For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye. (jer 23:3-4)

Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. (Je 1:7–8).

In the story of Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver is shipwrecked and finds himself on the shores of Lilliput.  The little people there (six inches tall) tie him down with ropes. After giving assurances of his good behavior, he is given a residence in Lilliput and becomes a favorite of the Lilliput Royal Court. He is also given permission by the King of Lilliput to go around the city on condition that he must not hurt their subjects. The people of Lilliput spend most of their time focusing on trivial matters. Eventually, Gulliver is convicted for putting out a fire by urinating on the flames.  He is sentenced to being blinded, but escapes.

A children’s story? Yes! But, it is also a political satire against the royal court of King George III, and against the current teachings of philosophers like Thomas Hobbs, who wrote about the need for a population to be submissive to the King.

Like Jeremiah, the people will go along with a majority view, even when it flies in the face of the word of God.  The prophets are bound, imprisoned, and killed. We too can be guilty of focusing on the small things, rather than seeing God’s bigger picture.