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Ask a QuestionThen I prostrated myself before God, just as I had at the beginning of the forty days and nights. I ate no food; I drank no water. I did this because of you, all your sins, sinning against God, doing what is evil in God's eyes and making him angry. I was terrified of God's furious anger, his blazing anger. I was sure he would destroy you. But once again God listened to me. And Aaron! How furious he was with Aaron - ready to destroy him. But I prayed also for Aaron at that same time.
Then God told Jeremiah, "Send this Message to the exiles. Tell them what God says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Shemaiah is preaching lies to you. I didn't send him. He is seducing you into believing lies. So this is God's verdict: I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. He's going to end up with nothing and no one. No one from his family will be around to see any of the good that I am going to do for my people because he has preached rebellion against me." God's Decree.
"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there."
With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth; with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven. They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface, and dew to descend from the night skies.
God's Message came to me: "Son of man, face south. Let the Message roll out against the south. Prophesy against the wilderness forest of the south.
"A word came to me in secret - a mere whisper of a word, but I heard it clearly. It came in a scary dream one night, after I had fallen into a deep, deep sleep. Dread stared me in the face, and Terror. I was scared to death - I shook from head to foot. A spirit glided right in front of me - the hair on my head stood on end. I couldn't tell what it was that appeared there - a blur...and then I heard a muffled voice:
They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, "They'll give up; they'll never finish it." I prayed, "Give me strength."
"But now I'm the one they're after, mistreating me, taunting and mocking. They abhor me, they abuse me. How dare those scoundrels - they spit in my face! Now that God has undone me and left me in a heap, they hold nothing back. Anything goes. They come at me from my blind side, trip me up, then jump on me while I'm down. They throw every kind of obstacle in my path, determined to ruin me - and no one lifts a finger to help me! They violate my broken body, trample through the rubble of my ruined life. Terrors assault me - my dignity in shreds, salvation up in smoke.
I call to God; God will help me. At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh deep sighs - he hears, he rescues. My life is well and whole, secure in the middle of danger Even while thousands are lined up against me. God hears it all, and from his judge's bench puts them in their place. But, set in their ways, they won't change; they pay him no mind.
Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from God, only doom."
God's Message came to me: "Son of man, preach against the prophets of Israel who are making things up out of their own heads and calling it 'prophesying.'
"Why have you ganged up against me with the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword, even praying with him for God's guidance, setting him up as an outlaw, out to get me?"
Balaam said to Balak, "Well, I'm here now. But I can't tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me - no others."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!"
I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
But it's a black day for me! Hopelessly wounded, I said, "Why, oh why did I think I could bear it?" My house is ruined - the roof caved in. Our children are gone - we'll never see them again. No one left to help in rebuilding, no one to make a new start!
God's Message came to me: "Son of man, I'm about to take from you the delight of your life - a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears. Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work - none of the usual funeral rituals."
Then the Spirit picked me up. Behind me I heard a great commotion - "Blessed be the Glory of God in his Sanctuary!" - the wings of the living creatures beating against each other, the whirling wheels, the rumble of a great earthquake.
Jeremiah said, "If I told you the whole truth, you'd kill me. And no matter what I said, you wouldn't pay any attention anyway."
He said, "Master, don't be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?" "No, I won't do it if I find thirty."