不怕死的沒死、怕死的卻反而死了（耶26章）

耶利米在耶和華殿中說的這些話、祭司先知與眾民都聽見了。耶利米說完了耶和華所吩咐他對眾人說的一切話、祭司、先知、與眾民、都來抓住他說：「你必要死。」（耶 26：7-8)

這是那位原本軟弱、流淚哀哭的先知耶利米，此時竟能靠主表現出剛烈、胸懷必死的決心，勇敢大聲講傳神的旨意。然後，真的面臨了殺身的威脅。但是耶利米先知仍然勇敢地表達了為主必死的決心：

至於我、我在你們手中、你們眼看何為善、何為正？就那樣待我罷。(耶 26：14)

另一位神僕烏利亞也傳講神的警告，跟耶利米講的一模一樣，但是在面臨威脅時，竟膽怯逃跑了，殊為可惜！

又有一個人奉耶和華的名說預言、是基列耶琳人示瑪雅的兒子烏利亞、他照耶利米的一切話說預言、攻擊這城和這地。約雅敬王和他眾勇士、眾首領、聽見了烏利亞的話、王就想要把他治死．烏利亞聽見就懼怕、逃往埃及去了。（耶 26：20-21)

最後耶利米突然被保護，神使眾首領和民眾懼怕，不敢殺他；另一位先知烏利亞因為膽怯逃到埃及，反而被王下令從埃及抓回，在王面前處死。正如：

你在患難之日若膽怯、你的力量就微小。（箴 24：10）

惟有膽怯的、不信的、可憎的、殺人的、淫亂的、行邪術的、拜偶像的、和一切說謊話的、他們的分就在燒着硫磺的火湖裏．這是第二次的死。（啟 21：8)

耶利米的勇敢，不是出於血氣，而是聖靈的能力，就如同原本三次不認主的彼得，在五旬節聖靈大降，他被聖靈充滿之後，從此勇敢站起來，放膽傳講耶穌。膽量，是無法學習的、更無法複製貼上，人要勇敢，必須從靈裡面完全地改變才行，是裝不出來的。放眼看見今日教會中勇敢且積極做工的神僕們，他們都不是憑血氣才能如此有能力的，甚至沒什麼顯赫的學歷、與傲人的才華，而只是憑藉著每日比一般人更長時間的禱告，因此被聖靈充滿，已讓基督成形在心裡的結果。

想起約民國40年左右，家族的第一個種子，我的曾祖父「高天厚」，在剛得聖靈之後，信心非常剛強，曾直接回到他原本的教會，也就是長老會，在聚會中走到會堂前面，不顧正要準備聚會的當下，只因為這時人多，就對著會眾大聲地說：「長老會是錯的，真耶穌教會才是真的！」。當家父多次見證先人這樣的見證時，總是令人動容！好像當時的耶利米先知：

耶和華如此說：「你站在耶和華殿的院內、對猶大眾城邑的人、就是到耶和華殿來禮拜的說我所吩咐你的一切話、一字不可刪減．」（耶 26：2）。然後，耶利米在耶和華殿中說的這些話、祭司先知與眾民都聽見了。（耶 26：7）。他們就想要殺他。

今天身為神的僕人，不見得都會遭遇到生命的威脅，但是在真理的堅持上，會不會只因為「好朋友們」對某些真理的不認同，我們因顧及情誼，堅持的心就縮回去，不敢繼續堅持真理勇敢講論了？如果這樣，主會喜悅嗎？

我在暗中告訴你們的、你們要在明處說出來．你們耳中所聽的、要在房上宣揚出來。那殺身體不能殺靈魂的、不要怕他們．惟有能把身體和靈魂都滅在地獄裏的、正要怕他。（太 10：27-28)

by Isaiah Kao

The Fearless Lived, While the Fearful Died (Jeremiah 26)

July 22, 2026

When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests, the prophets, and all the people seized him, saying, “You must die!” (Jeremiah 26:7–8)

This is the same prophet Jeremiah who was once weak, weeping, and full of sorrow. Yet here, strengthened by the Lord, he displayed remarkable courage and a heart fully prepared to die. He boldly proclaimed God's message, even though it immediately placed his life in danger. Still, Jeremiah  declared his determination to die for the Lord:

"But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight." (Jeremiah 26:14, NASB 2020)

Another servant of God, Uriah, also proclaimed the Lord's warning. His message was exactly the same as Jeremiah's. Sadly, when his life was threatened, he became afraid and fled.

"Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. When King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it, became afraid, and fled to Egypt." (Jeremiah 26:20–21, NASB 2020)

In the end, Jeremiah was unexpectedly protected. The Lord caused the officials and the people to fear, and they did not put him to death. Uriah, however, fled to Egypt because of fear, only to be brought back by the king's command and executed before him. Just as the Scriptures say:

"If you show yourself lacking courage on the day of distress, Your strength is meager." (Proverbs 24:10, NASB 2020)

"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8, NASB 2020)

Jeremiah's courage did not come from human determination but from the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter was the same. He denied the Lord three times, but after being filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, he stood up boldly and fearlessly proclaimed Jesus Christ.Courage cannot be learned, imitated, or copied. If a person is to become truly courageous, he must first be completely transformed inwardly by the Holy Spirit. It is not something that can be pretended.

When we look at the faithful servants of God who labor courageously and diligently in the church today, their power does not come from natural ability. Many of them do not possess impressive academic qualifications or extraordinary talents. Rather, they devote themselves to spending far more time in prayer than most people do. As they are continually filled with the Holy Spirit, Christ is formed within them.

Today, as servants of God, we may not necessarily face the threat of physical death. Yet we are often tested in our commitment to the truth. If our "close friends" disagree with the truth, will we compromise for the sake of preserving our friendships? Will we withdraw and no longer dare to stand firmly for what is truth? If so, would that please the Lord?

"Therefore whatever I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:27–28, NASB 2020)

by Isaiah Kao