King Henry VIII took exception to the sermon preached by Hugh Lattimer. He called the preacher in to give an account for the words which had offended Henry. What would Lattimer say?
Jeremiah found himself on the horns of a similar dilemma. Because he had preached that the mere possession of the temple did not make Judah right with God, he was forbidden to preach there. When God told him to write down everything, he had told him over decades, Jeremiah dictated it, Baruch wrote it, and then went up to the temple to read it. King Jehoiakim had his servant read the words. As his servant read the scroll, the king cut off swaths of Jeremiah’s prophecy and threw them into a fire until it was gone.
What would you do if your life work was destroyed in an instant? Jehoiakim wanted to destroy not only Jeremiah’s words but Jeremiah himself. But God hid Jeremiah from him. God told Jeremiah to get another scroll and do it again. The fire which burned in Jeremiah’s bones was more powerful than the fire which consumed his scroll.
Hugh Lattimer appeared before Henry VIII, read his sermon text again, and said to himself in the presence of the king, “Hugh Latimer do you not know before whom you are this day to speak? The high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty who can take away your life if you offend: But then consider well Hugh, do you not know from where you come? Upon whose message you are sent? Even the great and mighty God who is all present and who is able to cast your soul into hell. Therefore, take care that you deliver your message faithfully.”
In the end, we answer not only to earthly rulers but to the high King of heaven. If we are going to please anyone, we should definitely please him and trust him to take care of us. When you speak up for God, do so boldly.
