Jeremiah 38:4-6
Therefore the princes said to the king, “Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their harm.”
Then Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you.” So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.
If you can’t get rid of God’s word then get rid of the messenger. That was the case with Jeremiah.
Many saw his proclamations as depressing and lowering morale.
The solution: kill him.
They weren’t brave enough to do it outright. They lowered him into a semi-dry well, where Jeremiah sank into the muck and the mud. Here he would die slowly of exposure, hypothermia, dehydration, or starvation.
Out of sight – out of mind.
That idea is present today. Restrict the word of God by restricting what the messengers can say.
Perhaps they don’t toss ministers in a well but they pass laws labeling portions of the Bible as hate speech.
Zone restrictions on where a Bible study could take place.
Some businesses would not allow employees to keep a Bible at their desk.
The truth is they want to bog down the preaching of the Word.
The latest is an 80-year-old widow living in a veteran’s home may face eviction after she shared the Gospel and talked about heaven and hell with one of the other residents. That resident complained and they may charge the widow with elder abuse and emotional distress.
I call the emotional distress conviction.
Whatever they call it is just a cover-up to get rid of God’s message.