Title: Shaphan and his sons (Jeremiah 26:4)
Contents There was a prophet Jeremiah who was living in an era of tragedy. People referred to him as 'the prophet of tears' or 'the prophet of loneliness'.
He became the object of hatred and hatred by the people of Hyang-ri, where he lived, by his blood and relatives, by all the peoples, by corrupt religious leaders, and by those in power.
Nevertheless, the Bible testifies of many people who share the breath of Jeremiah and who meaningfully decorated an era of tragedy.
Among them, Shaphan and his sons are seen. It can be seen that the prophet Jeremiah had a deep relationship with Shaphan and his sons.
We want to think about 'Shaphan and his sons' together.
We are the people who lived in a time of tragedy.
'Shaphan' was a scribe during the reign of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:23).
He participated in the Reformation of King Josiah. And his son Ahikam was the leader of King Jehoiakim, who took the throne after King Josiah died. Of course, in the time of King Josiah, he was a person who had strong trust along with his lord.
Shaphan had another son named Gemariah. He was a scribe in the days of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36:10).
There was also a grandson named Gedaliah, who became governor of Judah after the fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 40:5).
If you look at the rulers of Judah at the time related to Shaphan and his sons, you can clearly see the circumstances in which they lived.
In the international situation at the time they lived, the era of hegemonism of the Assyrian Empire receded, and a new empire, Babylon, appeared.
Because of their sins, Judah is doomed to become a vassal of Babylon. After King Joshi's death, when his son Jehoiakim became king, Judah was invaded by Babylon, and King Jehoiakim, the nobles of Judah, the royal family, and the boys were taken hostage (2 Chronicles 36:6). This is the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 25:1-11).
Then Jehoiachin, who became king of Judah at the age of 8, reigned for only three months (2 Chronicles 36:5). He was not pleased with the king of Babylon and was invaded again, and he and the rest of the Jews were taken captive to Babylon again (Jeremiah 24:1-5). He was the second captive. This too was the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 22:24-30).
Zedekiah succeeded Jehoiachin and became king at the age of 21, but he also walked the steps of an evil king. He favored Egypt and launched an anti-Babylonian policy (2 Chronicles 36:11, Ezekiel 17:15).
Because of this, Babylon invaded Judah for the third time. As a result, the king faced the tragedy of fleeing the palace. However, the king and the royal family were captured in [Rimna], and the princes and the royal family were beheaded before the king.
After that, Zedekiah's eyes were plucked out, and he was bound with chains and taken to Babylon. And Nebuzaradan, the ruler of Babylon who attacked Ba, burned down the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of the nobles in Jerusalem. And they demolished all the walls of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25 1-2).
And Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, the grandson of Shaphan, was made provisional governor, but he was killed by his own people (2 Kings 25:22-26).
Given this historical situation, the era in which Shaphan and his sons lived was, in a word, an era of tragedy. It was an era of misfortune when the nation was falling apart, the holy religion of Israel was corrupted by the fallen religionists, and the people were scattered as sheep without a shepherd. In these tragic times, Shaphan and his sons were living.
They were people of faith.
'Shaphan' was a scribe in the palace, who discovered the Book of the Law while repairing the temple in the 18th year of King Yoshi and read it to the people by order of the king.
When the king and the people heard the words of Shaphan's reading of the Book of the Law, they tore their clothes and grieved (2 Kings 22:3-14; 2 Chronicles 34:8-20).
And Ahigam, son of Shaphan, performed the same ministry as his father, and he was a servant to the book of the law that was found while repairing the temple by receiving royal service (2 Kings 22:12.14; 2 Chronicles 34:20).
There is an event that particularly impresses us. The prophets Jeremiah and Uriah were in danger of being killed by King Jehoiakim, his princes, and the corrupt priests and prophets.
This is because the prophets Jeremiah and Uriah were hated because they prophesied that their homeland Judah and Jerusalem would be invaded by Babylon because of their sins.
Because of this, Jeremiah was hated by the people of his hometown (Jeremiah 11:18-23) and rejected by his family (Jeremiah 2:6). Later, he was hated by the king, his followers, corrupt religious leaders, and the people, and even threatened with death. Thus, 'the prophet Uriah' fled to Egypt, but was later arrested in Egypt by those who received a king's command and killed by the sword (Jeremiah 26:22-23).
They also tried to kill Jeremiah. At this time Shaphan's son Ahikam bravely appeared and rescued Jeremiah from death.
Jeremiah 26:24 says, ?쏛higam the son of Shaphan will protect Jeremiah, so that he will not give Jeremiah into the hand of the people, so that he may not be killed.??Another son of Shaphan, 'Gmariah', was also a religious figure.
He was also a scribe in the court along with ?띈┴.
While Jeremiah was living in hiding, he received a revelation from God and had his friend Baruch recorded it, which provided convenience for Baruch to read at the house of 'Gmariah'.
And, son of Gemariah, Micaiah, the grandson of Shaphan, was the one who, after hearing the word of God read by Baruch in his father's room, brought it to the king and delivered the scroll.
Then the king set the scroll on fire. At that time, Gemariah was the one who begged God not to burn the scroll that God gave through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:10, 11-16, 20-25). As a result, an arrest order was issued for Jeremiah.
There is also Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan and the son of Ahikam.
He had already become the provisional governor of Judah under the pressure of Babylon after the fall of his homeland and the fall of Jerusalem.
He was the one who did the right thing (2 Kings 25:22-25, Jeremiah 40:5-16, 41:1-18, 43:6-7)
Nebuzaradan, the commander of Nebuchadnezzar's guard, sent to Jerusalem from Babylon, showed hospitality to the prophet Jeremiah. So, Gedaliah, the temporary governor of Judah, did good deeds (Jeremiah 27:11-14). Gedaliah took Jeremiah, the servant of God, to his house and did him a favor.
Now we see in the Bible how Shaphan and his sons lived in the midst of the tragedy of tribulation.
Shaphan was a servant of King Josiah, the Reformer. And they were faithful to the law. And they were faithful to the law. His son Ahigam was faithful to the law along with his father, and he was a man who carried out the work of courage to deliver Jeremiah, a man of God, from the hand of death.
Also, Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan and the son of Ahikam, took Jeremiah to his house and protected him and served him.
Another son of Shaphan, Gemariah, wrote Jeremiah's inspired words, which Baruch wrote in a scroll, to be presented at his home. And it was his son Micaiah who delivered the scroll directly to the king. Not only that, but when the king was about to burn it, Gemariah was the one who insisted not to burn the Word of God.
These actions of Shaphan and his sons and grandchildren show that they were people of church-centered faith.
Their beliefs and actions can be summarized as follows.
First of all, above all else, they were loyal to God's Word, the Law.
These sons and daughters were the decisive servants of Josiah's Reformation. Young Josiah was able to lead the religious reforms to success thanks to the loyalty of Shaphan and his sons.
How much faith Josiah was can be seen in the mourning of the prophet Jeremiah after his death, and he wrote a lament for him and sang along with the people. (2 Chronicles 35:25). To such a leader of faith, Saphan and his sons' loyalty to faith shines like the stars in the night sky.
Second, their faith is shown by the fact that they lived in that era centered on Jeremiah, the man of God.
The fact that the son of Shaphan [Ahigam] rescued him, or that Gedaliah, the son of Aigam, took Jeremiah, the son of Aigam, to his house and ministered against the trend of that time, when everyone hated it, rejected him, and even plotted to kill him. It is their faith that risked their lives. They were the people of Shina who lived through that painful era centered on the messenger of truth.
Third, their faith is manifested in the life-giving of God's Word.
Another son of Shaphan 'Gmariah' and his son [Micaiah] put great importance on the prophecies of the scroll that Jeremiah received. So, he read the revelation (prophecy) at his house and made it known to the people, and even his son Micaiah took it to the king. Also, when they begged not to burn it, they believed that the solution to the problems of that time was only in the Book of God's Word.
Fourth, their faith is manifested in successive blessings.
It is followed by father Shaphan, son Ahikam, another son Gemariah, grandson Gedaliah, and Micaiah.
The Bible says that King Jehoiakim, King Jehoiachin, and King Zedekiah of Judah at that time were kings who did evil without exception.
On the contrary, Shaphan and his sons loved God, loved God's law, and loved, respected, served, followed, and protected Jeremiah, the prophet of that time, whom God sent from generation to generation.
Through these generations, they lived a God-centered, Bible-centered, and church-centered life (temple).
Isn't it truly a succession of divine blessings?
Dear saints!
Just because it's dark doesn't mean you can't see anything.
Rather, because of the dark night, you can see the identities of the twinkling stars in the high space of the sky more clearly.
Just because it's cold in winter doesn't mean that all the blue pigments in life are gone. Rather, you can see the cutting of pine trees in the harsh snow.
Whether in the past, present or future, the era of tragedy continues. And the content of that tragedy is a thousand and one thousand.
However, you should know that God is doing His work through people of faith like Shaphan and his sons, even in those days of trouble.
God is glorified by a prophet like Uriah, who performed the same duty in the same time and under the same circumstances, by causing them to suffer martyrdom by a group of evildoers, while a prophet like Jeremiah is also protected by Shaphan and his sons' fervent comrades of faith. .
We must realize what the inspirational lesson these words give us today.
A person of faith spends the age in which he lives with the man of spirit sent by God in that age.
that you have to live.
The best way to live in the age of sin is the lesson that only faith omnipotence is possible.
?쏛hikim son of Shaphan protected Jeremiah and did not give Jeremiah into the hands of the people.
I won't let you kill me." - Amen-