Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 218

"Stand in the gate of the children of the people"

Text: Jeremiah 17:19

OVERCOMING FEARS

Jeremiah had strong fears that he must deal with. We may safely assume that God enabled him to be strong and courageous, despite all the enemies he had. God sent His prophet to do a challenging piece of work!

“Thus the LORD said to me:
‘Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people,
by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out,
and in all the gates of Jerusalem;
and say to them,
‘Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah,
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates.””
Jeremiah 17:19-20

1. “Thus the LORD said to me”

a) Jeremiah must have found renewal of courage.
b) God now sent him to another task.

2. “Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people”

a) The gate of the children of the people.
b) In Hebrew: “The gate of the sons of My people”.
c) This was like a common thoroughfare.
d) Which specific gate this is, we cannot ascertain.

3. “By which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem”

a) This was also the gate the kings of Judah used.
b) This gate was connected to all the gates of Jerusalem.

4. “And say to them, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates'”

a) The addressees would include:
i) The kings
ii) All Judah
iii) All the inhabitants of Jerusalem
b) All were to hear the word of the Lord that Jeremiah would proclaim.
i) It would take courage to speak to kings specially when they were idolatrous.
ii) There would be many who were enemies of Jeremiah, who would pass through the Gate of the children of the people.