When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the chief officer in the temple of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks. Jeremiah 20:1-2 (NIV)
When Jeremiah returned to the temple area, he told the people what God had said. God was going to bring disaster on Jerusalem and on the surrounding villages. Why? “Because they were stiff-necked and would not listen to my words” (19:15).
It wasn’t long before this was reported to the temple authorities. People came to the temple for a word of encouragement, a bit of a morale boost. But if people were made to feel uncomfortable at the temple, they might not come back.
There was a priest there named Pashhur who was responsible for temple security, and he had Jeremiah arrested, beaten, and put in the stocks at one of the entrances to the temple.
Over the next twenty-four hours, the crowds that poured through the gate had to walk past this area where traitors, subversives, and other undesirable people were put on display. They had plenty of opportunity to throw rotten vegetables at Jeremiah, along with their insults.
You have to admire Jeremiah. He was a man of immense faith and extraordinary courage. He spoke the Word of God, even when the message was painful and unpopular. Because of his ministry, Jeremiah endured mockery and cruelty, yet he did not flinch.
Do you have a “Pashhur” in your life, someone who persecutes and intimidates you?
