“But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death” (Jeremiah 26:24).
Jeremiah had already endured much in his efforts to share the message of God with his rebellious countrymen. He had been beaten and put in stocks. He had become a laughingstock and a mockery. Even his friends and relatives had turned against him. But now the opposition had turned deadly. The false priests and prophets of Judah pronounced a death sentence upon God’s prophet and incited a lynch mob to support their cause. Some officials of the king arrive on the scene as the crowd encircles Jeremiah. They hold an impromptu hearing in hopes of getting to the facts of the case. The leaders of Judah continue to call for the death of God’s prophet. Jeremiah refuses to back down in the face of their threats. The elders of Judah try to inject some sanity into the proceedings with a historical perspective. You could cut the tension with a knife.
But then, a single, courageous individual stood by Jeremiah in his darkest hour. The rest of the Scriptures tell us precious little about Ahikam. But this one act on his part speaks volumes about the kind of person he was. He was willing to put himself at risk by taking the side of someone in desperate need of a friend. Who’s to say that the crowd wouldn’t turn on him as well? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to just stay out of the way and not get involved? Not for Ahikam!
Is there someone you know who could use some help standing firm in the face of life’s struggles? Lord, please help me to have the courage to lend my hand to those in desperate circumstances. Please help me to have the conviction to stand with others who are struggling to stand on their own. May I resist being swayed by the fickle court of public opinion.
God loves you!
Mike
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