CHAPTER 37

1 And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah. 3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us. 4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison. 5 Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

Jehoiakim was taken away by Nebuchadnezzar's troops. His son, Jehoiachin (Coniah) was appointed king at only eight years of age. But he was deposed and taken to Babylon three months later. And Zedekiah was made king. After 9 years, Zedekiah decided to rebel against the Babylonians.

Zedekiah had called to Egypt for help, and Pharoah Hophra marched to support him. News of this sent the Babylonians running. But Pharoah Hophra retreated and never came to occupy Jerusalem. Then the Babylonians came back, and were determined to take Jerusalem.

During all this time, Zedekiah sent freqently to Jeremiah begging prayers. Jeremiah always sent back the same message: SURRENDER to the Babylonians.

6 Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 7 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. 8 And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. 9 Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. 10 For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

Just as Jeremiah prophesied, the Egyptian army returned to Egypt and the Babylonians came again.

11 And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, 12 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people. 13 And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans. 14 Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. 15 Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison. 16 When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; 17 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

Jeremiah left Jerusalem and went to the land of Benjamin. But an officer recognized him and accused him of treason. The officer brought Jeremiah back to Jerusalem, and the rulers decided to put him in prison. Not only in prison, but in the "dungeon" of a man's house!

Later, Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to his house "secretly" to ask if there was a "word" from God concerning the problem with the Babylonians. Jeremiah told him that God SAID the Babylonians would take him captive to Babylon.

18 Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison? 19 Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land? 20 Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there. 21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah had more to say though. The ensuing conversation tells us something about Zedekiah and Jeremiah. Though they were obviously opposite in viewpoint, they had a genuine respect for one another. Zedekiah knew that Jeremiah was a true prophet, and respected the "word" from God that Jeremiah gave; even though he never surrendered to the "word."

Jeremiah knew that the king respected him, and he also had genuine respect for his king. Even though he was making wrong decisions, Zedekiah WAS the king after all.

There is a vast difference between those who believe God is, and those who believe in God. Some believe God is, but never surrender to His Lordship of their lives. Perhaps Zedekiah was one of those men. He knew Jeremiah spoke the TRUTH; but he didn't want that TRUTH out on the streets! Perhaps he felt it presented a fatalistic viewpoint. Most diplomatic personalities who have no true faith in God are vassilating people. They will "go with the flow" so to speak. Whichever viewpoint is more popular, they will align themselves with it. One can never count on them to do the right thing.

Jeremiah asked if he had made some special offense against Zedekiah that had caused him to be placed in such an awful prison. And then he requested that Zedekiah not send him back to that place.

Zedekiah sent Jeremiah to an open prison, and commanded that Jeremiah would have food as long as there was food in the city. He could not personally keep Jeremiah in an awful prison, but he did want Jeremiah CONFINED, so he wouldn't be able to preach the truth in the streets.

True men of God will speak the TRUTH. They will speak the truth in LOVE, and not degrade others who don't hold to their views.

CHAPTER 38

1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. 3 Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it. 4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

Some officers heard about Jeremiah's preaching. It had gotten out on the streets after all. Truth cannot be kept down long!

These officers went to the king demanding that Jeremiah be put to death. Zedekiah, a spineless man, "going with the flow," and submissive to pressure from others, told them to do what they wished. He even denied his rightful power and authority to make them leave Jeremiah alone (verse 5).

So it is today. Men will deny right and do wrong when enough PRESSURE is applied!

6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. 7 Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; 8 Ebed-melech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, 9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. 11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

The leaders took Jeremiah and dropped him down in a dungeon of mud (well of mud). He stayed there for a long time.

But PRAISE GOD for men like Ebed-melech!! This man was not afraid to APPLY PRESSURE for TRUTH!

Notice that he approached the king while Zedekiah was "sitting in the gate of Benjamin" (verse 7). It was in a PUBLIC place. A place where the king was respected for his AUTHORITY.

Ebed-melech approached the king with an argument of RIGHT versus WRONG, GOOD versus EVIL. This forced the king to choose the RIGHT thing to do in the sight of all the people.

The authority he DENIED in verse 5, he USED in verse 10!! See how a little PRESSURE can help?

Now Jeremiah had been in the mud for quite awhile, and his body had begun to deteriorate. Ebed-melech knew this, and brought lots of soft rags for Jeremiah to wrap about his body before they pulled him up with ropes.

12 And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. 13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Very carefully, they pulled Jeremiah from the well. Even though he was released from the WELL, he was NOT released from the prison!

14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me. 15 Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

Now, instead of asking Jeremiah in SECRET, Zedekiah brings him to a PUBLIC place. There he asks if there is any "word" from God.

Why would he want to know? Perhaps he thought surely that God would change His mind? Some people say that God really can't be God if He allows BAD things to happen to GOOD people. Well, there's an answer for that: There is no such thing as GOOD people! ALL are sinners, ALL the time (Romans 3:23). And when people refuse to hear and obey God, He uses circumstances to get their ATTENTION!

Jeremiah counters the king's question with a two-fold answer: 1) If I tell you the truth you will kill me, or 2) you will certainly not listen and obey.

Jeremiah was assured of one thing: God had SAID He was going to cause Judah to be taken captive and carried away to Babylon. This was the TRUTH! Jeremiah KNEW that truth. He could not help but proclaim the truth. And he knew that the proclamation of that truth would either cause him to be killed, or the king would not listen and become obedient.

16 So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life. 17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: 18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

Now, if you can envision these two men sitting in a public place, then you can see that in verse 16, Zedekiah moves CLOSER to Jeremiah and speaks QUIETLY. Because the Scripture says he "sware secretly" to Jeremiah. Zedekiah promises that he will not kill Jeremiah, and that he will not allow others to kill him.

Notice that Zedekiah made his promise by invoking the name of the Lord. He KNEW that he had life because God had made it (verse 16). But he refused to believe that God could KEEP his life!

So Jeremiah AGAIN tells Zedekiah the TRUTH. How many times does one have to HEAR the truth in order to BELIEVE it and ACT upon it?

19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. 20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live. 21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me: 22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back. 23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

Zedekiah makes an EXCUSE. An excuse is like a balloon: it is a SKIN of a reason filled with hot air! His excuse was that the other Jews in Babylon would RIDICULE him if he surrendered to the Babylonians. They would say he was weak and spineless, and did not care about his people.

But Jeremiah assures him that caring about his people is the very reason he should surrender. If he does NOT surrender the Babylonians are going to tear down the wall, burn the city capture the king, and the wives and children will be treated maliciously.

Zedekiah then commands Jeremiah to not let anyone else know this awful truth. Instead, if he is asked, Jeremiah is to say that their private talk in this public place was a simple request by Jeremiah to not be returned to the prison in Jonathan's house.

Jeremiah then knew that the king had certainly chosen to not obey God's "word." No matter what he did, the king was not going to change.

Solomon says in Ecclesiastes that "..to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Later he also says there is a "..time to keep silence, and a time to speak;" (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

Jeremiah had spoken the TRUTH to Zedekiah several times. But he now KNEW that Zedekiah was NOT going to surrender to God's will and be obedient. It was time to be SILENT! We must respect the authority of those to whom authority is given.

And I'm sure, just as it was in Chapter 20 and verse 9, the "word of God" was a "FIRE in" Jeremiah's bones! But there would be ANOTHER time to speak!

Jeremiah was kept in the prison until the Babylonians came and beseiged, starved, and captured the people.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.