Evening star., 1924-05-24
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.
History's greatest heroes have bee

the welfare of humanity in the hours
of crises 1t Is easier to die with the
inspiration Of buddies upon the bat
tlefield than it is to face alone the
hostility of an angry mob in daily
life. The pathway of pioneers and
reformers has never been an easy
road to travel. They are inspired by
the cause and the conviction that God
calls them to blaze new trails and
point out the way of life to men.
No man ever had q more difficult
and dangerous duty to perform than
jeremiah. God called him as youth
to speak for Him. His father, who
was a priest, dwelt at Anathoth. a
small village about four miles north :
east of Jerusalem. He was Influenced
by the religious atmosphere of his
Jewish boy loved He was called
when about twenty-three to live the
lonely life of a prophet free from the
blessings of the home life. Deprived
by Gods command from enjoying the
marital experiences of life, he reveals
in his ministry the evidence that he
knew the ways of the home and the
tenderness Of the sacred fellowship
and shelter of home, the greatest in
stitution ever established among men.
jeremiah became the central figure
in the closing hour of Judah's history
that followed Josiah's tragic death
upon the battlefield Of Megiddo. The
reforms which he had inaugurated
and carried out with such drastic
power had failed to reach the heart
of the nation. The outward changes
were of religious nature, but the
people had not been converted. The
reactionary forces gained control OF Ju-
dab and held the same until the end
came. The forces of .disintegration
soon manifested themselves in the
moral, religious, commercial and po-
litical life of the nation. The radical.
progressive, prophetic party united
the leadership of jeremiah in an eff
fort to avert the calamity that the
country faced.
Prophets Political Program.
The coronation of Jehoiakim, the
unworthy son of Josiah, gave the
prophet an opportunity to make public
appeal. Moved by the Spirit, he
spoke. for the fire in his bones" could
not be extinguished. The divine i'm
pulse to speak out the truth compelled
him to courageously speak the Word
of the Lord in an effort to save the
nation. jeremiah saw that no west
ern Asia nation could resist Babylon
rights of Assyria. In advocating this
policy the prophet put himself into a
sharp antagonism with the king and
the entire court party. He made a
supreme effort to persuade the as.
sembled host to repent. hoping that if
they would change their evil ways
God would protect His people. The
prophet demanded that they reform.
He assured them that unless they
did Judah's doom would soon be
upon them. He made public attack
upon the priests, false prophets and
people for their blind reliance upon
the protecting power of the temple.
He warned them that it would soon
become a mass of ruins, like Shiloh.
because they had forsaken God and
adopted worthless faiths in place of
the worship of Jehovah.
Basil King has recently pointed out
that the condition in judah which
jeremiah sought to correct was not
unlike that which America faces at
that hs nofhng eoud dssyrb dsey hs
prosperity. They believed that by
their political secret treaties with
Egypt they were protected against
Babylon. They felt perfectly safe in
their self -sufficiency. They denied
the possibility of any possible calam-
fictitious spirit of confidence. 1t took
courage for the prophet to try to
stem the popular tide of public opin-
ion by his predictions of the temple
becoming like Shiloh (once the abode
of the ark and the heart of the ma
tion's life), place of ruins, and that
Jerusalem itself would become curse
to the nations. While there was no
sign of either event becoming true
when he spoke, the city became a
mass of ruins and virtually desolate
in 5S7 b. c.
Jeremiah's message aroused the op-
position of the people. priests and
politicians. Any one who reads it can
easily see. 1t is given in its full form
from the seventh to the tenth chap
ed and had Baruch read to the peo-
pie. assembled in the public court.
His words fell like thunderbolf out
of clear sky. 1t stirred up the false
prophets, who realized that the
prophets charges reflected upon their
ministry. They lined up the priests
ana the pliable politicians in an effort
to put Jeremiah to death.
Prophets Personal Peril.
He faced a mob that threatened the
prohpet's life. Probably he owes his
life to the influence of some cool
headed friend. whose voice was heed
ed. Possibly it was the prophets
poiSe and personal influence that held
them back. Facing the shadow of
death, jeremiah was conscious that
the Lord was with him. keeping
watch above His own. The prophet
faced charges of treason, heresy and
blasphemy, each of which was a capi-
tai offense. They charged him with
treason, because in the hour of the
nations peril, he had discouraged the
people from carrying out the govern
ment's plans for national defense and
co f1k T1,n A1s
his life, because they claimed that he
was a hereto. Isaiah's teachings
concerning the inviolability of Jeru-
salem had been lodged so deep in the
hearts of the people that they be-
lieved that the city was absolutely
indestructible. He was charged with
blasphemy because he had prophesied
that the Temple would be destroyed,
which they insisted was blasphemy.
jeremiah faced these charges, like a
soldier before g. court martial, ex-
pecting a sentence of death, because
he had dared to proclaim the mes
sage of God to men. No witnesses
were needed, for all Jerusalem,
judges and jury, had heard his SER
mons.
Unawed by his imminent danger
the prophet presented a vigorous de-
fense. Strengthened by help from
above, he calmly answered: The Lord
sent me against this house and
against this city all the words that We
have heard" He took advantage Of
his privileges to make an address in
his own defense, to warn them again
of their danger of being doomed, un-
less they repented. jeremiah saw
that the superficial and outward pre-
tense Of religious life had not
reached their hearts. God. he insisted,
sought a spiritual worship of the
heart and life. The prophet saw
clearly that the only way to save his
nation from destruction was to go
back to the heart, the source of spir-
itual life, and make it pure so as to
avert the rapidly approaching doom.
JeremiRh's Victory.
Some of the kings advisers evident
oh H.. Il n{ 1.NnYahaf