Where You Go I Go

"Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whiter the Lord had sent him to prophesy..."  -Jer. 19:14

"Tophet."  When Jeremiah heard the Lord speak to him regarding his next assignment, I think it would be safe to assume that he was anything but thrilled.  Jeremiah was one of God's mightiest prophets.  Part of what made Jeremiah mighty was his determination.  And this is why God chose him for the task.

In 2 Kings 23:10 we read that Tophet was a place where parents made their sons and daughters "to  pass through the fire of Molech."  Molech was a Middle-Eastern god affiliated with the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Canaanites, and was the national god of the Ammonites.  The idol was hallow and brazen, having the head of an ox and outstretched human-like arms. Within the base of the idol fire was kindled so that sacrifices could be made to this pagan deity.  When the arms of the statue would get hot, little children would be placed within them to be slowly burned.  So that the father and mothers of these children would not have to hear the cries of their little ones, the priests would beat drums to drown their screams out and to soothe the souls of the sacrifices.

After this practice was outlawed by King Josiah, Tophet became a place of refuse.  In today's vernacular we would say a trash pit, a garbage heap, and a dump.  Here animal carcasses, human waste, the dead bodies of criminals, and trash were piled up.  Needless to say, disease found its home here in Tophet.  To keep disease and sickness from spreading and to keep the air purified as best as possible, hot fires were burned almost all the time.

When speaking of the lake of fire where the wicked dead would go after their resurrection and judgment at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15), Jesus carefully chooses this place as his illustration.  Tophet was the best example of eternal hell that existed during the life and times of Jesus.  And he warned his hearers that such a punishment existed in the afterlife for those who would not follow him into everlasting life (Mt. 10:28-33; Jn. 14:6).

What do you think Tophet smelled like?  What do you think it looked like?  What was the condition of the people who made their dwelling there?  I would say that crazy, appalling, and inhumane would be deep understatements.  And yet, Tophet was Jeremiah's assignment from God.  And notice what the verse said, "Then CAME Jeremiah FROM Tophet..."  Jeremiah did what God asked him to do.  He had taken the elders and priests into this place and preached God's Word of righteousness to them.  If Jeremiah had it difficult, think of Christ.  He was called to go into the underworld of wicked spirits and preach the word of righteousness to demonic spirits (1 Pet. 3:19). 

As preachers of Jesus Christ, some of the places God calls us to preach will look like, smell like, and have the very appearance of hell.  But this is where the captives are held (Lk. 19:10).  When we make the decision firmly in our hearts and cry, "Lord where you go....I go," then we will be able identify will the great apostle when he said, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9).  Tophet or no Tophet, let's follow.