v24 "Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death."

It must have surely been an intense day. The priests and prophets were taking it on themselves to judge Jeremiah until the princes heard the commotion and came up the hill to see what was going on. Then as the people swayed from one opinion to the other, the elders finally stood up.