May 25, 2022

Passage Read:  Jeremiah 17-20
Meditation Verses: 19:14-15

Thought

Except in a few cases, prophets spoke to groups of people, not to individuals. The next chapter starts with a prophecy directed at the priest who imprisoned Jeremiah, an exception, but most of Jeremiah's messages are spoken to the people, to crowds or groups of people. The prophet was sent to reach as many as possible, that enough people might repent so that the Lord could relent of the disaster He planned.

Application

A prophet is not generally invited to speak, but he goes to where the people are and speaks a word of warning. He is not often welcome after that, unless they people have a mind to repent, but then the prophet is not needed any longer. He is sent to communities and peoples, not normally to individuals. That makes his message less of a personal attack, though it will still be taken that way by those unwilling to repent. I need to keep that in mind.