"Say to them, 'This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth'.
"The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord. But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, 'You must die! Why do you prophesy in the Lord's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?' And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord." [Jeremiah 26:4-9]
Dr. Martin Luther was a priest in the Catholic Church during the 16th century. He lectured in Bible studies at the University of Wittenberg, Germany.
Luther observed some things happening in the church, which he did not consider to be scriptural. Consequently he voiced his disapproval and began to speak out about what he saw. As a result, he was persecuted for daring to speak the truth of biblical faith.
Often in our world, when a person stands up for right, he or she is ostracized. Repeatedly we are made aware of people being destroyed for bringing to light irregularities in companies and/or the government. The message is ignored and the messenger penalized.
John the Baptizer lost his head because he spoke truth about King Herod and Salome. He was God's messenger speaking God's truth. Unfortunately, people living in sin seldom want truth.
Jeremiah, in the text, preached a sermon in the temple and denounced the corrupt court of King Jehoiakim. He spoke words from the mouth of God, "Then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth." His adherence to God's instructions placed his life in jeopardy.
The priest, the prophets and the people seized him with cries of his immediate execution. The temple was the holy place of God and to speak of it in such a fashion was, in their view, blasphemy. Regrettably, they did not listen; the message came directly from God, not Jeremiah.
Shiloh was once a sanctuary of the Lord. Prior to the monarchy, the Aaronic priests served there. Eli and his family served as priests there. Samuel grew up in its temple.
However, because of the sins of the people, the Lord allowed his holy sanctuary to be destroyed. When Eli's wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, took the arch of the covenant into battle, the Philistines captured the arch and supposedly destroyed the sanctuary of the Lord.
The Lord had sent the prophet to the king and the people to warn them about their wicked ways and to give them an opportunity to repent and seek his forgiveness. Instead, they neglected the message and sought to destroy the prophet who was only the messenger.
We in this country often seem to be following in the footsteps of the people of Jeremiah's time. Instead of paying attention to the message of the church, we get angry because our evil intents are exposed.
God still speaks to his servants. When people go astray, God gives them an opportunity to repent and seek his forgiveness.
Consequently, when the church speaks out against evil practices, don't ostracize the church and the men of God. The word of God is the benchmark of life. Therefore, hear the message and heed the word of God. He will hold you accountable, because you were warned. Amen.

o Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, Pastor The Lutheran Church of Nassau, P. O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bah. Phone: 426-9084 E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com, Website: www.Nassaulutheranchurch.org.

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