Surrounded by Terror
The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name for you is not Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side.”
Jeremiah 20:3
Jeremiah was locked up for a night by Pashhur, an official at the Temple, because of his prophecies. The Lord had a new name for Pashhur: Magor-Misaviv (Terror All Around). The phrase is repeated in verse 10 about Jeremiah. A little searching and I found the phrase is also used in Jeremiah 6:25, 46:5, 49:29, and Psalm 31:13. Obviously, Jeremiah felt some affinity for the phrase.
Can’t Not Speak
But if I say, “I will not mention his word
Jeremiah 20:9
or speak anymore in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.
In the midst of this hardship, Jeremiah wants to give up. However, he has been given a message to speak that he can’t hold back. Despite being surrounded by opposition, he must speak the message God has given to him. What does it look like for God’s word to feel like a fire inside?
To Ponder…
- If God gave you a nickname, what would it be? Would it be positive or negative? What would you like it to be?
- Is God’s word inside you like a fire? If not, would you like it to be?