The Path of Life: Fraught at First but Easier Later
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, ‘Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you’”Jeremiah 39: 11, 12.
This passage describes the mercy of God in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s fall, focusing on the release of the prophet Jeremiah.
The Israelites would go into captivity in Babylon for 70 years because of their sins. Jeremiah preached this message faithfully, while the false prophets spoke encouraging, but false messages. To read the passage for context, click here.
The Unpopular Message that was the Path of Life
Nebuchadnezzar, the ancient king of the Babylon, was merciful to Jeremiah presumably because of the message he had been commanded by God to proclaim. Namely, that the Jews should surrender to the Babylonians.
The message was a cross to bear while Jeremiah was yet in Israel. His fellow Israelites did not like it one bit. And it is probably the reason he was accused of deserting to the Babylonians (Jeremiah 37: 11-21).
Also, because of this unpopular word, he was accused of demoralizing the Israeli army. And he was put in the dungeon for “many days”(Jeremiah 38: 1-6). And also thrown into a pit (See Jeremiah 37: 11-21 above).
The oracle God had put in his mouth made life hard for him. But it was temporary.
God had the big picture in mind. He was looking to the day when Jeremiah would be taken captive by the Babylonians. He would find favor with them, because of the message (Jeremiah 25: 8-14).
A Path Is Always Temporary
This word was a narrow path for Jeremiah that ultimately led to life (Mathew 7: 13, 14). The message represents a path, and a path, by nature, is temporary because it leads to a destination.
God knew that he would spend a few years in Israel preaching an unpopular message, but 70 years in Babylonian captivity. The hard life caused by the unpopular sermon was temporary. But, the good life, brought about by that same sermon, was more permanent.
The narrow path of affliction, trouble, and suffering tribulation was temporary, and it led to the destination of life and freedom.
God Has Our Best Interest at Heart on the Narrow Road
If, on the other hand, he would have refused to preach the hard message and instead spoken lies in the name of God as the false prophets did, (Jeremiah 14: 13-16), he would’ve had peace and security for a few years but would’ve been treated harshly by the Babylonians for 70.
The broad path is easier, and makes more sense to us, but leads to destruction in the end. God had Jeremiah’s best interest at heart when he gave him the unpopular word. But he may not have seen it at the time.
Trouble in the here and now, blessing in the hereafter.
To read another post related to The Path of Life: Fraught at First but Easier Later, see Righteous: The Pursuit and the Rewards.