But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah… Jeremiah 26:24a, Amplified Bible

There he was, surrounded by an angry mob of accusers. The court was ablaze with activity as people of all ages and of all walks of life shuffled about for a good spot to see the proceedings.

The religious leaders began their arguments, railing against the accused as a false harbinger of evil things to come. “You shall surely die!”, they proclaimed, and with their shouts they heralded the accused’s impending doom.

Jeremiah the prophet’s life was in great jeopardy. But just as it appeared that Jeremiah would soon meet his end, Ahikam stood to defend Jeremiah. As the Bible records, “the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah that they should not give him into the hand of the people, to put him to death.” — Jeremiah 26:24, KJV. Whether Ahikam rescued Jeremiah by persuasion or by force of arms the Bible is not entirely clear. But what is clear is that one man recognized a need to defend righteousness, and defend it he did.

There are times in our lives when God will call us to be the Jeremiah in the story. He will give us a message that is neither popular nor welcome, and delivering it will open us up to persecution. At other times, we will be in the place of Ahikam, a bystander who will witness righteousness being attacked and in need of a defender. In either capacity, we will have a choice to make: proclaim and defend what is right or remain silent for convenience’s sake. All too often, we are guilty of choosing the latter path, and the cause of righteousness suffers.

It won’t be long before we will once again be in the place of either Jeremiah or Ahikam. When that time comes, let us cry out to God for the courage to stay by the stuff, forget about ourselves, and stand up for what is right no matter what the cost!