An Unusual and Unexpected Preacher

The former warden of Angola State Prison in Louisiana took over the nearly anarchic and out of control prison and turned it into a model facility of rehabilitation. He shared the Gospel with the inmates when appropriate and instituted Biblical values for the facility. Imagine the surprise of hardened felons who entered the compound and were met with a Scriptural environment. More amazing is the literal turning around of lives sent to this penitentiary. The warden is indeed an unexpected and unusual preacher.

A example of this is found in Jeremiah 40. Jeremiah hears from the Lord through a different mouthpiece. Verse 1 is the background.
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 

Babylon has destroyed Jerusalem and the captives are being readied for the trip into exile.
2 Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God promised this calamity against this place; 3 and the Lord has brought it on and done just as He promised. Because you people sinned against the Lord and did not listen to His voice, therefore this thing has happened to you.

Imagine Jeremiah’s consternation when this Babylonian commander began to “preach” to him. Jeremiah had been saying the same thing to his people, but now he hears the identical message from a Gentile. “This is what your God ‘promised.’” And he has the causal factors identified. “You people sinned...and did not listen to His voice.”

The “voice” was one of initial warning–“Thou shalt not....” And it also included a corrective, “Turn and repent.” They refused and did neither. And now Nebuzaradan has to execute the judgment. It was almost as if he were saying, “If you guys had behaved, I could be home with my wife and kids.” (Well maybe not, but close.)

Imagine the irony that Jeremiah experiences hearing this come from his captor and putative enemy. Sometimes the Lord uses unusual “prophets” to deliver his message. This was probably one of the most unusual and unexpected. (Except for Balaam’s donkey. Numbers 22)

If you want to read the rest of the chapter, you will find that Nebuzaradan tried to orchestrate a safe and peaceful transition for the ones left behind. He even assigned Jeremiah to stay and minister to them. The sad and frustrating thing is that the remnant even rebelled against this benevolence. It seems almost like their “default” setting is “rebel.”

An old folk song asks, “When will we ever learn?” Maybe when we listen to our “preachers.”